Chris Pook

My guess is working it to cold and not keeping the smaller shoulder'd piece square to the anvil/fuller when its getting cooler.

I'd make sure you get an overview and good look at everything entered before you start making any decisions on scoring.

Don't overlook the idea of modifying some old used or cheap chinese pliers to make some scrolling tongs. Just need to find some appropiately sized to the work you want to do with them.

Some times they just need to be tweaked and ground/rounded to make them work, others may need some forging.

I'd make it from square stock, forge a square corner, taper the spike end, then round off and use a spring swage to dress the hinge end (or leave it hammered round if you don't need it perfect.)

Are you punching the holes or slitting/drifting? Punching as in knocking out a slug, or slitting/drifting with no material loss?

That Church railing is beautiful simplicity itself; unfortunately it would never pass code here so I'll have to keep the picture rather than making my own version of it to look at...

Did you taper the nail header hole so the hole is bigger on the back side? That make a big difference on the nails getting stuck.

I ditched my 4" flatbelt on little giant and went to a Multiple Vbelt setup when I added a jackshaft to slow it down.

The flat belt worked, I used to pour some warmed up honey on it to keep it from slipping when I need to single hard blows. But no matter how it was setup it would randomly fall off :confused:

The VBelts never fall off, and feels like it pulls the hammer head that much harder for a single hit.

"hack" x2 is what I was taught they were called. the few to little I have are h13.

The ones I have aren't really sharp but are about 5 times taller than the are thick and have a coresponding sized square block on the other end of the handle.

You "hack" almost all the way through, turn over the material and flip around the tool which has sames sized square shaped end to knock out the small chunk thats left. The square end is the same size as the widest part of the "hack"

Similar to hot punching a hole. You get that little slug of material laying on your lower die.

I use a bottom cover plate to protect my hammer die just in case I get over anxious.

some where there is a blueprint i sent in making a hammer ,and i sent glenn a short film making hammers , all our hammers have deep cheeks ,the trick is is in the tools you use to draw the cheeks ,draw not batter out ,i will forge 100 pluss heads out on the same drift ,i make all the hammer drifts in die blocks and if they flattern i jump them up and put them back in the die blocks to pull them back to shape, i use hot die steel .

The Nimba anvils are very nice.

have a friend up here making some nice german patterned anvils. He sells quite a few of them and ships them all over.

I think he has 100 and something lbs ones, 400ish lb and 600lbs.

I'm scrapping penny's up to one day buy a 600lb.

PM me if you want his contact info.

I have an anvil and still use several different big blocks of steel for anvils when they fit the job. Works good if you get a good sized piece. You can find alot of useable stuff at a good scrap yard.

You'd be better saving for a good oldie or new anvil than the harbour freight one..

x2 on rounding and dressing the hammer. Sharp edges on most blacksmithing tools isn't a good thing. This goes for your anvil too.

I have 2 matching rolling A-frames in my shop. I only have 10' ceiling so they just fit under the lighting. but they are handy especially for handling big sheets and trailer frames.

John

Chris,

I have 12" wide steel I-beams spanning 24 feet across the shop in a shed roof style. The shop is 36 feet long so the beams are on 12 foot centers. The monorail is a 24 foot long, 6 inch structural I-beam that is connected to three of the roof beams. A creeping trolley hangs from the beam and the hoist hangs from the trolley. My only problem is that my ceiling is 12 feet and max hook height is about 9-1/2 feet. I have to be creative when I pull things from trailers so I don't pinch the hoist. I have stalled my two ton electric hoist before on a big surface grinder so the beam will take a lot of grunt.

I'll try to post a pic when my wife gets home with the camera.

Yep, I never expect to use a hammer right out of the "box" I always need to make them work for me, reshape or rehandle them. Everyon has their preference.

My shop is wood framed, big garage. 24x52 with 12' ceilings.

Seems like an interesting idea, don't think my walls would like it though.

How did you set up the monorail? I've been looking at portable gantry's and possibly setting one up on tracks that run the length of the shop, but that comes with its bunch of issues.

I'm also thinking of a couple jib cranes, but the mid floor posts could get in the way.

Wish I was rich I'd just phone an order a engineered and assembled overhead bridge crane.

Can you guys post pics up of your overhead crane/lifting setups.

I need to get something built in my shop. Since I moved home, I don't have the space for a forklift anymore and my jobs just keep getting heavier and heavier and working by myself its getting tiring on the back lifting gate leafs. I'm looking to be able to lift 500lbs max (possibly more if the material is affordable to make it beefy enough)

I have a engine left but its not cutting it, to awkward for some jobs.

I have a large anvil, hammer and tongs incorporated into a large back piece. No one ever gets to see it because I'd probably scare them all away. and I normally wear shirts.

It is fun when I take my daughter swimming at the public pool though :D

I see alot at conferences but really learn the most by attending hands on classes were I can ask the instructor exactly why something isn't working the same as what he/she had shown.

Internet and magazines are how I see stuff to get ideas on what I want to make.

Yeah I have seen how Bob Bergman sets his up, I bought his rebuild video when I got the hammer. I called to talk to him last week but he was out of the shop. I'm thinking a similar setup but with rubber matts or similar cushion underneath the plate.

Once the initial clean up of the thread is done, On my postvise I just use a few squirts of the gear oil or whatever other oil I have on hand for lubing my Littlegiant. Its not really a precision fitting thread and I don't think its to picky.

What are the practical differences between making something out of steel and making it out of bronze, in a DIY setting? Like, say, a recently constructed BDF (brake drum forge) with a manual blower?

Additionally, what is a good source for bronze? I was unable to find it at Ace...

Like HWooldridge said, get it real hot, and don't work it cold. Make youself stop while its still hot and reheat it.