plain ol Bill

I have rolled about a kazillion boiler tubes in my days but haven't seen anything like this. We had air tools that lipped the tubes and rolled them back onto the tube sheet. That tool was before my time in the trade.

Sahinler SM50 will do the trick - comes standard w/ single phase. Love mine.

Aw man, I had to run to the shop and look but my hammer was still sitting there! Looks just like mine - and you are going to have a lot of fun. Love the die sets - I only have flat dies for mine.

Odds are it is 15N20 steel by Uderholm as posted above. Basically the same as 1070-1075 except there is 2% nickel added and that accounts for the brightness. A great steel in blades, Damascus and very easy to heat treat.

Tom Clark used to handle the Say Mak's before he passed on and he had made some changes in the valving from the original designs. Supposedly the new valving gave a little better control. No idea who is importing the Say Mak line these days. Both brands imported from Turkey. I use a Sahinler and have been very happy with it.

These were imported from China by Darryl Nelson and Terry (aw crap, can't remember Terry's last name). Not very many brought in, Darryl has one in use, Dave Lisch uses these in his shop and really likes them. All I can tell you about them really - no idea what factory actually made these.

I have one that does not get used much anymore due to age (mine, not it's) but every time I hit the start button it does a good job. Hits hard and keeps on ticking.

Backhoes are a great tool if you have something to bury. Dig a hole six to eight ft. deep, put your item in it with some quick lime to help the "steel" rust faster. Put three ft. of dirt on top, tamp earth down tightly w/ backhoe, put a dead goat, dog, cow, or horse in hole and fill the remainder of hole.

Induction heat is sweet isn't it.

Here is some info where you can find good coal not that far from you. He has been supplying at the NWBA conferences and the guys that use it like it. 509-493-2246 or jim@mountainbrookforge.com. Website is http://www.mountainbrookforge.com

Wish I could have been more help today Dave. At least after I beat on it some it had a different shape <_< .

Get them hot - weld with 7018 - let cool slowly - use them.

It has to be coming from the inside of the burner itself (plenum). How much dragons breath is coming out? Turn off the lights, shut off the fan to the air knife and look at it. Too much dragon breath = too much fuel. A forge is ALL about fuel to air ratio. The next time it does that take that infra red shooter thingy hanging over there and shoot the outside of the burner on top - how hot is it?? There should be enough air going through that ribbon burner that it should not get extremely hot. Air to fuel - fuel to air ratio.

I prefer to grease the threads on mine and put a light layer of grease on the swiveling parts also. Makes them run slick. Might have to take them apart every 20 years of so to clean and re-lube. Whatever works for you in your shop is the right way to do it!

Thanks Frank - I knew about Just Plain Bill - but he wasn't old :) . My first thought was Columbian but thought I'd ask the forum too. I'd like to keep this one - but then I don't have room for another one. It will go to a new home and it will work well when he comes to pick it too.

Hi guys - had a customer drop in to pick up an item a couple of weeks ago and he noticed my vises in the shop. He mentioned he had one he got at a garage sale a long time ago but it didn't work well. I told him next time he headed this direction to put it in the truck and drop it off and I'd look at it. He brought it by yesterday and I would like to ID it for him. Jaws are 5 1/2" wide, both jaws have a 0 marked under the jaws and there are traces of orange paint on it. Screw and box are in good shape, jaws are great - parallel and even. Mounted to an old truck rim - I don't care for that but then it's not my vise either. No spring but that is easily fixed, so I took it all down to clean, lube and get a spring into it by mounting a little table to the back of the fixed leg w/ a square U bolt to hold the spring in place. Got any idea who made this vise and when?

I have not been keeping up I guess folks. John how does this differ from your general Iron Kiss hammers? I see some fine control but how do you switch back and forth to a standard reciprocating style?

I have been avidly reading this thread and could not help but think if Grant were still with us he would have been deeply involved in this discussion. I really miss his post's on a lot of forums. Hope you have your problem figured out Larry.

I can speak about the South African making Timascus. He was at the Atlanta Blade show with some titanium damascus and actually calling it "Timascus". He was served with a cease and desist letter from our attorney for both the product using our patent and his use of our product name. He removed the material from his table and we have never heard from or about him since. Titanium damascus can be made by anyone using our methods as long as it is for personal use and not commercially.

I am making some parts from A36 that are riveted together and using super quench trying to hardIT a little. My question: Since it has a lot of salt in it am I going to run into a corrosion problem later? - How are any other users of this cleaning up your parts? Thanks for any help folks -- Bill

I never got around to ordering one from Grant Sarver. Who else makes touchmarks guys?

I just received word from a friend of the passing this morning of a good friend and member here Grant Sarver. He will be missed.

As you faced the teams the one on the far right won. Maria's team - KUDOS NWBA TEAM! This was a GREAT conference foks.

I have used it although it has been a long time. At that time it was mostly clinkers and a pain in the butt to use.

No one else has mentioned this that I niticed so thought I would add this note. If you use a cutting torch or plasma on titanium you will get LOTS of white smoke while cutting. THIS SMOKE WILL KILL YOU if you breathe too much of it and it doesn't take very much at all to make you sick. Ventilate, ventilate, ventilate.