HWHII

What you say is true. This one I definitely did not make much money on. I charged $100 for it. It was fun to make and that is priceless.

I kind of side with Larry on this subject. I also smoke cigars As I have stated in a earlier thread I have been poisoned by heavy metals, including zinc, nickel and chromium buy welding fumes several times in my career. I have had blood tests and my body did flush out the toxins.Long term effects? Who really knows. Everyones body is different. I have also red this in a AWS magazine. I have been exposed to God knows what kind of stuff through out my carrier from working with large amonts of Kaowool in smelter duct work, to acid plants and amonia nitrate plants. If you use common sense, like use a respirator, ventilate the area, keep your head out of the plume and most important educate yourself on industrial hygiene on how to keep your self safe you can work with almost anything. Granted there is stuff that will KILL you. I once had a welding professor my first day in college tell our class, " If you decide to do this for a career I can promiss you three things. You will never become very rich but you will make a decent living. You will never be with out a job and if you do it long enough it will kill you." So far he has been right. So I guess I am dying of something I just don't know what. But aren't we all?

I was approached last week by a client who wanted to give a Christmas gift to someone who has everything. He decided to give him a steak branding iron with his ranch brand on it and asked if I could make him one. Here is what I came up with. The handle on this is actually a dinner bell forged out of 1" sch 40 pipe and the clacker was forged using a grape swage and 5/8 round stock and then drawn out. The bell handle also makes it great to grab bare handed when hot because it disiapates the heat.

Here at the Tuller School, where I work and live the students run from pre K through 8th grade. The 4 through 6 year olds are truly the best. I am known as Mr. Harold and they flock to me like a mother hen when I am doing something. They ask the best questions and do say the darndest things. It is the best part of living and working here.

Alot of structural bolts used for steel erection are Grade 8 and come unplated. You can get them plain but most come with a black dip coating. It burns right of in the forge just keep your head out of the plume. You usually have to go to a bolt supply house to get them.

My prayers to your Mom.

I run into this problem alot. For me it comes in the way of a security doors, which are very popular here in the west. I approach it by pointing it out to them anyone can have something you by at a big box store, but you are buying a piece of hand forged "functional art" that no one else has. Also show them that even if you make 10 pulls none of them are the same they are all a little different. The ones from the big box store are all a like. It will add a unique'ness to there home.

I have 1250ft shop at home. I love the convenience of working at home. First is just one morgage payment and low over head. I have known several blacksmiths who have been working at home for over 30 years. They all have very sucsesful buisness mainly by keeping it small and simple. If you build your own shop start out small but plain for expansion as you can. But by all means keep it simple and low over head will be the key to your success.

I have a #5 from Old World Anvils and like it very much. I got the same information from John Crouchet when I bought mine 2 years ago. I have not done any punching with it though. I looked at a #6 from Blacksmiths Depot and Old World. I decided on the smaller one and my arm still gets tired working it.

Right back you all! B)

Smithy1, LOL, I do remember. I did a job Monday and made a spit for a camp fire for a friend who is taking his girl friend camping on Thanksgiving and they want to cook there turkey on the fire. I did not charge him for it. Yesterday when I went to open up the shop there was a nice rack of mixed micro brews on the ground with a thank you note from the beer fairy. I had to fight every instinct in my body by not having a couple for breakfast. :rolleyes:

I have a 385lb Hay Budden and I payed a $1,000 for it. It is my favorite, and the one I use in my main forging area. As many people here has said before it is what you are wiling to pay for something and how bad do you really want it?

My prayers for his family.

Way to go Dennis! Looks great! I love the videos. I am going to have to learn also at some time how to post them too. On my gas forges I find if I crack the back open it will reduce the amount of dragons breath you get in the front. I think you will find having a gas forge will be more convenient because you can just shut it off go do something for the wife and then come back and turn on and go right to work.

If you are using ferules on your pipe remember they are designed for water pressure which in most areas is 40-45 PSI your tank pressures are much greater. You would be much beter off having some short propane lines made up or better yet braided lines. After the cost of setting up your system for a few more bucks you might just look at a 100lb tank.

I agree with what Mainely Bob say's here. The best bang for the buck and most versitile piece of equipment you can have and very portable.

Nice work! Thanks for the red lay out die tip. Never heard of it but I am going to try it on some of my roses. I really like the look.

Lately my down loads here seem very slow. Is any one else having this problem or is it just my computor? Thanks

Good luck to you Bentiron. I have four sons and know your frustration. I have been lucky with the three older ones but my youngest one who is 18 is struggling also. I will pray for yours too.

Work in my shop has pick up a lot as for some of my associates. The Monday, a week after the election my phone rang so much I had to turn the ringer off to get some work done. It has continued to ring and I am back logged with work into next year. I hope this the turn we have been looking for and not just a hic up.

I have located a Hawkeye Helve hammer like the one in the attached picture. It is in the process of being restored and I would have to finish it. Can anyone give me a idea what a fare price would be for this hammer? Thanks Harold hawkeye.bmp

Not actually a fire extinguisher but a whole cities fire department. I was involved in fabricating a transportation box to carry a 28' dia. telescope mirror up Mt. Graham to a observatory. The box had 2 trunions 5"dia rd. stock bolted to 2" thick plate and was to be bolted on by 12 bolts on site at the base camp of the mountain. This would allow the rigging company to elevate the box on a special trailer to tilt it to go up the narrow mountain road. Well the rigging company while bolting on the trunions gauled up the treads and could not get all the bolts in so they sent myself and a crew of 2 other man to weld them in place. There was a cover on the box which bolted on the top made out of 1/4" AR400 plate and covered on the inside with isosianate foam 2" thick them painted with a enamal paint. When arrriving on site I noticed the cover was still on the box and told the site engineer that I would like to have the cover taken off before we welded the plates on because it required a 300 degree preheat and I did not want the chance of a fire. He said he did not have a crane operator on site to run the crane but I then informed him one of the men in my crew was a certfied crane operator and we could remove the lid. He then told me not to worry, that it would be fine. So we went to work and welded the first one off no proublem.Then moved to the other side and started the preheat which takes about 20 min. to do and some smoke started to come out of the box. The box is sealed top and bottom and only access panels to get in. A couple of minutes later and more smoke. At this point I started to XXXX my pants and called 911 and ran to the office to get help. I got into the office and no one is there and I start yelling for somone. A lady came out from the back and said they had all gone to town for coffee. I told her what had happen and ran back out to help. I rounded the corner to see one one my men up on the box trying to take off a accsess panel and I start yelling NO! NO! NO! DON'T TAKE THAT OFF! He was in a plum of smoke and they could not hear me. Before I got there he pulled off and the air rushed in and YEP! flash fire that thing took off. We pushed the planel back on and got a couple of bolts in it but it soon got to hot, so we backed off and just watched. We could hear the fire trucks coming we were 20 miles from Safford. The first truck arrived and called a full alarm. The one man who took the cover off was suffering from smoke inhalation and had to be taken to the hospital. I started to talk to the captain told him the details and he looked up the hazmat on the foam and said it was not flamable, he did not know what could be burning. By then there where five trucks and police there and they are dumping water on it from all angles and talking about bringing in dump trucks of sand to bury it. Then they stated to take off the access covers and shot water in to it and soon it was out. At the end of it all $10,000.00 worth of damage. The engineer took responsablity for it. and both companies split the difference and we repaired it and I got to keep my job. Turned out the enamel paint was the culprit and burned accross the in side of the box. Good thing the mirror was not inside at the time.

Try putting a 30 degree bevel on your pipe first. This should help. As far as welding where they intersect. There is a method called the Claydon joint. It is a great way to intersect pipe and tubing. There is a article in the ABANA latest issue of the Hammers Blow and the MABA news letters.

I would buy it. Price is fair and you can always repair it.

Thanks Tim!