BIGGUNDOCTOR

The planer did not have table stops, and some guys who were running it hard ran the table right off the bed. Dad said the whole shop would vibrate when it hit the floor The main machine shop on the island was huge, and covered several acres (24?). Then they would have to call a crane over to reset it. Dad also ran a 7" G&L horizontal boring mill. He could extend the spindle out 72". He worked with items big enough that he had to have the crane operators set his angle plates, and the part he was to machine. They built nuclear submarines there. They auctioned off one lathe that was 100' between centers, and had one with a 10' diameter chuck. They did parts for Hoover dam as they were the only shop that had the capabilities to make some of the parts in the generators. I got to go on family day tours a couple of times. The forge shop was fun to watch. Those big steam hammers moving metal at a fast pace as the floor vibrated with every hit.

That Gray planer was one of two of the largest planers ever made. The other one was back East. In the end it was broken down for scrap. The big Betts VTL had a 26' diameter table. I believe max swing was 30'. It was featured in the movie Bad Boys.

How are you trying to reshape it now? Being mild I would think you could put it in a vise and tweak it into the shape you want.

Then you move up to a Monarch lathe My small lathe is an 18.5" x54" Monarch. I did one part where I took a .500" depth of cut with a .015" feed. Never bogged. The nice thing about the South Bends is that parts are pretty available. Looks like you got a nice one there. Keep it clean and oiled and it will outlast you. I have a full machine shop, but the lathe probably gets the most use. There is always something that can be done on it. The Gray planer my dad ran at Mare Island Naval Shipyard made 1/2# chips that were shaped like 6/9s. . The table was around 40' long.

According to the charts I have seen I am the first year of Gen X (1965). My brothers are Boomers (1952/53) I think the Millennials , and new gens have some great opportunities ahead of them when it comes to technology, and just their different way of looking at things. My parents were of the Greatest Generation, I was a surprise, and lived a good life when a Senior Master Sargent in the USAF could afford to buy a brand new 55 Coupe DeVille, 66 GMC 2500 with almost every option, and a nice house. Mom could stay home to raise three kids on wages that ran from $3.90 to $14.50 after Dad retired and worked Civil Service for the Navy from 67 to 87. I learned my financial ways by watching them. Although lately I have loosened up some on my spending, and take some risks to make a profit. Dad was an aircraft mechanic and manual machinist, as I am. I was going through my training when CNC's were coming into fashion, and did not pursue the new tech like I should have. I am not machining for a living today, but spinning wrenches, and making more than I ever have. I am making 2.5x what my Dad ever did, but I am not in the same financial position that he was at my age due to inflation. My house cost over 10x what he paid. My truck cost 10x the $2,150 he paid for the new 66 GMC, and my truck was 4 years old. I have never owned a new car, always used. Now I have a couple of friends who are my age or a little older, whose kids are killing it on YouTube, and 3D printing. The Tuber averages $500k a year, and the 3D printer was making 7 figure profits after 5 years. They embrace new technology and run with it. I see projects like HyperLoop and think of what the future could look like IF, we as a country rethink how we do some things. I believe once the old fogeys, and fogetts, in Govt step down and get out of the way, things could get better. It takes new ideas and ways of approaching a problem to move ahead. As it is now, we just keep repeating what we have done before, and expect a different result. Sure, they may not be able to drive a stick, but I like some of their ideas.

My only suggestion Das is to move the arms up some so they are not dead center pf the wheel. Now with them being wheels.... make a center pole that the axles, arms, face mount to and allow them to spin in the wind.

The grammar faux pas that grate me are sell, and sale. I see so many items listed as Car for sell, or people posting Looking for someone to sale me a couch. Etc.... And it is not an uncommon thing to see. I also have some issue with the term dead body... as opposed to what ? a live body? You don't hear A live body was found in the desert today. Corpse, body, the deceased person, human remains, room temperature human, etc would be more appropriate to me.

I remember when I moved my shop to the 4,000' location. Looking at a 40'x100' empty bay it seemed huge. Within a year we could have used a bigger space

TW, a great source of fire wood here in the desert is pallets and crating. Back home in CA those heated the house for years. We also got oak, madrone, and other hardwoods from friends who had downed trees , or after a big wildfire that killed the trees.

With today's market a 500# Fisher in that condition would probably sell North of $2,500 due to it still having the base with it. Far more than I would ever pay for an anvil. I do love Fisher's though, and my main anvil is a 260# one made in 1907.

Have them hold off on the metal as a gift until you get a lot more hammer time. And who knows, down the road you may want a piece of say W-1 to make a blade. W-1 is not that expensive, nor is O-1 from suppliers like MSC, ENCO, etc.. Realistically many scrap items work perfectly fine and are far less in cost than new. Plus it is fun to mention converting some item into another one. The only steel I buy new is when I need something like O-1, A-2, etc for specific tools. I bought 7,200# of 2.125" 4140 at a govt surplus auction for $140. They were new turret locks that the keyways were made out of spec. We used that material for years in my machine shop for various projects. Scrap reuse is a good way to go.

Hahaha, go big , or go home should be emblazoned over your shop entrance.

For me the ends justifies the means. As long as the finished item comes out looking how I want it to I'm good with it. I am also 56 and time savers like power tools get used more than when I was younger.

Alexander , being sent to Siberia wouldn't be bad with accommodations like that.

Never wear gloves around rotating equipment, as they can catch and suck your hand in.

I picked up a Scotsman ironworker recently and have plans of making some forging dies for it. From the videos I watched on it it moves pretty fast.

JLP , I have picked up 5 of those Job Boxes so far at Ritchie Brother auctions. Paid more than I normally would have when I was making less money, but they are all in great shape except for one that is missing the lower doors. They appear to be a field office with the sloped inner shelf. I use them for outside storage. Das, yours are far and away a better design, and better executed.

I worked for a shop the could make nozzles. If there is enough interest, and you have a design you would like made I can see how much they would charge to do a run of them.

Get a chunk of scrap steel to start with, and if you decide to stick with this craft, get the anvil you want.

I would go with a solid material and have them laser cut out of a sheet. Maybe do a an induction hardening of the teeth and leave the back soft to flex. Look into what steel is used for ice shavers

Welcome from the desert outside of Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada. You have some nice items that you have made.

Yes on the red rubber parts. They pad those sections and keep them from splintering. Pat M. - I doubt the chain is wrought from your pictures. The clevis would be a good item to grab, if you can use them that large.

Went to a friend's place in Kingman AZ. The turkey was the small female they raised , she was 24# when ready to cook. The two males were 31# when dressed. They had the same problem as Das, needing a bigger pot.

7018 on DC reverse is a good choice for dissimilar alloys. Correct on 6011, we called it farmer rod because it would burn through rust, dirt, manure, paint, and hold. AC only and deep penetrating. As Das said, a good Vee prep would have done a lot no matter the rod used. It just allows that much more area to grip.

Pffft! You have first world problems......hahahahaha! There is a whole thread on here as well that covers pricing from industrial items to art related. There is no one set way to do it correctly, as each has its own quirks. If the steel place can't get the material in, locate some scrap , and use that as a selling point - upcycling!!