JHCC

13 hours ago, Frosty said:

silicon bronze no sweat

Oh, really?

<strokes chin thoughtfully>

Also, don't forget how vigorously Edgar Brandt embraced the artistic possibilities of oxyfuel welding. 

Or have an adjustable mounting bracket?

I’ve got a forklift tire on the back of my treadle hammer to absorb the force of the arm stopping at the top of its upstroke. Works really well. 

In thinking about the video, I realized that there’s really not much difference in principle between the tire and the rubber straps on a Bradley. 

I'm not suggesting anyone actually build this version of a tire hammer, but you've got to admire the creative simplicity of it.

Screen grab from https://www.facebook.com/reel/1888340998286554

I think you would probably be better served by grinding the tool to shape (using a thin cutting wheel in an angle grinder or a round abrasive burr in a flexible shaft tool to cut the notch), cooling it frequently in water to keep from spoiling the heat treatment.

19 hours ago, George N. M. said:

I have a post card published just after World War 1 of a pile of German artillery with a French rooster on top.

Here's the image (or a similar one, anyway), taken in 1919 by Red Cross volunteer, diarist, and photographer Margaret Hall:

Further information is available on the website of the Massachusetts Historical Society, HERE. This also has links to other photographs by Ms. Hall, who appears to have been quite an interesting person. Here's a link to her Wikipedia article: Margaret Hall (photographer)

8 karat gold is not uncommon in European jewelry and is typically 1/3 gold and 2/3 copper (sometimes with some silver as well). 

I agree with everything Latticino says, with the addition that I suspect that grill might burn out pretty quickly if you're making larger fires for heavy forgings. Something heavier (perhaps welded up from 1/2" or larger round bar) might work better. 

That is a very cool setup. 

For those who want a preview, here's a couple of screen grabs:

On 2/11/2024 at 6:45 AM, Alan McDaniel said:

I’m going to leave it as is.  It represents a lot of very hard work and will serve as a reminder of just how easy we have things these days.  It didn’t get worn like that because it was someone’s hobby tool.  It was worn out by necessity in making tools and other items needed for everyday life.  

I would argue that leaving it as it is actually DIShonors its history and legacy. If a tool isn't used, it isn't a tool; it's a "collectible".  Clean it up, put it to use, and wear it out again. Let it live.

2 hours ago, jlpservicesinc said:

 If the burner is tuned correctly it will burn just as cleanly with road or heating diesel fuel. 

Any possibilities for using vegetable oil, whether purchased new or filtered deep-fryer oil?

Update: Oh, look. What a surprise. 

3 hours ago, Irondragon Forge ClayWorks said:

I came, I saw, I conquered.

I came, I saw, I hammered. 

That wouldn’t have worked either: The individual pieces were all bigger than 7”. Also, the rule applies whether or not the pieces are assembled. 

The one that I actually got? Not all the way, but most of it; it’s moving quite freely. I didn’t unscrew the big Athol, but the screw and mobile jaw were not stuck. 

Veni, vidi, percussi. 

If by “ingenious”, you mean “cobbled together from what I had on hand, reasonably suited to the task, and utterly inappropriate for a permanent installation”, then sure!

This was the original configuration, supported by a sawhorse. I later mounted it on a rolling cart, for greater ease of setup and takedown. 

Together with a super-sucker made from a party balloon helium tank, it worked great. 

Update: had a nice hypothetical  chat with a TSA agent about what would happen if I showed up with a 40lb. vise in my carry-on backpack. He said that the agent at security would probably refer the question to a supervisor, and that the supervisor would probably disallow the vise as violating the "no tools with an assembled length of more than seven inches" rule. So, now we know.

Very nice. I particularly like the candleholder. 

Cool; thanks for the clarification. 

The sniffer dogs, scanners, and NIK tests the TSA uses at airports are very good at detecting traces of drugs and explosives, and a container of dry refractory mix probably isn't going to set off any alarm bells. At least, not in my own experience....

Very pretty. 

Being in Rhode Island for a business trip, I stopped by Exeter Scrap Metal to see what interesting goodies they might have put aside in their interesting goodies section. I got a nice RR spike maul head (which I plan to turn into a stake anvil) and a nice little Columbian No. 143 vise for $10 each. 

There were also a nice big (~6”) Athol vise for $45 and a Champion No. 400 blower, but both were too heavy for my checked luggage and too big for a carry-on. Ah, well. 

A 2009 film showing production of high-quality files. The narration is in German, but auto-translated subtitles are available in Settings.

Document protectors are great. You can take the pages out to make notes, and the protectors keep those sheets clean the rest of the time. You can also make temporary notes on them with a grease pencil and wipe them off later (check first to make sure the specific pencil is compatible with the specific protector, though).

I have photocopies of my Hossfeld bender’s manual and the Hossfeld catalog in sheet protectors and a binder for shop use, keeping the originals on the shelf of my smithing library. 

"Give me a place to stand, and I will move the earth." -- Archimedes