ThomasPowers Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Columbian out of alignment---usually means the cheeks where the moving jaw pivots need to be tweaked. Why would you be sad---would you be upset if your car needed basic maintenance every 100,000 miles? I picked up a 4" steel ball at the scrapyard, 9' of 100+ year old high C octagonal stock---sparks like 1080-1095, reddish colour from the old mines around here. some real wrought iron 3 steel milk crates to store stuff in the shop in and a stainless drain cover to use in my forge to cover the tuyere opening. Also two ends for a windmill's wooden sucker rod to use as pike and pole arm sockets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Also two ends for a windmill's wooden sucker rod to use as pike and pole arm sockets. You can make some fairly nice spurs using these ends. ...just another idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Yup, got the Columbian vise fixed! How would have thought it would be that easy!!?!? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Definitely one of the secrets to getting them cheap as it's an "easy fix". I have one vise where I heat shrunk in a plug in the original moving jaw pivot hole and then redrilled it to even up a vertical displacement that I didn't want to mess with the cheek plates on---lots of wear in the joint too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMoore Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 I came home from a road trip with a Cole vice (3 1/4") in perfect working order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel.85 Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Nice finds! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Sam at least some cobbler's hammers are just cast iron as I have had several break on me trying to use them on steel. The springs look like die springs and can be quite handy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeddly Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Check this puppy out!! Price was just right, and it works!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Good score Jeddly! Frosty The Lucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Just like bunion stretchers cobbler's hammers are often sold as "blacksmith tools". I think there were a wide range of qualities sold just like you see way more shoemaker's lasts than you would think were needed probably as many folks in rural areas made and repaired their own shoes---leastways up in the hills I am from! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 You can impart some nice texture to copper and silver with that cobblers hammer but be kind to it when forging on steel. Some are cast iron, some are cast steel and some forged steel, quality on all vary for xxxx poor to excellent. My mother told of her father repairing all of their shoes, after all when you have a family of 7 children you need to fix and mend all you could. Mended for the farm workers and their families too, also repaired all the horse tack too and made sure the horses were shod. However he wasn't a blacksmith, a cobbler or a carpenter but a farmer and sometimes it required you to be able to do it all just to support your family. Build a chicken coop, repair the barns, build a new outhouse, fix the farm equipment, fix or repair anything that broke, the farm and everything on it was your responsibility and if you didn't have the money to hire someone to fix it you did yourself. It's not like today where if something gets broken you call a specialized repairman to come and fix it or if the sole of shoe came off you went and bought a new pair, you fixed what you had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Pretty much every farm in Ohio has some sort of forge for doing minor repairs; but a lot of them were within travel distance of a professional blacksmith too. A lot of our memories are coloured by how things were in the rough times of the depression rather than the "boom times". Location makes a big difference too. Back in the Arkansas hills folks were often too poor to notice the depression... Farm Shop manuals are an interesting read as they try to teach the user a bit of everything---soldering, riveting, welding, smithing, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithh999 Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Heres what followed me home at the unbelievable price of $00.00 !! Blower says Champion Model 81....is that also the forge model number?? obviously it needs a bit of work and i was wondering if anyone had any info on this model or type of forge....particulary how does it get power to turn the big flywheel? There is a weighted arm under the edge of the firepot that looks like it attaches in some way to what appears to be a one way clutch in the hub of the flywheel but i dont see how the shaft is driven. Any info would be greatly appreciated !! Its possible that if i cant figure out the mechanism (all the missing stuff) that i will bebuild it to house an electric blower so that i can use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudbugone Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 You sure you didn't give too much for it ? LOL...Great score ! Shouldn't be too difficult to fix things back up so it works again... I'm sure someone here has knowledge of that setup and they'll be able to give you some directions on hooking it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironartforge Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 ...particulary how does it get power to turn the big flywheel? There is a weighted arm under the edge of the firepot that looks like it attaches in some way to what appears to be a one way clutch in the hub of the flywheel but i dont see how the shaft is driven. There should be a swivel on the arm off of the top of the forge where your wooden handle is mounted. The handle then would connect to the eye on the weighted arm and turn the flywheel. Easy enough to fab up. Then all you need is a leather belt from the flywheel to the blower. Great price you got on this one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Picked this up at the weekend, nice and heavy with 6" jaws. Its been sat outside for some time so will need a clean and some tlc but for what little it cost me I cannot complain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Nice heavy duty vice. Ya done good, Wayne. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayden H Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Champion 400, siezed Finnish vise, and a pile of old micrometers and other measuring tools, $25. (Traded for some scrap) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakwoodforge Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 2 more anvils, a 128# lakeside and a 95# no name cast iron anvil with a steel top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 LOL. Funny how things can hide from us, right there in the shop. I've found a couple of things that were a slap on the forhead and "xxxx, I forgot I had this. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayden H Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I've got a cannon ball, buts its 128mm artillery ball or maybe some type of bearing with the o.d. stamped on it, and it rattles alot when you hold it. I worry if I hit it with a hammer it may decide to explode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron woodrow Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 painted it up for the shot hey sam? :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I was at the fleamarket once and a fellow was selling mill balls for a dollar each. 3 booths up the aisle a fellow was selling the same balls as cannon balls $8 each! (He argued with me that they were cannon balls even when I pointed out they were the WRONG SIZE for any cannon used in America since the 1600's) Being associated with armour maker's I'm always keeping an eye out for balls and have crane headache and demo balls, flagpole balls, mill balls, ball bearings, shot put balls, ornamental iron balls; but not one I can say 100% was a cannon ball. And Hayden I'd be seriously concerned if that was a real one. They take out people on a regular basis http://www.military.com/news/article/civil-war-cannonball-kills-collector.html you might give some thought about turning it over to the sheriff's department for disposal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ten Hammers Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Thomas, thank you for the link. Tragic, yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayden H Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Or the local artillery vet, who I happened to have as a neighbor. He'll probably take it to the sheriff and destroy it, if they destroy it, I wanna watch it go boom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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