Jacques

Over at www.sawmillcreek.org they have a complete section devoted to lathes. But if I were you,the metal lathe idea is a good one, even if the speed will be a bit slow.

Does it have to be beeswax? I've got access to lots of scrap oil based wax.

I don't think you have that much time available. I've read a description calling an english wheel a continous rolling hammer and I've found that it is good to keep in mind that you can do the same with it as with a hammer, only smoother. Bending and straightening it is only going to change the shape of the plate, to reduce thickness you have to give the same pressure as you will give with a hammer. And for that thickness of plate you will need a massive machine, and you will have to anneal as well. (Or you can get a more informed opinion at www.metalmeet.com ) But if you really want to try, we would like to see lots of pictures.

Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful.

I read somewhere from a guy who made a knife with red liners: "Every girl looks better with a touch of lipstick."

I've started to make some CAD drawings of a tyre hammer idea I've got, and I need some dimensions from a 25 pound Little Giant or something similar. All the pictures I got is just confusing me, Height of the anvil The stroke of the hammer Length of the lower arms Length of the upper arms Size of the flywheel Distance between the anvil and the back post Thanks

If you a make a new one and put it on the shelf the repaired part will last forever. If you don't make a new one the repaired part will break on a Saturday afternoon with a Monday deadline. How lucky do you feel? :)

The biggest problem with cold on the Highveld is that none of our houses are insulated. The realy cold snaps are over in a few days, and then it is OK again.

There is lots of video on Youtube showing how scythes work. I've never seen one, but I think there is going to be one in my future, even if it is just I like a long blade.

And occasionally people go a step further. Green packaging

I've been a good boy since young and always wear ear protectors, and always when I see other people smithing I grab for my ear protectors because the noise hurts me and I'm amazed that they don't even notice. But then I have a father with hearing problems and I definitely don't want to end up like that.

Soos die ander mense al vir jou laat weet het, jy is mal. I've fiddled around with casting aluminium and brass and found it is much more difficult than it looks. If you really have an ambition to make your own anvil, you can always make your own pattern and take it to a foundry for them to cast. The pattern also seems to be the most expensive part of casting. And then you can make lots of anvils cheaply and sell it to us for cheap. And if you really decide to do it, we want to see lots of pictures.

If you google rubber pad forming it should help, especially if you use aluminium sheet. Then you should be able to get away with a wooden pattern, aspecially if it is only one.

Walked into the scrap yard today and saw this hydraulic press lying there. Except for some light surface rust there doesn't seem to be any damage, except that some idiot seemed to have removed the power pack. The sides are 50mm (2") thick, with two cylinders.

One of the older variations of the Dewey decimal system for books had Art as 500 series (I think), but the 600 series that is now technology had the name Useful Art

"Good judgement come from experience, experience come from bad judgement."

If you want to go the solid rivet way you can look at the aircaftpeople, especially the RV series. Anyway a good place to start is at http://www.tinmantech.com/ . I've personally seen this guy welding aluminium with a oxy-acetylene torch with the right flux.

We use a concrete mixer. I eventually removed all the paddles from the inside so that the sliding is smooth, and the noise is much less. I did try gravel and sand but eventually bought some proper polishing media that did a much better job. Together with that we bought a rust inhibiting soap that we threw in the mix with water, and it makes the loveliest grey foam, especially when you put in too much.

The comments about the government reminded about a quote I once heard. "The government is here to service the people, and we who come from farming country knows what servicing means"

Found this

I found these die sets at the local scrapyard. This town not being an industrial one it was almost like winning the lottery. The two medium sized ones will fit nicely on my 20ton press and the big one I will use on the hydraulic press. The small one is still jobless. I also got an few nice thick pieces of neatly cut plate that has already being put in use on the hydraulic press.

Another opportunity to give advice. Having tried investment casting myself, and making a mess of it, the following observations: - Fe-wood is right, that would be the easiest. -Casting into plaster of paris is possible, but it need to be heated beforehand to reduce thermal shock, with doubtful results anyway. -Melting out the wax isn't easy, especially if you've got a complicated shape. That is why I bought a burn out oven to cure the investment. The wax isn't melted out so much as burned out, and the heat remove all carbon. - And remember the important rule: "If it works for me, it is the right way to do it." - And if you do it, lots of pictures is mandatory.

I saw this one in a garden while driving around and took a shot with my cellphone.

I was in the shop in Pretoria today that sells lead came for stained glass windows and they import it as already formed. I did ask if they got something to make your own came but got a funny look. On the other hand I did make a window with lead a long time ago and I distinctly remember something in an old book on how to roll your own lead so it must be possible.