I was drawing out some longer stock the other day and I was lamenting the fact that my forge (Diamondback single burner) does not have any kind of stock/tool rest so I had to support the longer stock by stacking firebrick under it.  Then the light bulb came on...I thought, "Why am I so stupid"?  I can shape and move metal.  I grabbed some round stock and about 15 minutes later I had a little custom rest that attaches to my forge and is adjustable with a simple magnet.  To me there is nothing cooler than that.  I should have started learning this craft a long time ago.

I have a gas forge I built at a SOFA gas forge building workshop where the shell was made from an oxy welding tank---heavy!  I welded a piece of  small sq tubing along the side and use a piece of sq stock that just fits inside the tube with an L on the end as a sliding third hand.  (Actually I welded one on either side so I can run one out the back door as well)

Dissappearing post! the first time it happened to me. Pictures? I had the same problem, but i made a temporary fix with a peice of wood that folded out to serve a  rest.

 

I have a light chain with a hook on the end, that hangs from a roof truss.

When not in use, it's hooked off to the side.

When needed, it gets looped under the "long" piece in the Forge, and hooked back into itself, at the correct height.

There's another similar chain, hanging near the Welding Table.

Don't know what I'd do without em'.

 

And now that I think about it, ... quite soon, they'll be another one over at the vertical band saw. 

 

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Done that too; problem is carrying the roof truss on the road with the forge...

11 hours ago, SmoothBore said:

I have a light chain with a hook on the end, that hangs from a roof truss.

When not in use, it's hooked off to the side.

When needed, it gets looped under the "long" piece in the Forge, and hooked back into itself, at the correct height.

There's another similar chain, hanging near the Welding Table.

Don't know what I'd do without em'.

 

And now that I think about it, ... quite soon, they'll be another one over at the vertical band saw. 

I like that idea.  Thanks   Flemish

.

 

For this very reason I made my workbench flush with the (coal) forge. I keep a piece of wood cut so that it supports at different heithgts depending upon how it is turned.

16 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

Done that too; problem is carrying the roof truss on the road with the forge...

Sky hook?

I guess that at times we fail too see what is right under our noses........

I was rather pleased with myself when I came up with the phrase "intelligent trestle". It became one of the workshop little jokes when anyone was asked to hold one end of a long bar.

The other little joke was at 5:55 on a Friday afternoon I would announce that everyone could take the rest of the week off....strange I know, but nobody else seemed to think it was any where near as funny as I did! 

Alan

reach the effect?

OTOH I have often called the powerhammer "the intelligent apprentice" as it does *exactly* what you tell it to do.

That is along the lines of RIRO in computer speak?

I remember my schoolmaster used to refer to TOM when he was giving us one of those "if takes one man 3 hours to place five blocks on a wall, how many blocks could 4 men place in 5 hours" type of problem.

It was an acronym for Totally Obedient Moron. Muppet may be a more appropriate current term. The solution to the problem depended on all the men doing exactly what they were told and at the same rate.

Alan