BIGGUNDOCTOR

How did you run the wiring up through the hand? This project has my head spinning with ideas.

Depends on what you are looking for when you say Harbor Freight. I bought 2 of their 4.5" angle grinders for $9 each figuring when. the first one died I would have the backup. Years later the first one has not died yet......... Yes some of their tools are really sketchy, but if you look them over you can find some decent tools. Plus I like the fact that they support school shop classes with tool donations when many schools are looking to, or already have, cut them from the curriculum. For that alone I will continue to shop there. Now as to smithing specific items like tongs, top and bottom tools, etc.... The field has a lot more suppliers than Centaur Forge today than say 10 years ago. As to "best" , you ask 10 smiths what hammer is best and you may get 20 answers When it comes to tools people have the same biases towards them as they do vehicles. It gets down to what you like personally. Someone's "best" tool may not fit your hand like it does theirs. It may be waaay outside of your budget. Or, it isn't as good a quality as you want. Tools are very personal to a craftsman.

Our best induction heater was a 30kw unit made by Ameritherm. If I was going to build one I would pull up one of their electrical schematics and study it. They are a good company to work with and have a very good tech help department.

If I was building a forge, I would go with a side blast and not worry about clinkers blocking my airflow. I have a vintage cast iron bottom blast forge, and I can see the advantages of the side blast every time I use it.

Chattering means that you need to either slow the RPMs down, or increase the feed rate. Chatter is caused by not having a heavy enough chip load on the cutter. Things that can affect the cutter are a loose setup, dull cutters, improper cutters, and loose machine ways.

The only one who needs to answer that question is you... Is it worth it to you at that price? If so, then get it , and get hammering.

I talked with the materials guy at Nicholson, and he told me that they have not changed the alloys used in 46 years he had been there. He mentioned that the machinist files are the highest grade, and the wood files/rasps were of a lesser grade because wood and hooves are not as hard as steel. He also said that they case harden some to get even more carbon into the teeth (black diamond designation?). He also warned of some counterfeits that they have seen with their name. He would not say what the specific alloy used was, but when I pushed for an answer he said that treating it like W1 would be a good choice for heat treating.

Andrew, do you know of a source for a maintenance manual for an Adler patcher? I have one that needs to have the timing adjusted, and I don't want to fool with it without reading up on it first.

In case someone is wondering what a lathe file is. It is one where the teeth are at a more acute angle for filing on parts that are rotating in the lathe. The more acute angle shears off the metal better without packing chips like a machinist file does. You can use a machinist file,if you hold it at an angle that appropriates the angle of a lathe file.

Gates , railings and security bars--- ornamental ironworker Building frames-- structural ironworker

Well for me it came when the county trashed about $15,000 of items I had stored on my property......

That looks like an early Fisher to me from the shape of the horn, mine has more belly to it and it was made in 1907. Mine is 260# and I love how quiet it is compared to my other anvils. Do you see a date cast into it?

Don't scrap it, use it or sell it. I see a workbench frame for starters.

Horse hide suppliers can be found here. Leatherworker.net they are like the IFI for leather. Horse hide suppliers can be found here. Leatherworker.net they are like the IFI for leather.

Some of the bearing manufacturers name the alloys on their website. Many bearings are 52100 or similar alloy.