Avadon Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 (edited) Do I need a hole cut in the anvil stands plate steel under the pritchel and hardy hole? If so what benefit is this of? And what is the best way to cut through 2" plate (lol) Torch? 1" Deming drill bit? Edited May 13, 2009 by Avadon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Do you need a hole? meh? It's up to you. You might want one if you do a lot of punching and drifting at the hardy and pritchel hole. Mr. Hofi and Mr Haberman point out that it allows you to drive through and into a bucket of water cooling and dealing with the hot items while you go about your business. Have I wanted one from time to time? Yes. Do I have one? NO. Burning a hole through 2" plate is easier than drilling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avadon Posted May 13, 2009 Author Share Posted May 13, 2009 Do you need a hole? meh? It's up to you. You might want one if you do a lot of punching and drifting at the hardy and pritchel hole. Mr. Hofi and Mr Haberman point out that it allows you to drive through and into a bucket of water cooling and dealing with the hot items while you go about your business. Have I wanted one from time to time? Yes. Do I have one? NO. Burning a hole through 2" plate is easier than drilling. When you say "drive through and into a bucket of water cooling and dealing with the hot items" do you mean that the punch or drift is driven through and then falls into a bucket of water below, or do you mean the plug falls out and down into the bucket of water below? Thanks for the answer, seems like its not a bad idea to try it if I can. I guess the hold under the hardy helps remove stakes from hitting it underneath right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 By drive through, yes I mean the punch or the drift. A plug would also likely fall through. Removing the stakes? It is usually not that tough in my experience. I normally just tap a little left and right on the bottom and they come out. The tools you put in the hardy hole or prichel hole should not wedge them selves so tight as to be a problem I make things with longer rather than shorter shanks when I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 A coffee can fits under the hardy hole in my anvils and holds enough water to cool a tool that drops into it. I've never had a stake that projected more than about 1" max below the bottom of the hole and so plenty of room to tap on it without messing with the stand. (I make my stakes to have a central projection so they can be tapped without "riveting" them in place. Note: I like short tools that can be held with specialized tongs. Makes them easier to use under a powerhammer, treadle hammer or screwpress---less kick out/headroom issues. Also they can be made of high alloy steels and so take the heat better but not break the bank to make them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Burning a hole through 2" plate is easier than drilling. I agree with conditions here. I don't want to get too far off topic, but piercing through plate with a gas torch is a messy business. Sparks and slag shoot back out of the hole until the metal is pierced. the thicker the steel, the longer this takes place. I used to run a CNC flame cutter and on really thick stuff; 4" and thicker we drilled 3/4" pilot holes. Torch cutting is always easier from the edge of a plate than in the middle. That being said, torch cutting would be easier but not as pretty. To ease piercing, a small hole (3/8"?) could be drilled through 2" fairly easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avadon Posted May 13, 2009 Author Share Posted May 13, 2009 Very true Dodge. I've investigated it and just realized its not worth it. If I wanted those holes I really should have built my stand what that in mind. Even if I torch or drill through the plate I have a cross member beam that I inted to fill with sand, so that means welding in a piece of tubing. (That might sound difficult to visualize) However it means that I dont have much clearance for a bucket underneath and there is probably more of a chance that the hot pellet would hit the edge of that lip and then fall front or back and hopefully not onto my shoe. So I think i'll be using the anvil without them. Although it just occured to me I could put a small metal can ontop of this beam, under the plate to catch hot fragments falling through. I actually used my oxy/acet torch recently to cut holes in the sides of the legs so that sand will pour into the middle cross-member and fill up there to. I hardly ever use my torches cutting tip and I was surprised actually at how good the control was. Normally I just drill everything. But I was still able to get a fairly round 1.25" hole with the cutting torch and it wasn't to messy. I'm uber cautious about falling molten metal. I have a large burn mark on my left foot from a drop of molten brass, I will never forget. Molten metal on the skin acts like the blood of the aliens in those science fiction movies. It is nasty business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Even if a can won't fit under the hardy and pritchel holes it'd be easy enough to make a little chute to carry the punch/drift/etc. to a water or oil can. I keep a roll of roof flashing handy for exactly this kind of thing. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avadon Posted May 15, 2009 Author Share Posted May 15, 2009 Even if a can won't fit under the hardy and pritchel holes it'd be easy enough to make a little chute to carry the punch/drift/etc. to a water or oil can. I keep a roll of roof flashing handy for exactly this kind of thing. Frosty what is the average size of a punch drift? I'm not sure it will make it through my horn as it's a rather large horn and the pritchel hole is at the base of the horn. Thus i'm thinking the punches/drifts will not clear which will be annoying :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 They have to be smaller in dia than the hardy or pritchel of course. Are you concerned about them making the turn under the horn? There are cases where it makes a lot more sense to make a bolster plate and avoid hassles. A piece of oh say 1" or better plate with a number of holes drilled in it to suit what you're punching and drifting. Mounted on a good sturdy stand with room under it for a can of water and it should serve the purpose just fine. It'd also leave your anvil more free for other steps. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avadon Posted May 15, 2009 Author Share Posted May 15, 2009 They have to be smaller in dia than the hardy or pritchel of course. Are you concerned about them making the turn under the horn? There are cases where it makes a lot more sense to make a bolster plate and avoid hassles. A piece of oh say 1" or better plate with a number of holes drilled in it to suit what you're punching and drifting. Mounted on a good sturdy stand with room under it for a can of water and it should serve the purpose just fine. It'd also leave your anvil more free for other steps. Frosty Yah I think thats exactly what i'll have to do, because I am concerned about it making the turn, even if I built some sort of really nice magnetic clip on slope. The horn is just large and almost perfectly cyndrical and from the bottom of the horn to the anvil stand top is only about 5" so I think a punch/drift would get hung up. Thank you for the help, I think I will fab some sort of plate like that with different size holes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 My pleasure, a different pair of eyes and experiences is what sites like this are all about. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 The average size is about 2" to 1 foot DEPENDING. You make them to suit your style of work. As I mentioned I like to make short ones out of high alloy steels; but a lot of my old punches are handled top tools. The commercial drifts I've bought at the fleamarket are generally about 6". A good bolster plate is a great tool to have. One I saw I liked and have sworn to duplicate when I get my shop powered and can use the 2hp drill press had a pin in it that fit the pritchel and the holes spaced so they fit over the hardy hole so you could rotate it till the size you needed was over the hardy and go at it---stamp the size on the thickness edge so it doesn't show up on your work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avadon Posted May 15, 2009 Author Share Posted May 15, 2009 The average size is about 2" to 1 foot DEPENDING. You make them to suit your style of work. As I mentioned I like to make short ones out of high alloy steels; but a lot of my old punches are handled top tools. The commercial drifts I've bought at the fleamarket are generally about 6". A good bolster plate is a great tool to have. One I saw I liked and have sworn to duplicate when I get my shop powered and can use the 2hp drill press had a pin in it that fit the pritchel and the holes spaced so they fit over the hardy hole so you could rotate it till the size you needed was over the hardy and go at it---stamp the size on the thickness edge so it doesn't show up on your work! Thats a very cool idea Thomas.. I think I will build something like that at some point Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 An idexable bolster, that's a good idea I believe I'll adopt it. Thanks Thomas. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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