JPH

Ellen: Looks like you are on a good start. You see what I mean about the higher C content welding "easier" than the mild steel..It moves a bit slower than the lower C stuff but it "wants to stick" when welding. As a suggestion I would refrain from using any higher alloy stuff..stick with the 10XX and the L-6/15N20 until you are so intimate with it that you can weld it just by looking at it hard. Believe me there are 100's of ways of screwing this up. Warning: just because it looks welded on the edges doesn't mean it is welded all the way through. I will explain what to look for while working as far as open welds during the classes. It really is a "energy sucker" to think you have a welded bar and then find out during patterning that you got a couple of cold shuts dead center... BUT I can show you how to correct those in 90% of the cases...I have made just about every mistake that anyone could make...and I am still coming up with new ways to totally FUBAR a piece!! Knowing your material is as important, no more important, than just about anything else in pattern welding. As you have found out this isn't as diffcult as alot of folks would like you to believe. This is after all "Dark Age Tech"...Yeah it is hot work, and it can be tiring but "difficult"?? Not really..just takes time and practice...Now some patterns can be a real PITA due to the time involved but 95% of the patterns out there? quite within the abilities of most anyone who is willing to practice and take the time to do it right... Oh.get a heavier hammer than 3#..I would say work up to a 4# as yes the hammer is heavier but it is a much deeper "bump" of a strike and you will not nedd to "power it down" as much to "hit as hard" using arm power but the impact is more of a "squeeze or nudge" than a sharper "blow"..and I have found out that the "deeper impact" makes for an easier weld (I use an 8# hammer to weld...or most everything else so....).. JPH

Ellen: I am really looking forward to getting the thing up and running as I see a lot of potential in this machine. As I said beofre Julius is great for flattening and some die work like center ribs where I can use the limit switches or hard stops but for fullers..it is almost impossible for me to do a decent job uisng Julius for fullering. I have squeezed through the web too many times. Having played with Augustus a bit I can "feel" what I am doing and more importantly I can SEE what I am doing so the distal taper in the blade will no longer be a problem. I just won't squeeze it as hard or as deep as I work the fuller down. I just have to come up with the right length for the fullers. I am thinking 3" as a starting length and work up or down from there. I have a couple of old decrepet brick chiself that have their head shot and shafts cracked up that could be very easily made into dies...I knew there was a reason I bought these things 20 years ago!! Flintlock huh? I just finished up a .62 Marshall rifle in full curly maple, swamped 42" barrel in browned iron furniture that shoots wonderfully... I have a rather extensive firearms collection (Hell's bells I have a Gatling Gun in my Dining room and a 3" rifle in my barn...) ranging from black powder to the modern stuff... My next project is a 1" wall gun....that should be fun.. JPH

Ellen: Ok on the welding..if you can get solid, clean welds using mild steel, which is to me at least a real PITA to get to stick decently, when you get into anything with any sort of hardenable C content you will think that this is so #$^%(())()('ing easy.....thta is until you FUBAR a few pieces due to the fact that they got too hot...Everyone does this...I still do every now and then so.... What temp (colour) are you welding the MS at??? Now when you use the Ni allow stuff you MIGHT have a biut of a problem with the flux....I have found that adding some dry boric acid and a little red iron oxide powder to the anhydrous borax will improve it for Ni alloys...makde it a bit more agressive and that attacts the oxides a bit better. BEWARE it WILL eat your refractory at an alarming rate, but not as badly as my "steel glue" flux.. Anyway sounds like you are off to a good start here...if you get hung up on anything,, drop me a line... JPH

Ellen: Ok..on the bottom plate..here's what I got figured out...using a piece of 1/2" plate with corresponding notches for the hold down bolts I am welding a piece of 2 1/2" round with a 1" hole bored through and welded into place. I am thinking a 5/16" set screw to hold the bottom die. The reason why I am going round is the fact that I can see several application where I will not want to attck at an angle, and me being the lazy olde fart that I am I don't want to make redundent tooling.... The bolts I ordered should be here either today or tomorrow.. I am already using the fly press for doming brooches that I do on a side line for a freind of mine. Works great and it is actually faster than a hydraulci press by a factror of three...This thing should make making trammel hooks a snap.. Anyway I am using the bolts cause that is one step less than the way you are doing it and at a little more than $1.00 each, it's worth it to me... Now all I have to do is figure out how long to make the fullering tools and what temrinus to use on the ends. I see some experimentation here....in other words FUN!!! I am also thinking of incorprating my guillotine tooling to be used under this thing, that is if it will fit...Still have to measue that...If I can get it in there that would be the bee's knees.... JPH

Ellen (and everyone else interested): On the materials..what ever you are happy with welding up that you can stick 100% of the time...I sugest either a 10XX series like 1060 to 1095 and either L-6, 14N20 or A203D/E or similar for contrast. Stay away from O-1 or any of the richer alloys, as these can present difficulties when patterning if one is not acustomed to using them. I am going on the understanding that everyone there KNOWS how to make good, solid welds. I will show how to pattern and how to get repeatable patterns from faggot to faggot... faggot sizes I have still to figure ouit..I am thinking this out. drawing once the patterning is completed will be very quick as I will use Julius to flatten and square..THis way everyone will go home with several patterned pieces to play with. IF there is tie I will show edge steeling on composite european style cored blade construction..but that all depends upon time limits and desires of those attending. I will get the rest figured out in the next couple of weeks and I will let folks know as things get decided... JPH

Ellen: ok on the wire diameter I have found that 0.040 (18 ga...) works best for me..make sure it is dead soft/fully annealed... as for twisting, yes, you can use a electric drill (make sure it is reversable..) and a "eye" bolt to do it.. I twist in 150 ft lengths at a time...the wire WILL need to be annealed once it is twisted as it gets very springy from work hardening during the twisting opperations and make sure you wear face/eye protection while twisting.. If you have any questions at all...please feel free to ask... JPH

Thomas: Thankfully I don't have any "friends" like you describe..I like to scrounge as much as the next guy but I tell you these auctions are cutting into our ability to get decent used equipment, especially E-bay..man the things that sell for astronomical amounts is mind numbing...junked pieces..boat anchor typoe of shot, worn out and otherwise not worth more than scrap iron prices go for more than new!! Now I like a good deal, who doesn't?? I do NOT mind paying a fair price for an item but some of the prices obtained in these auctions are rediculous!! I dunno..guess the days of getting post vises for $25.00 to $50.00 and anvils for a dollar or so a pound are coming to an end...sigh....I bought my 25# LG for $550.00 and the guy even drove it down from Utah (well it was just over an hour trip..so...but still...) to get it to me...and that was just a few years back....sigh JPH

THomas: I also use to live in a less than ummmm "savory" area in Los Angeles but I never had to worry about anything vanishing or break ins..Seems there was a rather viscious rumor going around about this crazy guy who lived at my place who could bend red hot steel in his bare hands and a few other things.. Couple that with the fact I still had hair back then and being the petite little one that I am..no one bothered me....hummmmmm.. Anyway to get this back on subject I havedecided that it will be 5 folks...each will bring three bars of laminate..sizes I will fgure out for patterning.. I will show a simple surface manipulation that can serve as a base for many more patterns..a simple basic twist and then how to twist and weld a multi piece composite... Folks will need to bring their own hammers...hammers being a very personal thing.... More info will be available as I come up with it.. JPH

Ya know... I was thinking of putting in a central compressed air line but really..since i do not have any air tools...what would I reaslly use it for?? I'd rather spend the $$$ on a decent vacuum system for the grinders....cut down of the grit and dust JPH

Thomas: I had a thought that you "Kip-pelled" a bit...just like a British soldier... Whahahahaaaaa Now where'd that regimental beastie go?? Din!! Din!! JPH

And people wonder why I built a redoubt between the house and the studio krall, some 8 ft high from mealy bags with firing steps on the inside.....I can hear the singing now...Oh there soldiers stop your dreaming..can't you see their spear points gleaming.???... Where's my red coat, Martini and Webley?? Already got the Gatling in position to support the redoubt... JPH

Fredly: Stay with the 5 hp motor..I have a 2.5 HP on my 25# LG...never even hiccups when I hit the clutch pedal... I dunno about anyone else but me being the luddite that I am....my 25# LG does more than enough work/capacity than I will ever use and frankly, anything bigger scares the xxxxouttame....besides if I ever do NEED to move heavier stock I got Julius... On the dies..I use either medium or severe drawing dies in my LG..mostly the medium..moves alot of material with very little distortion on the laminate.... JPH

Ellen: First off..as far as I am concerned...there is no such thing as a dumb question..cause if you don't know..you don't know..so never..ever be afraid of asking ANYTHING either on these foprums or of me personally...With that being said... On the twisted wire.. I have no clue at all is it is available in Fe or non Fe materials BUT it is in silver (sterling) but silver costs a whle lotta $$$. I simply twist and then anneal my own..takes only a lillte bit of time and I get the sizes and the amount of twist (as well as direction of the twist) that I want/need. Given the fact that I am pretty much out in the "barren wastes of Southern Nevada" I had to become even more self sufficient than I was when I was in Los Angeles. Man I miss rooting through the rem bins at Industrial Metals in Burbank...I could find some pretty spiffy stuff there!! Up here I ask for where the rem bins are and I get looked at like I had lobsters crawling out my ears or something.. So I have everything brought in by truck. Thomas: On the bolts..yeah that figures..they don't call me "Day Late and a Dollar Short" Hrisoulas for naught ya know..well they call me that and a few other things as well that I cannot repeat in a "family forum" such as this.... All in all...we are still waiting notification from carson City as to whether or not any of my units will be sent down south. News has come in that several Govenors of the affected States have decreed that this duty will be a "volunteer" assignment. Ie, if you WANT to go..you go..if you don't you stay home, at least as I understand it. So we are sitting here, waiting... Anyway..I have a benvh to finish up and then I get to move everything around and clean..Hopefully I will have everything done and ready to rock by wednsday so after my annual physical (Uncle Sugar demands one every year...yuck...) I will be back to work with a nice, clean studio... Made a few calls on the 1/2" plate....should have answers by COB today, so I was told.. JPH

Ellen: Well I am making some calls tomorrow on the plate..see what I can scrounge up..All the other "parts" will be a breeze really.... It's not a difficult project...Just need to get it done.. JPH

Ellen: Since I don't have any plate the right size I have to scrounge some up someplace..shouldn't have too much of a bother with that I don't think but one never knows around here in Las Vegas... The more I think about this the more I am leaning towards 1/2"...a little more weight but hey, I'm tough... JPH

Ellen: Well I take care of my "kids"....I was enlisted for close to 10 years before I got my commission...someone ratted me out to Carson City....so I take care of my "guys"... Anyway on the tooling..I have the basic idea of what I wantt o make..boring out a 1" dia hole through the centre of some 2 1/2" round stock, dripp and tap a set screw hole and then weld that to the base plate. I am thinking of either 3/8" or 1/2" plate for the base... The "holder' I am thinking about 2" or so high.. From what I have been reading the more "ram" you have in the frame the sturdier these are, which makes sense.... So I am pondering this... JPH

Howdy!! On the hex bolts..I found a place on line that I can get 1" x 3" hex bolts for a whole lot less than $8.00 US EACH...These are UNplated carbon steel bolts and it comes out to $1.08 each in bozes of 25. I got two boxes coming in. On the border thing. IF I do go (which as I have been told by my bosses up in Carson City that I personally would NOT be due to the fact that in spite of what Chertoff says, Las Vegas is STILL a major target) I would be staying with my troops. I am not one of these officers that constantly says RHIP I am in the thick of it with those under my command. I do appreciate the offer but I will pass on that. Back to the "press"-ing subject.. Ok I have pretty much decided to do the round shafted bottom die for several reasons. I reralize that I will not be able to use these in my anvil but really is that such a great advantage?? The reason why I am going with the round shafting is simple..interchangability with the top dies and being able to adjust the angle of the die/work relationship within the press. I will see if my thinking is valid or if I need to redo this once the boltes get here Tuesday/Wednsday next week. The first couple of die sets will be fullers..as this is what I need most to get going. In the mean time I am going to cobble up the bottom die holder..there are several thoughts on how to do that as well...Just gotta find some 3/8" or better yet 1/2" boiler plate someplace. Las Vegas is great for a lot of things but finding raw materials is NOT one of them.. JPH

Thomas: On..as it is....the ram/adapter uses 1" dia round stock...the idfea of using a bottom plate with a "hardy hole" in it is appealing but there I will loose the ability to use any tooling I have made for the top/ram/adapter..and I can see where that ability could come in handy..but I would be able to use the bottom tooling on my anvil so....that's the predicament...I will come up with something in the next day or two I am sure... now I just got to get a deal on some 1" dia hex bolts...the local so called "hardware store" wants like 8 US dollars EACH...NO WAY... JPH

Thomas: Ha ha...you funny GI...not Pw..LAMINATED....big difference...you should know that!! Ellen: seems we are on the same page on the top tooling..it's the bottom tool holder that is stumping me..The rub is do I go with a hardy arrangement that I can use on my 550# anvil as well or do I go with the 1" round shaft that the ram/adaptor needs.. That's the fly(press) in the ointment. I can see both sides on this. Anyway I have a day or two before I need to make a final decision on this..it will take me that long to clean the place up and make it decent enough to work in again.... As it is I need several fullering sets, a couple of cutters and a few drifts and punches....that's a starting point. I am thinking maybe a few slitters as well...would make 'hawk making a whole lot easier. I can see all sorts of gabgets for this beast.... JPH

Ellen: I see you already have the topic so let's just discuss this here... Ok I have to cobble up a way to hold the bottom tooling on my No. 6...Now the ram/adapter uses 1" dia round..I was thinking of using the same basic idea of a 1" dia hex bolt for the "die body" for the bottom dies as the top die uses.. Now I can see some difficulties in using the round stock as far as indexing goes but bu going round I will be able to use the same dies for the top and bottom so...Any suggestions??? Steel wise....I have S-7, H-13, D-2 and a whole lotta 1095, 9260, 5160 and 4140.. JPH

Ellen: Yeah we had a good solid discussion going on ref the fly press/Augustus subject. I finally got mine installed, man I HATE drilling holes in concrete..my teeth got rattled by the rotor hammer but hey, it's bolted down. Still need to do the bench and then a general clean up of the studio. RPFS really has an impact on this old man...I have been swinging a hammer now for close to 40 years, full time since October 84...I figure I have another 25 years of good work left in me before I slow down a bit... I just can';t wait until I get some tooling done for Augustus..still have to figure out what to do for a base plate holder..I dunno if I will go with a hardy kind f arrangement or use the 1" dia bolt that the ram needs... In fact methinks I will move this subject back up to the general blacksmithing heading... JPH

Thomas: I am still pondering this over....it looks like it will happen..just gotta figure out dates. However I just got notice that my NG unit might be called upon for "border duty" so I might be pulling personel...I dunno.. Anyway I will look at dates..seems everyone is all over as to whether this should be during the week or over a weekend. It will be the first part of November, I do know that much... Well I am back to re-arranging my studio... JPH

Howdy!! well....Looks like I won't be posting a pic of the heart pierced axes..the photo exceeds the size limit...sigh... JPH

Howdy!! Here are two more I just finished with out any blade piercing. Here again, these rae a soft iron poll with a high carbon steel edge, rust browned. I love that finish on an axe. I make these to accept the more or less "standard" tomahawk handle, with some hand fitting. These are after all hand forged axe heads. JPH

Hello: Ok this might date me but the venerale Rudy Ruanna use to make his knives that way...he'd cast on the bolster and butt/pommel and they'd were dovetailed (undercut) to hold the grip scaled down...as well as the pins. Loooong time ago (like 1980ish, he passed I think in 1984??) I spoke with Mr. Ruanna about how he did this and he said he would just cast them into place on the tangs, with the whole knife in the flask. He said the sand in to cope and drag woul help preventy excess heat travel. I would think that spruing would need to be very creative. I have done pewter bolsters that were poured around the tang/ricasso way there is a 1200 degree difference between pouring pewter and Al. JPH