Michael Posted October 1, 2021 Share Posted October 1, 2021 I've had all the parts to set up an oxy propane torch for months now. Regulators and torch from a PraxAir exchange deal, hoses from Amazon, Oxy tank from an estate sale last March, 30 lb propane tank from the local supplier, (the gas forge drains the 20 lb exchange tanks too fast). But no cart. Local salvage yard had this wide one out in the yard with a $150 tag on it for a few months. Walking thru after donating some stuff the other day, didn't see it, 'someone must have bought it finally' Poked around behind some lawn furniture, it's still there! Untangling the cart from a cafe table and rolled up to the check out, 'how much?' '$50' , and into the truck it goes! Could probably use the next sized propane tank, but this will get me started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted October 2, 2021 Share Posted October 2, 2021 Me, my wife an my toddler Went to the junk ranch festival in prairie grove Arkansas today an walked around for an hour, didn’t see anything worth what people were asking there, As we came back through Lincoln she suggested stopping by a small resale store, she got a big heavy cast iron stand with a brass sundial on it an a old milk can, I nosed around an found a no name post drill that’s missing some parts but all the gears an body casting were in pretty good shape, I asked the guy if he had more blacksmithing stuff an he took me to the back building and dug through a box an handed me a pair of v bit tongs in pretty good shape! there was also another post drill back there, a silver manufacturing company model advanced 13, everything was complete with no missing parts and it turned over smoothly, the only thing I found wrong with it is the fly wheel had been repaired but I passed on it, sorry I didn’t think to get pictures of it until after I left they had it priced a $100 but came down to $75 after I spent some time looking it over, I may wait another weekend or two an go back an see if it’s still there an if it is I’ll offer $55 or $60 Anyways today I bought the no name post drill an the tongs instead, both for $35 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted October 2, 2021 Share Posted October 2, 2021 Nice tongs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted October 2, 2021 Share Posted October 2, 2021 Thanks JHCC, the guy wanted $35 for the post drill and said he would throw the tongs in with it for that price so I took the bait lol, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted October 2, 2021 Share Posted October 2, 2021 Oh, $35 for both? I thought you meant $35 each. Even better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted October 2, 2021 Share Posted October 2, 2021 Lol, sorry for the confusion, those tongs are in nice shape but I wouldn’t have gave $35 just for them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted October 2, 2021 Share Posted October 2, 2021 I just paid $35 for a pair of tongs at Quad-State, but those were a lovely pair of 1/2” V-bits from littleblacksmith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted October 3, 2021 Share Posted October 3, 2021 JHCC, that’s definitely a horse of a different color! I wouldn’t mind paying $35 for something hand made by a someone I had interactions and conversations with to support them and their shop! but just buying tools from random junk resellers is a different story! I tend to be a bit skimpy an cheap when it comes to those guys lol, personlly I thought $35 was a bit much for that post drill but I let myself get suckerd in when he tossed in the tongs I wanted lol, I know good an well that he had maybe $10 bucks in both tools at the most, that’s the reason I rarely go to junk shops because I can normally find tools in their wild habitat much cheaper lol that all being said I really enjoy to haggle so sometimes it’s fun to go to junk shops at least couple times a year just to keep them on their toes lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad J. Posted October 3, 2021 Share Posted October 3, 2021 The other day I stopped some scrappers to give them a roll of fencing that was taking up space and they got a look in my shop. Yesterday one of them stopped by and dropped off a couple axle shafts, a hex shaft and a small leaf spring pack off a 32 ford rat rod. I offered to pay him for it and he refused. I'm going to hook him up with a few hand forged items as thanks I think. I was also invited over to his place where he had plenty of scrap I can choose from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted October 3, 2021 Share Posted October 3, 2021 We have a saying "pictures or it didn't happen" gotta know we love pictures. Years ago a friend of mine was cleaning and rotor-tillering a garden spot out behind his place. It was a buggy shop back in the late 1800s then converted to a residence around 1960. His tiller started hitting buried steel. He came up with about a dozen buggy spring leaves and a lot of old wrought iron pieces, which he gave me. That all happened before I joined IFI and I think I used the last spring leaf to make a spring for a post vise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted October 3, 2021 Share Posted October 3, 2021 That’s a pretty cool story Irondragon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 3, 2021 Share Posted October 3, 2021 Ahhh, the venerable roto-tiller the Red Neck's metal detector! Good story, thanks. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chester5731 Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 I acquired this last week. 54 inches tall and almost 16 inches at the base. About an inch and a half at the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jobtiel1 Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 Very cool! What do you plan to use it for? ~Jobtiel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 Im jealous! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 Some smiths use those as a coat hanger. I use mine to round trivet rings after forge welding them. However it seems that no matter how large of one you get there is always a project that requires a larger size to true against---I had one where I used a wagon tyre to true a curve against. My scrapyard find Saturday was a large Wilton drop forged steel C clamp in great condition. 20 UScents a pound! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jobtiel1 Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 Man that must've been quite the curve then. I can imagine always needing a bigger one. I went from no drill press, to buying a small one, to wanting a larger one! ~Jobtiel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 One tip I picked up somewhere is that pieces don't have to be worked horizontally on a cone mandrel. If you angle your workpiece downwards on the cone, you can shape much larger curves, although these are technically arcs of an ellipse rather than of a circle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chester5731 Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 Not sure how much I will use it but I thought about letting the neighbor kid wear it for a dunce cap. Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 Generally cast iron and so a bit fragile for the neighborhood dunces where I have lived! I do have a smaller version that is steel and rings LOUDLY. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.J.Lampert Posted October 5, 2021 Share Posted October 5, 2021 On 9/22/2021 at 6:27 PM, Frosty said: A few years ago we got quite a few lightning storms and it's rare to hear distant thunder here. A tree was struck between our place and a neighbor down the hill about 120'. I was awake watching out the window, I've always loved thunderstorms. I felt the close strike before I saw/heard it. Well I heard it too, my hair stood on end and I heard a strong buzz that turned to a crackle then CRACK/FLASH BOOM. Shook the house and sent birch splinters flying for a ways. WAY too close! Frosty The Lucky. my father had a similar experience the worst i had was a strike close to school when we(me and some friends) was messing around the baseball backstop the strike was enough to stand the hair on you neck we where immidiately ordered away as that wat the largest medal object for quite a ways On 9/27/2021 at 12:21 PM, TWISTEDWILLOW said: Oh deer! You guys are at it again lol well yes its open season for those who doe like buck meat On 10/1/2021 at 11:04 AM, Michael said: I've had all the parts to set up an oxy propane torch for months now. Regulators and torch from a PraxAir exchange deal, hoses from Amazon, Oxy tank from an estate sale last March, 30 lb propane tank from the local supplier, (the gas forge drains the 20 lb exchange tanks too fast). i use a 20 30 and have a filled 100 but haven't done enough to need it hopfully this winter it will be needed M.J.lampert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted October 6, 2021 Share Posted October 6, 2021 Nothing to do with the forge but thought ya'll may like this. Went to my parents today and got these. Sorry about quality lighting on the old things is pretty bad. But the first, that guy on the right in the boonie hat is my dad in Vietnam. I could not get all three of the guys in the second but the guy on the right with the mandolin is my grandfather when he was in Italy during WW2. No he did not play, they had found the instruments and just posed for the picture with them. I did not want to take them out of the frames becuase they have been in those frames for i know at least 50 years. Afraid i would damage them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted October 6, 2021 Share Posted October 6, 2021 I have a family member who works as the head of archives north eastern state university in tahlequah, and one of the things they do is restoration an preservation of old photographs, and sometimes they hold a public open house thing we’re people can take their old photos to get fixed up, If you ever want those photos spruced up id suggest taking them to a local university archives department and see if they have anyone specialized in antique photograph restoration, but I agree if it was me I wouldn’t be brave enough to mess with my family’s old pictures myself, I’d definitely leave that to the people who do that for a living, there’s even a emergency femma group across the country that is trained to save old photos and paintings in the event of a natural disaster, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted October 6, 2021 Author Share Posted October 6, 2021 Photograph the old photo and import it into photoshop. Adjust the sliders to your preference. You never touch the original. Photoshop can do wonderful things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purple Bullet Posted October 7, 2021 Share Posted October 7, 2021 ...and if you don't want to pay the outrageous subscription or purchase the full-blown version you can download a free, open-source program called GIMP that will also do wonderful things. Interface is not quite as slick, but like anything else, you learn it and it will perform for you. Learn more here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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