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I Forge Iron

Tools you want


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I have most of the common and a few uncommon tools, but am considering building my own small drop hammer to use with simple dies for short production runs - maybe in the range of 100-200 lbs. I really want a small manual surface grinder - maybe a 6x18 Mitsui or B&S; a programmable CNC 2-axis plasma table would also be nice but it's not mandatory.

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A rolling mill would be great.  A fly press would certainly come in handy.  A small power hammer wouldn't be turned down if someone was having a moving sale.....

 

Basically, I'm open to any tool that gives me better control and more ooomph.  

 

However, in the very near future, the one tool that's going to get built is a mobile stand for a leg vise.  

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I don't have alll the tools in the world, but I would just like the chance to use a power hammer, hydraulic press, fly press and rolling mill so I could unerstand their capabilities. At the moment a power hammer is on my wish list, and hope to have one within the next year.

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I think what resonates with me in blacksmithing is often the stuff done with less.  To that end I'd agree with the original poster that classes are excellent.  As a hobbyist, I'd like to be more effective and precise with my work while still doing it by hand.

 

I had to laugh about the shop walls comment - I too could use some walls around my forge!

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It's not always the tool you want, sometimes the tool you need.

I will instal a railing next week and have everything I could think of set. Looked at the drawing again this morning and realized I needed to drill a few holes in a confined 5" space.... Right angle drill ordered. Ugg just another 200 spent out of profit.
Another tool on the shelf

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I think with a power hammer in mind, and love changes in cross section.. Jim 2B, 3B, 5B, 7B, Nazels and Masseys have such good control you can do little work on a 4B-5B, the only reason to want the 1B is to have a complete set... :-)

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I think with a power hammer in mind, and love changes in cross section.. Jim 2B, 3B, 5B, 7B, Nazels and Masseys have such good control you can do little work on a 4B-5B, the only reason to want the 1B is to have a complete set... :-)

True about the control but a smaller hammer runs faster which is nice for smaller stock.  I would love to have a 2cwt or a 2b for swaging smaller bars.  As well you have to be so careful with a big hammer not to smash things.  I punch tongs under the hammer and it is so easy to mushroom or bend a small punch with a bigger hammer.  . 

 

The tool I need the most right now is more shop space.  I  probably wasted about 5hrs last week moving things around and out of the shop so I could get a big pattern out of the shop and moving things around so I could forge 12' long chisels   This week was already a couple of hours

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