Dodge

I'm a little confused. Is this thing made of aluminum?? The first couple dimensions stated would yield a heck of a lot more than 15 pounds if it were steel or cast iron which is what it looks like to me. Buyer beware!!!! It'd make a neat door stop, tho ;)

LOL, PBF. Would Finn really do that???? ;)

Like most advances in technology, it may have happened by accident. Perhaps some substance spilled on the iron as the smith removed it from the fire. It welded better so he started to experiment with different substances till he found a flux that got good results on a predictable basis. I don't believe, before that, he had any idea that oxygen was preventing him from a successful weld. Probably was cussing evil spirits before the "accident" ;)

LOL Richard. A hole to bolt down a hold down maybe?? Seriously though, I don't generally tap the anvil, least not on purpose. I hit what I'm forging till I'm done then lay the hammer down. I am superstitious, however. I believe if I hit the anvil too much, the neighbors will tell me to "quit making so much noise" ;)

Just to put in the rest of my 2 cents; What I meant was, don't spend a lot of money on practice material. In retrospect I see your point, T.P., and I stand corrected. Mild steel would react different in the forge than mild, but my point is, why purchase expensive steel that you may burn or grind to uselessness trying to develop your skills when good material is available for next to nothing or even free if you know where to look. BTW, I take no offense if someone disagrees with me. If I did, I wouldn't be celebrating 30 years of marriage next year. LOL

I am not a metallurgist, so this is a complete guess, but if you got any results from you carbonizing method it could be similar to a case hardening. I would NOT call if useless, however. You got some good practice and you learned something. Thats not useless. What is useless is destroying a "good" piece of steel trying to develop your skills. If you get good results on a practice piece, repeat it on some good stock. I don't usually care for wrapped handles, but I like the idea of how yours has additional functions.

martin, It was actually cut by the older of 3 CNC machines I ran. It was a Linde which is no longer in biz. The other 2 were ESABs. Not sure of the cost of the Linde but I was told the ESABs were close to a mil each which included the on board computer. But as old as it was, the Linde still cut smoother than the newer ones. The Linde and one of the ESABs both have 10 Oxy/Acetylene torches. The other ESAB was in fact a plasma machine that cut over a water table where the steel was submerged. It only had a capacity of 3/4" thickness. I'm not sure what the cap was on the gas machines but we cut up to 6" plate. Any piercing done on plate over 3" required pre-pierce holes (small holes, usually 3/4" dia cut through b4 full sized hole, usually 2" or larger). 4" and up we drilled pilot holes

No fair Jr. You know where I worked. LOL. It was actually an experiment. This piece and the rest came from a round plate eight feet in diameter, four inches thick. The ring of slugs had to be cut down to manageable pieces. The experiment remained just that due to too much handling of scrap. Mlmartin15, not plaz, gas flame torch.

Any idea what this is? I'll post the full picture and answer on the gallery next week or when some one guesses; whichever comes first ;)

John, I've see something similar where they simply broke bottles, jars, what ever in small pieces. Main idea is to relieve any stress in the glass so it won't explode like a marble could. Relieve you own stress when you bust it up, too. LOL

Wim, rotflmao!!

Jmccarth, GREAT looking dies! Beautiful machine work. Since you will (should) be hitting softer steel from it being heated than the dies, you might get away without heat treating. Besides, I don't believe the receiver, (bottom part), (die holder), needs to be as hard as the die. Tool holders usually are not as hard as the tool. That would save at least one c-note:)

Yes, you do need the guides whether cutting vertical or horizontal. However, if all that is missing is the rollers themselves, you should be able to find them at a well stocked hardware store such as True Value.

Thats the way I'd play it! Well done Aaron :)

Another listing you might try is, refractories. You should be able to get silica sand anywhere they sell cement and mortar like stuff. I bought a bag at the local lumber yard to use to re-fill butt cans I made

They say that the best compliment is to imitate another's work. This doesn't mean copy it and call it your own, but to give due credit. From birth, we learned everything by mimicking others. Walking, talking, even feeding ourselves. Watch, do, learn. Once you have learned to do it like another, and learned to do it well, then worry about developing your own style. That is, if you absolutely need something more to worry about. I say you "learn" your own style while you learn to do any task or craft well.

For quick, down, and dirty metal cutting, nothing beats the abrasive cut-off saw. When cutting square or angle, adjust your vise so blade will start on a corner. It starts cutting quicker and is less bind on the motor than trying to cut through the middle of the flat

How do you make your words in boldface? I can't seem to figure it out. As a nearly graduated IT student, I should really be living in a "CAVE" :)

Thanks for the link Jose. Yes, Robert. They are hardened, and were used to cold stamp ID #s on mild steel

What kind of steel would number and letter stamps be. These are NOT Harbor Freight stamps. They have (had) 1/2" characters some have 5/8" shank but most are 3/4". They were tossed at work for new legible ones and I couldn't bear to see them thrown away. Figured I could at least make a touch mark with one. Any other ideas??

Very cool Steve. I think you nailed it. There's a pun in there if you study it ;)You say you rolled this?

Even if you can't harden it, if all you use it for is sheet metal, it should suffice till something better comes along. If it gets dinged, just zap with a welder and grind smooth again. No welder? May require more grinding;)

Neat set up, Beav. My motto: "If it works, use it till ya find something that works better!!!" Just a thought, though. Is that the outside wall of your home so precariously close to the back of you forge??? I hate reading about tragedy on this sight, Hint Hint ;)

I'm sorry i didn't see this earlier. I would like to have seen some of the info. I do see Thomas' point however. I don't really have any "secret" formulas but some of my "methods" that work for me may seem unorthodox or even dangerous to others and if I was to offer one that I have been using successfully, but through some mis-interpretation another person gets hurt when they try it, then there will be at least two unhappy people.
Don't get me wrong. I'm all for sharing of information. After all, thats what this forum is about. Speaking for myself, I'd be lost without this place But we should all use a bit of discretion. At least here we are protected, to some degree, by posted disclaimers. (I think!?!) On the other hand if I copy someones idea, even with their permission, and I neglect to copy their disclaimer, the receiver may have recourse if they miss-used the information and get injured. Unfortunately, we live in a disgustingly suite happy society, where the solution to one persons stupidity is to destroy the lively hood of another. Just my 2 cents. (Dodge slides soapbox back under desk for future use )

"Bare" is my favorite metal finish