arkie

If you are on a farm, I wonder how zoning restrictions could apply? Never heard of that. Anyway, I'd put in what you want, since "it's easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission". If they come around tell them they are trespassing :P

Radial and miter saws designed to cut wood spin at a higher RPM than dry cut saws...very dangerous and eats up the carbide teeth on a dry cut blade. Dry cut saws run at a slower RPM designed to cut metal. Some folks have cut aluminum with carbide blades in a miter saw, but not ME!!! Use metal cutting saws for metal, wood cutting saws for wood. Be safe.

Drill press vise...

They seem to pick the craziest places. One of their favorites at our place is an old teakettle hanging from the porch. The painting on the side of the teakettle consists of a couple of life-sized cardinals...go figure.

I couldn't resist posting this cute story about something that happened this week regarding my forge. No hammering involved! I have a brake drum forge that is about 2' x 4', located in the open, outside my shop. I usually place a piece of metal roofing over the forge when I'm not using it to keep out the elements and leaves. With the top on, there is a slot about 4" high that is open on one side. I had not used the forge for a couple of days and things were quiet around it. We have some Carolina Wrens that nest each year in various places around our house like old teapots, boxes, etc. Well, it seems that Mrs. Wren decided to build her nest this year in my forge!!! Thank goodness the coal and coke were cold!!! I normally keep the forge full and banked up with coal and coke, but she found an empty corner where I usually stash the clinkers. She decided that was a perfect place for her nest, protected and all. The picture tells the rest of the story.....

WisdomWarlord..... Your original question, regarding welding, was posted on this forum, basically a blacksmithing forum. You have received quite a bit of very good advise here, from some very knowledgeable persons. I would suggest to you that since you had a welding-related question, that you post it instead in a proper welding related forum. Three very good ones I might refer you to are weldingweb.com, aws.org (American Welding Society) and weldingtipsandtricks.com. I would warn you ahead of time that those forums, made up of many professional welders, will make it look like you "walked into a lion's cage wearing a porkchop suit". Good luck with your endeavours.

Another use for the sandpaper (fine grit in this case) is if you are tempering something. You'll need to polish off the scale to see the color changes. Gotta be quick...that steel's hot!! :)

Thomas, thanks for the temp info...will use water for tempering quench if need be. Besides, not as messy as oil.

Absolutely beautiful!! I'd hate to work with it...would just have to look at it!

Not trying to hijack John's thread here, but if you are tempering with the heat running and need to quench it rapidly, does quenching in water adversely affect steels that are hardened with an oil quench? An oil quench to stop heat run in tempering takes a bit longer than water.

Good reminder....I make a list but usually leave a few items behind...of course, the little ones you need. :(

Here are a couple of major industry manufacturers/distributors of sucker rods. You will find specs, both general and technical, on steel types. You might have to mine deeper on each site and download some pdf files/catalogs for detailed info. Most complete sucker rods or those with the male pin intact will have some stamps or markings showing what type of rod or steel it is. http://www.weatherford.com/Products/Production/SuckerRods/ http://www.tenaris.com/en/products/suckerrods.aspx Also, a google search on "sucker rods" will give you a lot of info.

My drum is unlined, clinkers just lift out, no problem. Also, the layer of ash that accumulates on the bottom and sides of the drum prevent the clinkers from sticking. No need to line a drum.

DSW, Good looking buy. Now that you've got it cleaned up a bit (I wouldn't do any more cleaning for now, if any at all), sprinkle some flour all over the sides and feet anvil and gently dust it off. Often, that reveals a lot of detail. That made the lettering and serial # pop out more on my old Hay-Budden.

mperrine, Looks good from here! Your forge is starting out nearly the same as mine. You can build up a great little forge from your "seed". Add all the "bling-bling" you'll need to forge, tong hangers, shovel hook, water sprinker holder, wheels, leg pads, ash dump etc. One of the most useful additions I made to mine, were 3" sideboards so I could pile on a lot of coal that could be coking while the main fire is burning. I had 1" angle on the edges like yours to start (one of the attached pics). I just tack welded some inside and outside tabs on the 3" sideboards that clip over the 1" angle iron sides so that I could remove or move them as I wished...no welding in place for them. You could even have higher sideboards for more coal storage. You may get some ideas from my build.

How about using a RR tie? Lumber yards or nurseries usually have some used ones for $10-$12 each. Look for a relatively good one. You can stand it on end in a hole. Figure out how much you can bury in your soil. If it's going to be too tall, cut off the excess with a chain saw before burying it. To keep the bottom end from digging into the ground, just place a small, thick piece of scrap iron or even wood under the toe to support it while you are hammering. Beware!!!...if you DO cut a RR tie with a chainsaw, be prepared to ding up your chain, possibly beyond sharpening it afterwards. RR ties are usually chocked full of sand and gravel and WILL chip your chain teeth.

Charles, did you ever notice how ingenious (sp?) those welders are with their grills/BBQ pits. They really come up with some artistic types to show off a bit. Some large, some small, but they all make you say, "ain't that neat...bet it cooks a steak great!!!"

I summarize this thread as follows: I learned a lot, I saw arguments, insults, and personal attacks, I read more than I wanted, (Kinda like a trailer-building thread on a welding forum, if you know what I mean) Now I have a splitting headache.... Maybe tomorrow I'll practice some welds, but I certainly didn't come away with a clear idea of how might be best, if there IS one...

That hammer will work just fine for you. Now start working some iron. :)

On an antique tong, I would be reluctant to use a hack saw or worse, a reciprocating saw to remove the rivet. If you want to preserve the antiquity, those would probably chew up and mar the bosses, making a mess. I would use Charles' idea of a chisel, carefully placed to cut off the rivet, or use an angle grinder or dremel tool. You could use an angle grinder with a fine grit wheel and gently touch the rivet head, slowly grinding it down then finishing with a chisel. A dremel with a thin cut-off might work with the gap, but use slow speed and be careful not to bind the wheel, or it could shatter.

I just set up an electrolysis bath today for the first time. Used a 20 qt. clear plastic container from Wallyworld, some rebar, copper wire, PVC for hanger support, steel wire for hanger, 3amp battery charger and it only took about 30 min. to assemble it. Wish I had done it years ago!! Much easier and safer than acid. Started a trial de-rusting with a very rusty railroad spike and it started bubbling in about 30 seconds. Had to turn it off before it finished and move it inside out of the rain, but it was working like a champ. Can't wait to restart it and see how it's working.

hairballz, From a newbie just into blacksmithing for a little less than a year, if I were in your position and have the enthusiasm to get right into blacksmithing that you have, I would go ahead and get the Vulcan. You will be able to do as much with the limited skills you have now and will be learning more over the short term. You don't need a high quality anvil to start learning. Get something you can work with NOW. When you find the anvil you really want at a price you can afford, get it. Then you can sell the Vulcan, maybe to a new newbie to get them started and recoup your first investment. Good luck anvil hunting!!!

The name was just "Nordic Forge" on the hammers. Bought them from one of the blacksmithing retail sites, don't recall which...Kayne, Pieh, Blacksmith Depot, something like those. They are just OK hammers, but really would love to have a "Brazeal style" hammer 3 to 4 lb.size.....will have to check into the guys making them as "5starhobo" mentioned above.

I have two Nordic hammers, a 1 1/2 lb. and a 2 lb. among a wide assortment of hammers. I use them daily for various work and have no complaints other than the head worked loose on the 2 pounder, but I fixed that. I DO NOT like the Czech style with the square head. For me, they tend to leave marks unless you are perpendicular or straight inline with your work. I prefer a round cross section, whether round or flat faced.

Brian, I was referring to the video that SJS posted, #14, doing the taper. Thanks for the info. Alec doesn't look like a big guy but he seems to like heavy hammers! I like using 3# to 3 1/2#. If I used a 6#, I would be good for about 4 licks then it would be Miller Time!!!! (and then Advil Time). :wacko: