eric sprado

Just got this in a six way pocket knives,marbles,fiddle,etc. trade.. About 400#. We all know what maker it looks like,but I can't find any I.D. on it.

Anybody else here remember the old song "Rock Island Line"? When the engineer was asked what he had on board he answered he had all livestock including pigs. Livestock went by duty free. As he sped up the train he cried " I got Iron,Pig Iron, I got Iron,Pig iron,I fooled you and we're rollin duty free" Then the chorus "The Rock Island Line is a mighty fine line.".....etc..

Look up "Flashing Forge" on Google or find Alan Flashing on NWBA site. He served an extensive apprenticeship in Germany and knows LOTS of smiths there. Good luck! Eric Sprado

What in the World are "stickies"? I clicked on it and found the Hofi Hammer post. I clicked on that and it simply brought me back to forum. Tried three times. WHERE IS THE HOFI HAMMER POST? Stuff seems to disappear from the forum or go to some spot that only the "truly informed" seem to have access to? Please make searching easier for we old guys who aren't computer whizzes. thanks, Eric
Could you send me an email so I won't go nuts looking for response to my post???

HI: If you scroll through this "hammers" section of the forum you will find many articles about "treadle hammers"and other types of foot powered hammers.Lots of pictures,descriptions,etc..

You can't make blanket statements about auctioneers any more than you can any other trade! I've cried sale since the 1970's. If I personally make a mistake on ANY item, I buy it back if that's what the customer would like. Simple as that.Lots of satisfied customers over the years with Sprado Realty and Auction.

Ward: A picture of my screw press is on page three of this section. Just labeled "Screwpress". I don't think it would work for your heavy duty applications. It was basically a forerunner to our newer bearing presses.I'll have it at Western States and you're sure welcome to play with it.

You'd better jump on that!!!!!!!!!!

I'd check the threads. Like Larry said-it may just be a pre-hydraulic bearing press. I have one.Bringing it to Western States to sell. Does some fun things,but IS NOT a fly press.

Thanks for pictures of the Army anvil!! I learned on one about like it that Sergeant R.L. Richmond still had when I served my apprenticeship with him in the sixties. Sad bit of history:A truck load of the things was dumped into the Kaw River outside of Fort Riley,Kansas,after the Cavalry was disbanded. I suppose they're still there,protected under tons of the mud that the Kaw moves annually!

Thank You,Thank You,Thank You!!! What a GREAT experience to share. I've looked them over several times now an see new things each time.

I don't know for whom the so called "farrier anvils" are designed.The turning cams are for "cold shoers". I crawled under probably 20,000 head of horses before I stopped shoeing and I don't recall ever seeing a shoer use one of the new highly altered "shoers" anvils. The real US Cavalry anvils were around a 115-125#(Never weighed one but spent lots of time at one) basic blacksmith anvil. Shop around and get a blacksmith anvil. I think you'll like it.

Thanks for the sarcasm guys!!! So what you're saying is I could get just as much work done with a 30 pound jewelers flypress as I can with a #six?? Get out of here!!
I took physics and understand levers/fulcrums as well as anybody.At any given size machine though there is a limit to how much performance you can get without tearing it apart.Forget the replies-I'll look elsewhere.

Thanks Grant!! I figured that out this afternoon and had good luck free handing with center punch marks scattered along the work. You're right. Fence on one side,nothing on the other means one sided distortion!
The flypress is great,but I wish it had just a little more oomph.Just learning how to use the thing. I'm not usually a "I need a bigger one" sort of guy,but most of my work is small projects and I was hoping to be able to do my drawer pulls completely on the press... Anyway-thanks again. See you at the Conference.

How did you get your veining chisel to work straight? Last month I made one just like yours for my flypress,including clamped on fence for a guide. I tried to make grooves for a twist in a fireplace poker and the metal(half inch square stock),kept distorting.Maybe I was working metal too hot?? Any ideas?

Just Google Little Giant and Sid's site will come up. He will answer emails,calls,faxes! Great guy.His site will probably have all the information you need.

Glen: Yes-I have started lots of toe bends by hitting the horn with a VERY hot shoe blank.Worked better with mid-range size one and two shoes.This was for front shoes. Hind shoes are more pointed.

Uhhhhhh-What's a "threasher"?

Just add about half a cup of fire clay to the suggested sand/cement mixture to give it a little elasticity.

Yes,Yes,Yes, to the enth degree!!!!! Do what you have to do to stop the ringing. There are some threads here discussing that. I have no hearing in my left ear from 25 years of beating on an anvil(I'm a lefty). It can cause damage though in just a DAY!!!

What size spring did you use? I tried making one with my LG25 and it was just too much spring for my Hammer...

I know we've all added our input to this question before,but I don't mind another run at it: When looking on Craigslist don't just look under one section! Look under Tools,Antiques,General, and Farm. I have bought anvils from all four sections! Found a nice LG25 last year under antiques for $1500. Passed it on to a friend.Needed a motor,which he stuck on and got it going in a day.. Just my addition to the above mentioned "acquisition method"..

You DO NOT need to insulate the tuyere. Jack Frost has one simply built that we use for hammer ins a lot. If you do want to make a portable water cooled one-I'm building one now that is an old cream can that I"m running the pipe through. Easily portable and will get lots of laughs and looks.You can set it up in the middle of a welding table or ANY metal surface and light er up....

Rope twister it is. Made one years ago to make rope out of surplus baling twine. A similar one is used in Nevada where I ranched to make horsehair rope.

I used a Southern Steel anvil during my first shoeing apprenticeship in the early 1960s. We bought all of our shoeing supplies from Southern Steel on Los Nietos Blvd..Their tool brand was :"SSS". They were the outfit that first started importing horseshoes from Japan.Their line of Multiproducts Horseshoes pretty much replaced the old American Phoenix brand. Their tools,though,were American made and Excellent. The SSS anvils,I believe,were contracted from a nearby foundry. Their hoof tools were also local and excellent. I haven't heard of the company in at least three decades! Hope that is of some help.I'd be VERY interested in buying one of the three you have for my shop. Let me know. Eric Sprado