brian

Silicon sounds great.......thanks to all.

Sorry ,no pictures yet ,haven't made the frame until I can work out the simplest way to fit the mirror. Thought I'd start with a square frame of 1 1/2 by 3/8 flat bar ,just a small frame 12" square .

Has anyone got a simple way to fix a mirror in an iron frame? Have been racking my brain but can't come up with a solution that doesn't involve drilling holes and tapping threads.

Hope someone can help me with this. I'm trying to make museum wax using Brian Gilbert's formula which involves mixing the wax with white spirits but I don't know what the Australian version of white spirits is. I thought it was methylated spirits but have since been told it is mineral turpentine .To add to the confusion I found some white spirits which is used for stain removal in dry cleaning.:confused: I don't want to waste the wax that Brian kindly sent me so can anyone can tell me the name it is sold under in the land of Oz ?

Thank you for your tips Thomas. Still a bit scared of the gas, which is probably a good thing,I guess I'll relax a bit the more I use it.

Forgot to mention I've got a lpg regulator on the gas bottle,Trouble is it's marked in 50 kPa increments which makes it hard to be sure exactly what pressure the forge is running at.I think I can mount a low pressure guage in the gas line to be more accurate but don't know if this is necessary. Can anyone tell me when it's running at the right air/gas mixture or is it trial and error until I get it right?:confused:

Hello Folks, Just finished my gas forge and fired her up for the first time.Used a 9kg gas bottle for the body and an old fan from a Volkswagen motor. No jets used, just a 1/2 inch gate valve to control the gas and 1 1/2 inch valve for the air flow.Once I got the mixture right ( after scaring myself a few times ) it heated steel up to white heat running at about 2-3 psi with the gas tap just open, think I'll put a valve off an oxy torch on it for finer gas control and a solenoid shut off valve in case the power fails to the blower. :confused:Can't remember how to put photo's here so I've put them in the gallery section.

Just finished building an lpg gas forge with blower .Tried it out today and it works fine ,red-yellow heat very quickly at 5 psi but have read that there is a safety risk if the blower cuts out while the forge is going . Has anyone had experience with this or know about it? Can I do anything to make the forge safer?:confused:

Bit off the wheel chair subject. I have only 20 percent use of right hand ( hammer hand) due to grabbing a wire with 6000 volts running through it when I was a kid. I can usually find a way around this eg. using a power hammer for as much possible ,using a heavy hammer with a thick handle . This has enabled me to become more skilled with the power hammer and making different dies plus safer for visitors as they don't have to duck out of the way when a hammer flys across the shop!!! You can find a way to get things done if you stop and think for a while.

I have here an extract from Maneklal and Sons website " FEATURES FOR 'P' SERIES SINGLE AND DOUBLE SIDED FLY PRESS . Top end of screw with hexagonal tapered reception for the wheel to ensure no slip Mild Steel screw with heavy duty square angular thread" Would anyone be able to tell me what steel is used in their fly press screw or are they all mild steel?

Know this is a difficult one to answer. What size flypress would suit me for general smithing?:confused: Mainly work hot mild steel up to 30 mm maximum . I am thinking 5 to 8 ton would suit but need all the advice I can get as I will have to get it shipped over and want to get it right first time.

I think you're right John, the time I spend making one (which probably won't work) would be better spent earning money to buy the real thing. It's been good watching this idea being kicked around on the forum and the old brain cells being stretched to the limit,plus the interesting input from various people with a wide knowledge of the subject. Makes you realize how skilled those people must have been a couple of centuries ago to turn a thread like that with the machinery they had.

Look forward to the photo's. Hey,do you remember when phone's were something you cranked a handle on and spoke to people !!!! Amazing.

I will bow to your greater wisdom John, pity ,I thought I had something there but I think I'll try and find a proper press rather than risk the injury.

In the case of the cam operated press, something else must be adjusted to keep the working zone in the 2/3 to 7/8 range of cam travel. This would require an adjustment system, such as a threaded rod or turnbuckle in the force transmission system or blocks under the work, adjustment of the bed or the location of the camshaft. I have not yet been able envision an adjustment system that would be anywhere as simple as just giving the flywheel another turn or so. I think a large threaded rod combined with spacers under the work. Want to use it mainly for repetitive work.I can use the power hammer for drawing out.

Point taken John, I have never used a fly press but I get the idea you don't use the full rotation ,just sort of bump it down. If I get a bit of free travel before contact and use a fairly heavy flywheel would it build up enough momentum to be useful? Also thought of putting two cams side by side,one from 0 to 2 inches and another from 2 to 4 inches the second cam running in a step in the ram so I get 4 inches of travel in two rotations.

Yeah,there's quite a few things to work out,move the supports closer,rig up a spring to keep the ram up. I think a truck axle would take the twisting but may have to be fairly massive to stop it bending on impact.May be a tractor axle? Think I'd use plain bearings rather than ball or roller ,shaft isn't going to move fast.