Another step forward!

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

JHCC, cow Pattie’s can be dangerous! Just ask the bad guy in Jim Staffords Ballad! 

On 12/3/2021 at 6:29 PM, ThomasPowers said:

While our primary heating is thermonuclear; our backup is indirect thermonuclear--

On the subject of heating and cow pies lol,

it’s my understanding that homesteaders and pioneers used to burn Buffalo pies to keep warm and cook on the plains, 

on a more serious note, when you get out this way to visit your family in NW Arkansas and pick up some big fans I’m collecting for your shop,

if you want, bring a trailer and  I’ll set aside a couple ricks of some red oak, white oak or hickory firewood for you to take back home that will burn a lot longer than y’all’s soft wood an maybe save y’all some some money for a season, 

[George N. M.]

TW, FYI out here about all you can get is pine, aspen, or cottonwood.  Occasionally, you can get some hardwood from a tree trimmer who has cut town trees such as maples.  Further south you can get Gambrel Oak and in certain parts of Wyoming you can get cedar, but not around Laramie.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[ThomasPowers]

Well; given better covid conditions we generally try to go out later in March for my Grandfather's birthday; he's now in his later 90's and we guard his possible covid exposure as much as possible!

Now I did pick up the piece from the old Champion #1 from down at Pep's; so I can put it all back together and get some pictures of it's condition.  You know my wife would probably buy good firewood off you if any showed up down here and I'd throw a couple of the fans price in on the deal so that hammer---project might go cheap!  (Converting it to a kinyon style air hammer would probably be easier/require less work)

Unfortunately my little truck  is not rated for hammer hauling.  We're trying to talk another friend into going to quad-state next fall.  He has a much newer larger truck...Got a hoist?

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

Ive got cured red oak an white oak ready to burn now but I don’t know when Ill be able to get out that way, 

im trying to get a few different big shop fans set aside for you, I’m trying to get mostly belt driven that way your not limited on what motors you can use, 

Ive got two hoists, a two ton overhead chain hoist and a one ton overhead chain hoist, 

if y’all do end up coming in a larger truck before I’m able to go out there, then make sure y’all bring a trailer so y’all can haul a good sized load of oak firewood back home and some fans, 

Im only 30-40 minutes north of I-40 so if y’all take that route east y’all can park your trailer here while your at quad state and pick it up on y’all’s way home if you wanted, 

 

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

TW, a great source of fire wood here in the desert is pallets and crating. Back home in CA those heated the house for years. We also got oak, madrone, and other hardwoods from friends who had downed trees , or after a big wildfire that killed the trees.

 

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

I’ve seen the port of catoosa offer free dunnage before as well as several big businesses that give away pallets, crates and stuff just to be rid of it, 

so I could definitely see that all being used as a cheap/free fuel source! 
 

I myself try to never burn anything with nails and staples in it, because I have a big sifter I made, that I use to separate the pot ash from the hot coals and charcoal to reuse to the shop stove while still keeping the ash from building up, and the piles sifted ash I reuse around the property to fill in pot holes so I try not to have any (flat tires) in my shifter or buckets lol, 

 

 

[ThomasPowers]

Well I had a long chat with our neighbor, the one with all the obnoxious animals, he says they will be installing a concrete block wall between our two properties---(and there was great rejoicing!)   He's also offered to machine me some powerhammer dies for the cost of the bits for his bridgeport and/or shaper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Must be Christmas!   I gave him a 30" section of some pipe with 1" thick walls for one of his projects in return; I never was going to use it.

Now to try to locate some drawings of 25# LG dies, flats and drawing.   Anybody know where there is a set?

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

I don’t know where a set of drawings for dies could be found but I do have a question,

ive read that there is a new style and old style little giant and Ive looked at images and I can see some differences in the machine bodies, 

my question is would the dies from a old model work on the new Model? Or are they specific to their models? 

[Daswulf]

Well, if you know anyone with the dies and some drafting skills they might be able to help you out. 

[swedefiddle]

Good Morning,

Making Flat Dies is easy. Measure your Sow Block and figure out what size you want to make. When the bottom and top dies are together, you have to make sure there is enough room so the top die mechanism doesn't bottom out and hurt itself (there is an adjustment on the top link for the top wheel). If you e-mail or phone whoever has Sid Sudimeir's business, they will tell you what size the factory uses. They need to clear the top frame, as they are moving!

Merry Almost,

Neil

[ThomasPowers]

I have the height from the LG website; both top and bottom are supposed to be 3" tall; The dovetail is 1" tall.

I have a set of old ones that are WAY past replacement time; but might do for width---except I don't know if they were properly made to begin width!

Call or email the LG people and they can tell you if the old and new versions can be swapped.  I have an old style and IIRC they said it doesn't have a tapered on the dovetail.   As they are selling dies; I'd feel a bit off asking them for exact dimensions to make my own.  Hence the question.  I guess I'll dig in the LG book till I find them.

Tired today as I was moving stuff around to swap out coal forges and make a spot for the triphammer by the NTM forge.  I have some eager helpers, who don't seem to realize that every thing moved must go in a spot where it can sit and still be used for months till the "new" arrangements settle in.  So I do better going slow on my own.  When it comes time to move the heavy stuff; they will get the call!

[swedefiddle]

Merry Almost, Thomas,

To get a perfect fitting key, forge one close to guestimated size and taper. I put the die into place, hold it with a clamp, heat up your key orange hot and drive it into the space, it will upset to perfect fit, everytime. let it cool in place and tap it out with your 'Key Removal Tool'.  I can't remember the taper, but I can measure it tomorrow. Sometimes they are a compound taper.

You can make the Dies any size. I prefer Flat Dies. Weld Mild Steel together or whatever material you have available. I use salvage plate from the people who make Big Loader Buckets, 2.5" thick plate T-1. T-1 is weldable, machinable, hardenable Steel. The Dies I made 25 years ago, I didn't heat treat. They just keep on ticking in my Kuhn. Think simple solution!!

Neil

[Frosty]

Do NOT taper the male dovetail to match the female! There MUST be a difference for the key to slip into and wedge tight. I'll have to look it up and I lent my Little Giant book out but IIRC the taper is 1/8" in 12".

When you hot fit the key make sure it's too thick to pass the thin end so it will stop and upset. It usually takes a couple heats to fit the key.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Alan Evans]

When hot fitting keys I found a few short heats were more effective/controllable than long ones. Start at the thin end and gradually move back a heat at a time.

The long heat I found upset the wedge at either end but was hollow in the middle.

Alan

[anvil]

Here's a suggestion if you have the new model LG with a removable sow block and a machinist neighbor willing to trade.

Have your macchinist mill the key slots on the sow block and bottom die to match each other but be mirror images. Use two keys, both longer than your dies. Now you can tap one key loose and the opposite tight and you will move your die off center and still be parallel with the top die. Now you can do half face blows with your LG.

And a Merry Christmas to you and yours!

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

TW, the way we dealt with nails and staples was Dad had a horseshoe magnet out of a radar set that we put on a string. drag it around the ashes and out come the ferrous bits.  But the way you cut the boards will eliminate them to start with. Run a saw down the runners removes the top and bottom boards fastener free.  Some pallets have fewer top boards so more meat between them without nails. Bigger crates have longer fastener free sections and many times they have 2x6 or 4x4 runners.

 

[ThomasPowers]

My 25# Little Giant was sold Dec 28 1915 and is old style.  I've done a lot of fitting so don't need key info; thanks anyway; it will help someone someday!  (Wait till I ask about making champion dies!)



 

[ThomasPowers]

Since I've had two insulin crashes in the last 6 months; I decided I should have an official appointment with my Endocrinologist in Albuquerque.  So I called them this morning and they tell me the first open appointment is a bit over 6 months away!  By then my insurance will have changed as I go onto Medicare.  My wife suggested I call my old Dr just 150 miles to the south...

[JHCC]

Did you tell them that you've had two insulin crashes in the last six months, but that you would be happy to have an appointment then if they are willing to take liability for any and all negative repercussions of any such crashes you might have in the next six?

[ThomasPowers]

I did tell them that I have had 2 crashes in the last 6 months.  Shifting of liability wasn't an option...

Now to work on getting medicare set up and retiring.

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

I’m sorry to Hear all that Thomas, 

id tell you to go to a local medicine man but I recall you saying something about gilia monster venom getting you into this mess in the first place,

so a medicine man probably wouldn’t be the best option at this point, 

hopefully you can connect with your old doctor! 

[ThomasPowers]

I'm way past gila monster venom helping anymore.  I'm on the hardstuff now; humalog.  They figured out that drugs that rev up the beta cells don't do anything when your beta cells are totally trashed.  It's replacement therapy now, replacing the insulin you are not making anymore.

[Frosty]

6 months isn't that bad, I think my endocrinologist has something like a 10 month waiting list. I make my next apt at the last. 

I'm worried, he's getting close to retirement and we get along really well. I dread the thought of finding another after more than 20 years. Finding one that accepts medicare is worrisome. <sigh>

Frosty The Lucky.

[arkie]

Thomas, as you go into Medicare, I highly recommend researching the Medicare Advantage plans available to you.  Many have great coverage above what Medicare will pay, don't require referrals, have prescription plans and some have little or no premiums and copays.  We've been on them (MA's) for years and wouldn't be without one.

[ThomasPowers]

Yes I'm trying to figure out what is available to me here; we're close to 100 miles away from the city.