pkrankow

Bad Creek, did your paperwork list you as a business or as an individual? Was it a "corporate chain" type yard, or a single location facility? Phil

That put a smile on my face! Interesting concept, and wonderful execution. Thank you for sharing Phil

There are several guys after all your tools. Some are more persistent that others that's all. The worst part is they won't even help with shipping. Phil

DANG! That's some pretty welds you got there! From those pics the only way I can see where you repaired is from the old pics. Phil

Hofi Thank you, I would never have thought of this technique on my own. I will have to give this a try during my next forge session. I (and many others) truly appreciate the time you take to help us out with these photo-essays and descriptions. Thank you again Phil

Not entirely sure what is wrong, but have you checked the valve seat and regulator? Try soapy water or windex after removing your hardware and look for bubbles. If you are still in question about leaks, I would call the vendor and leave the tank away from the house/garage/road/source of ignition. Depending on how close the neighbors are, tell them too. be safe, Phil

Nah, While it is contagious and there is no known cure, you will live with it just fine. Get a blower, a bag of charcoal, a large rock or paver, a hammer and some stock, new or used. Go dig a small hole, use the blower to make the charcoal go from hot to very hot, and have some fun. You might even learn something, and it may reduce the irritability some. Have fun Phil

Didn't really follow me home but instead took 3 people to evict from my kitchen! This is one heavy trash compactor, not really functional though it makes whirring noises. Hoping some goods are inside when I take it apart. Phil

Pinjas, Don't feel too beat up about this. I was also thinking that you never mentioned the type of fireplace you were working with. In my masonry fireplace I put a piece of 1/8 inch sheet steel behind the fire as a fireback to radiate heat out into the room and protect the brickwork, which is showing age. This is an interpretation of a historic item and it does make my fireplace perform better. You are right that there is a lot of improvement on fireplaces since most units are only for decoration or based on designs over a century old. This makes for a smelly, drafty heat wasting appliance. Phil

Box Knife: a tool that when left in the wrong toolbox removes portions of the fingertip causing messy blood loss. Phil

Have you looked up EPA approved wood burning stoves? Companies have spent a lot of money developing a stove, and the basic information is readily available on the websites of many manufacturers. The major design features are nearly identical for many units: Retarding heat transfer out of the firebox to encourage complete combustion, preheating supply air and using the exhaust gasses to heat the stove shell is how these stoves achieve high performance. I have been looking to purchase a fireplace insert for over a year so I have done some research on this. That my budget and reality do not line up is a separate issue. If you are interested in a free standing stove the price tag is much MUCH more modest. Phil PS check out Welcome to The Wood Heat Organization Inc.

Well, I fired for almost 1.5 hours today. I tried making another set of tongs, and decided to try forge welding. I "cranked it up to 11" and that was all I got. 11psi. my regulator is supposed to go to 60 psi. Would chilling on a 20# tank, fresh from exchange so 15# propane in it, cause my pressure to not get higher, or is this cheap regulator more likely my problem? I think 11psi may be enough to weld, so more may not be necessary. I did not do a static pressure test. Phil

Is a collar weld like Brian Brazeal shows for artwork a good choice for attaching 3/8 roundstock reins to irnsrgn's blueprint jaw and hinge? I am trying the flat jaws out of 1/4 x 1 inch hot roll, but have no electric welding equipment available. The jaws are rather easy to make, but I haven't fire welded anything functional yet. Yes, my forge is capable, it can make mild steel into sparklers. I forge welded a joint, 2 U's interlocking, to see if I could, but that's it. The first tongs I made are already showing distress due to the over thin joint area. Phil

Be sure to check across the cross section too. I expect that age to be solid, but it might be case hardened. Phil

What about compressing the dung into a dense pellet? Equipment already exists for that purpose, so no need to reinvent anything. Might even be able to borrow/rent something. Phil

Depends on the cost of the hammer. If its a $10 hammer from the big box store, sure, but if its an antique heirloom or a "custom" made hammer, that could damage an expensive tool. I suggest you buy an inexpensive hammer if you want to try softening it so as not to destroy a "good" or expensive hammer. I also suggest you reshape a production hammer handle to your hand since there is likely too much extra material for a good comfortable grip. Phil

Concrete in the bottom might be overkill, a block or a sandbag might be better as its removable. I use good metal shears to cut drums after using a sawsall to open them. Hands get tired and going over the ridges is out of the question, but any shape needed can be cut, even holes as small as 1 inch! Now I understand that not all drums are created equal, so YMMV. Expect to pay at least $10-$20 for a suitable pair of shears that can cut up to #16 steel. They will be worth every penny. Phil

I know its off topic, but I remember picking up the back bumper of a friends yugo in high school, and pushing the car to different parking spaces! He would set the parking brake which locked the rear tires, but it would move on the front tires fine. I don't remember if it was front wheel drive, but it only had maybe a 1.5L engine. He almost killed me when he caught me moving his car around, but was laughing too hard that 1 person could do this! Having any car in HS was a big deal at the time, it was personal transportation! A bit different today with having to have a "fashionable" ride. Sorry for being off topic. Phil

The hits from a google search state that the weapon is used with the blade at the pinky end of your grip. It also seems to have a historical rep as an "assassins" blade. Reading a few hits on google is only worth so much though. Interesting looking knife. Phil

Your hardies may be the wrong size. They should set down on the shoulder and have very little wiggle, but not wedge tight. The anvil should be hard enough to tolerate hammering on HOT metal. If you are worried about using edge tools, many people use a plate to protect against cutting. Welcome aboard. Hope this helps. Phil

I was waiting all afternoon for that one Spike! Phil

Ignore them and use the anvil. There is no need to rush into dressing an anvil. The hardened face may only be as thick as those markings. Use a wire wheel or scotchbrite plastic pad to remove debris and rust, if you feel you must. My poor broken anvil has about 3/16 of hardened face showing where it is cracked, and some damage is much deeper that that. Welcome aboard, and don't take this as being rough on you, I may have done more damage than good using an abrasive wheel to grind out some of the smallest nicks on my anvil. The edge of the hardened layer on my anvil just started showing after the lower metal began corroding some, the hardened layer seems more resistant to rust. Phil

I have read several historical references about not being able to weld using dried dung. Is that going to affect your needs? There are even discussions of making stove pellets from manure. making pellets from horse manure

The sugar is to attrack bugs, not nakedanvils! Phil

Any of these 3/4 inch and larger burners would be capable of doing that depending on your forge volumes and what you are trying to heat. 1300C is 2400F These burners put out a theoretical 2000C or 3600F, using propane, which means they may melt before getting as hot as possible. Phil