MoleDoc

My question has been answered in private and it is therefore withdrawn. " It is better to remain silent and appear ignorant than to open your mouth and remove all doubt" -Mark Twain.

Good deals can be found on e-bay but now I must expalin in great detail every box that shows up on the front porch to my wife. She seems to think I already have enough toys. Silly Girl!!! Ted:D

I have some on the way now and I must say that Glen is a true gentleman and a pleasure to do business with. Ted:D

Exactly right. My Dad was a lineman for Western Electric in the 50's and I have seen this tool in his old kit. Ted:D

Your GrandMa hit your GrandPa harder than that! Is that all you got Fat Boy? Ted:D

Is there ANYTHING at HF that isn't cheaply made and or hazardous to your health? How the heck do they stay open??? Ted:confused:

I am so there for Wile-E! Please post a picture if you get it done. Ted:D

Thanks Jimbob, I'll get one from the ferrier supply shop tomorrow Ted:D

I'm sure this is a common topic of discussion but does anyone have what they think is the best list of what type of steel can be found in a auto junk yard (now called auto recycling centers here in California---Gag!)? Post a link to your list or any good one you know of. Thanks in advance Ted :D

Howdy! here are the pictures of the finished product. Thanks to all who gave me excellent suggestion on how to proceed. Any comments are welcome! Ted :D

and really, the big black boogers are cool!!!

here we go a positive and a negative of the mark and the date. the name is in a diamond above the date. the other picture is the vise on the mounting post I welded up an next weekend it will get welded to the plate it is sitting on. Thanks for taking a look

Got a very nice old post vise from e-bay last week. it seems to be the same style as the colombians that I have seek but the only marks I can find are a date of "1897" and part of a brand name that starts out < V W & W but the rest of the mark has been hammered out. Anyone know the Brand? Thanks! Ted :confused:

Thanks Locky This is a brillaint design! Thank you for the photo essay. Ted

My day job is doing dermatology surgery (Hence "MoleDoc") so I wear kevlar gloves at all times in the forge. I must report that I am the only one in our guild that does so. Ted

Thanks to all for the excellent ideas. The one in the blue prints by Uri Hofi looks sturdy enough to stop a tank. I have a great scrap yard near me so I will give it a try. The tripod one looks great for a smaller traveling set up but I think it will tougher to manufactur than my skills will allow. As for the drum I sure id burn a few holes in it with he welding and we are almost on water rationing here in So. Cal. Ted:D

Does anyone have a good plan for a post leg vise stand. I work in and out of my garage for now so I need a stand I can move out into the driveway for grinding and such. I have acess to a pretty reasonable scrap steel dealer and I have an arc welder at the forge where I take lessons. I'd appreciate any drawings or really good photos. Especially useful would be cautionary notes of what NOT to do so I don't make the same mistake. There is a truck dismantler about 30 miles away so I can get big rims or brake drums too. Thanks Ted:D

I took the class at the Pieh tool company in Camp Verde. Gordon Williams is an excellent instructor and well worth the fee. Ted Escondido, CA

That seem quite a bit of work and expense when I do the same with the sports section rolled into a doughnut and a match:D

maybe I'm not seeing the big picture but this seems useless for forging. The video of the burner in action does not give me a clue how you would use it to heat a steel bar MoleDoc:confused:

Gentlemen, and all you other guys too:D Thank you so much for the weath of advice. I may just look into getting a 220 outlet run to my garage. Any one have any thoughts about the Northern Tool complany's welders? The prices seem reasonable but are they the cheep communist stuff too? Ted

SO here's a question for the old pros: If you were going to get a new MIG welder for you garage/forge in the making, what features would you look for and do you recommend any specific brands or models? My limitations: 110V outlets and no talent whatsoever:D Suggestions? Ted Escondido, CA

"I wonder if I could make tongs that look like 'Bullwinkle' ? That would be more my style.... " Mine too! If you can make bullwinkle tongs I will buy a pair!

Could you use a non-throwing oil like the type used on motorcycle chains? It is designed to stay in place while moving. Ted

Gentlemen, Thank you all. This was exactly the information I was looking for before I go shopping. Made in the USA sounds like a darn good idea to me! (Retired Navy Chief) Ted