Chris Pook

Nothing says the corp needs to own the equipment They can always pay you to use your equipment to make the items they sell and design.

Yes its a RotoPhase. I bought mine used its an older commercially made one. I could of built my own (did industrial electrical for 6 years) but I got a real good deal on this one.

My phase converter is good for up to 145 amps at 240 volts.

Biggest single motor I can run I believe is a 15 possibly a 20 hp, but I can run a combo of motors up to a total of 45hp like 9 5hp motors on different machines if I start them one at a time.(going by memory could be a little less total hp) Mine feeds a 3phase breaker panel so its easy to add more machines. I run both my Nazel and my 100lb LittleGiant at the same time off the phase converter with no issues.

One problem I did have was the Little Giant had a 208v 3phase motor so running it off the Single Phase 240v with the Phase converter putting out 240volt made it run quite a bit faster so I had to add a jackshaft to slow it down. the 208-240v difference with the Nazel wasn't noticeable.

My business is an Inc. here in Canada, On top of separating me personally from liability, it also has Tax benefits.

Not sure how it works in the US but I know it saves me $.

I run my Nazel 3b which has a an oldschool 10hp motor with a phase converter.

No issues with it. Just make sure you have a good single phase power source.

Mines 5'x10' 3/4" plate welded on a 2x4 frame. I use it for lay out and welding. Its big enough that I can lay out railings and stuff, or when working on multiple smaller pieces I can have everything on the table and still have room to work. 3/4 plate gives it a good amount of mass for when I need to straighten or true long forged bars.

For gates and other larger items that I want square and flat, I have a 2"x4" .25"wall tube frame cart thats 12'x4' with no top on it. Made sure it was perfectly square and flat. Nice for clamping to and making temporary jigs for pickets etc. its on wheels so when not in use I roll it outside. For things a lot wider than 4' I just add temporary braces and a few more lengths of tube to make it the desired size and since the Cart is square and flat it makes it very easy.

Been contemplating changing over to some adjustable sawhorses, but having the cart on wheels makes it nice when I need to move a project out of the way.

I like a lot of light in my shop. The main forging and fabrication area is 24' x40' 12' ceilings, I have 6- 8' HO florescent lights 3 in parallel spread evenly above my layout/welding table, one directly in front of the power hammers, and the other two by the bandsaw and the metal rack. I have another adjustable work lamp by the drill press.

I also installed 3- 2'x4' skylights when I built the shop, all on the south facing sunny side of my roof. This is opposite of the forging area so I don't get direct sunlight on the anvil or hammers.

I just noticed today though that winter has taken its toll on my lights, and I have one set thats flickering. Its time for some new Lamps.

Still running it on the wood blocks it has always been on.

My plan once the $ fairy drops off some cash is to cut a big hole in the floor, either form/pour a big concrete box in the ground or buy and drop in a unuseable due to flaws new concrete septic tank. Then line the box with foam,

Then doing one of two options

Option A is build a square square bin out of steel thats been heavily braced and has all the proper bolt down holes for the hammer and then fill it up with packed sand.

Going with sand instead of concrete so that the base is removable in case I ever do move.

Option B is to build a steel cage and use the cheap easy to get large cast cement blocks that cement companies make whenever they have left over cement.


I would consider pouring the block but due to a big building/construction boom build material like concrete is at an all time high $.

My guess would be that its based on where the books where written. Different species of local tree's different wood for the stands.

My great great... 1800's in Selkirk Ontario (if I got my history correct, need to go find my notes) He was an egnineer of some sort aswell. Eventually opened a hardware store along with the blacksmith shop and became the mayor for awhile.

100lb little Giant, I bought it 6 years ago in really good shape, I added a brake to it right away. When I brought it to my new shop and had to run it on the phase converter, it ran way to fast due to the 240voltage vs the 208 at my old shop. So i rigged up a jackshaft/pulley setup and converted to V-belts (v belts would be my first swap if I had to do it again for the first time along with the brake)

My 3b Nazel.

Have had it for around 4 years now. I did a mild rebuild when I got it, new seals (converted to Orings couldn't find suitable leather at the time), new bushing and wristpins.

I think someone welded the tips up so they could hang it up on the wall without worrying that someone was going to get hurt. I have a few similar blades that I have been saving, xxxx sharp with or without the carbide tips being there.

John, do you have any links to the material? I'll try and do some google searchign for a local supplier.

I have found that this is not really the case. I teach my students to bend things on the flat of the face even when making an S hook. If you have a hardy you can use it in a postvise---something you *should* buy as there just isn't a good replacement for one. Or a hole in the anvil stump. Also with a post vise you can collect items that have various curves on then if you need someting to work off of rather than a horn.

OTOH take a look at Marco/Krieger Armory - Rapiers and Accessories for a thinking outside of the box 120# anvil with "horn" that cost them some labour and $25 And yes I am the "Thomas" mentioned---and have the mate to that forklift tine

I wear the big earmuffs. No dirty fingers in my ears, easy to take off easy to put on.

I had a hearing test done 6-7 years ago when I was doing my last year of electrical before quitting to start up my forge/fab shop. Just had a hearing test done last week and its the same as it was back then. So using the Nazel3b, 100lb littlegiant, big grinders, hand hammering and the odd quick job I didn't bother putting them on for, they have worked well for me.

I wouldn't want the water buckets right next to the anvils. I like to be able to walk right around my anvil so i can use it in anyway needed.

My 3b nazel sits on a wood base on my 5" slab floor. It hasn't cracked the floor yet, but I also don't use it every day. it does however pound the floor hard and you can feel it in the house 50' away.

I think alot of it depends on what the ground under you slab is like. At my old shop you couldn't feel the hammer 10' away standing in the shop with the hammer sitting on the same wood beams.

I'm going to be digging a pit and doing a proper foundation soon. Want to use it more often and don't want the neighbours fine china falling of the shelves.

I'm looking at using something like a concrete septic tank. Then using thick rubber bought from an industrial rubber supply place, then either forming a concrete block on top, or possibly a steel box filled with sand compacted and a steel floating cap on top (easy to remove if I ever move to a new shop/house, I had a friend who spent big $$$ on a foundation for a 400lb denmore hammer that had to move 2 years later).

And theres nothing wrong with an all Cast STEEL anvil if made from decent material and heattreated correctly.

just checked my eye leveled anvil its very close to level according to to my 4 new 4' foot level. So close a few beers or stiff drinks would probably through me off more...

do whatever feels good and works for you. i like ot have mine level to my eye, but in reality when I move it another spot in the shop, I just use it without much thought of it being level.

How big of power hammer? I have my 3b Nazel tucked into the corner on a angle, that allows me to run stock out the door if its longer then 10' and I need to work material longways on the dies. But do to the size of the hammer it still gives me 10' going across the short way on dies . My little giant sits besides the nazel but more centered and perpindiculer to the wallspaced about a 1' off the wall which still gives me 6'+ passed the dies to work before I get near the wall.

A big part of it is what kind of work do you plan on doing? I do a fair bit of texturing of stock for gates and railings so I need room to run long lengths through the hammer, and the room to swing them around the shop.

The top parts looks cast. So someone did carve some wood to make the pattern hence why it looks like wood.

But it also could be forged and then decorated with repoused parts. Hard to tell from those pics.

If you tell us where in Canada your going, It'd be easier to point you in the right directions.

Could it be the weather?