Frosty Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 (edited) The way I tune hold fast feet is to heat the foot and set it in the anvil. Just drop it in the appropriate hole and give it a tap just like you were clamping a piece of work. The foot will curve itself. You just have to control the heat to just the foot, move fast and NOT hit it too hard.Coil spring makes good tongs too but you have to be careful about letting them get red hot. If you quench them at red they'll become brittle so let them cool on the floor OR keep them cool by quenching regularly before they reach red heat. What makes them nice tongs is the steel is springy so you can make them thinner/lighter but still grip tightly without bending them. Light strong tongs are good things.Frosty The Lucky. Edited June 20, 2015 by Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Frosty, that is the "tong makers tool kit" lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FRODO, Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 scored today, was given 2 barrels, and a brake drum. i can buy the fittings on line, but where is the fun in that, i'll look for them,meet someone new.and get a free fitting and a friend. cant lose !!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Before you do any cutting on the drums make sure you vent them, and clean them if necessary to avoid blowing yourself up. Depending on what they held the remaining fumes can and do explode when cutting them open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 A drill, a sabre saw and grease will help emeliorate the hazards of cutting drums. Drill through a dollop of grease and make sure there is a goodly line of grease for the saw blade to cut through. While not perfect in preventing sparks if they're encapsulated in grease it might not ignite residual fumes.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FRODO, Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 no worries guys, i will fill with water before drilling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FRODO, Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 (edited) hey guys,,I very carefully. with the finesse of a world class balernia . tipped the barrel over, dumped out the liquid that was inside.lit a piece of paper and thru it on it. HUH!!!...did not burn, ok,,then, cut the top off with my grinder.before anyone asks, no, i was not wearing a to to,,,not that you could see, he he he Edited June 21, 2015 by FRODO, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewP26 Posted June 22, 2015 Author Share Posted June 22, 2015 Good start. Keep it going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Andrew, Frosty's suggestion of an exhaust cap type of ash dump is well worth considering. Easy to dump, don't have to be messing with a cap.There are probably hundreds of examples of flap-type ash dumps you can look at by browsing around. If you can do any welding, you can make one from scrap. Here's an example on my forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarry Dog Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 I just made one of these the hard way. I forged down some 1.5" shaft to 3/8" by 3/4" flat with a 1.25" "ball" on one end. Wanna talk about a "learning experience". I definitely prefer this general style of ash dump, and Arkie's take on it looks pretty nice. Dead simple to work with. No trying to spin it around with the end of the poker (the dumps can get hot if small coals fall through), no fighting with a slide-out (also potentially hot), no unscrewing a pipe cap (again, maybe hot), just balance it right when you build it and all you have to do is kick the ball every so often (which is away from the flap and should not be hot, so you might actually be able to flip it open with your hand, but that's awful close to the ground, and not many of our backs are likely to get better than they are today). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 I would have made the handle straight out to the side for more comfortable dumping, but the scrap stock I used was bent, I was too lazy to straighten it out, so I just tied a piece of wire to it, strung it up through a loop on the forge and I just pull it up to dump, kick it down to close. That was a long sentence........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FRODO, Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 (edited) looks like all you have to do is kick it to dump it, good idea..cut the rest of mt barrel..waiting on fittings i ordered..a co called Zorro..cheapi got flange,2- 3'' nipples, 1 12'' nipple, tee and cap plus shipping 30 bucks Edited June 22, 2015 by FRODO, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 I wonder why you had to buy online? I got my black pipe fittings at my local hardware store for just a few dollars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FRODO, Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 local hardware do not carry 2'' round here, and the plumbing supply thinks they are made of gold believe me!!!! i called around,I am a cheap %%$% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 How tall is your anvil set up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FRODO, Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 mine? it is sitting on the floor. i figure about thigh high to the top i have a stump,,just have not rolled that big Mammer Jammer out of the woods yet.my anvil is one of them high dollar real old anvils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Between knuckle and wrist height. Lower for heavy hammering, higher for finish work. Looks like a good anvil to me, lots of times I would've loved to have it.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 So you get to chose, stand up tall (the position of attention works well ;-) you have basicaly 3 choises. First nuckle of your index finger, your closed fist at the index finger or your rist. The shortest is generaly for sledge and tool work. The middle for general hand hamering with tools and the top for small and finised work. My suggestion is the fist, with a chunk of 4x unser it to faise it rist high. Rist high is easear on a new guy, as your skill increases you will find fist high to be ideal. My suggestion is to also place the top of your forge (lower drum) at the same hight. So cut the drum down.are you placing the rail on end? I sugjest so Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewP26 Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 My anvil sets at 28 1/2 inches at the face. That's with me standing next to it closed fist and my knuckles barely brush it. The top of the forge sits at 34 1/2 inches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FRODO, Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 (edited) are you talking about rail side down? LOL,, actually thought of that, more room to hiti can cut a groove to fit it in Edited June 24, 2015 by FRODO, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 Andrew, I would recomend lowering the top of your forge to the same hight as your anvil. This keeps you from lifting or lowering the stock from forge to anvil and anvil to forge, and then you can also use the forge or anvil to support the end of long stock wile working or heating the other end. Frodo, no sir, small end "T" up. This puts the most mass under the hammer. This only gives you a 1 1/2x3" serface but how big is your hammer face? A 3# hammer is about as big as you can go there, but you probbably are beter off starting with a 1 1/2, 2# hammer anyway tho 2 1/2# cross peins are common at the box stores. How long is your rail? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FRODO, Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 (edited) 28 1/2'' floor to closed fist. my rail is 21'' thanks for the pointers, I appreciate it, Edited June 24, 2015 by FRODO, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 (edited) well Frodo, you can either mount it as is vertical or cut it so you have a 12" and a 6" piece. The 12" mounted vertically will give a good sturdy mass for heaver forging wile the 9" mounted horizontally gives a 3" wide relatively flat face for such work as needs one (the inside curve is useful as well.) Edited June 24, 2015 by Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FRODO, Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I think i will cut it,,2 is better than one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 Corection, 9" lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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