kerrystagmer

Please consider joining us for the 2010 Fire and Brimstone Hammer-In and Smelt on March 12th.-14th. 2010 in Historic Marriottsville, Maryland Jesus Hernandez and Tony Swatton will once again be our featured demonstrators. Additional demonstrators and lectures will be happening all weekend. We will have forging on our power hammers as well as metal casting. Event will be at our forge (Baltimore Knife and Sword Co.) and the Church/Studio next door (Fire and Brimstone Studio). Additional confirmed demonstrators we will be working into the schedule include Jeff Pringle, Skip Williams, Deker, Larry Nowicki, Chris Price, Kerry and Matt Stagmer. If you are a demonstrator or are planning to come and have something to share, please touch base as we would like to pack in as much information as possible for attendees. As always we will try to allow as much hands on with demonstrator oversight as possible. We will be limiting attendance to 60. Registration will be $65 for the entire weekend to offset our costs. Vendors and tailgating is encouraged at no additional fee and will have separate parking, trailers allowed. Please visit our site http://www.fireandbrimstone.com The site will include accommodations, Schedule, and Artists/Demonstrators. We are still rebuilding the site but it is live now and registration is open. I will be talking to the local hotel to see if we can get group rates. Breakfast and lunch are provided, grills are open for anything you wish to bring or share! Camping is encouraged but weather in Maryland is always suspect! The first year we had snow, last year it was down right warm and sunny. There are bathrooms(spot-a-pots) but no showers. We will be updating the site often as we confirm additions to the event.

I run a 10hp with idler motor in the shop all the time as all my equiptment is 3 phase and when I moved to my home it became a must. Non issue, works fine. If you can, I would strongly recommend oversizing as you will end up with other equiptment you want to run even if you dont have it now. I put in a 3 phase panel right next to the single phase one and feed it from the converter box. We run about 10 different sanders and mills off the panel and just have to think about max HP running or starting at the same time. We are a 2 man shop so its not too hard but I am outgrowing it. I see a 15hp system in my near future. A 10 hp rotary converter is usually rated for 10 hp MAX motor size for starting and can be used with 15hp of motors running all at the same time. Be aware that many air compressors often dont have air unloaders and are hard starting. A top quality unit might have a clutch on the motor that allows it to come up to speed before engaging. Personally I bought a 10hp thinking of a CNC mill or lathe as they usually are that size. I just bought a control box off of ebay from someone with high feedback and attached my own motor for the idler. I think it was under $500.00 and is now 6 years old with no issues. My incoming power here is horrid with spikes and line drops and still no 3 phase problems. I do turn off the breaker feeding it when not in use.

Mine are welded back together, a bit scary! I assumed I would have to forge a new set as price quoted to me have been extremely high. I dont think Lee's springs broke, I think it was the mount at the top where the height setting is. Must have given him quite a fright.