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Bmallen77

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Everything posted by Bmallen77

  1. Bmallen77
    Definitely not the best way I have spent two hours. I can't imagine doing all that by hand. Would of taken me a whole day and wouldn't have been as uniform.
  2. Bmallen77
    Just got my pieces textured. I ended up using an air hammer with a make shift 1/2" ball tool on the end of it. Took me 2 hours to texture 6 sheet of 16ga. Copper 12"x36"
  3. Bmallen77
    I have yet to see the machine in person I am going Wednesday to look at it, but as far as I have been told it is completely assembled and running. Sow block included and said there was about a dozen different dies for it. But who knows?
  4. Bmallen77
    Well thanks I appreciate it. That is exactly what I wanted to know. On a side note, if you were to build a hammer again, would you build another super rusty? Or gone with a different style hammer?? For $4500 was your machine mainly all new parts and steel or still a lot of mix and match?
  5. Bmallen77
    Great idea. Never thought of using steel shot like that. I appreciate the advice. That I will definitely try.
  6. Bmallen77
    Have quite a bit of copper sheeting to texture. It's pretty thin around 16ga. Anyone ever textured with a pneumatic needle gun before?? I have heard a lot of guys getting an air chisel or air hammer and putting chisel bits in and putting texture in that way to be quicker than doing it by hand. Any good fast techniques?? Or experience with the needle gun?? the picture is the look I am trying to achieve.
  7. Bmallen77
    Border parts??
  8. Bmallen77
    I live in San Diego and I can tell you this isn't the place to look for black smithing tools. There is a farrier supply in lakeside you can get light stuff tongs small hammers, flux, bar stock, I think they may sell coal but don't quote me on that. If I was you and had the cash before I moved id make sure your set up with an anvil and forge. You can get hammers and punches and drifts online or make them but anvils, forges, swage blocks, fly presses, power hammers, all the big stuff your gonna travel to find and it will be way more than you want to spend. Not to hate on the forged in fire show but since that came on tv prices on anything black smithing related has just skyrocketed. My buddy sells equipment and is getting $5-600 for a 100lb or less anvil which is just crazy. there are a couple scrap yards though you can get yourself an ASO or auctions here in San Diego and Los Angeles county of machine shops shutting down. They're dropping like flies out here and it's a great time to get lucky on some machinery or the occasional anvil.
  9. Bmallen77
    A guy I met has an uncle with a 50lb little giant hammer in good working condition he is wanting to sell. Said he'd take $3000 and no less. I do not have any specifics on the hammer. Comes with a 3 phase converter. I am going to look At it this week. My question is..... For $3000 is this hammer worth purchasing. I know I have the tools and fabrication ability to make my own mechanical hammer as I do not have a sufficient compressor for running an air hammer. Should I just build my own hammer? As far as time is concerned I do not need this hammer right now however as soon as I get it I know it will speed up my work efforts. So I'd say If it took me a couple months, hours here and there making it that wouldn't be a concern for me. So I guess it's a question of the value of it. In my mind if I'm going to spend a couple grand building a hammer I want to know its going to last long term and stand up to near daily use. From the hammers I have been looking at I really like the 'super rusty' Appalachian style hammer. However I have read lots of reviews on hammer builds and can't decide on what I want. Has anyone built their own hammers or personally use a homemade hammer??
  10. Bmallen77
    That thing is awesome looking. What size belt does yours run on it?? Do you know what year your machine is from?? I got mine all up and going. Had to get a new 4 pole switch that cost me $40 but other than that it's been a great little grinder. I got a rear platen built that sits right behind the belt and put a bottom rest for setting your material. It squares up nice and grinds a real clean 90 degree angle.
  11. Bmallen77
    Stainless wise- what would you say is the best for forging and finish? By that I mean a good series of stainless. (303,304,etc..) I know you hear a lot about electrolysis mixing metals. Would I be stupid to try to incorporate copper rivets into a stainless fire screen? I know that look is beautiful but being an outdoor application am I just setting a client up for failure which in turn has my name behind it? I did a little more research and passivation and to me, it seems like it is just essentially another coating that goes over the stainless as if it were dipped in galvanizing or plating or something like that. You think the constant heat from the fireplace will eventually burn off that coating or do I have it all wrong?
  12. Bmallen77
    So now I think maybe my best bet is to try the fireplace screen out of stainless I have never done any forging of stainless before or have I done this passivation technique. Anyone know a good video or website showing how to do the process?
  13. Bmallen77
    Ok great I appreciate the info I will have to start some experimentation. I think 30 years pretty much proves it haha.
  14. Bmallen77
    Thank you I appreciate. It just would be nice to see one all put together like how it came from the manufacturer. I have already encountered some problems where whoever wired the switch on it did not do it properly and in the first test run burned out a $45 3 phase switch. So I'd like to see things like how the platten was mounted, and the rear adjustable wheel that loosens and tightens for switching belts you can tell has been moved back. There is 3 sets of tapped holes where you could mount that rear wheel. And I really am not sure where the right place is. Any ways I appreciate the info. Need to order a couple belts and see how she does.
  15. Bmallen77
    Well I considered that but isn't there treatment needed to be done on stainless after forging to keep the rust prevention?? Thanks for for the advice. The powder coater said he could not guarantee the work as he normally does since it is not being sandblasted. It's a technique he has been working on. I live in San Diego and there is a large restaraunt and brewery industry here and almost all of them have the same style. That rustic barnwood and salvaged materials look mixed with bare metal finishes. To me it's just a fad and I'm not a huge fan but, whoever is paying the bill is going to be making that decision on the finish. All I can do is stear them in the best direction and hope for the best.
  16. Bmallen77
    Will do appreciate the insight
  17. Bmallen77
    So I'm sure any of you out there who do metal work for a living have been asked about "Clear Coat" for metal work and keeping that natural looking finish on metal. All of us have our secrets and tricks and preferences. I recently had an outdoor fireplace screen project where the client would not budge on having it a natural forged steel look. I told them it will eventually start rusting unless your willing to commit to maintaining the piece on a regular basis. After quite a bit of research I decided to try clear powder coating. This particular process is done without sandblasting so you do not lose the forged finish and texture on your iron work. The whole piece was cleaned thoroughly then wire wheeled, then wiped down with denatured alcohol and then one more quick pass with steel wool to take off any additional rust spots starting. The piece is then powder coated clear. This is the first time I have tried this particular process and was hoping someone out there has tried it before. Any information on clear powder coating and its longevity??
  18. Bmallen77
    I have slit and drifted 3/4" rebar before just for the sake of trying it. For me I was not satisfied with the aesthetics of a rebar slit and drifted. The rebar has a continuous pattern and getting that pattern to line up properly and evenly with your hole isn't easy especially if you have repeated holes to drift in the same bar. But it's worth experimenting with id say. Maybe you will find a look you like.
  19. Bmallen77
    I recently found this old belt grinder at an electrical surplus shop just sitting on the ground. I bought the thing and brought it home but cannot find any information on this thing. The guy told me at the store he thought it was a 2"x72" belt grinder but I measured the loop around all the wheels and only measured 60"-63" after you let out all the adjustment. Also the two wheels towards the back are both 1-3/4" wide wheels however the bottom wheel in the front where the platten connects is only 1-1/2" is that normal?? The only information on the cast aluminum frame states, "Sandmaster Products Los Angeles California." If anyone has any information on this thing or can answer my questions about the wheel sizes I'd really appreciate it.
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