ptree

mouth watering I am up early as usual. No one else is yet awake. Made a pot of coffee, got the cinnamon rolls from the fridge to sit on the counter and finish rising. So here I am, Christmas Day, in a warm, safe house, all my kids home and safe, some presents under the tree, hot coffee to sip, and feeling a very blessed man. My only complaint is that my mouth is watering for those rolls, and that is really no complaint at all. May everyone here be as blessed as I. Merry Christmas.

I will go over several issues asked. SGOPP, put the extra receiver, if you have one, as close to the compressor as possible. The air is at its hottest and wettest there. Air will hold only a fixed amount of water at a given temp. Some as saturated air cools a bit, it condenses water. So.. Run that compressor tank outlet line into a big receiver. Use the biggest connection in the receiver that allows you to enter from the side. Plumb in the line size of the compressor tank outlet. When the compressor is running to fill there will be a small pressure drop as the air enters the big receiver, thru the reduced opening. The pressure drop will slightly cool the air, and moisture will precipate out. Drain this tank often. In a big shop there are air pilot air drains that will drain for a bit every time the compressor runs. Galvanived pipe and fitting are not worth the extra cost in an air line. If available free or same cost go ahead. They will not protect any better than the blowby compressor oil does, if you drain the water out. Cast iron fittings are basically schedule 40. Forged steel fittings are usually not a schedule rated fitting but rather pressure class. For instance, the lowest rated fittings we made were class 2000#. These were good for 2000PSI, at the rated temp, usually 850F. These are more of a steam fitting, or other high pressure high temp service fitting. They are also oftem used in high pressure hydraulic systems for large size lines. In a petro refinery, there are millions of these fittings, but not too oftem in a small home shop. Another advantage of a forged fitting is they are not brittle, but this should not be a big advantage unless you have a forklift, that may hit the lines. We made class 2000#, 3000#, 6000# and 9000# in sizes from 1/8" to 4" and some to 8" Imagine a cast irom 4" tee, but only drilled out to a 1/2" pipe size and you would have the class 6000". Can you visualize a class9000# 2" cross? As I noted there are plastic systems rated for airline. Having been in industry since 1978, I will not use them. I will use schdule 40 black iron systems, rolled and clamped systems like Vitaulic, and for higher pressure systems forged steel and welded piping. Worked with all, and made the forged.

I too burn mine in the coal forge. Straight from use to burn.

Let this be a lesson to us all! Go today, now, and check those extinguishers, if they are commercial extinguishers, when were they last checked? Every year, a dry powder extinguisher should be inverted to allow the powder to not pack, all pressurized extinguishers can leak down. Tap that gage, did it stay in the green? For plastic valve, home style, is the gage in the green? Tap it, still in the green? I took a plastic valve home 5#er that the gage was just a little below the green and tried it outside the shop just to see what happened. Got one good spurt and then a trickle. Look in your shop, is the extinguisher handy, clear access? I put mine at each door out. That gives me a move to the exit, where I can consider if the fire is fightable. Also puts the extinguishers in plain sight to see if the gage has dropped. To use an extinguisher, remember PASS Pull the pin Aim the hose at the base of the flames Squeeze the trigger. Sweep from 4-6' NOW, Ptree's rule of eyebrows, as I teach it in industrial safety classes. The 4-6' is not set in stone. If you are hitting the fire with the extinguisher, but your eyebrows are burning off you are too close. If you are not hitting the fire you are too far away. If you are not hitting the fire, and your eyebrows are burning off the fire is too big to fight with an extinguisher, get the fire dept.

Dave Hammer got it right. And a butcher tool is sorta a butcher knife for hot iron. Lets you cut down sharp.

Merry Christmas and a happy New year to all!

My experience is from the then worlds largest and best maker of forged steel valves and fittings 1/8" to 4". We had 2500 Hp of compressors across a 42 acre site. I was the pipefitter supervisor for about 18 months. PVC is not compressed air pipe. It will indeed get brittle, especially if the compressor has oil blowby as most recip's do. There are a few plastic compressed air pipe systems on the market, but not easy to obtain for small jobs. The best all around pipe for a small shop is schedule 40 black iron, and cast fittings. Slope the pipe to a trap. If the compressor is equipped, then back to the compressor, if not add one. Best method in piping is to plumb compressor into the side of a largeish receiver, receiver equipped with drain, plumb out the top of the receiver. Run all mains sloped to a trap. Pull all drops off the TOP of the mains, and run vertical drops down past a horizontal tap to a drip leg. Equip the drip leg with a drain. Be regular in draining, especially in an unheated shop that may see freezing. I would use ball valves for the drains as they don't tend to get damaged as easily as gate or globe valves from the grunge in condensate.

Welcome to the craft Rusty. Read Blacksmith's anon, on this forum. It is fairly accurate:)

I have all 4 of my children at home for the holidays, and am so very thankful. I feel in my heart, and pray for those with children or loved ones far away, especially those in dangerous places in the Military. I am truely blessed. Merry Christmas to one and all.

Steve, My solution is let it freeze:) I have a slack tub made fom a plastic 55 gallon drum. It is cut in half top to bottom, and laid on its side in an angle iron frame. This makes a half moon section, and the ice just rises in the tub and does not split it. I rimmed the tub with iron to help with hot iron hits, and a little gravel in the bottom for same. When I am starting the gas forge or coal forge I lay a hunk of large scrap iron in to heta. It melts the slack tub enough to use. Been doing this from about 5 years and the barrel is still working. Still have the other half as well.

The following bits come from heavy manufacturing useing Twist drils from 1/8" to 4". A properly MACHINE fed twist drill will outlast a hand fed drill every time. So if you have a drill press with feed, look at the speeds and feeds chart in whatever manual you use and use the feed. A properly sharped, and fed drill, with the correct speed, lubricated, will always outperform a hand fed, or dry or overspeed drill. Take the time to look at the speed and feed charts and you will probably discover that most mordern drill press's of the "16 speed offshore type" may not turn slow enough for a drill of the rated size. A 5/8" HSS drill in a forging of mild steel should be turned at 366 RPM as a starting point. A feed of 0.004 to 0.007 is per rev is recommended. Cutting compound is reccomended. (Above from the Cleveland Twist Drill Co) Waiting for the coolant to smoke may let the drill get hot enough to "Check" or micro crack. With good practice flood coolant is used. Of course in Cast iron, the practice is usually dry. In stainless, the use of coolant is required, and feed MUST be maintained to prevent workhardening of the material. For small shop use, in non-production, coolant is usually pretty messy and a bother, and unless really needed, I use a stick lube. Does not get rank, leak or freeze and works fairly well.

On my home built hammer I have aggresive drawing die/flat die combo. I took Hofi's suggestion and made mine as he drew. The "flat" portion has about a 3/8" flat in the center, with a gentle angl down to the front and back with a generous radius at the edges. Makes it usable for tolls, flattens hot stock well, yet lets you draw gently on the flats. Mine are 2" by 4" wide with half and half.

Welcome from Floyds Knobs In. You a IBA member? Good satellite groups across Indiana, and a very nice hammer-in at Tipton every year.

I use a side draft I cobbled together. Works well with a 8" triple wall flue, but really needs about 10+. There are several planson the net. The smoke shelf reffered to in some is not needed in my opinion, and mine does not have one. Charcoal emits no less dangerous smoke, you just can't see it as easy. Think Carbon Momoxide.

Many industrial duty compressors use a case heater, an electric heater to keep the oil at proper operating temp for starteing. Also an unloader vale is almost a requirement in the bigger compressors. Compressor oil is VERY different from engine oil. There are 4 basic types. 1. Turbine oil. This is a straight petroleum oil, additized for compressor duty. Good in industrial practice for about 1000 hours. 2. PAO oil. This is similar to Mobil1. The PAO stands for polyalphaolefin. This is a much better oil for compressors than the turbine oil. Should last 2000 hours and one brand is Syn-flo. These seperate out the water better, and reduce oil bypass in many cases. 3. Polyglycol. These are a real step up. Last for about 5000 to 6000 hours, and are more environmentally friendly when the condensate goes into the sewer. 4. Silicon oil. This is the top of the line. Lasts beyond any measure I know. All the above hours ETC are based on industrial screw compressors used in continous duty. The cost is basicly doubled in each step up the ladder. In an older piston compressor, in home shop use, I would probably go for the turbine oil, and change often. I would look over the oil for any "Creamyness" indicating water content. Change at the first sign of water. Good luck.

Indiana has a very active Blacksmith organization, the Indiana Blacksmithing Association. There are many satelitte groups across the state. They have a web site, and it lists the groups and the days they meet and where. These groups will welcome anyone interested in Blacksmithing and will start you out on the forge. Also a good source for starter tools from members tailgate sales. I live in S. Indiana, in Floyds Knobs and can be reached at ptreeforge@aol.com

Quenchcrack, BRAVO! Remember all only protect the eyes etc you want to continue using.

Most cylinders, both hydraulic and pnuematic, at least on the decent ones are IHCP. This is Induction Hardened Chrome plated. I believe the steel is medium carbon, modified for induction case and core heat treat. To use one would need to remove the hard chrome and then go to town. I would quench in oil, temper to straw as these fast hardening steels for induction will crack very easily in water. Also I would avoid holding above the critical temp, as grain growth may be an issue.

I buy Norton or a Norton house brand that I get from Hagemeyer. Off brand will hurt you. Remember that there is no rule of law in China, and since lawsuits don't much work there either, most anything goes. Do each and every one of you have the guards on the grinders they came with? if not PUT them on. Can't find the guard? scrap it! One shop I worked at had 2, TWO! deaths from no guard 9" grinders exploding. One killed the operator, the other case the wheel half slit the throat of a guy 10' away. These happened not long before I started there. I went on the war path when I found not a single guard on a grinder. I suspect my scrapping every one I found by use of a bandsaw may be why I only lasted 3 years there. Bandsaws are great for nylon lift slings that are frayed as well :)

When I was a newly wed, My "lovely Young Bride" and I were in the Army Guard. I knew better than to wear a ring while working. She and I had had words when I lost the first wedding ring after 28 days or wedded bliss! We had even discussed at lenght the safety issues. She and I were at an ARMY aviation OP's center and she spied a poster. She walked over, looked long, lifted a small flap in the corner, gagged, walked over and demanded my wedding ring. I now only wear my ring on our anniversary when we go out for dinner. 27.5 years married now. The poster was a simple photo of an object that looked like a hot dog chewed on by a baby without teeth. No words. The flap in the corner had a question mark. Under was the photo of the hand that the finger came off. The meat had been stripped from the still attached bone etc.

I built my demo forge from a boat trailer rim. The rim was about a 12" size. I added a hoop of 1" x 1/4" steel to make the "pot" a little deeper. Works fine. The rim should be either steel or alloy. A magnet will tell the difference if you can't.

Rock Coal=stone coal=sea coal = mineral coal. The first three names are old fashioned names for coal that is either mined from the ground or picked up off the beaches.

I have two, both are versions of the same emblem, but one is a solid R with arrowtail and the other an outline of same. The outline is my registered trademark for jewerly etc, and the solid for blacksmithing. The outline is easier to stamp into delicate jewelery with out distorting that a solid would be. The solid stands up to hot punching better.

I too lost my best friend and teacher, my Father. I was blessed in that I got to spend many many hours with him as a child and teen as we flew together. He worked a day job, and flew airtaxi at night. In the third grade I started flying with him to help keep him awake. I loved those flights. He was the smartest man that I have ever met, and he taught me almost all I know. I joined the ARMY at 18 and was gone for 3 years, then college, and lived in another town. I moved back at 25, and got to spend more time with him, but never enough. I lost my father when I was 35, and I have missed him every day since. It has now been almost 23 years that he is gone, but when I have a tuff challenge, I ask myself how he would have attacked the issue and almost always get a answer to the problem. Hug those you can, and remember those you can't.

A 16" diameter double wall flue with accesaries showed up on the doorstep of my forge shop last night. Neighbor works for a roofing company, and it was a storm damaged roof pull off. The cap needs repairs, but the stack is good and it is 9' long. Just right to replace the 8" diametr stack on my coal forge sidedraft hood to get better smoke draw. Good neighbor:)