the iron dwarf Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 picked up 4 fly presses recently but 2 of them had no weights so im thinking of getting suitable sized mild steel balls, drilling a hole through them then getting them hot and drifting the hole to a square taper to suit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 casting lead ones would probably be easier? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted August 27, 2018 Author Share Posted August 27, 2018 lead is a bit soft and with use the hole stretches, original ones were cast or forged from iron or steel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 What if you cast lead balls around pieces of square steel tube? That gives you a pre-formed socket, and you don't have to worry about drilling and drifting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted September 15, 2018 Share Posted September 15, 2018 You can get new balls right down the road from you. Not sure if the cost of them would be such that you save by making your own. I'd think, though, that you'd burn up a lot of time and fuel to make your own..... and it just might be better all around to buy them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted September 15, 2018 Author Share Posted September 15, 2018 I have steel balls in stock up to 8" diameter, I make hydraulic forging presses 3 1/2" is prob about right for these fly presses we have square tapered drifts we regularly swing 7 lb hammers I can drill a 1/2" hole through a ball in a couple of minutes and a few minutes more to get them hot so it is not difficult for me but thanks for the link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sooty Posted May 25, 2019 Share Posted May 25, 2019 I filed some corners into some exercise weights. I already had them so no cost but they are easy to get. The barbell clamps secure them nicely. I am building a stand to get it off the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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