Mills

I had a bunch of scrap rod given to me by a weldor whos brain I would pick. Never knew what rod was what, I sorted them out by color or other Identifying marks and started running beads on drums. I decided to make a pontoon raft. When it was all over I was able to run 1/8th 6011 low and cold to join sheetmetal together. 6013 gave me fits until I found that it was an AC rod! quite an improvement. I found after the fact that some of the scrap was a nickel rod. wish I hadn't used it up.

now almost 10 years later I keep a little 6011, 6013, 7018 and some nickel rod on hand but predominately use e70s in MIG. I Don't use flux core at all. biggest lesson I have learned is to have an air gap and make sure that you weld the pieces together. No matter what rod you use. Rod selection is important, welding technique is more so I think.

Amazing what you can get done once you have a good grinder ain't it? ;)

And it is not nearly so easy to heat it up and bring it down just a scosh. and it has been increasingly difficult to get a good welding that is suitable for pine or oak let alone birch.

Phil I would look at the intended use and see if the parts I would make in the near future would pay for the tool.
Just bought a new welder that allows me to get to a fence in need of repair about 3or 4 grand of work being help up by my lack of a 450 dollar tool.
Since I do not fully utilze a power hammer the one I have has not even broke even for me, and I still owe on it. BAD decision.
Building a treadle hammer because I can see that I will be able to use it to produce some things for the spring, it is R&D time and money, I can afford it to fail.
Thats My approach.

LOL JWB to quote Roy Clark "feels good, like warms hands on a cold morning, especially if your a cow."

I am excited just hearing you talk about it, Apprenticeman Yippee for you.
LOLOLOLOL

Its kinda slow and clunky seems that I always need some one else to help holdin an pullin.

But with the correct tools it may work if you only want 1 squish at a time.

Once at an NCO school we were going through required courses one of which was splice a commo wire which is hi tensile steel. The Sr NCO did not have any type of pliers or strippers and said that it was to be field expedient anyway so use your pocketknife. It was pointed out that not everyone carried a pocket knife and those who didn't may not be familiar with the safe use of them. PISH POSH came the reply and by the end of the day one soldier had 6 stitches along his thumb and there were a bunch of REALLY dull knives.

I believe in being armed but I also believe that some are better suited to it than others. A free society is defined by self determination. Without that it is no longer free. Whether removing all weapons or issuing all weapons.

As you have described it, you sold as is, buyer was aware of FACTORY warranty remaining, no problems for three weeks. It is buyers remorse and the WalMart mentality that no matter what whoever sold this must fix it! Stand calmly, firmly confident that you have been above board and your friend now has an xbox that needs to be sent to the FACTORY for repairs. Even WalMart makes you send stuff back cause they don't warranty it.

That doesn't stop you from using it for that. Is it cast iron or steel? If steel then you have achieved what you set out to do. If cast, you bought maybe somebody else would as well and you can go looking again.

I' d be real interested to know what it is, as well.

When you are scrap shopping you won't be able to distinguish one type of steel from another. Heavy plate will usually be mild steel, a bear to cut into usable sizes. If it is hex shaped it may well be some type of higher carbon steel. Shafting will be a low carbon steel in many applications may make a good choice.

Ya pays ya money...And you know how to have good judgment? etc

BTW welcome

BAM is very active from what I gather, so look around their website. If you can catch him (seriously if you can catch him, he moves!) Tom Clark is a wealth of information I'm not sure where he is in relation to you but would be worth a trip to visit his shop. I believe he sells an item or two as well

I'd recommend finding a steel yard handy and picking up some 1/4, 5/16 rd and maybe a stick of 3/4x1/4 rectangular. That is what I'll use a lot of and many ideas can be worked through on this small stuff before you tackle bigger things.

Sucker rod is solid, it is not pipe. It is used to manipulate the pump at the bottom of an oil well. They operate similarly to the action of the water pumps found on windmills or the old hand pumps. It is made of something like 4140 but as with any junkyard steel that can vary. Also used sucker may have some nasty stuff on you don't want to breathe. That depends on the well it was pulled from.

When upsetting keep the length of the upset area to about 3 times the thinnest place in the area. If you are upsetting 1x 3/16 material then the length to try to upset would be 3*3/16=9/16 about a half to 3/4s inch at a time. When it thickens up you would be able to take a larger bite. use water to isolate the area to be upset. strike heavy well placed blows. It requires a lot more finesse than drawing out does.

It is good to see you are hammering and moving forward. Keep it up.

I am currently making some tools for putting pipe under sidewalks. I am using 1" sucker rod and upsetting 6" to 1 1/8" on one end and 1 1/2" to 2" on the other. I have tried welding up what I want but by the time I grind it back and I find it is just as fast and far more gratifying to do the upsetting. I does try your patience though.

I did something similar. Picked up an angler grinder at a pawn shop, no guard. and put it to work with zip discs on a fence I am repairing. It do zip when it catches just right. Laid open my jeans and wound up my t shirt across my belly. I quit for the day and ordered the guard no incidents since.

With my 50 lb LG I usually run it at its highest position and use tools to get to about 3" height, tool and stock. That is about as much as it'll eat. When I am drawing I have a series of punch marks on the poll and will reference them till it gets to hammering really well. Usually about half way. All that will change when I put in a shorter bottom die to get in some taller work.

Long way of saying I adjust til it feels and sounds right.

:) that anvil looks to be in about the same shape as mine, I sanded it and have been at it for a while now. The horn looked like factory before you welded it. It'll be interesting to watch the improvements.

I too only use a gloves under certain conditions. But there are times.

Once I was forging 1 1/2" sq 16" long in a twelve burner forge 6-8 at a time on a 100# LG drawing them to 30". they were hot and heavy and I used a very nice insulated welders glove that worked like a charm. I needed one for my face also but alas.

I have quit wearing a watch as well. The heat would be absorbed by the band and and cause my skin to swell and then chafe it severely. So know I don't know if its time to get up or go to bed. ;)

While it is true you have banged some metal, a drift you have not made. Punches, yes. A drift is a piece that tapers on both ends and the middle is a specific size to true up a hole. It is meant to be driven from one side all the way through and drop out the other side.

Way to go solvarr, it is gratifying to find one who is really interested. There are some boy scouts around here who starting to take notice.

Pretty fair work, Andy. I read the thread, you did well. On the guard that you welded on, many knife makers silver solder them in place. They can be forged and shrunk to fit like seating a (wagon) tire on a rim. I don't believe that I would go to the extra work of upsetting for a bolster and swaging to shape. A lot of trouble and not done easily. Your choice is what I would do/have done but not nearly so nicely. Also you mentioned getting real tool steel, you had a good choice. It could be improved on if you are out to make the end all be all of chisels. But not by much I think.

For somebody who decided to make a chisel out of what they had I think 10/10 is in order. Good work.

Those anvils do work well, I am pulling for you to get the bugs worked out.

Ya'll might give some consideration to methods that have been honed over the centuries. Such as a retort. Stoke, light, cover, do other stuff while you wait.

That is quite an accomplishment, congratulations.