HWHII

Thanks for sharing! I love to look at other shops and old equipment.

Congradulations on the table Larry! $580.00 is a steel and proubably the best deal I have ever heard on one except for some one I know who found one on the top of a pile at the scrap yard and payed scrap price plus a little to by it. I have a 5x5 Weldsale also and love it. You might want to check out Strong Hand Clamps. They make a clamp that is like a Bessy clamp but with a knurled bottom that drops in the holes. They work great I have several and I payed about $30.00 a piece for them.

I went to install a railing job on Friday and boy did I xxxx it up. The concrete on the porch sloped 1 1/4 in 4ft. When I did the take off for it I noticed it but did not think it was that much. On average I see 1/2 in 4 ft. and thats what I assumed what it was. You all know what happens when you assume. So needless to say there is going to be some rework on this one. Lucky for me my clients were very understanding. I had made a couple of other mistakes on this job during the fab but caught them as I went.

My point on all of this is how many of you have had jobs were you start out and the mistakes or maybe just problems start to snowball then fight you all the way to the end and other jobs thats you have no problems. It is all most like a curse after the first mistake.

I would like to hear your stories. It might help to ease my pain and embaressment on this one. Thanks!

Congradulations on the table Larry! $580.00 is a steel and proubably the best deal I have ever heard on one except for some one I know who found one on the top of a pile at the scrap yard and payed scrap price plus a little to by it. I have a 5x5 Weldsale also and love it. You might want to check out Strong Arm Clamps. They make a clamp that is like a Bessy clamp but with a knurled bottom that drops in the holes. They work great I have several and I payed about $30.00 a piece for them.

The price seems fair as is but always make an offer. I would buy it. Good Luck :)

I have had very good luck cutting a wide range of steels including harden tool steel, monel and inconel with a 6" grinder and a .045 cutting wheel. Score your cut and then work it down slowly being careful to keep the heat down. I have found even with a chop saw a thinner blade seams to work best. I like a 3/32" in thickness for most applications.

I have been lucky and have a young college man to help me when I need him. As long as I give him enough notice he will always come. He can not weld but I have tought him to be a fabricator. I got him right out of high school. I arrange for him to work around his school classes. I pay him a fair wage and keep him under 20hrs a week and consider him contract labor. He seems to be very happy.

When I worked for a very large company we tried to hire young men right out of high school or the local comunity college welding programs for some positions. They are very eager to learn and if your interviews are good you can weed out the bad ones. Most have turn out to be good long term employees there.

Buddy welding can be done off one power supply. For example if you had a Lincoln SAE-400 welder you could use a Lincon 350 multi welder to run off the same power source. The 350 multi-weld is not a powersource by itself. You can run multiable units of this one welder.

I got mine a P5 from Bob at Old World Anvils and Amy Pieh. I love it and the price is resonable. There is a picture of it on the thread Show Me Your Shop.

It is easy to overheat steel welds with a TIG, and get porosity. I use stainless on most of the steel TIG welds I do when color match isn't a concern. Stainless rod on a steel part comes out really nice, and doesn't bubble as easy as steel rod does. For me, it just runs a lot easier, and I always had plenty of stainless rod available, so I used it. We did a lot of work with the wineries, and food machines, so lots of stainless parts.

I am not so sure that the method that you mentioned would pass a strict testing.

May the Lord bless and keep him. Amen

I believe all you are doing is just burning out the original porosity. I am sure when it is reshot the X-ray shading will be different in the area where you added the ss filler because of the density of the material. It will cause the X-ray tech to scratch his head and wonder whats this? It is a practice I think should not be done. You should just grind out the defect repair it correctly and find out what caused the porosity in the first place. ;)

Ladies and Gentalmen come one come all and mark your calenders for April 23,24,and 25 as the Arizona Artist Blacksmith Association presents our April Hammer In, hosted by Fred Borcherdt Scuplturist at his 100 acre Buckskin Guest Ranch in Bonita, AZ 45min north west of Wilcox AZ.

This is a 3 day event costing a whopping $25.00

It all starts Friday afternoon with Fred and Art Jones who work as a the head industrial blacksmith at the Mare Island Naval ship yard in the San Fransisco bay area and then later on for Stephen Bondi. They will be working on Fred's big Nazel hammer and 100 ton forging press.

The main demonstrator Saturday and Sunday will be Loreli Simms owner of 5 Points Blacksmith Shop and author of " The Backyard Blacksmith "

There will be plenty of dry camping space available and lots of lodging available in Wilcox. Saturday night there will be a catered dinner for a nominal fee sponsered by Fred's caretakers and biscuts and gravy breakfast on Sunday. All other meals are on your own.

For more information please visit az-blacksmith.org/ web site click on news letters and look for March 2010 issue.

My prayers go out for him in his time of need.

AH BEER! My mistress next to blacksmithing. I wonder if it is avaliable in the states? Me thinks I will check BEVMO.

Good suggestion PK. I used to use a 55gal drum with the pipe going to the bottom with a bunch of holes in the pipe. Then I filled the barrel with drill turning (they don't pack down like small chips) and packed them in good. The oil condensed on the chips and collected in the bottom

Looks like a fun job. Can't wait to see it finished.

Nice job. I have a passion for crosses and love to make them. Just might try this one.

I have a friend who is considering buying a Chile Forge. Do any of you have one and what do you like or dislike about it. Thanks

Sorry I ment to tag this on MonsterMetals thread. I could not agree with him more and he probably did a better job explaining how I feel on the subject. I try to incorporate as much hand forged pieces into my work as the project will allow. I really love the term Modern Blacksmith. It somes it up well. I think a hand forged item of the period is a fabricated part for the time when it was created.

I have participated in some form of this discussion with many people and It always surprises me what strong feelings it can provoke. To me its real clear and its about intent. If you are using a term to describe the item, how it was made, or a style (such as "hand forged") and the item was at some time in fact "hand forged" then in my eyes percentages or rules are more just to make the person selling it feel better. If you are using a label to add value (IE: a welded together bent shelf bracket being sold as "Wrought Iron", which is technically accurate but not really) then its an unacceptable label... The purchaser is buying based on what they see, feel, experience and to a lesser degree the label placed upon it.. I bet a Traditional blacksmith (a real one, from 200 years ago. Not someone trying to act "Traditional") would argue that he would use any means necessary and available. The goal in any endeavor which is to be sold is to archive the end result desired with the most economical means possible. "Economical" means using a powerhammer when practical and it also means using powertools to do jobs that would not be economical to do by "hand" Notice the "which is to be sold" if you are a hobby smith who sells items and the goal is to be a hobby smith and make enough money to afford your craft.. you dont fit in the true economic model. There are also other exceptions where the method IS the goal and am not refuting those as valid reasons for proses.
In my eyes any "hand made" part is in fact a hand made part if it truly unique and made solely with the input and skill of the human mind and hand.... So a part is no less hand made on a manual milling machine than with a file... No less hand made with a welding machine than with a rivet... Does that mean I dont see value in "traditional" blacksmithing and joinery ? not at all... I think a pierced, upset and riveted item is one of the most beautiful things a man (or woman) can make... But I would be no less impressed with the beauty if i found out it was finished with a pneumatic DA sander and and the holes punched with a hydraulic press. I am always impressed with smiths who have enough experience and skill to do things "the hard way" but I am no less impressed with smiths who have used technology and intellect to "forge" ahead....

So the short and sweet answer is... If you feel good about calling it something... no reservations.... Then call it that.. If you have second thoughts or questions about a label... then I would rethink

I also would like to point out "fabricate" is not a dirty word...

fab⋅ri⋅cate
  /ˈfæbrɪˌkeɪt/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [fab-ri-keyt] Show IPA
–verb (used with object), -cat⋅ed, -cat⋅ing.
1. to make by art or skill and labor; construct: The finest craftspeople fabricated this clock.
2. to make by assembling parts or sections.

So really unless the "Hand forged" thing you made is a single part... say an S hook.... It is Fabricated by nature... of individual hand forged parts...

What I take from all of this (not just this thread, but the many many times this has come up) is that its more about the maker and less about the item... My feeling is many smiths want recognition for how much work and effort they expended, they put there heart and sole into this "thing" Its only natural to be defensive and protective of it....

I am also a bicycle builder and believe it or not the same argument takes place on the bicycle forums... There are builders who believe that if a power tube notcher or a milling machine was used its not a "hand made" bicycle... That you must use a file and braze the tubes... not TIG weld.... The guy who runs one of the forums has actually kicked people off for not being "traditional" enough (using power tools) My feeling is someone outside the blacksmithing community would find this discussion just as silly and most of you would find the bicycle argument

I know there are strong enough feelings on this topic that I am likely to offed someone with statements like these.... But really what it comes down to is personal accountability and belief. Stay true to your heart and what ever you call it will be fine, if someone argues with you about the label consider there view but stay true to yourself

Thats great for you! Can't wait to see the photos.

Outlaw Style = COOL

So I have been following the great story of the 4B Nazel Hammer.

Today in my shop I had a client call me and he needs a pin for the hinge on his dump truck. It has to be 2" dia. soild 8 1/2" long. I call around to some friends to see if they have some 2" cr. no one does. Called a supplier and they have some but I have to buy 20' and they will ship from PHX on Fri. pretty pricey. He has to have it right now worried about DOT.

So I realize I have some 2" sq.. I'll just run it through the power hammer and make some kiss blocks and make it round and it works just fine a litle bit rough but it works and he is very happy!

So I realize that I did this OUTLAW STYLE and it is cool. Sometimes you just have to make things work and just get on with it.

So thanks Jesse for the phrase. I am going to use it alot from now on.

In my opinion. If I had a sweet hammer like your 4N I would have done anything to get it up and running. OUTLAW STYLE>

Here's mine. 728 sq.ft. I is cozy to say the least. I have to get creative sometimes to build larger projects but the rent price is the best price. ;)

I have got a couple from HF there made in Russia and seem to be just glorified treated canvas. There heavy duty and the price is right.