plain ol Bill

Too bad TI won't get hard enough to take and HOLD an edge. The hardest is will get is about R46 and that is way too soft for a blade. With that said there are some exotic Beta TI's out there that will get hard and hold an edge. But that material is not available to most people and if you do manage to get some the heat treatment of it is not something you can do in a home shop.

Just wondering what it took to run some of the equipment you have Grant.

Grant what size rotary converter are you using?

More info about ribbon burners and one I built also. http://blacksmith.org/forums/threads/526-Ribbon-burner-forge-build

Curiosity prompts "Is there an update available?????"

Years ago I worked at a nuke site and was a welder on the containment vessel. Two inch plate, 200 ft. diameter and 300 ft. tall. They stress relieved the vessel in one burn using propane, diesel fuel and compressed air burners. Heated to 1500 degrees and held for two hours (as I remember). Don't know how much fuel they used but they had tankers of propane and diesel coming and going for two days.

I am building a new gas forge w/ a ribbon burner. I want to put some good doors on it front and rear rather than just blocking with fire brick. How did you do your doors?? :huh:

Hillbilly I am a retired Boilermaker that made a good living for over 35 years primarily welding or supervising welders. Not being a pipefitter I always thought that UA meant "usually a**holes " actually stands for United Association of Pipefitters. Passing any welding test is just an opportunity to get a job and not a gurantee. If I had all the welding certs I have held down throught the years the paper would fill the back of a pickup easily. As a general rule each time we went on a job we had to re-test to qualify for that particular contractor. Any welder that tells me he has never busted a weld test is either a liar or he hasn't taken many tests at all. Try driving across country with not enough money to get you back home and have to belly up and take a tough test. Bust the test you are out on the street! That will make the ol butt pucker buddy. Been in all 50 states, worked in 32 , some many times, couple of foreign countrys and American possesions. Can you make a living at it? Yes you can - but (awlays a but ain't there ) you better like to travel and spend a lot of time in cheesy motel rooms.

Yeah Larry these are 12 point bolts that have been used too many times in the past with poor fitting tools. Rather than try to weld on them I went to the junk yard and pulled some off a parts vehicle.

It's a blown forge so it should come up to welding heat easily. Call them and ask about it.

I'm currently working on an older Jeep and re-doing the ball joints. It has been a LONG LONG time since I have pulled wrenches on a rig. Some of the bolts holding this thing together are grade 8 and are castellated headed. XXXXXX I never saw one of those before! They are a pain to work with and I am thinking of just weldin a standard hex nut over the castelled head so I can use a standard wrench on these stinking things when I go to put them back in (if I ever get the darn things out!). Anyone know why it would not work out OK? I have a Miller 250 MIG - a lincoln 110V MIG w/ flux core setup in it and an older AC/DC stick machine. I plan to use the Miller with 70S6 wire.

I concur with others suggestions on the AC/DC combo machines. Just gives you a lot more versatility. Switch it to DC & reverse the polarity and you can use a TIG rig with it for steel & stainless work. I use mine frequently for that as well as stick work. Hobart? I admit to being prejudice from an experience with one of them years ago and would not reccomend them to anyone personally.

Let's all gather up at James's shop, hook all the hammers up, and everyone use them at the same time! Wonder how long it would take for an earthquake report to hit the news?? :D

Like many other boiler tube welders I had a few tricks up my sleeve and a few in my "trick bag". Some short lengths of 309SS were one. You can fight porosity in welding old burnt up tubes to new material for hours and not get it right. Finally get in the trick bag and you can fix it real quick with a little 309. They will pass any X-ray exam I have ever seen. Sometimes what the CWI don't know don't hurt him! Sometimes the CWI is the dumbest ass on the job too.

Been a tube welder for over 35 years and buddy welding using a "Y" is the preferred method for most of us. You can lay in wait and "suck the fire" away from your buddy when you pick him up. Less porosity using a Y than with two seperate machines in my experience. For those who don't know what we are taliking about imagine this - a line of 2" diameter boiler tubes with 3/8" to 1/2" spacing between the tubes (and to boot these can be vertical, horizontal or anywhere in between). This line of tubes might well be 100' long. Now imagine how the **** you weld these up with X-ray quality without buddy welding. Retired Boilermaker and **** glad I'm retired.

Larry I have a friend looking for a hammer but the cburg would be too big for him. When you get those 50# little giants in and set a price give me a call and I will pass on the word to him.

Frank evidently his controller (wife) doesn't have one. She must be petite and one of those women that can eat all day and not gain weight I guess. Larry when I start to make my vise stand I will come visit and scrounge right there!

Love the shot of the shop helper. That bed shows love and caring. Sure makes me wish my old helper was still around.

Hofi you continue to amaze me!

Dave trade you a set of flat dies in great shape for a set of combo's. I have two set of flats for my hammer.

Here is another vote for Kelly Cupples. You won't be able to find a nicer and more honest man if you tried.

It's coming out of southern Cal. Larry. I've seen pics of it and other than being a little dirty it looks like brand new. Still going to have to make a vise stand like that one of yours. Where have you been scrounging anyway - man some of that material you used for your bending table is really heavy duty! My local junkyard has gone under and I don't have a clue where to look and scrounge stuff anymore.

Dave I have one just like it and it will behoove you when you change belts and unbolt the rod from the flywheel to put NEW nylon lock nuts on when you put it back together and recheck for tightness after an hour or so of use. I used the old ones and it all came apart a couple of weeks later in use. That was an expensive lesson learned!

Anyone know the weight of a Columbian 7" vise? I need to figure freight cost to have one I purchased delivered. Thanks for any help folks.

alive - Alive - ALIve - it's ALIVE! Congratulations, that is a great hammer and it is good to see it get a good home rather than a junk yard. Of course it is used to Washington weather and you might have to give it a shower bath now and then so it won't feel lost (grin). Now stand by guys the craftmanship is coming! Make something to show us Jesse.