johnnie

Hi Gunnut, I got hold of some huge fork tines and have used them for all sorts.

Even made power hammer dies out of them using nothing but a grinder. So long as the steel is hot they work fine. Great for making tongs to. 

Have fun.

Yes Josh I like this!

What material do you use for it? Looks like sheet steel.

Well done looks great.

Thank you Jim,

They certainly look like the do the job. I especially like the punch set up with various punches and one holder.

Good on you!!

Yes, come on Jim.

I am kind of stuck for ideas on my fly press too.

We do love photos!!!

Lots of thanks in advance.

Nice work Mark, the longer punch will keep you more composed when punching hot. When using the short square punch a gloved hand is better than a burnt hand.

Have fun in the snow!

Your dad did good Frosty,

Familiarity really does breed contempt. What happened the other day really did frighten the stuff out of me.

Always aware of the dangers of gas and air but I tend to push it to the back of my mind. Guess a lot of us do this to carry on. 

If we worried too much about the dangers in any forge and the "what if" nothing would get done (at least not in my forge).

The lesson here for me is THINK! 

Even with all the safety equipment things can go wrong. Very wrong. 

I would like to thank all of you who have commented on this post. IFI ROCKS!!!

Good on you Jim, I am looking forward to seeing your ideas! Thanks.

Does IFI bin old posts photos. If a older post has "post" and then a numerical code in blue I can't open them. 

Yes I agree but in a bonfire in the middle of a field......... not so bad.

Yes I know this is an old post but want to add to it.

I use an old 1/2" drive socket set. Fabricated a base plate with various spaced square 1/2" holes and bingo. Bending jig that fits in my vice.

And before health and safety jump on my back the sockets were chrome vanadium coated but it has carefully been burned off all sockets. 

Works a treat with the variety of sizes!

Frosty I don't believe you when you say you don't  have many friends and you definitely don't chat BS! I appreciate everything (well almost) you say.

As for shut down its always Propane first and oxy a few seconds after. Is this ok? 

I will ring BOC today and speak with them. They are the UK's biggest gas supplier to the commercial industry and don't deal with Joe public.

There is a purpose attachment in the head of the torch to allow the heating tip to be screwed on so I assumed it was a good set up but now you still have me doubting it!!

Cheers friend (of many)!!

Frosty what would be your shut down sequence?

Cheers chum!

5 hours ago, Frozenforge said:

Did you actually talk to a tech support person or was it just someone behind the sales counter? Distinct possibility that someone behind a sales counter wouldn't really have the knowledge or experience to answer that question. 

Hi Frozen, I bought the set up from BOC British Oxygen Company. The fella there has been there forever and knew what he was talking about. What do you think?

11 hours ago, Frosty said:

Do NOT use that cobbled together thing!!

Whoever sold you that should be FIRED maybe jailed for gross malfeasance!

Did he tell you you need a propane regulator? Acetylene regulators generally supply MUCH to high pressure and the diaphrams are NOT rated for propane. Propane is VERY chemically reactive and tends to eat rubber not formulated for it.

Just sticking a big tip on your cutting torch is asking for trouble. Trouble of the burn your shop down kind. What happened to your torch is called a B-A-D back fire. Normally a backfire in a torch stays in the tip or at worst the handle and sounds like a machine gun. There's no mistaking a back fire like that. However when it migrates back into the hoses it's a MAJOR danger.

I'm speculating as to why it did what it did so don't take this as anything but a possibility.  If your fuel regulator was set as high as I think it was and you didn't shut it off properly. Say you shut the torch off with the final adjustment valves or even the handle valves in the wrong order. The high fuel pressure could have back flowed, (forced it's way into the oxy hose) and burned. If there was the smallest flow through the oxy valve the rubber in the hose would burn. Again, that's just speculation but I've seen some scary weird things happen with oxy fuel torches.

Search  online for "Harris torch company" and their alternative fuel torches. They've been making oxy prop torches that work properly and are as safe as any oxy fuel torch can be. They've been making a hugely good oxy propane torch for at least 50 years that I know of and seeing as the company they made the torches for let the patent lapse Harris is marketing the same system under their trademark for maybe 1/3 the price. It's expensive off the shelf but costs  about 2% in oxy fuel as an equivalent oxy acet torch for work done.

Whatever you do do NOT use that torch set up like that again!

Frosty The Lucky.

Hi Frosty, you've got me worried now. 

Ive only got a "pre set" regulator at the Propane end and it cannot be set at any pressure! Although I have got flash back arrestors on both oxy and propane. Also I do have the proper hoses for propane as I know propane eats acetylene hose material.

As far as I knew the set up was good as I bought it all through the BOC. The cutting torch set up seemed fine and I needed to press the cutting lever to expel the oxygen for heating but now oxygen flows freely without the need to de press the lever!!

All very strange and you have me seriously doubting the set up now and I've got a lot of work to do with the torch!

Thanks for your input!

Hi again, the Propane bottle is stood up sight with the regulator up the top so it couldn't have been liquid gas. It kind of sprayed out when I opened the oxygen tap on the torch.

I try not to wear gloves so the handle wasn't hot when I put the torch down and no soot about either.  It's possible it was heat transfer from the tip (hadn't thought of that) but it was almost too hot to touch.

I have used the torch again briefly today with no problem. That was after I removed the tip and had a look. Nothing!

The only conclusion I can come up with is there was a burn back within the torch and after the gas was swiftly turned off at the bottle it was extinguished whilst I was a safe distance away!

Would it be at all possible the spray from the tip when the oxy was turned on was condensation in the hose?

Thanks again for your valuable input,

John

Hi Alan, thank you for your reply.

I bought the set up from BOC last time I was back in the UK.

I told them what I wanted eg, a new torch with a Propane heating tip and the fella came out with a meter long neck (from torch to heating tip attachment) my reply was wow that's far to big so they gave me what's in the attached photo.

It is a cutting torch with a propane heating tip. Defiantly for propane as they ordered it specially for me.

Shut down is always fuel first and a few seconds after oxygen to allow the tip to cool a tad. 

I am no expert when it comes to gas and air but I've never seen condensation all over the oxygen regulator and flashback arrestor.

Thanks again for your interest,

John

Hello people,

I think some advise is needed!

Ive recently bought a new cutting torch with a propane heating tip which until yesterday has been working fine.

I was using the torch on and off for around an hour at around medium heating capacity. Turned it off at the torch and propped it upright in a vice. 

5 minutes later I went back to use it and the handle was very hot as were the hose connections! I immediately turned the gas and oxygen of at the bottles and left the forge with some p#o in my pants and stayed away for a few minutes. 

On returning to the forge the torch had cooled down and I noticed lots of condensation around the oxygen regulator and flashback arrestor.

Opened just the oxygen bottle and the torch and a stream of condensation blow out of the torch tip.

Is this normal? It has never happened with my old cutting torch and wasn't particularly cold in the forge, I'd guess around 10 degrees.

Any thoughts would be very much appreciated 

Thank you!

Looking good Flathead but I'd shield the wooden purling and those electric cables from the flue. Its gonna get hot hot hot!!

Well done Joe, fantastic video as usual. Just hope your clients have seen it too and appreciate how much thought and effort went into their bracket.

Well done Bash, looking forward to that.
It was good to see you last night on Channel 4's George Clarkes Small Spaces!
Fame without the fortune eh?

Smoothbore you are a wealth of information, thank you!

Thanks Smoothbore
Here's a couple more pics of it.





Can't understand why a manufacturer would go to the trouble of forging Damascus barrels and not put their stamp on it.
Especially back then whenever then was!!

Thanks for the advise guys!
@Smootbore I cannot find the maker's mark anywhere. On the forearm there is just the choke number and a couple of what seems like fractions???
As for the age I remain clueless other than it was supposedly in my friend family since around the 1870's.
Not started the clean up yet but no doubt I will get around to it eventually.
Thanks again

I recently forged a "pea pod" door handle and friends of ours. They thought it was great.

So I forged them a pair of key rings. The girls thought the ear rings where great!

Tube with a small ball bearing would work.
Photo's if you do pleease!

Yes thank Alec. Well described with the clay!

Thanks guys,
I guessed a recognised gunsmith was the best way.

It really is a piece of art and the workmanship is stunning and not something I want to ruin.

I think it deserves to be fired again with the right cartridges and after being certified safe for use.

It would seem a same just to be hung on a beam and left. Not an everyday gun but working all the same.

Its conditon is very good. No rust just old and sad looking.

The inlay or engraving is stunning as is the damascus pattern.

I am glad I asked rather than get to work and make a mess of it.

Thanks again for your comments and advise!