firefarm39

Matt, I second Freddie's "thumb's up". A website would be a great way to share info on Bradleys. Let us know when you get 'er cranked up! Dave

You guys that only pay $1.00 per pound hurt my feelings! Just kidding, good on ya'!) Here is my list 200# Soldorfors in mint condition (c.1920) $600 450# Hay Budden with a softer thatn normal face $450 (I think) 125# Peter Wright purchased at farm auction for $100. chipped edges 100# Fischer at same farm auction $100 185# Trenton w/ one small piece of face plate missing $300 150# unknown wrought anvil with extremely worn (not chipped) edges $100 Purchased with the intention of learning about anvil repair.

Great Pictures. Those threads are in amazingly good shape, considering their age and storage conditions. I have a very similiar machine, and if you need any help with dimensions of the helve, etc., let me know.

I think Frank is correct, it looks like an Iron City to me too. They are good vices. I would consider putting it on a moveable stand to get it out of the weather when you are not using it.

Just wanted to note that the area code for Coloma, MI has changed from 616 to 269.

I think I remember that the blowers that say "No. 400" are a bit newer than the "400". I have tried both, and the "400" I have seems to run smoother and be better built. This could just be a wear issue, but I have heard the same from others.

Well, I saw a demo of a vertical forge being used to weld a billet and decided I needed one! I had an old (my first) forge that really was over-size for what I do, but it looks like it might work really well if I just set it on end. This will be a blown propane forge. My plan is to use a couple of pieces of 3"X3" angle iron welded vertically to trap the cylinder but allow it to be lifted up to service the forge, such as re-lining, cleaning out the bottom, etc. The forge was made from the top and bottom sections of a 100 lb propane tank. The pedestal is a cracked rim from a hay wagon, an old worn out disc blade, a piece of pipe and an old bit of 1/4 inch diamond plate. I am wondering a couple of things. First, how large should the openings be into the forge. I have a piece of 4" square tube and a piece of 3". Are those large enough to fit billets for pattern welding? Also, any advice regarding the size of pipe for the air blast? I was thinking 2", then reducing down to 1" to enter the forge. Any input advise and constructive criticism is welcome!

If I have the story right, during the industrial revolution French workers wore wooden shoes known as sabots (pronounced sa-bow). When they got ticked at management they took off their sabot and threw them into the machinery, ruining it. Which is where we got the word "sabotage"!! So there may be some historical precident for wearing wooden shoes in a shop setting. B)

Quite a story! But why in the world are those rescue personnel standing on the downhill side of the vehicle???? As a rescue professional, I can say this one could easily be used in training of how NOT to do it!

Great videos. These are really helpful to me in getting my Bradley set up. Looks like she is running right at 180 BPM. Thanks!

Really interesting video. Who knew? Glen, you are absolutely correct on the spelling of "pyrolysis". It comes from two Greek words "pyros", meaning fire(obviously), and "lysos" or "lysis", which means dissolution or breaking apart. Think Lysol, which kills bacteria by dissolving cell walls. So the heat is breaking apart the rubber, creating flammable volatiles, which combust and create more heat, which creates more pyrolysis..........BOOM!

Don't the Iron Kiss hammers have something like a ball joint connection? You might try talking to John Larson and see what he uses.

Lyman, Dave Manzer has two videos out that I know of. I have them both and would recommend them highly. The first is about tuning a LG to get the best performance out of it. It does not cover repairs like pouring babbits, but does cover some general repair issues and is really outstanding when it comes to getting the timing adjusted correctly. The second video covers making tooling and also has a project section. Both are excellent and I refer to them often. If you need to do a re-build, look up the Little Giant website and see if you can get in to Sid's rebuilding class. It is a 2 1/2 day class held in March out in Nebraska. I have not done the class yet, but intend to one of these days! Good luck!

Brian, thanks for the videos. I think the combination of the clay instructional vid and the "real" thing work together really well. Thanks again.

very nice! Do you use some type of formula for the proportions? For example, should the vertical element above the horizontal be about 1/3 of the overall height? Or is it just by eye and dwhat feels right?

Biggundoctor, thanks, I knew that was an option, but didn't know the motor had to be the same HP or bigger! I'll have to scrounge around and see what I can find. I have a 3 phase motor, but it is only 1 HP. <_<

I'll try to get some clearer pictures tonight. Patrick, thanks for your input. The Bradley is a 100 I think (no plates or serial number that I can find). I am just basing that on other pictures on IFI. It is an un-guided helve type. I gotta think it becomes about a 125 hammer when these dies are installed, 'cause they are pretty stout! The hammer came with the original 5 HP motor, and I don't have it running yet, due to single-phase to 3-phase power conversion issues. I think you are right about the dies creating a decent basic set of tongs that could then be modified in a lot of different ways. Should be fun!

Second attempt.

Thanks Grant, first time tryig to post pictures. I'll go read the instructions again and try once more. :huh:

A couple of months ago, I bought a Bradley Cushioned helve hammer at an auction. Included with the hammer were a few different dies. One pair is obviously for making tongs. The final tong form is apparent in the pictures, but I don't really understand the intermediate steps that I need to take to get to that point. Are there any tool and die guys out there that can help me figure out how to use them? Thanks!

1 inch round is a nice size to work with. The only question would be the plating, if any. Sounds like they may be unplated, since they are black. If it were me, I'd take a chance and bid on them, but, I am an auction geek. Do you know what scrap prices are in your area? I'd go up to and a bit over that and not much more. They are at least mild steel, possibly a bit harder. Good luck.

I think what we are hearing here is pure "anvil envy". There is not a shortage of anvils in this country. There may be a shortage of anvils that are selling as cheap as people want to pay, but they are fairly abundant. There are new anvils being manufactured that are selling for only slightly higher prices than some of the oldies. The number of anvils in this collection is only a very small fraction of the total supply, and I can't really see that taking that few off the market would cause a "shortage". If you need an anvil, get off your butt, stop expecting one to jump out in front of you, and start looking. Expect to pay fair market value, as you would for any quality tool, and quityourbellyachin! :lol:

Chris, I think you got a great deal! In my neck of the woods (Michigan), an undamaged Hay Bud of this size runs in the $400-500 range. Good Job, and have fun!

I think having the propane bottle under the forge is fine, as long as the supply hose is shielded from the heat. Most gas grills store the propane tank underneath the burners. The 100 lb tank is a different thing, though. Code in my part of the country requires that they be located outside any building and secured so they can't tip over. A little less convenient, but it reduces problems with leaky tanks inside a building.

It's amazing how fast it can all go south, isn't it! Glad the consequences weren't too bad. I think about this kind of stuff a lot, because like most if us, I work alone most of the time.