arftist

Can't say I'd recomend using either epoxy or zinc anchors in a fireplace or anywhere that gets very hot. Most any type of steel anchors would be fine though. Actualy Frosty's method is even better.

An easy way to make small but strong scroll pliers is to grind the jaws of a set of linemans pliers.

Unfortunately Hobart is just a division of Miller these days, and a cheaper version at that. That being said, I would not limit myself to just what is available localy when making a large purchase of capital equipment. If, however, you decide to buy one of those two machines, there is no doubt that you will be happier with the larger one in the long run. As far as capacity goes, the thickness rating indicates what can be welded in a single pass...with multiple passes either machine can weld thicker metal. My personal preference is 250 amps single phase, with which one can weld in spray transfer mode, and or run a spool on gun for high quality aluminum. As far as brand preference, Esab can not be beaten by anything Red, Blue or Orange, Black and White. You get what you pay for.

Actualy ductile iron is a good material for an anvil, especialy one that massive. Most large anvils are a little softer anyway. The only slight disadvantage is what tasmisth mentioned, the lack of a hardened top plate, but if it dents severely enough, it sounds like you have the ability to dress it. Mounting the block as Frosty suggested will give you the most bang for your buck.

I love what I do which is why I do it. That I can support a family while playing with my tool collection is an awesome bonus. Some days are certainly harder than others.

One shop I visited had a large amount of scroll molds hanging on the wall, at least thirty or more if I remember correctly. All of them were welded to a pipe which slid over a spindle of some type, and the each had four spokes. The smith would start the work then spin the mold by hand to complete the scroll. This was back when this trade was much more competitive and He was not really clear as to whether all the fuss was worth it or not, but I imagine it was since he had taken the time to set up ALL his scroll molds this way.

Place the gear flat on a steel plate. Select a good section, and create a dam around the area with three firebricks, cut to size if need be. Weight them with steel so they will not move. Melt some lead and cast an impression of the good section. Then, after you fix the broken tooth/teeth, use the lead block to check clearence. Continue to file, grind, sand or whatever till the lead block slides over the repaired teeth just as well and eaisily as the good teeth. By the way, I use MG600 stick welding rods for most gear repair jobs, but for your gear, I would probably TIG braze it with silicon bronze and proper preheat, post heat, and slow cooling in ashes or dry sand. Also, I have found that a thin cutoff wheel is often the best way to clean up gear teeth after welding.

I suggest a flat top die, and a bottom die which is flat on one half, and a large radius fuller shape on the other half. This gives much more versatility than just flat dies, and 90% of the time, will do the job without the need of other tooling. If you do need tooling, use the flat side. For inspiration, look at an anvil, flat plat, round horn.

I use the step between the table and the hard plate, however if you don't have it, it would be easy enogh to make a hardy tool to give the same effect.

Clay will also stay the same volume, so it could be useful to determine the amount of metal needed for a certain part.

Williams Coal Co. in Brockton Mass, if they are still there.

Make a "scroll mold". You only have to make one correctly that way. Make a scroll you like. Weld it across a section of angle iron. Clamp the angle iron in a vice. Start your scroll by hand (over the side of the anvil, or the horn or on a scroll starter, or however you do it. Once you have your start, heat as much of the piece as you can, wrap it around the mold, repeat till done. You may have to clamp the start, in which case cool the very end where the clamp will be. If the mold involes multiple revolutions, make the center higher so you have room to wrap the whole thing, then flatten the completed scroll. And remember, a scroll is an "ever increasing spiral". I routinely make molds for as few as three or four scrolls.

I think Frosty nailed it. Since Puneet called the lathe a "conventional lathe", I asume they are a CNC shop, doing a job that won't fit into the CNC. Puneet, if you post some pictures of the part you are trying to turn, you may get some more useful help.

Grant, sorry I didn't see your reply sooner. It the world of the old time machinist, cast iron is considered a bearing material. As long as there is no rotaional interference between the blower and the case, oil the bearings at every use and enjoy your working antique. Grease is not so good, as it traps dust and grit which is abrasive.

A bar clamp can be made into a hardy hole hold-down readily. I also use a plate which slips over the anvil face for hot cutting and have one with half a c-clamp welded to it. In addittion, if I remember correctly, there are all number of anvil hold-downs in the blueprint area. Then there are tool holders which position the tool while you hold the work and hammer the tool. Finaly, for the most accurate job, a flypress or oliver hammer with an adjustable fence as Thomas pointed out.

Try welding with 6010/6011 for fine bark.

Tig weld it with silicon bronze tig wire.

Oil the bearings every day that you use it, as it is a total loss system.

For any folks who are unaware, pure CO2 can be used for mig, giving exellent penetration, and somewhat more spatter than Argon-CO2 mixes. It does not work as well on very thin metal due to the extra penetration, however, it can be done, and CO2 is MUCH cheaper. I buy CO2 tanks at scrap yards which were used for soda dispencers, and all the local welding suppliers treat them as owner tanks.

Hey Spike, don't know if this will help much, but it is easier to build with flat springs. The guy at the shop where I bought my springs had no trouble staightening them cold in a press. As to the size of the leafs required, it would depend upon the size hammer you were building. If you are making the effort of building a hammer, please buy new springs. Used springs are not reliable. As a starting point for you, my hammer has a 75# head or tup, and my springs are about 5/16ths by 2" wide.

Oh. Thankyou.

When I make hardy tools, I always make them a little long, so if they get stuck, I can hammer them out from underneath.

Warren, I didn't feel dissed, I am just trying to understand what this thread is about. Thankyou for responding. For example I am still not sure about tuning for the upstroke, and wonder if I am missing something.

Warren, trying to understand what the issue is. Tune for the upstroke? First of all, the purpose of the spring is not "to adjust for tooling and thickness of the work". All power hammers have springs in one form or another. The purpose of the springs is to prevent the hammer from self destructing soon after it's use begins. To adjust a spring helve hammer for thicker materials, or higher tooling, one shortens the pitman arm, thereby raising the lower point of the tup stroke. Have I still misunderstood your question? Some people believe the "Dupont" linkage to be the ultimate, and they may be correct, but my spring helve has served me well for many years, and while I am sure it could be improved upon, it's operation is certainly adequate, and compares favorably with similar sized dupont linkage hammers, perhaps even better than some.

1/16th wire is a heck of a lot smaller than any thread I have ever seen on a post vice, and 1/16th sheet metal would have no structural strength anyhow, so I am not sure what you are trying to do. Yes, those sizes are too small to be readily tigwelded, and would lend themselves more to a soldering operation. The type of brazing used to fabricate a postvice box nut is forge brazing, not torch brazing, two entirely different operations.