the_sandy_creek_forge

Hey guys, I know there has been some talk here and there in the machinists forum about metal shapers and there usefulness in a blacksmith shop. I happened across this one on the 'Bay and figured I'd toss it up here as nobody has bid on it as of this posting. It looks like a decent deal at the price even if it does need some TLC. I'd love to get it myself, but it would cost me a small fortune to get it from there to here. As usual, I have no affiliation with this seller, or with this auction, etc. Walcott metal shaper Thanks, Aaron @ the SCF

My personal preference for everyday drilling of aluminum, mild steel, annealed high carbon steel, cast iron, and whatever else I get my hands on, is the TiN coated HSS bits. The only time I've ever actually needed cobalt was drilling out some sheared off studs on an engine, although if you can afford a whole set of cobalt bits, go for it, they sure are slick Carbide drills (I am thinking of the indexable ones) are mostly for production and machine shops, imho. If it can be squeezed into the budget, check into getting a Drill Doctor for keeping whatever you buy nice and sharp. We've got one of the more basic models (the kind that doesn't sharpen split points) and I am not sure how I ever lived without it. (Usual non-affiliation disclaimer here) -Aaron @ the SCF

Woody, **Please note I am not a structural engineer or professional metallurgist** I was looking at that table for ASTM-A 36. For the elements carbon, phosphorous, and sulfur, it lists a Max %. Doesn't this mean that the percentage of these elements contained in A 36 can be anything "up to" that amount. In which case, wouldn't it reason that you could get A 36 with 0.08% carbon and the very next batch could be 0.18% or 0.27% (the stated max for 1/2" bar) carbon? So while it doesn't have a wildly varying amount of whatever happened to get thrown in the furnace, there is the possibility for a significant variance from batch to batch, correct? Thanks in advance for help in understanding this. -Aaron @ the SCF

Check a few posts up the line from yours for the pic (it makes a real purdy desktop image for a computer screen ) -Aaron @ the SCF

KYBoy, The biggest anvil Fisher made (i think) was the 1400 lb anvil at the 1876 centennial exposition. Fisher & Norris Anvil Works IIRC that was a one off "look at what we can do, we are so great" type of deal. I don't believe that size was manufactured in any quantity. I've seen somewhere some pictures of (what remains of) a few renaissance era anvils, I'd say those are pretty rare. The oddest anvil I've seen is that tri-anvil that popped up on ebay a while back, I think there is a picture of it in the gallery here somewhere. -Aaron @ the SCF

Check out BluePrint BP0065 Guillotine Anvil Tool I built one of these a while back and have been thanking Jr. for the design every time i use it. It worked great on the tenons for the railing I made last spring. I think I managed to whip out 40 3/8" round tenons on 1/2" square stock in something like 6 hours or so (including 1 lunch break, a couple of cigarette breaks, and all the time I spent trying to find my hammer after I didn't set it down where I would know it was.....) On top of that this tool's versatility is almost endless. Texturing dies, butcher dies, cutoff dies, swaging dies, the list goes on and on and on. -Aaron @ the SCF

Back on Topic. We've got one of the HF/NT auto dark helmets in the shop. We share it between my brother, dad, me, whoever else is welding. Usually though, i just use my "manual darkening" hood that I picked up at Tractor Supply (2 fer $10 in the bargain bin!) The problem I have is that the auto dark always has SOME level of shading to it. When I am not welding, I don't want shading. That and the thing doesn't fit my fat head as well as my cheapo flip front hoods. Personal preference I suppose. -Aaron @ the SCF

hill.josh RE: itchy eyes Are you welding where there is plenty of ventilation? And is the smoke venting away from you? I've welding inside during the winter with less than ideal ventilation as the door is right by my welding bench and blows the fumes back into the shop as often as not (i did remember to wear my respirator under my hood though!). I've had similar problems in such conditions and always attributed it to the smoke/gases/fumes irritating my eyes. Any thoughts on this anyone?? -Aaron @ the SCF

Tandy Leather be prepared for "sticker shock" -Aaron @ the SCF

Half of a 300 gallon gas barrel (split longways) with a scrap sheet of galvanized steel roofing over the top. I believe it'll hold a little over 1/2 ton, but the most I've ever had in it is 750 lbs +/-. If you live in the midwest US it seems like every farm has at least one of these barrels laying around that has a leak in it. No good for gas, great for coal (and making hog roasters:) ) -Aaron @ the SCF

Welcome to central Illinois!!!! When you are getting certified, I am no more that 20 minutes away from where you are! If I'd of known sooner, I'd have invited you up to the forge, but, unfortunately, the rest of the week is hectic to say the least. Oh well, maybe in December if I can get my act together and get the forge at least in a presentable state of being. Just wondering, but are you taking the course at the Tech Center? I know a couple of the guys that work over there (one being my father-in-law). Anyways, enjoy central Illinois, and if you don't like the weather, just hang around for a day, it'll likely change -Aaron @ the SCF

We had two in the restaurant where I worked through high-school and college. One was a hinged ordeal that was more hassle than it was worth, not to mention getting it apart to clean it! (healthcode and whatnot...) The other was basically two discs that fit inside a tube (made of some kind of plastic) Set down the tube, put the bottom disc in, put in burger, and smoosh it flat with the top disc. The top disc had a handle on it, so once the patty was made, you held the handle, lifted the tube up while keeping the discs in place and voila! hamburger patty. But, unless you're running a restaurant, I wouldn't worry about perfect patties. Just make a 1 pound ball of burger, squish it a bit and throw it on the grill. -Aaron @ the SCF (who's fully aware that a 1 pound burger is precisely 4 times as fattening as a 1/4 pound burger....but it's Oh so Good!)

The books in this series have provided great inspiration. Never copied any designs in their entirety, but lots of ideas. The publishers website: http://store.doverpublications.com/by-subject-art-pictorial-archive.html On Amazon: Amazon.com: dover pictorial -Aaron @ the SCF P.S. They are REALLY affordable too!! (and I am in no way affiliated, etc. etc.)

.... and you only bought one!?!? These little clamps do come in handy from time to time. I have three and every once in a while I wish I had another one. If you have to hold down some oddball shaped workpiece to a drill, these are hard to beat (short of a t-slot table and clamp set of course;) ) -Aaron @ the SCF

If your heating something 1/8 thin in a coal forge, turn the blower on to keep the coal hot, and when you put the workpiece in, turn the blower off. At 1/8 thick, it'll heat up to the temperature of its surroundings before the surroundings cool down too very much (i use this trick when working out spatula blades and such things). As far as "seeing" the metal, build a cave type fire, or poke a SMALL hole through the coke layer on the top of the fire to where you can see the steel. Signs to look for before burning: little bitty sparks coming from the steel. -Aaron @ the SCF

There was, a while back, a BIG London style Kirkstall on ebay. 300+ lbs iirc. It even had the side shelf/turning clip. Unfortunately it went for more money than I even possessed... that's was the most sought after anvil. That's my story and I'm stickin to it! -Aaron @ the SCF ;)

Hey Aaron, try here, http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f7/touch-mark-stamp-6118/ http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f11/touchmark-4663/ http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f7/touchmark-4016/ -Aaron @ the SCF

I've had an idea in my head for a while for a "box bellows" style bellows made out of large diameter pipe instead of an actual "box". Kind of a "box bellows butter churn" looking thing. I'm still working out the bugs in my head, but feel free to run with the idea. -Aaron @ the SCF

Back to that "pin we are hoping is HC" I too have something similar, also found near RR, also with the hole cross drilled in one end, but mine is sheared off a bit shorter. I too was assuming hitch pin or king pin of somesort or another. Mine sparked as pretty high carbon. Can't say how it forged as I still haven't found a project where I ABSOLUTELY have the need to hammer out 2" round by hand -Aaron @ the SCF

Not that I favor Lincoln welders or anything but this is a handy couple of sites to bookmark: Lincoln Electric specifically: Welding Safety | Lincoln Electric Lincoln also used to have a free pdf with basic welding info in it. seems I saved it somewhere but it mighta been on the old computer. If I can get the thing to fire up and run I'll pull it and send it to ya. -Aaron @ the SCF

Phillip, What are you planning on using the forks for? Also, could ya throw in a few details on the tractor, or a picture maybe? My thoughts on the teeth would be recycled truck axles or recycled jackhammer bits (big jackhammer bits ) -Aaron @ the SCF

I've never tried it.... but... would 3 pieces of 1/4" be too much to cold twist? I've seen long sections of 1/2" square twisted cold (just over twist a bit to accommodate for some spring back). Just a thought. -Aaron @ the SCF

Justin, No updates to speak of. (I did come up with an old large frame single phase motor, so no converter will be needed and it'll still have that "early half of the century" look to it.) I came into possession of an old shaper in october and spent a few weekends tinkering with that. Then I picked up a railing project that took up my weekends from Jan. up into april and then a few other oddball projects that lasted into may. The new baby showed up in mid-May, and I really haven't gotten in much shop time since. Hopefully things will slow down in late august and I can get back to some much needed "Aaron time" in the shop. -Aaron @ the SCF Edit to add: I have discerned that the tapping head is probably OE. I couldn't find a label, but once I scraped some of the caked on grease off, I found that the casting of the tapping head and the casting of the upper arm match WAY to closely for it to not be stock.

Change, Cash (not enough), folded up post-it notes with reminders on them, main keychain (with my very first successful forge weld as a key fob), shop keychain, folding/lockback box cutter utility knife (pocketknife),wallet, my last two pay stubs, receipts from menards and lowes for patio building materials, checkbook, spiral bound notebook (for reminders that are longer than a folded up post-it note), receipt from wal-mart, cell phone.... i really need to clean out my pants pockets too.... -Aaron @ the SCF

To the customers: "Custom Ornamental Metalworking" Inside the shop: "Double check the ****** torch tanks before you lock up!!!" and "Gone Fishin' " My favorite Red Green is still: "If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy!" -Aaron @ the SCF