ciladog

It's broken right?  You can't break it more than as useless as it is now.  Get some nickel rods, tack it together, then gouge the opposite side out half way, pre-heat and weld it with a single pass.  Then turn it over and gouge the opposite side and do the same.  Keep turning form side to side until you fill up the gouges.  Cool it under welding blankets.  If it holds, you are in business.

That is a thread gauge for cutting threads on a lathe.  The notches are 60 degrees for lining up the threading tool perpendicular to the work.  The scales are for checking threads per inch. 

I think how many friends you need will be up to you. It's a lot of work doing an iron ore smelt.

First you have to build the bloomery   Then you need to roast and break up the ore. Then you need to make or buy a few hundred pounds of charcoal and break that up into small pieces.

And then you get to start the fire to dry out the bloomery and pre-heat it. And then you charge it with charcoal and start the air blast. When the bloomery dry enough and is hot enough you start charging it with ore and charcoal every 10-15 minutes (depending on how fast it is burning down) for about 4 hours.  When it's almost finished, you tap the bloomery and drain the slag. Now if you have done everything correctly, you may be lucky enough to get an iron bloom instead of cast iron.

Watch Lee's video.

Matchless had this one up for sale a while back. I had certainly never seen one before.
 
4in English leg vise with rare cast iron stand.jpg

You're going to need some help if you intend to use bellows for a smelt. They last 4-6 hours of constant even air flow.

I think that table is from a kick press. The notch in the front is where the press mounted and the configuration of the legs would allow the foot lever to travel to the back when the operator kicked it. The large surface is where the parts that were being assembled would be placed.

I have several tables like that from my father's factory. I used one to mount a vise to and the other holds a grinder.

First, that gold coating is not a carbide coating it is either a titanium coated drill or if a dull gold, it could be a cobalt drill bit. 

Cobalt drill bits are not made of pure cobalt.  They are made of a steel alloy with 5 to 8 percent cobalt. The 5-percent alloy is known as M35 grade, and the 8-percent alloy is M42.

The cobalt increases the strength of the steel and makes it more heat-resistant.  Some cobalt drills will withstand temps up to 1,100 degrees F. 

Cobalt drill bit will drill in much harder material than will HHS, you can apply greater pressure, and will withstand the heat.

So you didn't say if your 5/16 drill bit was HHS, titanium coated, or Cobalt. 

I use what I can get and that be 1/4 inch X 12 inch gouging electrodes.  They come 50 in a box for about $22.00.  It takes a very long time to use up a 12 inch rod.

dcraven,

That is a nice torch you made, simple and functional.  You may want to consider wrapping those wood handles with rubber insulating tape.  You might get a tingle up the arm if they ever get wet or damp. :o 

That is very interesting.  I used to drool over such things back in the 50's when this knd of old school technology was fearured in popular mechanics .   As a kid I was facinated by prospect of being able to fasten something by means other than nails and bolts.   I read every issue of the available magazines cover to cover.   Bought my first OA torch back in the early 60's and just never followed up on this.

 

I once found a discarded canister of used and unused carbon arc electrodes.  Never did find a torch though.   

 

How about showing us the torch in a bit more detail. The electrode holder end looks pretty simple.   Might like to pull put my old buzz box out and give it a try since the cost of gas has escalated so much.  It does look to be an interesting alternative.

 

Thanks for taking the trouble to show us this.  Funny, what goes around sometimes comes back full circle.

Here is a video on Youtube that shows the parts of a arc torch. 

I think it was made for the little people.  Wizard of OZ comes to mind.  Or maybe for a child.

I would contact the manufacturer of your welder before trying it. I know some Miller welders like the Dynasty can see the carbon arch as a short but some of their welders can handle it. Better be save than sorry.

I don't think you have much to worry about using a AC buzz box.

Lee is the man when it comes to ancient smelting.

I mentioned in another thread  http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/32317-no-220v-outlet-110v-or-oxyacetylene/ that you can use a carbon arc torch with a stick welder to heat and braze.  I got the impression that not many people know about it since it is something used more than a few years back.
 
While I'm not sure they can be purchased these days they are very easy to make and they are inexpensive to use.  A box of 50 1/4 inch X 12 inch long electrodes only cost about $20.00 and they last a long time.
 
So I posted a short video to show a trial run at brazing a bolt to a piece of square tubing.  The torch is powered by a small 100 amp buzz box set at 70 amps.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVKZZN_W5cU&list=FL-3FGnWL4eKUK7KwSMutEqw&index=1

With zoning law and regulations being what they are, before you decide to build living space I would make sure that you are allowed to "live" in a commercial space.  It may be one thing to have a cot to catch some zees and another to have bedrooms.

The real effect of ambient temperature on a forge, especially an aspirated forge, is not the temperature but the density of the air. Cold air is more dense than warm air and thus contains more oxygen for a given volume of air. The barometric pressure will also effect the operation of the forge.

While these effects are real (but slight) there is not much you can do about it so why be concerned?

Without knowing what your projects are it is difficult to give advise on how to hold your work.

One solution that works for me is to weld a piece of 1/8 or 3/16 rod to the work piece and do the forging. When most of it is finished, cut off the rod and finish forging.

how is the cheese wire tightened?

Put the tines under tension with a clamp or vise and tie the wire as tight as you can.  When you release the tines the wire will be tight.

Just because it can do something dose not mean that those little welders are build to handle welding material that large for extended periods. The manufactures recommendations for such welders is a very low duty cycle. 

Yes I know carbon arch torches can heat, Beyond cutting with a carbon torch. I did not think these things were even in circulation any more. I asked about brazing with carbon arch at the local welding supply and the employee behind the counter just laughed at me and told me no one used such things anymore.

 

I know that things can be built with 110V, I have been restricted to such use many times working while traveling. I have welders that can handle the lower volt/amps. The low input is a large step down from 220V 

I didn't say anything about duty cycle only about the ability to weld 3/16 material with a 120 volt machine.  What you say about duty is ture.  120 volt machines usually have a 20% cycle.  However, if you look at the specifications of the machines available such as Miller or Lincoln, their dual voltage machines (120-240) only increase 10% on the higher voltage.  All of the machines are rated to weld 3/16 in a single pass.  So unless you are in the welding business and that is all you do all day long, a 20% duty will work for most people. 

I have a Millermatic 135 with a 20% duty cycle and I push that machine hard, I don't pay attention to how long I weld continuously and it has never overheated.  I don't know anyone that watches the clock when welding.

The carbon arch torch I'm speaking of is a two electrode torch.  So maybe your welding supply guy is too young to know about it. :unsure:   They still sell the carbon electrodes.  I don't think anyone would choose to use one if they also had an O/A setup.  But I have used mine on occasion when I run out of gas.

A welder that is restricted to only 110V is pretty small. I would not regularly try and weld something 3/16 or thicker with one. It can be done but is a poor option. You can not heat or braze with a arc welder. You can weld Stainless steel and maybe Aluminum depending if your welder has alternating current.

There are lots of good MIG welders that will easily weld 3/16 material on 120 volts.  And you can weld thicker material with multi passes if you have the knowledge and the technique.  Some will allow you to weld stainless and aluminium with a spool gun. 

You can also heat and braze using a stick welder with a carbon arch torch. 

My very first welder was a 120 Volt buzz box and I built all sorts of things with it.  It's max was 100 Amps AC.  I still have it and use it as a portable because it is a small unit.

It's not hard to measure the depth of an etch.  Make a blunted pointed tip to fit over the end of a micrometer spindle and measure it.  Measure an etched verses unetched area and subtract and you will know how deep the etch is.

If the key you want to cut is a combination of side-cut and transponder you will most likely have to go to a Ford dealer and order it.  It could cost upwards of $100.  Call some dealers and find out.

Side-cut keys are made by laser cutting, punching, or milling.  The machines are expensive and only the largest of locksmith compaines will be able to produce the key.

The time you spend triing to make some kind of setup to cut the key will most likely exceed the cost of buying one with no  guarantee it will work.

Mine is a Rockwell and I got it new in the 70's.  I adjusted the tracking when I got it and never touched it since.  Never had a belt fly off.  However, you do need to pay attention to where you put pressure on the belt because it will move side to side like most belt grinders.

Well for one thing I think that terminal plate says "A6   DC"  which might suggest that it is a DC motor and not AC.  If that is the case, you would need a DC controller to run it.