Smoggy

I take it you'll not be supplying a link then....?

...yes, but which bit of the interweb were you stumbling though Thomas!!!!

I think Im with you, no doubt I'll stumble across a definative picture somewhere on the web...!

No don't hide behind the couch, that's where the Zombies congrigate......so they can reach up and grab you by the neck knife strap......!

Looked impressive from what I saw..........

I can see a straight peen being of use in a corner where a cross peen would not reach, think of boiler making a long 90% inside angle in a sizable piece of plate, you'd not get right into it with a cross peen, I'm sure there are many other situations too, but why so expensie? I suspect, demand! Fiskars and Stanley I have never found any problem with either companies material or tools.

If you have a look at the part you've cut off, (ie not the part in the picture) and try and find a piece where the weld ends, if you file it of smooth to a nice finish, sometimes you can see the transition between the original material and the welded area, other times you may also need to etch it to bring out the change in the material. Then you will be able to see where the weld has penetrated into the original steel. You will also often find the weld to be harder and can be felt when filing it. If welding on thinish material you may see the weld fully penetrate right through to the backside. I recall your post on fabricating an anvil from a fork lift tine, the advice offered by the sages is partly to negate the problem of ensuring adequate penetration across the full face of the mated sections.

Vaughn's use the same or a similar colour and provide a number of anvil options, so I don't expect the colour itself to be much of a reliable indicator of manufacturer. I'd add that I suspect the stand may be user made.

Somewhat confused here, are you mixing up weld dimensions with penetration? I can see from the picture where the welds were, which you have cut through but to view the penetration would require a slice through the weldment and likely and etch, surely?

Maybe we should Thomas, I am familiar with a bushel from measurement systems, and with the term used for a bundle of scrap metals but I've no reference to a billet refered to as a bushel. A new one to me. (and I no sooner do i post than I eventually manage to find a reference )

Should have read: (a different size to a bundle than a "pimp" but essentually the same thing)

Glad someone brought this up, From previous fabrication work, ie arc welding, I have always known this to be a "lap" weld, be it two pieces welded together ot one piece folded back on itself. The term "faggot" I know from copising and refers to a faggot of sticks (a different size to a "bundle" but essentually the same thing). From forgework, I understand that blummery forged bar was stacked, "faggoted" and forge welded to produce an iron billet of sufficient size to produce the final product. It is my understanding that Japanese blade smiths stack selected tamahagane in a faggot to produce a billet in this way. Although I have now become used to refering to a forged lap joint as faggot welded, or a faggot weld. I do not refer to it as a faggot. As for scalfing, I'm under the impression one would only scarf a lap joint when joining two pieces together to extend the length of the bar etc and require a constand dimention. I believe there is ample evidence to suggest a scarf is not required otherwise and can be successfully completed without incuring cold shunts.

Difficult to offer much info from one photo with little detail. It looks to be a relatively modern offering and possibly ex school stock or such like. If you find any details to post pictures of (stampings evidence of weldments or casting flash) someone may be able to offer morre information. I could be wrong but that stand may be a little high, difficult to tell from a photo and not knowing your stature! How does it fair for rebound? At a guess, you've probably gotten yourself a decent tool, any story behind it's purchase?

Welcome Michael, a course with Owen and a visit to ID's......I should be so lucky! I'm on the other side of the country too but like yourself I'm up north.

Always intruiging these "spurious" items featured in old pamphlets,especially with no hint to it's use! I usually find they are mostly pictured in the vacinity of the area they would be employed. So as it is near the table, do you think it could be an auxiliary mounting for the table offering additional articulation? I'm thinking, of the possibility of tilting the table which would maybe then be rotatablearound a horizontal axis......?????? Alternatively it may be nothing of the sort! lol

I didn't think for one minute you'd payed $25 to use it as a sacrificial welding surface......I was refering to those who would abuse it.

Use a surface plate for welding on! A surface plate is a prescision tool, not a lump of scrap steel. As an apprentice I'd of had my backside kicked round the workshop for a month just for thinking of welding on a surface plate! I was not permitted to place anything on our surface plate that did not absolutely have to be there, and that included my grubby hands! A first grade surface plate will be more accurate than almost any of the measuring tools usually used by machinists. If the only use one has for a surface plate is as a work surface of any kind, sell it on to an engineer who will use it correctly and use the revenue to buy something suitable for your needs.

Goerge, from what I can see from the photo, I'd be tempted to grind the edges back to good and maybe settle for a rounded face, or if it's worse than I think it is.....is a straight pien an option?

Personally, I would clean that off with a flap wheel and assess the damage with a view to dressing the original face or if needs be grind or slice off sufficient to reface to sound metal. If it is beyond that level of repair then I'd want to stop and reconsider.

Watching this with interest. ID, don't be letting miniom play with that, as I recall from the last time I saw him, he has a propensity to get digits in the way of heavy moving steel objects...did the swelling ever go down?

For future reference: You need only find a bolt, nut or similar of a suitable size to drop into the drift slot and sit against the sank of the drill, then use your drift (first tool I made as an aprentice fitter/turner) to remove as nornal, if it's still stubourn then a light heat to the tail of the taper should see it expand, cool the bit too if needed. If it still won't come out then it's been friction welded in use and both parts are fubared! But at least you got a usable drill, and morse tapers are far easier to make than twist bits...!

RE ID's post and your question matto, ID refered to a granite surface plate, not a table. A surface plate provides an extremely true flat surface for measuments, marking out work to a high accuracy and checking the true of surfaces place upon them. Granite has the same required qualities as cast iron for this purpose and is often used as a cheaper alterrnative, it is not used as a table for working on, hammering, punchng, welding etc.

They are usually used on the workbench, and put away for safety (to avoid accidental damage) when not needed, often a plywood or similar top cover is fitted. The larger ones 3 foot square or more are paerminently mounted on their own base as they are simply too heavy to move easily and are usually a little lower than work bench height. As I haven't got one, I use the top of an engine block for my surface plate, limited area but it works for most of what I need at the moment. Nice score at the price, looks like it should clean up a treat.

They are usually fitted with wooden soft jaws for woodworking, mine also has the lever for quick open/close that disconnects the screw. I did see one used on a vid making a bronze sword and was mounted on end (face uppermost). Caution was needed as it could easily break fingers if allowed to drop closed! I've not decided if I'll be makig use of mine in the forge or saving it for a later build of a wood shop.

Would it not be simpler to have the whole tool rotate in the handle? A length of rod with an appropriate hook on the end (assumng a simple open hook?) a shoulder on the shaft to provide a stop for a plain hollow handle and a threaded end fo a nut to secure the handle. As it has a hook on the end anyway, would that not suffice to hook to your belt loop? * For the sake of safety, please do not have any tool attached to yourself or your clothing while using it in proximity of machinery *