WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith

The reason that you can only buy half whiskey barrels is that you could put a stopper in the hole and throw it in the pond. In about 2 weeks the pressure of the pond water on the barrel would push about a gallon of Jack Daniels out of the wood and into the barrel. Drag it out and get a free gallon of Jack Daniels, , , then cut it in half for a slack tub.

I suggest that you wait until the Kast-0-Lite has cured. After casting is set (the next day) I put the forge in the oven (I have an oven in my shop and don't have to get permission) at 500 degrees F for about 4 hours. This will speed up the curing. I then paint on the Plistix after the forge is back to room temprature. Then wait for it to dry before firing the forge.

Yup, I make the trip a couple of times a year and the next time we have several dry 60 degree days in a row (I'm not going to go over there in the cold, in huge metal buildings, with tons and tons of steel heat sinink) it is time for another trip. If we can meet up I will show you one of the bowls.

I bought some of those disks last year and have made fruit bowls out of them. I used crown dies on my Big Blu Max, cold.

The truck load were cast in Mexico and brought 2 years from Mountain Aire, NM. The last time he said that he would not be bringing any more. I have one and it is a good size and very useable. It is one of my three.

I'd be concerned about carbon monoxide if using in doors.

Do you really want to try and move a 300# swedge block? I have 3 that are around 80# each and a 8" wooden log. I can easly move any of them to the side that is needed. I carried Alex Belaer's block to the 2004 ABANA Conference. I had really thought that I wanted one of those large blocks. When I got home I knew that I did not.

The buffing wheel is about the most dangerous tool in the shop. It tends to grab stuff and throw it at you or across the shop. A better alternative it to use a disk grinder and mount a disk of shag bathroom carpet. It buffs well but does not have the tendency to grab and throw. Also a variable speed disk grinder is a plus and if buffing a knife you need to be able to buff both sides so reversable is needed. That ususually means a disk grinder with a VFD and 3 phase motor.

Thomas, that is true but don't be surprised at what the selling price is. I would not be surprised if it didn't top the $2,000.00 buy it now price.

Yup, just like that. I used mine a lot for several years, then started using the edge of the face for the straight pien and now rarely use the diagonal.

Actually a diagonal pien hammer is not left or right handed. It is drawing (making longer) or spreading. I made one years ago with a diagonal pien on both ends. Looking at the hammer head on both are on the same angle. Held with one head striking it is either drawing or spreading. Flip it over and it is the opposite.

Alan just posted this over on Don Fogg's forum. Thank you Alan for posting this! MAPP cylinder safety warning!

I have a similar one, Cast iron and it is a Buffalo Forge. It came from Georgia Power back when they had blacksmiths.

As Thomas said, you don't need a chimney sucking the heat into your burner. You are better off with a round forge and the burners on a tangent so that the flame swirls inside. I also have dampers on my burners and close them off to stop any heat migration after the forge is shut down.

That all holds true for the KBAC 27D. Generally, you have to have a 3 phase motor. There are VFDs that require 3 phase in and 3 phase out. Grant posted a vfd that used a single phase motor a while back but I think that they were very low hp.

Chad, the VFD does convert single phase to 3 phase 230v. You will have to have a 3 phase motor. 4X)Be sure and get a TEFC (Totally Enclosed Fan Coold) motor and the VFD should be dust proof. With the KBAC 27D and you have a 1.5 hp motor you can have 115V single phase in, 230V 3 phase out to the motor. With a 2 hp motor you must have 230V in. Let me know if you have other questions or if I can help you.

I spoke to an old timmer who said that they used anti-freeze, then tapped the item. The vibration would get the anti-freeze to migrate back into the threads. Might try turning it up on end so that fluid and grit can migrate down and hopefully out. With the sleeve the problem may not beeing reached by your fluids. Soaking may help. Judicious heat might also help.

That is a Cole vice. It was used as a field vise. There is a 1" diameter hole in the bottom. You can stick a 1" rod in the ground and mount the vise. Actually you only have the vice portion of the tool. There is also a hand cranked, auto advance dril that mounts in the top grove of the vise jaws. You can also clamp it to a place tht you can't get your drill press to and drill holes (like in a car or truck frame). The small handle on the right allows the vice to be rotated. The jaws move like in a post vise. It is cast iron so will not take the heavy hammering like a post vise but the impact does not transfer to the screw as in a machinest vise. I have one mounted on each of my lay out tables and would not be without them. Good score.

I suspect that the smith made a lot of folded leaves. Forge the leaf shape, place the leaf over the "swedge" and drive the center of the leaf down with a fuller. Like said before I just made the tool by welding two pieces of 1/2" square on a piece of 3/8 X 1 1/2 bar stock about 4" long. I welded a hardy tang made from 1/4 X 1 bar stock folded into a "U" long enough to reach thru the anvil and drive a wedge in. This makes the swedge part of the anvil.

Grant that VFD is not dust proof and unless it is put in an inclosure (with filtered ventalation) it probably won't last long and the cost of a large enough enclosure and filtered ventalation provided you would probably spend as much as for a NEMA 4X unit. I looked into similar units and found that I could not offer them to my customers for our purposes.

Yes, VFDs are not cheap, however for what they do most think they are worth it. Direct drive with a VFD compaired to the step pulley adjustable speed not only do you have greater control, the direct drive runs smoother and quieter, there is less places for vibration and friction to come into play. You are using a 3 phase motor has better torque than a single phase motor so the motor seems to have more power. They are harder to bog down than a single phase motor and with the direct drive there no belt for potental slipage. Building a grinder with step pulleys you will probably spend over $100 for the pulleys, pillow blocks, shaft and belt. Just consider that you reduced the price of the VFD by what you would have spent for all these parts. When I first started building and selling belt grinders I was building grinders with step pulleys and said, "What do I want a VFD for I've got 4 speeds with my adjustable speed." Well, customers kept wanting VFDs so I got a distributorship, then figured if I was going to be selling them I needed to build a grinder using one so that I could inteligently discuss them. I could not believe the difference. If you have questions or I can help you just call me, or send an e-mail.

My mix is 1/3 boiled linseed oil, 1/3 turpintine, some Japan Drier, enough bee's wax to make it simi-solid and about 1 inch cut off of a parifin block sold in the grocery store in the canning section. Bee's Wax is tacky especially when sitting out in the sun when at a craft show. Ladies (or anyone else) won't buy anything that does not cause them the use the "F" word. "It Feels Good". The parifin helps with the stickyness.

Router speed controls work on motors with brushes. If it doesn't burn out the controler it will burn out the motor. Likewise trying to use a light dimmer switch. You can use the router speed control for angle grinders and tools like that. You can get adjustable speed by using pillow blocks, step pulleys, a belt and shaft. When I started building grinders that was my set up and I could not figure out why everyone was to hot on VFDs,,,,then I build a direct drive grinder with a VFD and could not believe the difference. Now I only push selling belt grinders with a VFD except on special orders. The difference in the cost of a Moe's grinder with a VFD or with the step pulley setup is little enough that it really does not make sense to go that way.

The previous answers pretty well cover it. You should use a ceramic blanket. It is a better insolator and weighs less. You should use a castable refactory to protect the blanket from the flame and flux and protect you from the floating ceramic fibers (read glass). You really dont want to be sucking glass fibers down deep in your lungs. Then paint an Infrared Reflective product (ITC 100 or Plistix) over the castable to increase the effencency of the forge. I have Inswool and Kast-0-Lite 3000 degree and 2600 degree castable and Plistix. I have not had anyone report to me any problems using either of these castables.

Jamie, that sounds like our house. We live next to a wild life management area where people think is a good place to dump dogs. Ours is the first house and where the dogs decide to stop. Just tell your wife that you are going to help out with Moe.