Glenn Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Lets list some ideas on what we found to make life easier for us in the shop or workplace. For instance: Storing chain I found that a one gallon paint can will hold a LOT of chain in the 1000 pound test sizes. Bucket makes it easy to carry and keeps it from getting all tangled up or knotted. For bigger or longer chain, use 2-1/2 gallon or 5 gallon buckets. Sure cleaned up the chain storage problem here. Spray paint every 5th link from the hook on each end to identify the length of the chain. A 17 foot chain would have links #5, #10, #15, and #17 painted. Besides, you know which chain is YOURS when it is time to take it back home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvillain Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Ah! Let me count the ways! No, they are countless. But assuming one has a forge and anvil and vice already, an electric welder, an oxy-acetylene torch are nearly as important as anything can be for anyone afflicted with metal madness. I've had these for decades and couldn't imagine how handicapped I would be without them. Recently I added a nice Dewalt chopsaw. This is my favorite, the model with the handle in the horizontal position is way more comfortable than anything else on the market because it doesn't require you to bend your wrist. This I found out by using every brand available for many different contractors. And the wrist comfort is important if you are making scores of cuts per day, especially on heavy material that takes quite some force to push it down. Definitely don't forget BOTH safety glasses and a face shield. Or it could make life more difficult. Anvillain PS: I discovered recently that I am in a real metallic age. I have silver in my hair, gold in my teeth,copper in my pocket and lead in my uh-uhh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gypsy Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 one of the tricks that has saved me lotsa greif & time is the mounting bracket & saw table i made for my 9" right angle grinder. just a peice of 2" angle iron mounted to the right side of the grinder with a bolt in the hole were ya screw the handle on & a hoseclamp around the body & now the grinder can be mounted in a vice. add a flat plate with a bolt in the other handle hole & a couple nubs welded on to keep the plate from turning & now its an abrasive tablesaw. (be careful its alot easier to run yer knuckles into that 24 grit rock when yer holding the work & not the grinder!). OWWW! that & the $20 "weed burner" from harbor freight. its a big propane torch used by roofers & stuph but if ya look at it right its not only a big tempering torch for swords & stuph but also can be modified into a forge burner, its 6' of hose w/fittings, needle valve, jet & a half finished ventury all for less than $20! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 My stick welder gets more overall use than anything because I am always fixing something, usually outside and usually dirty. Last week, my son was hauling a stock trailer home and the brake axle spun in the U-bolts, ruining two tires. He made it home and I was out til dark fixing that and everything else that broke since the last time he visited. The other tool I use constantly is my home made 2x72 belt grinder - it seems to run all the time. As far as time savers, I have a piece of very small I-beam (1-1/2") that I drill over. The piece is supported firmly and all chips go in the channel. I can drill 50, 100 or more pieces without having to stop and clean all the time. Other things - I have a multitude of pin and scroll jigs all over the shop. I make them in my spare time in different sizes so they are already there when I have to do a job and a certain scroll or radius is needed. I also have my chop saw sitting in a series of holes on my layout table and can move it to cut a variety of lengths with a material stop that can be moved to preset measurements. This allows me to cut anything from 3 to 24 inches without using a tape - just set the stop on the mark and start cutting. Things I WANT to do - put overhead air, propane, electrical and water drops all around the shop so I don't trip on cords and hoses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irnsrgn Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 1. The piece of 3/8 by 6 angle iron I put in a leg vice on one of the back benches for a temporary work area 20 + years ago, It hasn't been removed except for once in that time to turn it so I would have a new surface to work on. 2. Back when I used my chop saw a lot, I made a light angle iron stand to put it on so I wouldn't have to stoop over to use it anywhere and then a table on the off cut side that could have a piece of angle iron clamped to it for a stop for short pieces and a stock stand under the outside end to hold up the end. 3. Short pieces of 1 1/4 inch square tube welded to my other bench at the same height, so I could slip peices of 1 inch square tube with a T top in them to hold long things up , like augers etc when working on them, they are a set height even with the bottom of the Big Vice so I can clamp things to keep from rotating or moving while I work on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvillain Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 Also large coffee cans make life easier. first they allow you to make lots of coffee which is the first thing I think of in the morning. After that one of the neatest uses I've found is for storing tubes of caulk. six of them will go arouond the outside and one in the middle. No more tumbling tubes of caulk. Your numbers may vary as the size of coffee cans shrink. They used to hold 3 lbs. of coffee :-). Coffee cans are probably the most universally used storage facility there is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGensh Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 Lifting- I installed an I beam monorail with an electric hoist in my welding bay. Then I added a second hoist to it. I liked that so much I built a small rolling gantry with a chain hoist on it to cover the rest of the shop! The gantry is sized so it will just roll into the back of a pickup or it can be knocked down for transport. Welding- I've picked up a couple of T-slot tables from machine tools which I use as welding benches. Ground square on five out of six sides they are perfect for quick setups and fixturing. Cheap right angle plates clamped to them make easy fixtures. Nothing is ever welded directly to the table (that's a banishment offense in my shop) so the tables stay accurate and the work does too. Quick measurements- Short lengths (3") of extruded rectangular aluminum bars stacked in a box for quick setups. 1/4 by 1, 3/8 by 5/8,and 1/2 by 3/4" give enough range for quickly scribed lines from a bench top or they can be used for standoffs when welding. I also use these and 1 2 3 blocks for drilling or punching a series of holes with just one stop set along a fence. Just design the layout to the block or shim size and stack them in place for the first hole then remove the shim or shims to get the location of the next hole. This is far faster than scribing out and center punching a series of locations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yesteryearforge Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 This computer in general and this site in particular / plus having the whole world wide web at your fingertips makes the gathering of information and ideas so much easier and faster that you gain years of knowledge in milliseconds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elkdoc Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 I hardly feel qualified to post a tip or trick, since I'm so green myself, but here goes... I've found that having 2 hammers with different weights and face shapes helps alot. I currently use a 1000g swedish pattern with a fairly rounded face to move metal fast and forge things to shape. Then I use an 800g french pattern with a fairly flat face to finish the pieces. If I warm up by striking clay and practicing hammer control I've found that by using 2 hammers I get a cleaner piece. Make sense? I'm sure it's not really a revelation, but it helps me... 8) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strine Posted July 15, 2005 Share Posted July 15, 2005 Plasticene, playdough, modelling clay. Within reason it will move just like hot steel of the same section. More so if it's stored in the fridge. It is one of the best design tools I have and allows me to test run almost any forging operation I want to try. The dragon tongs, around here somewhere were made in plastecine from start to finish over and over again trying different methods etc before I heated even one piece of stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 Was working in the shop today and came up with some more: Scroll tongs - I can't live without them. Made mine from coil spring stock at least 20 years ago and they have done thousands of tasks. Rivet sets - Good support when you don't want a flat head on a factory rivet. I have a welding helper that is a piece of half inch plate, 10x6, welded to a square shank that can be clamped in a vise. It has a "dead-nuts" 90 degree corner and multiple lines scribed across the face and at common angles (30, 45, 60) so I can set up little pieces and weld them quickly. Chisel and drift sets in standard sizes - Two tools that allow splitting the stock with the proper chisel then drifting the hole to be slightly oversize when cold so a piece of hot rolled stock will pass thru. #7 Whitney punch - makes life simple when punching holes for rivets because the punches are 1/64 over nominal size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 I have a cutting plate with the center marked all the way across with a chiseled line and then it's laid off in 1/4" increments going both ways from the center---helps me cut billets into even sections! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Gold Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 Convenience. Without a doubt. I have consciously and continuously worked to set up my shop so that every tool that I like to use is available within one "step" -- whether it be opening a toolbox, pulling out a drawer, reaching behind something, etc. With tools available like this I am more likely to use them, and to use the right tool for the job. I like to have materials arranged like this too, but it's much more valuable to have the tools set up this way for me. It is definitely worth my time to build racks, shelving, etc. to make my tools available like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Thomas Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 George Dixon showed how to make a cutting plate for the hardie hole and the treadle hammer in Artist-Blacksmith Quarterly that works quite well. It solves two of my big aggravations with cutting plates -- Staying firmly in place, and easily replaceably cutting surface. I read the article, and thought I had it down pat. When I built it in the shop, I was too lazy to go get the article and found I'd made it slightly differently... but I think equally effective. What I did was take three pieces of 1" stock 5" long. I clamped them together with a business card as spacers, and welded the two outside one to a plate. The middle one then easily slides in and out. I drilled and tapped a set screw in the side of one of the fixed bars, which holds the middle one in place. Put a hardie shank in the middle of the underside of the plate. You cut over the middle (removeable) 1" bar. When it gets all cut up, you loosen the set screw, rotate it 90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce wilcock Posted July 21, 2005 Share Posted July 21, 2005 the one thing that makes life easier around the smithy for me is simple. just get a skip deliverd out side the smithy once a year and ,be ruthless dump all the junk that you will have to live to be 200 to use up ,tell the scrap yard , you dont need paying for it ,just swaping it for more up to date scrap over the coming year ,nice shop to work in ,and scrap on tap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted July 23, 2005 Share Posted July 23, 2005 Remembered another one today: Some time ago, I engraved a 10 inch rule on the front side of the anvil in 1/2" increments. Very handy for hot work when you need a quick measurement. The lines were carefully marked with a cold chisel and the numbers stamped so it's there forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacksmithtech Posted July 23, 2005 Share Posted July 23, 2005 ........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Thomas Posted July 23, 2005 Share Posted July 23, 2005 Hollis: That reminds me of a friend that riveted a carpenter's square to his forge for much the same reason. It looked pretty handy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted January 12, 2008 Author Share Posted January 12, 2008 Frames as small as 12 x 18, with 4 swivel wheels. You can slide them under different things so they will move easily, or use one on each corner to support a large item. For the items such as welders etc, build a wheeled frame that specifically fits that item. Much easier to move so you can sweep under them, or move them to another location in the shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mende Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Speaking of chains ..when one has a shop with a high roof it's handy to set up a network of chains to hang tools and such ..everything should be over your head+cap height .. I found that having nothing on the floor and everything on walls or suspended from ceilings makes life easier. . I don;t like to bend over to get stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valentin Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Doing it right the first time makes life easyer but for some reason no metter how many times i've done it wrong i still can't always make it right the 1st time ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saintjohnbarleycorn Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Overall for all types of things, not particularly the metal stuff, the cordless screw gun has made things a lot easier for just building things. Other than that organization, and the internet for info. The internet, has made it more than easier its made some things possible that were impossible before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Funk Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 I have a engineers hammer (double faced hammer of similar size to a blacksmith cross pien) that I ground each face to a 5" cylindrical radius. I used a 4.5" grinder to do the modifications. This radius, does not appear to be agressive, but makes a significant difference when drawing out a forging. This is used when you want a one directional drawing action, but a cross pein may more agressive than desired. On this double faced hammer, I ground the radiuses at 90 deg to each other. For example when I am drawing out a leaf, if I desire to make the leaf longer, I use the face with the radius at 90 degrees to the length of the leaf. If I desire to make the leaf wider I flip the hammer over to use the other face, without having to repostion the work or myself as would be required if I were using a standard cross pein. I of course use this this hammer in conjuction with a standard cross pien smithing hammer but find I use my cross pein significantly less. I have modified a sledge to this configuration as well. Think about whether you want the radiuses to parrellel and perpandicular to the hammer or whether you want these 45 deg to the hammer or if you are a hammer nut like me, make both configurations. Another useful tool is a stand, made of 1" square tubing. This stand is a 18" X 24" X 30" simple rectangular weldment with a 1" square tubing on each edge. This makes an adjustable height work stand. Height is adjusted by which way it is stand is laid. Of course stands of other sizes and heavier materials could be fabricated. However I have found the 1" tubing to be more than adequate for my usage. This stand is a much more attractive to me than sawhorses as it all one piece, and if the height is wrong I simply flip the stand to the desired height. Appropriately sized plywood or steel plate makes this a adjustable height work table. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Czar Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 the two things I think make for the most convience would be the ability to quickly move stuff around (casters, dollies, cranes, floorjack ect) and the ability to quickly lay your hands on materials or tools, so drawers, pegboard and racks specifically small "scrap" stock to make jigs, was lucky enough to have a shop near one of those window tinting businesses (mostly cars) I grabbed every plastic tube they ever threw out (what the film was rolled up on) they have made great open ended racks when stacked and secured one of the other attributes I like in a shop (especially a small shop) is a consistent height for worktables, benches and equipment. Still have adjustable stock supports but, the hieght thing comes in handy when working on longer stock (or lumber) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrynjr Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 George Dixon showed how to make a cutting plate for the hardie hole and the treadle hammer in Artist-Blacksmith Quarterly that works quite well. Ed, do you have a picture of this cutting plate or is there a BP? Sounds like it could be useful to have but I'm not quite picturing it in my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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