Bob S

My hammer is the same setup/vintage as yours. I run mine with 2 V belts and have never has a problem. I'll put up a picture tomorrow. Where are you in MN? I am way southeast MN near Winona.

Did anyone tell you how much we like pictures?

Maybe you need a better blower.

I'll sell my copy for $20 plus you pay shipping. Good used condition. Bob

Great ideas and well done.

Great job Hollis. Love the leaves.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPDFF?PMPAGE=649&PMITEM=619-2881

who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? :o

Kilgore Trout is a character from the mind of Kurt Vonnegut.

Blade needs to be very tight. Very very tight. I crank mine as tight as I can. Then a bit more. Cuts straight and square.

Good thinking on Matts part and yours. B

Nice job Tom. That's exactly what I tried to describe. Good use of common materials too with the pipe cap. If it ever burns out screw on a new one and that's it.

finer than frog hair.

Holes in the bottom (as most firepots have) will guarantee that as clinker is formed, it will flow down and block off your air supply, which will make necessary a clinker breaker. A better idea (IMO) would be if the bottom of your fire pot was raised so that there was room for the clinker to form without blocking the air. Imagine a ball cut in half with a hole thru the center for air. This could easily be forged and welded in place. Your fire will be able to breathe without continuously 'breaking' the clinker and losing fuel in the process. When the clinker gets so large that it blocks the hole it can be removed from the top using a hooked poker. Nice job on your pot so far.

there is steel everywhere. check your local welding shops first. they will have cutoffs that they will most likely give you. also tractor or implement dealers always have scrap/broken stuff out behind their shops. really you can find steel almost anywhere. even lawn mower repair shops. Bob

send us before and after pictures. we like pictures. :ph34r:

Very inventive. Great job. Looks like you are having fun. You probably have as good a setup as many third world shops. That's meant as a compliment. Keep it up. Bob

Only Danny Downs could say for sure but this hammer looks like my old 50 that I sold to Danny back in the 80's or so. It was a good running hammer then. I would remove the large guard myself. The danger from these hammers is waaaay overstated. If the pins are all in good shape the only 'danger' is the spring breaking or coming out. This can be guarded with a piece of radiator hose and a couple of hose clamps or a cable as some have done. my .02 Bob S

Very very sorry.... No words.

I used to have one. As I recall the color was a darker red that the one used in this restoration but still a great job. ()

Enough here to get you started. http://www.anvilmag.com/smith/011f2.htm

pictures of what you are calling 'carbide' and 'tags' might help someone here understand what you mean. so far not so much. Bob

Good advise there. Nice job on the vise. Bob