ironstein

She looks built for speed! Nice work.

What kind of rolling mill is it? 33 f.p.m. seems fast. Were your tongs flattened like a pancake? Brian

Gaylan, I will let you know when i put an order together. I didn't realize you were so close, if you ever get up to Heber give me a call, you're welcome to come visit the shop. Brian

SWEET! James is a great guy to do business with. I am super happy with my 88. They are nice machines, i haven't had a single problem with mine. If i am ever in Texas i will surely go visit him. I want that pile of dies you photographed! Brian

L Brand is great stuff. I email them and its hit and miss, i think they get a lot of inquiries. They usually do a good job of letting me know when a shipment is coming through my area. I just bought a ton of coal coke from a blacksmith in Salt Lake City, Utah, it was only $350. I liked the price compared to L Brands, which was twice that, but the quality of L Brand is way better. The size of L Brand is really uniform, the stuff i got is much bigger than i like. After i get through this ton, i am ordering L Brand. I have fished out brake linings, large rocks, mysterious pieces of metal and other swag from the stuff i have, not to mention pieces the size of my head! To me it would be worth the extra $ for L Brand.

Thanks to all for the advice! Yesterday i was approached by a man outside my shop, he offered me tickets to a boxing match, and as we introduced ourselves, he stated that he was the owner of the gym. I explained what the landlords wife told me, he recoiled in horror! It turns out he is in construction, and he had no idea his wife, daughter and my landlords counterpart were scheming about my shop! As we talked, i brought him in the shop to see my wares and tools, he was very apologetic and explained that he was going to have a serious talk with his wife and daughter, and the landlord. I even ran the hammer for him, and he told me i had nothing to worry about. He told me that if he knew about any of this it would have been handled differently. He said that their boxing classes start at 5 pm and that i was free to make as much noise as i wanted, that they could just turn the music up in the gym. He said his daughter was doing injury massage a few times a week, but it will end at the beginning of november. Now that he has my info he will communicate with me, and i with him about any issues. I told him it might be best if the landlord moved me to another unit, he insisted that i stay, and that he was gong to rent the unit next to me so it would just be the two of us in this building, and not to worry about noise. He is a super nice guy, and was really upset that these women were trying to strong arm a fledgling small business owner. I told him we all need to sit down with the owner and make sure all the issue are solved. Now i need to sit down with the owner and get my lease squared away. George, Thanks for all your advice, i will definitely get the lease written for my protection. Yesterday the code enforcement official was here checking business licenses in the entire complex (4 buildings, 20 units)! When the code official came to my shop she checked my licenses and winked at me like she had made some inquiries! I didn't have the chance to speak with her about anything since she had an assistant with her, but i suspect she may have played a part in resolving all of this. Thanks for your advice, i will keep you all posted as to how the lease arrangement turns out. @ Tommy and others who have suggested building my own shop. I can't swing this right now, but we will be looking to buy a home at some point in the next few years. When we do it will have enough room to be able to build my shop, and be away from any noise issues.

Right you are Phil. The Anyang dies are small, I'd like to make a new longer flat die, the bottom dovetail has a few inches on each side for a large die. The upper cant get much bigger length wise, but a new top die that was thicker would be nice. I'm gonna find a local machinist and see if we can work something out.

Looks like a nice hammer! Enjoy!

Yesterday my landlord showed up and wanted to make peace. Apparently his wife is close friends with the mother of the girl who runs the boxing gym! He apologized profusely and told me he didn't want to lose me as a tenant. I took him over to the power hammer and showed him how loud it can be by using a top spring swage and some cold steel. He told me he thought it would be louder and that this whole thing was due to his wife's poor management skills and the fact that she is close friends with the gym owners mother. Apparently the girls have been cackling back and forth about the noise for two weeks since she started the massage thing in her gym. I explained that i have been here for over 9 months with no complaints, and that the owner of the gym has never bothered to introduce herself or speak with me. The bottom line is that he gave me his word that i am not to be given notice to move, to ignore his wife and deal with him, and that if need be he will compensate me and help me move to a different unit in the complex, away from the gym. I have my eye on another unit (that i wanted in the first place) it has three phase power, all the welding plugs and upgraded electrical service that i need, and it would be in a different building than the gym with a large embankment between it and the gym. I told him i was totally willing to move to that unit if i was compensated, and that i want at least a two year lease. He agreed and again apologized and told me we would work it all out after he actually spoke to the gym owner (everything thus far had been handled poorly by his wife who manages the buildings). I think maybe the city contacted him and explained that i have done nothing wrong, and that he is on shaky ground with the gym, it seems like he wants to smooth everything over with me so i don't cause him to lose the other tenant. This is a big load off my mind, hopefully he means what he says. For the time being, until i get a lease, i have a reprieve!

The lease issue was addressed, its not that they don't do leases, we have discussed a two year lease, they wanted to wait six months and revisit the issue. Unfortunately industrial shop space is limited in this town, and this place is perfect for what i do. I took a risk not having a lease, and i will deal with the consequences. The city has told me that i am perfectly within my rights to make noise and smells in this unit and no one can tell me not to. The problem is that the city issued the boxing gym license, and from speaking to friends on numerous boards, they seem to think the code enforcement official will pursue the issues i have brought to light, but when the vote happens, the gym will be allowed to stay. I think the best solution for everyone will be to move me to a unit not in the same building as the gym. I am willing to do that if i am compensated for my time and energy. In my opinion the boxing gym has told the landlord that either i go or they go, i think they want to expand into the unit next door to me (theres five units in a building and the gym has 3 and is trying to lease the one next to me) and maybe even expand into my unit. I think the landlord has realized what the zoning laws are in this industrial area and might be worried about other tenant issue with the gym. Either way, it looks like i am making headway, if i do move into another unit i will get at least a two year lease, and write in exactly what my business entails so they cannot bring this issue up again. Thanks for all the replies Brian

John and George, Great advice from both of you. Being vengeful is definitely a character flaw of mine (one of many). To me being vengeful means reporting code violations to the city. I am aware that the month to month lease gives them all the power. I have not, and i will not give them the satisfaction of doing anything outside the boundaries of the law. I agree that the time i spend being angry and vengeful is a poisonous endeavor. I have gotten my revenge already by talking with the city, and i will leave it at that. I spoke with the landlord last night. I have been and always will be cordial and nice about the whole situation. I asked if any of these units are for sale, three are for sale. My landlord stopped in his tracks when he realized that i will not bow down and allow anyone to dictate when i can and cannot work in my shop, and that i am able and willing to purchase a unit to protect my business. He backed down and stated that if i could shut down the noise for an hour a day we can work this out. I was informed that the boxing gym owner stated that she spoke with me numerous times! I have never spoken to this woman about any of this, she is telling lies to the landlord, and they now know this. They don't want to lose me as a tenant, and realize i indeed have some pull in this town. I told them that i would indeed move out if need be, or if they compensate me i will move to another unit away from the gym to facilitate solving the issues at hand. When he realized i would indeed leave, or move to another unit, i think he realized that this is not just a hobby, and that i take this very seriously. He stated that they don't want to lose me and that the tenant turning the gym into a massage spa is not realistic for the area we are in. I told them that my noise hours are between 8 and 5, and if they want to do massages it would be better suited to a quiet part of the day. They are supposed to get back to me about the solution to this problem, and i think throwing me out is off the table.

Thanks Mark. @GeorgeM, I knew what i was getting into when i signed the rental agreement, i tried to get a lease, but they didn't. I know that they have all the rights. I haven't made any major modifications, just electrical for welding plugs and my powerhammer wiring. Nothing that can't be removed and re-installed elsewhere. I removed an air conditioner and used the space to vent my coke forge with a hood, that will have to be removed and the a/c unit re-installed. It will still take a few days and a lot of hard work to move my shop and get set up again. You gave some very good advice with regards to how i handle the situation. Unfortunately i am a vengeful person when people are being unreasonable. I have been their best tenant in their words. They know they have me over a barrel, and are not willing to work with me. Allowing another tenant to dictate what happens in my business is unacceptable. I will be nice and cordial, but they are gonna feel it when all these issues come to light with their tenant. I can't just stand by and take the high road when they are going to cost me a substantial amount of money. I take responsibility for renting with no lease, but it was out of my hands. I needed a place, and they assured me that noise wouldn't be an issue. Essentially i have no compunction about leaving wreckage in my wake. The landlord is doing whats best for his income without considering the repercussions. If he wants to go by the letter of the law, then so will I! Siding with a boxing gym that has decided to start a massage parlor seems a bit crazy to me, they will wind up losing me as a tenant, and the gym's three units because they didn't stand up to their tenant and tell them they are operating a business in an industrial area. Their tenant obviously can't afford to have the same size space in an area where a gym should be, so why not work to make both parties happy? A bit unreasonable to expect me to shut down for four hours a day.

@JNewman, i don't have a lease. The funny thing is that the structural steel fabricator makes more noise than all of us put together. I specifically went over noise ordinances with the city and they told me i could put up an oil refinery if i wanted to, this area is full of noisemaking businesses, thats why i came here! It is unfortunate that i am month to month, but i believe i have some leg to stand on since this was all discussed with the landlord prior to my moving in, i also had a witness for precisely this reason. I appreciate all the positive posts, i am getting quite stressed out about moving, i have put alot of work into setting up this shop, and it is in the perfect location for what i do. It just boils down to money, the boxing gym pays three times the rent that i do. The funny thing is that i haven't had a single complaint untill the gym decided on a new business plan. Who wants to go to a spa thats smack dab in the middle of all this industrial work? The city seems to think that even though they issued a business license to the gym, that they don't belong here, and may even be illegal, not to mention the whole massage issue. The gym clogs the whole parking lot with 30 cars when they only are allowed 6 spaces. My customers have to park elsewhere if they come when the gym is operating.

Thanks for the replies. The landlord has lots of issues, one unit is being lived in full time, and the city has told the landlord of the illegality. They are siding with the boxing gym because they rent three units to my one. The landlord was fully briefed on what my business entails. Since i am not in a lease (they wouldn't enter into one) it seems they can evict me as long as i get 30 days notice. Plus, i don't wnt to be lining their pockets if at the first sign of adversity they throw me to the wolves! I'm not going quietly, they will be losing my rent income as well as three other units if things go as the city code official stated! With the way they have treated me and numerous other tenants, i will leave a trail of destruction in my wake to teach them fair business practices. I am at the point where i am considering buying a piece of property and building a shop. After all is said and done my payment would be similar to what i am renting for now. I am fighting mad about these issues though. The owner of the gym has never bothered to talk with me to try to work something out, they simply complain to the crooked landlord. The landlord happens to be the local dentist as well! I think this whole issue is going to bring alot of heat down on the landlord. There have been numerous issues with other tenants dealing with an irrational landlord, so there will be no shortage of tenants who will go to bat for me. Its just frustrating because business is finally picking up and i feel like i am finally making progress with my work, i have a big job that i think is going to break, and it will probably happen right when im knee deep in all of this. I am hesitant to shell out money for an attorney if they can just tell me to leave since i am month to month.

I started a shop in Utah around 9 months ago. I found a 1300 sq ft unit in an industrial area, zoned industrial. Before renting i spoke with all the other tenants to make sure no problems would arrise with noise. When i rented, the owners were informed of the noise issues, and that i would have an anyang 88 powerhammer. They came to the shop for me to sign the lease, i had a witness with me and we went over any and all issues that can arrise from blacksmithing. The owners were great and told me i could make as much noise as i want because there is a structural steel fabricator next door, and one other metal fabricator as well as numerous wood shops. So i rented the unit, installed the power hammer in january, no complaints for eight months. I actively spoke with other tenants (which i didn't have to do) and asked if i was being too loud, not a single person said it bothered them. Two weeks ago i was asked to stop hammering because the owner of the boxing gym was getting a massage! Keep in mind that the largest rock saw this side of the mississippi is 200 yards behind me, a structural fabricator to the side, an auto mechanic across from me, and an excavating business moving dirt and rock across the street. I was stunned and told the guy that this is my work and i wasn't going to stop working because his wife was getting a massage. He looked upset and was obviously a little embarrassed to be doing his wife's bidding. I took pity on him and told him i would do something else for forty five minutes while she got her massage. Yesterday my landlord called and told me i had to shut my business down for four hours a day, either in the am or in the afternoon. She wanted me to alter my business model because her client that rents three units has decided to turn the boxing gym into a massage parlor for half the day, everyday! When i told her it was unrealistic to ask me to shut down for half the day everyday, or at the boxing gyms whim, she responded by telling me that they have no choice but to serve me notice to move! After visiting the city planning office and speaking with the code compliance officer (this position was only created two months ago) she stated that i was perfectly within the boundaries of the law to make noise, smoke etc. She claimed that she thought this area wasn't zoned for a public boxing gym. I don't want to stay here anymore after seeing how my landlords responded. I am licensed, insured and inspected by the city, in compliance on all fronts. Now i am sure my landlords will serve me papers at the end of this month and i am searching for shop space. Any thoughts are welcomed. Brian

Ric, That made me laugh out loud, sending the tongs through the machine probably wasn't funny at the time though!

@John N, I dated a girl raised in Ireland, she always used knacker as a derogatory word about people she didn't like! As for the dies, i think i will make some longer dies for the bottom, and a deeper die for the top. I'm not going to use the mystery steel, i think i'll order a stick of S-7, i got a quote a while back from a tool steel company for enough steel to make five sets of dies for the price of one set of Anyangs. @Blackersmith, I set my paragon oven on an anneal cycle to see how soft the armor steel will be. Ramp up to 1600f then cool 50f an hour to 1200 then shut off and cool on its own. I put a die size block in there that i plan to use for texturing. I get quite a few local metal fabricators asking me to do texture work for them. Till now i have been using a texturing block on a spring swage that goes into the tool saddle, it was made from 4140, as forged. I want a dedicated texturing die since everyone seems to ask for a similar texture, and having a die in the tup is much quieter than banging the texturing block. Like John N stated, i need to make sure the dovetails are right, as i don't want to "knacker" up the hammer!

@ John Larson, if you read my previous post i stated i wouldn't mind spending the $425 on dies, i just wasn't that impressed with the anyang dies. For the price i want quality dies that line up nicely, i have a set of combo dies that don't line up, are off by 1/4. I know this can be solved by rotating the work being forged, i just feel like for $425 i can do better buying some s-7 and having it machined. The dovetails i cut with the bandsaw work ok, but for what i paid for the hammer i would like a perfect fit, like John N said, it would be a shame to "knacker" up the dovetails. So at this point i will find a machinist to cut the dovetails. @John N, aren't "knackers" gypsies over there? By the way, this armor plate is tough stuff! I hardened a 1/2" by 1/2 by 4 inch piece in oil. I put it in my vice and smacked it 10 times before it finally broke, it didn't yield much at all, virtually no bending. Thanks to all who responded. Brian

The dies on that monster are huge! Makes that stuff you're forging look like silly putty!

Great for hot cutting and punching holes, not a hammer though.

Heres some pictures you can actually see!

@Andrew, Yes, i wouldn't mind paying $425 for a set of dies, i just wasn't that impressed with the Anyang dies. If this works out like i hope, i can make a few sets of custom dies for texturing and such, and have some blanks for future use. I will harden a piece of this steel and do some tests to see what i can expect. If i can find a lab to tell me what the composition is, i will figure out a heat treating method. I priced some S-7 for hammer dies and i can get a stick that would make about ten dies for the price of one set! Most of this process has been undertaken just because i had this chunk of good steel laying around for a few years. thanks for the responses! Brian

Heres some pictures. The hunk of armor plate was shot with some sort of projectile, i ground off the sharp edges that spalled. i cut one section off to make two dies, they will be 4 inches wide, the original die is 4 3/4". I tapered the new dies dovetail the opposite direction as i can still key in from the other direction. I also included a pic of my new vertical bandsaw. I am amazed at what one can accomplish with a bandsaw and surface grinder. Not too bad for not having a mill! Brian

I've had this chunk of armor plating that i got when i built some explosives magazines for the Navy. I'll post some pictures tomorrow when i'm at the shop. It is 4 or 5 inches thick, by 12" by 18". It has the grind lines on it like you used to see on WWII tanks. The chunk of steel is super tough, my bandsaw couldn't cut it till i got some super aggressive scandavik blade stock, even then it took a while to cut through it. I have roughed out two hammer dies for my anyang 88. I copied the dovetail from my existing dies. I recently bought a DoAll three wheel metal bandsaw (which i love!) and since i don't have any machining equipment, i cut the dovetails on my bandsaw. Worked pretty good too! I used my surface grinder to true everything up. I know i will probably have to take a piece of this steel to a lab to know for sure what it is, i was just wondering if anyone has an idea what type of steel is used in armor plating? I have a paragon heat treating oven, and i would like to be able to make hammer dies myself. Paying $425 for a set of dies seems a bit steep, and i don't mind paying top dollar for tools.

Tool envy! Don't get me wrong, i love my 88, i just really like seeing hammers resurrected!