Greebe

Thanks for all the replies. I think the u-bolt is they way I will go. It will be easier to build, and probably more solid / stable in the long run. Unfortunately the steel supplier is 1.5 hours from me, so I will not be able to work on it for a week or two. Being way out in the country has its benefits especially these days, but this is one of the major drawbacks.

1 hour ago, Jim Foster said:

Got tired of stubbing my toes on them laying on the floor. I go barefooted most of the warmer part of the year.

I used to turn a lot of 4140 in my shop and I would not want to be anywhere near that lathe with barefeet and blue chips coming off all over the place. Not only will they burn you, but they are sharp as a knife. I had to spend 5 minutes picking them out of my work boots at the end of the day, wouldn't want to do that with barefeet. LOL!

Cool lathe, but not sure about the hanging chuck setup. My chucks have always been stored on a cart or a bench. I would either drop one of those on my foot or hit my head on one.

Thanks. I will see what I can find for a spring to use. Before I moved and built my new house and shop I had a ton of scrap I could have used, but took three truckloads of scrap to the scrap yard. I need to hit up some overhead door shops as well. I had a bunch of different sized coils up to 5/8" that was nice to have for various projects.

Probably the easiest bracket to make would be a simple U bolt setup. Just take a piece of heavy angle and cut it to shape and bolt it up. I would like it to be as original looking as possible, but having it in working condition is probably more important right now.

I have two vises, one is a 4" and the other is a 5.5". I have just been using the 4" the past few years because it was complete. However my 5.5" is missing the mounting bracket and leaf spring. My plan is to build both parts, but what would be more appropriate for the vise? My 4" has the wedge style bracket. Would the wedged style bracket or the U bolt style be better for the 5.5" vise?

Also as far as the spring goes I have seen people use leaf springs, but the only leaf springs I have on hand are from a 2 ton truck and they are a good 1/2" thick which seems like it would be to heavy. Are there any other recommendations of material to use?

Here is the vise in question. Mechanically it is in quite good condition. The jaws are parallel and aligned perfectly and there is no play side to side in the moving jaw.

Not sure as to the maker because there are no markings that I can see. Maybe once I clean it up I will find something though.

Well the voices in my head are arguing right at the moment, so it is making it hard for me to find the right thoughts. LOL!

Yes a barrier between the plug and the refractory would be a way to go. Not sure how the rubber lining would be made. Perhaps via dipping it in an aqueous solution of latex?

The thought that comes to mind is being able to make this as simple as possible. It would be nice if the tapered plug would come loose without damage. Then the whole unit can be used again. That would be another benefit of a tapered plug is that you would just barely need to break it free and then it would come out easily.

This leads me to thinking that I could make the plugs with the tenon being the same diameter as the base of the plug. So instead of having it .500" make it .375". Only problem with this and the reason I went .500" is that it allows me to have a fillet at the junction of these two points to make the casting more clean. However my reasoning behind a .375" tenon is that I can print it with a very thin and continuous spiralized wall. This would serve two functions. One is that it would essentially produce a very fine thread if you will on the outer surface which might make removal easier, maybe even screw it out. Secondly, it would be thin enough that it might be possible to twist up and remove, yet still be strong enough to hold its shape. Like twisting up a plastic straw.

Oh, too much thinking and complicating me doth do.

Edit:

Here I quickly changed it to what I was describing.

Did a quick model. This has a base plate that would be removable from the plugs. That way, in theory anyways, you could pop the plate off and maybe be able to twist out the burner orifice plugs one at a time. The plugs are 2" long tapered from 5/16" diameter at the small end to 3/8" diameter at the large end. The tenon on the bottom is .500" diameter and .375" long. Spacing side to side is 1.080" and .928" diagonally. (Don't ask why I used odd spacing. LOL!)

Thoughts?

I was modifingmy post above with dimensions as you were posting. LOL!

Good point. If I were to taper the entire hole length, what are you thinking would be appropriate for outlet diameter? Thinking maybe the small diameter should be 5/16", and taper to 3/8" on the outlet end? Just thinking out loud as I have know idea how the flow would react to being tapered in this type of burner. Thanks!

Thanks guys for the responses. At first I read it that way, but I then started to question the meaning and wanted to confirm.

K26 bricks should be fine for a forge like this, eh?

I was thinking of trying an experiment with 3d printing the NARB form instead of using Crayons. Then I could make it all one piece, and maybe create a small cone on each orifice. Not sure if that would do anything to aid in performance, but all other burner designs have a flared end.

Thanks again.

Quote

I saw Frosty mention that this burner is ideal for 300-350 cu/in. Is forge shape important? In other words can it be shorter in height and wider and work well, or does it need to be taller and more narrow? Was thinking maybe 7" wide x 4" tall x 12" deep for 336 cu/in, but not sure if that short of height would reduce burner efficiency.

On 1/30/2021 at 1:56 PM, Frosty said:

That shape should be fine, it's long and narrow that makes even heat difficult. 

Sorry, not to be daft, but I do not understand your response. If the shape I have planned should be fine, why would that make even heat difficult? Should I change the internal dimensions? Sorry for the confusion. Thanks!

That is awesome. Wish I could find one here. Especially for free. Is it your press?

No worries. Trying to decide on building vs buying. At this point I have more money then time. Well, I guess I really can make the time, but my time has other priorities and I would rather be forging then building something to forge. I used to use charcoal, then coal, then a smaller gas forge that I made. If I build I was going to probably make one from the high temp soft firebrick.

Bueller...., Bueller...., Bueller....?

Thanks for the replies, but I Would rather just purchase the steel and not steal the steel!

Thinking that I will have to either go with 1045 or mild steel and weld in a bit of Aldo's 1084 I have on hand. Might just order some 1045 and A-36 to have on hand. Seems like not only have prices skyrocketed in the past few months, but it is getting hard to find stuff with the world going bonkers.

27 minutes ago, Steve Sells said:

have you tried any of the many places listed in the supplier list in the Knife section?

Thanks. I did  look there first and didn't see anything, but maybe I missed one.

Hello there. I have done a lot of searching for 1060 square bar to make some axes from, but have had no luck finding any. Not sure if it is even available in square anymore. I can find 1045 square, but was hoping to try hand forging some 1060. So if anyone knows where I could buy this I would appreciate the help. If not I will just go for 1045 I guess or A-36 and weld in a steel bit, but would like to use 1060 if I could.

Many thanks!

5 hours ago, bubba682 said:

Build it yourself..

That has been my thought, but my time is more limited these days and buying would be much easier. That would allow me to start working on projects I want, like making axes, instead of building more equipment. I guess I was hoping someone would tell me that building would not save me much money that way I could justify buying. LOL!

3 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

Also are you welding skills such that you are willing to bet your life on your welds?

I trust my welds. I used to weld a bit of structural stuff and heavy equipment repairs.  Not going to brag that I am superior to anyone else though, just proficient.

Thanks. I looked into theirs as well, but the 25T press they have is $1000 more then the Gilmore, and I am not sure about the log splitter style frame. Seems like the H frame of the Gilmore would be much more ridged.

Started just putting together some prices for components. I am sure I am missing stuff, but it looks like so far just in hydraulics, I could be looking at at least $2000. That would not include hardware and all the steel to build it. Not to mention welding electrodes, paint, hydraulic oil, electrical wiring and switches, etc. Steel might run over $1000.

So maybe looking at $4000 to build these days?

That's a nice looking little press. How has it worked out for you?

Synopsis:

(Should I build or buy? Is building a forging press much cheaper then buying?)

A forging press is something I have wanted in my shop for a long time. I know overall a power hammer would be more versatile in the shop, but I only have a 6" slab and it has in floor heat in it, so I think there is potential to ruin the slab. If I did not have the in floor heat, I would cut the slab and pour a deeper footing for a hammer.

Anyways, for now I was going to get the press for my work. I enjoy hand forging, but for for larger stock the press will make a huge difference. For instance I have a large cross that needs to be made out of 2" square. It needs to be punched and drifted which is not something I can do by hand. I also make some axes and want to make more, but it is too much work by hand to be worth while for production work. Having the press would allow me to punch and drift the eyes and also draw out the bits. That not only would it allow me to do more work, but it would help save my body as my youth in the Army and then later in the trades is catching up to me.

All that to lead into the question. I would like to have a press in the shop no later then by March. So should I build one or just buy? I was looking at the Anyang 25T Forging Press, but he wants over $9000 for one which is more then I want to spend right now. I also have looked at the Gilmore Presses, but they are approaching that price as well.

So this brings me to building. I was thinking of buying the book, "BUILD YOUR OWN HYDRAULIC FORGING PRESS" by Batson. However my main question is what is the cost to build one of these presses if I am buying everything new? Can I even save much money over just buying one? Prices on everything has gone bonkers this past year, and my steel suppliers prices have more then doubled since summer.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Greebe

Nice. Thanks for the update. Looks like it is working well. What kind of work have you done in it?

I need to build one so I can get back into axe making. I used to make a lot of tomahawks for sale, but have been out of it for a number of years after moving to a raw piece of land and building a house and shop by myself.

I really enjoy axe making, so forge welding is a big part of my intended work. Back then I used coal, now I just have a tiny propane forge that I have been making various small things such as knives and ornamental type of stuff. I have gone back and forth between a propane forge and a coal forge, but coal would require a hole in the roof of my new shop, and is more expensive to build. However ventilation for a propane forge is a concern when it is very cold and the shop is sealed up.

See there were no replies, so I was curious how it all worked out for you?

So is the consensus after all these years that the original 19 crayons is still the way to go? Has a specific spacing been decided on?

I saw Frosty mention that this burner is ideal for 300-350 cu/in. Is forge shape important? In other words can it be shorter in height and wider and work well, or does it need to be taller and more narrow? Was thinking maybe 7" wide x 4" tall x 12" deep for 336 cu/in, but not sure if that short of height would reduce burner efficiency.

Sorry if I missed any the info. Hard to read through such a long thread and retain anything with three little kiddos in the house under 9 yo bouncing off the walls.