Judson Yaggy

How about this one, ugly in it's own way. The guy clearly doesn't realize that he ruined it. http://westernmass.craigslist.org/grd/2039685770.html

Around here some concrete plants have a list of people that will wait for a partial load. For example if a larger job doesn't use a full load sometimes they will haul it back to the plant (if time allows) to pour smaller pre-cast items with. While the driver is returning the dispatcher will call folks along the route that are on the list. You have to be there and ready, but it's a cheap way to get less than the 3 yard minimum.

Try here http://www.blacksmithbolt.com/ They claim no zinc coatings on anything, I've always been pleased with their selection and fast shipping. Kayne and Sons, aka Blacksmith Supply also carries some hardware for people like us. Also good people to deal with in my experience. Jeremy's method also works if you can cope with acids. Use white vinegar if you have a few hours to wait, muriatic acid if you want fast and toxic.

Grant- Your post about kids in the shop is timely as I just shot a quick video of my son working on his first solo (almost) projects. His sayings are more along the lines of "My dad could make one of those" even when it's something totally complicated or high tech and I have to quickly say "Hold on Boy, no way".... Usually the folks he's talking to give me a look like they can't believe I'm teaching my son that it's possible to MAKE anything. Some people think what we do is cool thou. I'd work for you in a heart beat, even if you fired me in a week I'm fairly sure I'd learn something;).

I can add some practical insight to the differences between square and round nails. I was a timberframer for 15 years and in addition to our main business of making traditional timberframes we also would do renovations and restorations on historic barns and farmhouses, usually 2 or 3 each year. As a result I've sunk and pulled tens of thousands of each kind of nail. Cut or forged nails do indeed pull harder than a comparable round nail, but ONLY for the first 1/16" of movement. Then you rapidly get into the area where the taper of the nail is smaller than the taper of the hole and they will pop right out. Round nails pull easier, but they require almost constant pressure on your tool for the length of the nail. Complications and Caveats: Wrought iron nails tend to break more as the material seems to be weaker. They also tend to break somewhere along the shank of the nail, whereas a wire nail will often have the head pop off. Also, once rust enters the picture all bets are off. We all know that WI seems to have better corrosion resistance than steel, and if a round nail gets wet for 10 years it will be every bit as hard to pull as a square nail that's been there for 100. THE BIG TRICK to pulling square nails is to drive them FURTHER into the wood with one good hard blow before digging in with your cat's paw or pry bar, thus enlarging the hole a little and breaking loose any rust around the nail. This tip has saved me untold aggravation over the years and I highly recommend it.

There are definitely $500 fly presses out there, you will just have to spend some dedicated time searching for one (or waiting for the right one to come around). If your budget will stretch to $1k you could get one of the used ones from Rhode Island that are always for sale on ebay, including shipping. Try the terms "screw press" and "tryout press" in your searches. Don't forget you might need a way to get a 1500# tool off of a big truck and into your shop.

"Yes, sir, Officer Dillon, I cannot tell a lie, I put that envelope under that anvil."

Macrowave!

Large French anvil on the VT CL. http://burlington.craigslist.org/tls/2048363180.html Price is in the ballpark of new anvils that size, but perhaps to the right collector....

Good thread. I get lengths of big truck heavy duty radiator hose that matches the spring diameter and install over the springs on my mechanical hammers. Then a mesh guard over the whole mechanism. Also try and remember to wear my hard hat when running them but to be honest that doesn't always happen. Saftey glasses and earplugs go on when I walk in the door of the shop.

How far upstate? New England Blacksmiths http://newenglandblacksmiths.org/ have meets here in Vermont sometimes, and we have a local group with occasional meets at various guys shops. Just across the lake if you are WAY upstate. Drop me a PM if you want to be on the mailing list for the Green Mtn. Blacksmith's Assn.

Chuck- there is a little factory literature on Beaudrey foundations here http://newenglandblacksmiths.org/power_hammer_info.htm Scroll down about 1/4 of the way.

D@%N! At first glance I thought you had half of the set for sale and I'm looking for the match to my half! Unfortunately you have the one I want and I have the one you want. It seems we are both looking to buy, so oh well. Plus there is that whole "the entire continent between here and there" thing. Guess I'm guilty of seeing what I want to, not what's actually printed in front of me. LOL I also have a Yater cone mandrel (not for sale), a very sweet casting smooth and true. Anyone wanting a cone should try and find one.

We (the carpenters in the company I work for) use cut nails fairly often to lay wide plank floors in new construction. Perhaps there is not the demand that there used to be but floors of this type are a popular architectural style and won't go away anytime soon. Usually we use Tremont cut nails but if I recall one extra special floor was laid using Williamsburg hand forged nails.

Here you go. http://www.umbaonline.org/lib.htm These are DVDs of weekend long hammer-ins, some focus on C. Ralph or Steve Parker, etc. I've heard that Clifton sells his famous video series himself, but I heard that a few years ago.

First hammer, the grey one, is my coworker's Champion#1, 65lbs. Was restored by David Court of New Hampshire, note the outstanding brake on the flywheel and my coworker's creative use of a right angle drive/reducer. Sweet little hammer. Second set of photos is of our 150# Fairbanks Model E, co-owned by both of us. I tried to get shots of the treadle linkage (original?), how we ran the belt up to the jackshaft in the attic, tooling holder, and brake, thou the angle of that shot is tough to see details in. #3 is my 85# Kane & Roach, as far as I know a fairly rare make. Has a linkage not unlike the Bradleys. Hits hard but the anvil feels a little light.

That 2nd one looks like it might be a 2k# machine, not knowing where you are and what the press supply there is like I'd offer them $300 and go to $600. Press #1 looks ok, but those angled weight mounts make me think "ball flinger". I know that's not where physics says the mass wants to go but that was my first reaction!

Some high quality scans and info on Beaudry, Fairbanks/Dupont, and LG hammers recently posted on the New England Blacksmiths site. http://www.newenglandblacksmiths.org/power_hammer_info.htm I suspect thanks should go to Ralph Sproul and whoever sent him the old manuals.

Grant- Are you sure it wasn't a "Bahon", Sweden is in the eastern hemisphere after all. ;)

Had to disassemble my mid sized hammer (85# Kane and Roach) yesterday as the key between the main shaft and pulley had worn and was making the hammer knock pretty badly. I remembered Grant's mentioning his 60# Little Giant and some of the Bradley owners saying that their rams were well over the rated weight so out of curiosity I put the ram on a scale. Tup and die are 95#! It's like I got a new hammer! With linkages and springs, etc. it's 135# of moving parts below the pitman. But seriously, this got me thinking. Why did some manufacturers oversize the rams? Casting approximations, compensation for die wear (I think my dies are factory original), or getting a little extra performance for marketing purposes? What do you guys think? Idle speculation is ok!

Anyone home building a power hammer ought to think about repurposing those rams into anvils, I bet they will go for near scrap price.

Thousands of anvil makers out there in history, not everything looks like a "London Pattern" http://www.oldworldanvils.com/anvils/workhorse.html

Here's a not great photo (but you can get some ideas from it) of a 2 sided slitting punch for under a punch press. The spring loaded side bars self-center. A second operation is required to drift/push out the rag.

That Mad Dwarf guy has some great skills, but I assume they call him "mad" because he doesn't care about loosing eyes, ears, or fingers.

I too work professionally in smaller spaces, 900 sq. ft. tops. It's either just me or me and one other guy in the next room. For all the disadvantages of a smaller shop it is quite easy to change out the air in the ENTIRE shop. Get a wall or roof mounted power vent, buy a big one. Every time you reach for a grinder, turn on the vent. It should be strong enough to suck out all the grinder stuff light enough to float into small openings (also strong enough to suck off your hat). Cover the electronics while grinding or locate upwind of the grinder/vent. Let it run for a little while after stopping. Another way to keep down the dust is to vacuum the floor with a HEPA rated vac every day/week/other. I've got no science to back up this claim but I suspect that feet can kick up as much left over grinder swaff as the original abrasive activity did. And never mind damaging the equipment, what about all those super fine particles getting into our lungs?