natenaaron

How long is your hammer drift? What size stock did you start with?

This is the definition of an addict. Once an addict, always an addict. Every day you make the choice to stay sober or not. Easier for some than others.

South Africa to Utah for boots? Must be some XXXX fine boots. I saw some spats at our local welding supply but they were pretty flimsy. Are they supposed to be? Like welding glove material without all the padding

drool

How big are they?

You forgot to mention the other attachment. The one to the left of the vice, how to you get that other attachment to stay on the anvil?

Nice. I'ld use it but then again I don't know the antique market for these things

I liked the forge area. Giant hood, the stonework, everything seemed very functional, and that hammer was a beast. As for his smithing technique I have no clue about that. I do know straight razor collectors are also straight razor users and freakishly obsessive about them holding an edge. I tried to use a straight for a week after practicing on and successfully shaving a balloon. It was a blood bath. I don't use them anymore. Small dogs are easy to bath, our 106 pound rotti mix on the other hand not so much.

I stopped going to yard sales all together. Too many people, around here, watched those storage auctions and liked the prices they saw on them. They price their item similarly, especially tools. Old means antique and antique means high price.

Thanks

I always wondered what those little shop vacs were good for.

Thank you Wayne. I appreciate the guidance. I've been studying your ribbon burner for a few months now. I now have enough refractory to make one. I was stuck on the blower.

I understand this. When people are talking about blowers are they talking about the kind used on coal forges? Some folks were using squirrel cages but eventually moved to a "blower". this type, this type, hair drier, mattress pump, leaf blower, or all of the above? For me blower is too broad a term. I am looking for an example.

I've been reading thread after thread about ribbon burners here and elsewhere, but not finding the answers. 1-Does altitude have an effect on a ribbon burner's efficiency and blower pressure? 2-Can an air compressor, Plumbed 60 gallon tank, be used as a blower? If not why not? 3- Frosty mentions in a recent thread using raft pumps. I have never seen any that have CFMs on them are these large river running rafts or the smaller toy rafts kids play on lakes and ponds with? The reason I am asking is I have enough refractory to make several and since I am rebuilding my forge I might as well look into this.

I will not be wearing these all day, just during extended welding or when smithing. With temps in the summer hovering at 100+F I need shoes with ventilation for everyday stuff. I wear running shoes most of the time. Looks like I will need to figure out how to increase the budget.

I asked this at another site I belong too and quickly came to the conclusion that those who responded were not smithing, welding, torch cutting very thick pieces of steel, or around oil and grease as much as I am. All of their suggestions were what I would call too pretty to get dirty boots. Right now I have some redwings but they are too large. I got them on clearance so there was a no return policy and they sent me the wrong size. Yes I tried to send them back and got a huge run around. I learned two things, only buy from online retailers you have experience with and if the person on the other side speaks poor english and has a huge attitude you don't want to deal with them. fast forward 7 years and I have been doing well with my everyday shoes, a stray BB has gotten me now and then but I can live with it. I don't think I should be this cavalier with very hot metals. So I need a good working man's boot. Functional, comfortable, will last and I don't care about looks. Any thoughts? My budget is $100 or under.

I just went through Wayne's site and saw no mention of an air curtain feature. Is there info about this somewhere. I'm intrigued. It sounds out of my league right now but intrigued none the less.

Our steel place owns the lumber place and have small quantities like this for people like me who can't get to the steel place before they close. Same price so it works out. I was joking with one of the workers about how messy the steel got my hands. I told him Home Depot Steel get my hands dirty just by touching the stuff. After some more joking he got serious and said that home depot cleans their steel and it can be nasty. I wonder if this is what happened. Good to know about the brake cleaner. I have used a lot of brake cleaner, and carb cleaner to clean up but never to clean what I was welding. That gets mineral spirits. Is that bad too?

Thanks

I've been contemplating the same build. I've decided buying new is just out of my range. More time and scrap than money. Did you purchase the wheels, or scrounge them? If you scrounged them what are they off of?

That is what I meant Michael. New Ax, You get opposing swirls. Since the flows are not aimed at each I don't really see how they would fight, but that is why I am asking.

Ahh. Been there. You will lose a lot of heat there. When I mismeasured I discovered the velcro qualities Ceramic wool has, just cut a hair more than you need. Once sealed there is no way of knowing you made the wrong measurement.

Here is the shop I would like to emulated. Subject of the video is making a straight razor.

Every forge with multiple burners has them directed in the same direction. I assume there is a reason. But me being me, I was wondering why you could not have the burners firing in opposing directions.One aiming from the left, and the other aiming from the right, not aimed at the same point though.

Make her something nice, then tell her all these guys will be around shortly, to help out. Heck you might even score a new uncle out of these guys, assuming their wives don't find out.