Mills

A bender and an instruction book!

Yeah I recall that slick little device down at Geralds.

bendrs have instruction books? I mighta known Jr would have both.

I've never used a side blast Jake but would suppose that you would avoid a build up of nasties that chokes the air. I've seen your shop on MAF and as resourceful as you are do as Glenn suggests, knock one together and give it a whirl. A pipe on the blower, propped on some brick or wood just use your current forge as it is. I think that'll do more for you, since ultimately it is a matter of what works well for you with what you have available.

The Oklahoma stuff is actually Arkansas stuff if you got it from the Saltfork Craftsmen. it works but I'm with Thomas Powers So far the best I've used is Poco. Would love to get some more.

There can be some really nasty stuff in decon kits, depends on what it is for. A search of the nomenclature may turn up something. the M258A1 Skin decon kit is what was used in The US for long time. This what I got doing a search

M258A1 SKIN DECONTAMINATING

Oh and Jake you might want to look around this web site there may be some info here as well. ;)

The first part of your difficulties you have already answered, you have some stuff that works and you have had some stuff that doesn't.

The rest is academics. I have been in the same place having bought two truck loads of top quality coal from two different seams and have used what is available locally. The pocohantas puffed up light and fluffy like jiffy pop and would weld quick and easy, make a little ash and a little clinker. The sewell seam was very hot welded easy and made almost no clinker but a LOT of ash that was indistinguishable from the fines which was what most of it was. The local coal was anthracite or durn near, would weld pretty well makes a fair amount of clinker and ash likes to go out or not get real hot if not fussed with more than the others.

Each of the three serves us well at different prices. I'd stick with the Pocohantas if I could afford to have it trucked in. As for the impurities there is some coal that will kill your steel, I have used some of that as well.

There are some websites on the various assays of coal, Penn State had one but I couldn't find it just now. Wikipedia offers some depth to it, easier to read than a lot of the stuff at the universities. None give a definitive this is good, this is bad. Depends on the application. For a blacksmith with a bottom blast it is good and desirable to have the clinker form solid and small at the bottom easy to get out, and low amounts of ash just flying around, popping out of the fire whenever you get close.

I have never used coal that only made clinker or only made ash, but the poco came close on the clinker and the sewell on the ash. and then the junk that took all available heat to make clinker and ash left our steel cold and lifeless. No wonder it was free.

Not yet but plan to

I use sheet rock. stinks some when the paper burns. Has to be replaced occassionally, easy to stand on, too, I like it better than a rubber mat for that purpose.

My vee block is a little more than that, I think a little heavier angle to the 117 mark will be a good choice. I do like the wider better than a 90.

Ok now you can teach us punching! That was a lot of work!

I feel your pain Valentin. I need to make some hammers out of 1 1/2 " ~75mm round stock. It will be a real experience.

Larry add a box to the stand so that vice tools can be kept with it.

I have a piece that I clamp in the jaw sticking up, this gives a pivot point that I can then use to roll it around easier. Then there are bending forks, and a piece of plate with anle iron welded on the underside to form a table you can clamp small pieces for fit up and welding, Heading bolts, the list of stuff you'll use your vise for will grow.

Tom that link habu posted is very good explanation of the slitting and drifting process. One thing to point out is that a slitting chisel should be flat not sharp. In my mind It is actually a very thin punch rather than a chisel. 1.4 is a good multiplier for length of a hole vs ending diameter. to do a 1" diameter hole than slit the steel 1.4" long. Pay attention to the part in the article about drilling holes or having your slitter rounded on the ends to avoid the thinning effect.
Go give er another whirl.

Don there are several folks around who have successfully used the treadmill components. Usually as a belt grinder w speed control. I think that it is best to keep the wiring harness and all, for that is already ready to go. Don't treat it like a washer or dryer and simply snag the motor and trash the rest.

Now that there are some pictures, First it looks as if you were able to keep the hole reasonably centered. Good job, That is my main problem area. I'd say more power is the order of the day. Since you are new tho this doesn't mean to abandon reason, but hit it harder and faster the next time. how long or wide is the punch you used? or did you punch a hole then start drifting it open?

That was my first one and it works still in Portales NM where a friend now resides. Inefficient user of propane but he made a lid for it and now can put stuff in from above as well as the side. I have been considering doing a mod on this idea ala johnson forge. a short 6" combustion chamber then a working area with a cantilevered lid to keep in the heat.

In other words it can do for somethings but I believe that the typical horizontal unit is better for a majority of applications.

If you elaborate on your application you may get a better response. I have no experience with DC but My Drill press has a lot of torque on the bottom end through gearing and it works nicely. DC may be a better choice for speed control.

Keep it cool first and mostest. Second a lube. the best I have used is the ptree lube sold in the Iforgeiron store here. It is hands down better than anything else on the market or that you can concoct. and very cost effective.

I am wondering though which it is punching or drifting? The title says Drifting but you ask about sticking the punch.

Thomas that is quite nice. A real nice job.

Tong rings are our friend. as is short jaws.

Struggling with some 1 1/2 " S-7 on the power hammer drawing it down I used a set of goose necks I made that had the jaws break off. I had thinned them too much. Tried them out as Clifton Ralph and others have demoed and that really made a believer of me for pincer type tongs. Will be making some more soon.

Jayco one thing I tried to do in my tong making was to duplicate Grants off center tongs. That is a the wrong way6 for me. I now start with 5/8 rd min stock size up from 1/2. I will draw the reins down to 3/8 rd. This is more in line with old tongs and I find they last longer for me. heavy jaws light reins big rivets and 18" length or more.

I do regularly work with heavier stock but I also will use the same approach scaled back for 3/8 and smaller. I'll use 1/2 rd and smaller rivets but still keep them 16" or more. With a tong clip I can then grab at a balance point and it forges nicely.

Lastly, in production on small hooks and leaves, OC tongs are the only way to go. no tong clip cause things are happening to fast for that. that is where the light weight short length shines.

If you use a tong clip then for practical purposes the force is duplicable and singular.

Same here, only I carry the MIG with me

Thomas not to hijack the thread but what of Cast Iron Finials? I have wondered if it would be worth the cost to use a SS wire to get them to hold better. I have spotty results using the E70-S6 wire.

Why bother? Working in a cramped environment is frustrating. Use it to store or remodel to adapt it. I had to truck my stuff out to the driveway for years cause a coal forge inside a garage gets smokier than a bar on Saturday night.

rthibeau advice is sound, the question to be answered is where are you going to go find new customers? I am mainly doing fence repair on a big fence at the moment, no forge work and many are getting to know me that way BUT I am doing a wholesale gift show where all I will display are forged iron products to people who don't know me from Chris Pook ALL orders I get from there will be new business new people in a direction I want to go in. It is not easy switching gears, you have to carve out the time somewhere.

Good Luck to you