brian

OK Folks,
Have located a couple of presses but the cost of freighting them from one side of Australia to the other is prohibitive.
If I could get a 4 start thread cut internal and external, would it be possible to make the frame from some heavy pieces of steel,I've got some old axles made of 3" solid square stock that have a 90 degree bend on each end which I'm sure have been bent not welded.
Would any of the learned gentlemen be able to calculate how thick the steel would need to be to withstand the force of the screw?
Alternative would be a two post frame which I guess would be simpler to make though not as convenient to work with.
Guess it all depends on the cost of the thread cutting?:confused:

Can ye learned gentlemen (or ladies) tell me how far the shaft would travel vertically on a fly press at one revolution of the screw.
Know there are all sizes so not a huge industrial press just a one man press used for general blacksmithing.:confused:

Thank you, one and all for your input.

Hi People,
I'm trying to find a fly press, Anyone know if there's a company in Australia that imports these?

Thank's Brian

Hi,
Been trying to make Renaissance Wax but can't find a source of polythene A wax in Australia.
Does anyone know where I can find it here?
Is there another name for the wax?
It's probably in the hardware shops but may go by a different name in the land of Oz.

I use charcoal all the time,had the same problems until I made a firepot 8" deep and throttled back on the air.I make my own charcoal and have found in Australia the harder the wood the better the charcoal but don't know if this applies everywhere.The addition of a sidedraft hood took care of 90 percent of the fleas.

Thanks irnsrgn,
Article was very helpful.I'll go and find an old moldboard to use as a template and see if I can get the right twist to it.

Hi Learned Friends,
Has anyone got any idea or ever forged a moldboard/mouldboard for a single furrow horse drawn plow/plough,the type you walk behind?:confused:
I've searched in books and the net and find plenty of information on forging the shear but nothing on forming the actual moldboard.
Have had a few inquiries from friends in the heavy horse club as they're having trouble finding the old ones now,plus always wanted to make one of these.

Many Thanks

Yeah,it's art ,really good art ,wish I could do that.

Just finished my side draft after putting up with smoke and sparks for 3 years.Works better than I imagined.I used scrap steel I had around the shed and a flue a friend had.
Smoke box is 17"deep x 22"wide x 53"high.Chimney is 9" dia. recommended 10" but I used what I had and made it as high possible.The top of the flue ended up 53" above the roof line and draws really well.
Now back to forging without the fumes and fleas.:D

I had my entire 14" dia and 7" deep brake drum full of charcoal and I think it only lasted 30-45 minutes.
Could be why you're using so much charcoal.
My fire pot is 10"x10" wide x5" deep. I've never used a coal fire(can't get good coal) always charcoal but I think a charcoal fire has to be deeper.
Charcoal I use is made from hardwood . An old English blacksmith told me the harder the wood the better the charcoal.
I get a nice white flame easily hot enough to forge weld.
Hope this helps.

Thanks to all for your help.Got the idea.Now....where's me collection of old bearings got to?

Hi,
Has anyone got anyone got a simple (cheap) bearing setup for a small weathervane? Total height is about 2 ft.

Brian.

Hi All,
Does anyone know anything about this stuff? How to make it and where to get the waxes..I got this recipe from a museum website :

100g of microcrystalline wax

25g of polyethylene wax

230g of white spirits

But there are many types( eg. hardness + colour) of these waxes and I can't find which ones to use.
Seems like it's a really good finishing wax so would like to give it a try.

Regardez Brian:confused:

Ye Gods and little fishes!
How can one exist, let alone have a full and meaningful life without vegemite!?
I reckon generations of shearers,footy players and even yer odd blacksmith have been raised on the stuff......or was that V.B.:D

Speakin of the drought,dunno what it's like on your side of the island but I reckon over here in WA I won't have to light the forge in a cuppla weeks.Just park the iron outside for a while then drag her over the anvil.

Brian

Some good ideas here.I like the brake set up off a motorbike.Now,which one of me grandsons is going to leave his bike still long enough for me to flog the brake off ?
Brian ;)

Hi All,
Anyone got any ideas on how I can control my hammer to a single stroke?I made an appalachian power hammer about three years ago and it's performing great but I sold my treadle hammer to buy the motor for power hammer.
Been thinking of making a sort of trip hammer,I'll try and describe it.
A vertical shaft with a hammer on the end sliding through a thick pipe.At right angles to the shaft a short shaft or maybe a collar .Running close to this a horizontal shaft with a cam on it which turns under the short shaft and lifts the hammer shaft until it rides over the end of the cam and drops either under its own weight or assisted by a coil spring .I reckon if I get the horizontal shaft turning fairly slowly I should be able to control it to a single hit using a jockey pulley on the belt same as the one on the power hammer.(whew):confused:
Hope that makes sense.Anyway do you think that might work or is there a simpler way to control my existing hammer?All suggestion and ideas gratefully accepted. Thanks Brian

hi,
Can anyone tell me what sort of steel rail wagon axles are made of?
I'm using a 3 inch diameter axle as the anvil for a power hammer and want to know what sort of welding rods to use to weld it to the base plate.I only have an arc welder,no mig or tig .

Here I go, making another machine :D

Hi Brett,Didn't see ya post,still trying to get the hang of this thing.

All I can say is wow!!Detail is great.

Sorry I took a while to introduce myself but I couldn't figure out how to work this thing.I'm Brian from Nannup in Western Australia.Moved over here from New Zealand 20 years ago.I've been blacksmithing for 5 years and am now making a modest living from my work.(Very modest).