keithh999

just found this awesome site that defines the ultimate in lathe lubricants....mostly for SB lathes but others are included as well..
Lathe - Lubrication

i have a 1939 SB lathe with one broken/missing tooth in the back gear...what would be the best method of rebuilding this tooth?? I have info on brazing or tig welding or mig welding a new tooth and shaping to fit... anyone have their personal preference and method?? am leaning toward mig welding with solid wire and shaping from that but i would like other opinions. thanks

I have seen several types of treadle hammers pictured in the gallery and was wondering if there is any difference in applied force if the lever action is applied internal of the main support and the anvil or external of the main support??

i just finished my small gasser and the burner i made was found on www.backyardmetalcasting.com......it gets to welding heat in about 10 minutes on less than 10psi. for the forge I used a 6" pipe 10" long with a single layer of kaowool purchased from anvilfire.com.....safety considerations---plenty of fresh air.....keep a good eye on the dragons breathe in front and behind.....propane bottle seperation from the forge and gasline location....

how much would a used acorn platten go for?? i have the possibility of buying two old used legless plattens from my boss that arent being used and he has no idea of price and neither do i. they are 5ft by 5ft with 1 1/2 holes. there is also a dozen or so of the round stock dogs to go with them.

well i have over 300 lbs of scrap for everyone to sort thru and take what they want...

fortunately after setting the pieces in the parts cleaner the paint almost rubs off...im using a cleaner soaked mini wire brush for the harder spots....also since the bed wont fit in the cleaner tub im using oven cleaner to remove the paint and gunk....works great!!!

i got the basic plans from backyard metalcasting and then modified to my particular needs....one note ...when drilling the #60 or greater orifice drill slow and clean the chips often so you dont break that teeny tiny drillbit...i used a 1/8 brass nipple for my feeder tube...a bit easier to drill

FYI....ill be bringing a truckload of scrap steel for the gang to search through and take what they want....squares rounds angle flats sheet.....and anything else i think someone might use..

got my new miniforge (6" dia X 10" long) fired up the other day using an oliver upwind burner....was at welding heat in under 10 minutes and i didnt even use ITC-100. Now i just have to tune my two burner forge to get that kinda heat outa it. pics enclosed if anyone is interested. btw i used a #60 as the orifice not the 57-58 he recommends.

btw...the best part of it was that it was FREEEEEEE:)

a 1939 model 415c southbend lathe....no motor or belts but it did have 70 yrs of gunk and a lousy paintjob covering it....at the moment its all torn down and sitting in the parts cleaner for a complete inspection and rebuild and new paint is definately in the works

Dan
I have an extra small squirrel cage blower you can have if you would like...it came off of a movie theatre popcorn machine so it might make you start looking for the popcorn..Ill bring it to the jan meeting

might try a mini chandelier...

Everyone needs a few superstrong magnets lying around the shop to pick up all the lathe shavings or milling dust or even to silence the anvils ring....and if you have or dumpster dive for old burnt out microwaves you have a source for 2 very strong magnets. Remove the cover and remove the magnetron (that fancy aluminum spaceship looking thing with cooling fins on it) usually its held in with 2 or 3 phillips head screws. A pair of hefty pliers and a vice will help you open the edges up and you can see the magnets inside the cooling fins..cut the two copper wires (more stuff to toss in the recycle bin) and remove the other magnet. Be careful not to get your fingers between these magnets as they are designed to channel microwave energy so they are VERY strong. Just a note of safety....DO NOT dissasemble the microwave whilst it is plugged in lest you want to become a flaming redhead. and as an added precaution you might want to short circuit the capacitor to release any stored electricity (use a pair of needlenose pliers for this....just touch the two contacts and then you are good to go).. any questions on this just holler...

I took 6 months off of a normal life and went to welding school in order to pay child support,(welders made alot more than a mechanic back then). went out on the road and built power plants and factories and bridges and all sorts of things....taught several people how to weld....passed xray weld tests....built more big projects....and the funny thing was i knew how to forge weld before i could weld weld.
still building things and still forge welding... welding school was the best thing i ever did for myself.

i have a lincoln AC buzz box and one of those cambell hausfield gasless wire feeders (which is actually a pretty awesome machine for the price!!)...plus i have a complete steel fab shop to use..dozens of welders of all shapes and sizes and mills and a lathe and a cnc plasma machine just for kicks....oh did i mention about 1000 tons of steel of any shape or size as needed

well security is my number one priority where i live but with the addition of the turnbuckle it squishes the silicone nice and tight and really really deadens the ring....besides 128 lbs of anvil and 75 lbs of wood block is a xxxx of a load for someone to be carting off without some serious thought or buddies....and then comes the threat of the .54 cal flintlock to deter those two options..LOL

heres my 128 hay budden on its new steel wrapped 2X10 base...used stainless steel chain and a turnbuckle to hold it down on its silicone anti-ring device...the addition of a super magnet out of a microwave oven and the silly thing just goes "THUNK"....much mo betta good!!!

I started smithing with a charcoal briquet/half of a hot water tank forge...used a 50 lb scale weight as an anvil and a pair of channel locks as tongs....loved it!!!!
took a few years but i have several coal forges and two gas forges i built myself out of scraps from work (im a welder/fabricator/ironworker) and a 128 lb hay budden anvil i bought for $75.(and yes its in fantastic shape). As of yet havent needed a fancy shmancy belt grinder or a 2000 lb oliver hammer but that doesnt mean i dont want one..LOL. work with what you got and if its something you love then thats all that really matters. use your imagination for tools...believe it or not you can find perfectly good tools and steel just laying along side the road that has bounced out of someones truck..i dig freebies:-)..just get out there and bang and let the juices flow.
Go man go!!!!

remember that a properly adjusted torch set will use twice as much oxygen as acetylene so figure that in your bottle size/cost comparisons. especially when using a rosebud for heating.

its actually a die for either cable making or rope making....the individual cords go thru it and are twisted on the other end. this might be the piece for packing the cords together as the rope itself is being twisted....made one back in my scouting days for a merit badge..HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NITE.

When twisting square stock and it comes out with that funky kink in it, rather than hit it with your regular forging hammer you might try a lead hammer...it doesnt ding up your fancy twists and is actually heavy enuf to drive tent pegs if needed. I cast my own out of old wheel weights in a soup can and punched a hole in the side for a piece of pipe. I had all the weights given to me to use in my blackpowder guns but only use pure lead for that. the hardest part was tearing the can off of the hammer after it cooled but perseverance conquered that obstacle....eventually..LOL. a note on safety about lead melting...please do it outside so that you dont get heavy metal poisoning.
Now git out there and make some noise...