The back-bone to my forging press

We've used such weights a drag anchor to slow the boat down when fishing the river. Tie a short length of chain to the anchor line and the use a carabiner to attach the sash weight. Keeps the rope from being worn  by the stones and rocks.

I just bought this large pair of nippers:

They read: "Carew's pat 12, warranted forged steel" They seem to be mostly in great shape, with zero noticeable slop in the pivot. The only issue is the jaws. They are pretty beat up, and need some work:

The jaws are a separate piece from the rest, so perhaps they are removable? If not, any ideas on how to grind the jaws while they are still in place? They sure seem like they are of good quality, so I'd like to do a good job fixing them up.

Thanks!

They are probably removable with some heat and a punch but, once you grind a new cutting edge in, the opposing edges will not meet and you will not be able to cut through anything.  Unless that gizmo behind the pivot is an adjustable stop.  If it is, I would try and grind them in place with an angle grinder and not try to remove them.  They would make a good crimping tool as is or with a little modification to the"edge".  I don't know what you would crimp with it though.

Thanks Gazz. The little gizmo is indeed an adjustable stop. I decided not to try removing the jaws. I ground some of the mushrooming off with a bench grinder, but then I did all the rest just with files. I then adjusted the stop to about four thousandths of an inch before the jaws hit. It now cuts through 16 gauge steel fencing wire like it's barely even there, and medium sized nails with only moderate pressure. I'm quite happy with them now.

 We sometimes get so obsessed with modifying tools for blacksmithing purposes that we forget how effective they can be in their original uses. 

I'm not entirely sure what you mean. Are you saying that I should have left the jaws all chewed up? I'm pretty sure that the chewiness was from someone misusing them. I don't think they were originally like that.

I’m saying you did exactly the right thing, restoring these nippers to their original use rather than trying to convert them to something that wouldn’t work as well. 

I agree. An indispensable tool to have in my opinion. I have a long and short handled set in my tool box. 

Edited December 29, 20187 yr by Mod34
Don’t quote the comment immediately preceding yours.

A longtime friend bought a property recently, and asked me if I wanted some stuff that she wished to have hauled off. "you mean that RUSTY stuff over there, and there, and there?" Oh my Weakness!

A 10# sledge was used liberate the heavy-walled pipe fence posts from their concrete - some needing a bit of scoring with a chisel.  Turned out to be the easiest part of the job.

Two 5' lengths of Ø6" x 1/4" wall steel tube.

American Standard Beam - S8 x 18.4 (8" "deep" x 4" wide & 18.4# per foot), 20' long and 2 each. Each beam weighs 368# (~167 kg) - Too long for the trailer and too heavy for me. Just manageable at 12' @ 220#; and 8' @147#

I can still lift and carry 150# right before lunch, but just barely after all of that sledging. thank goodness for wheels, rollers, and a bit of still-viable grey matter.

Just a note for those scrutinizing my torch cut:  That cut could be a lot smoother. for one so out of practice as I, using a #0 instead of a #1 would likely have yielded better results.

Unloaded in the dark, 38° F, howling wind, rain, and  mud. Thanks to Dean, the Volunteer who insisted that we unload, him in T-shirt, shorts, and sneakers. what an Animal!

Be Safe, Robert Taylor

Roberto,

What a find!!

I suspect that the materials will find a good home in your upcoming house addition. (or workshop).

Could I be living in the wrong part of the U.S.A. ?

SLAG.

p.s.  I am still recovering from 2018.

A friend of mine asked me to help drag a dead tractor home for him over the weekend which turned out to be a fun adventure. I managed to pick up a couple coil springs, an old 30 pound propane tank, and a couple of mild steel ASO’s. I also managed to snag a post vice from another buddy as well. A couple pictures of the spoils. We felt like Sanford and son pulling out with our load. 

Nice score on the leg vise! Don't get too carried away with the coil springs, the stuff is everywhere and it's easy to let it take over the back 40. An ASO is something that's only Shaped like an anvil but isn't one. Those steel blocks you salvaged ARE anvils if you hammer stuff on them. It's pretty easy to collect more old propane tanks than you'll ever use or the wife will let you alone about too. 

Sounds like a good time. 

Frosty The Lucky.

I just recently started smithing and am currently lacking tooling, so the coils spring will turn into punch’s and drift farely soon. The #30 tank might be a future forge. All of these were free so the price was right.

Fowllife, thats some good useful stuff. A true sanford&son moment is when you have the pickup bed loaded high and the suspension is being taxed lol. I've been there a few times. That load doesn't look too junky to me. Probably was a good bit of weight tho. 

Well, you can’t see the 32’ aluminum extension ladder on the other side. If it wasn’t for the garden tractor with a front end loader in the bucket of the skid loader I probably would have had a pair of trailers stacked on there somehow. It was pretty close to 16k pounds, but balanced good and the truck handled it with ease. 

Found this in my barn today, i think it is either a finish nail, paneling nail, or maybe a wire brad.

Mine bolt made into a pick?

Ah, nut end looks welded on. I'll go with a finish nail. 

Definitely a hat pin

No it’s a staking punch for a pocket watch

I drive a log truck for a living and the other day I found this little beauty hanging on the ticket box.

I'm going to re-handle it and probably put a rounding face on it. 

Don't know what this will turn into ......yet!

14X99 @13' (2 EA. at 6.5'). Two each 12X12X1/4" tube.All for 300 bones.

Good potential, whatever it becomes. 

Nice score Peppie. Wheels turning, turning, turning. BLINK  Besides a good start on a forging press frame I see a nice quench tank if the mostly squarish piece of plate covers the end enough to not leak. IF you can run a weld bead that doesn't leak that is of course. 

Whatever you do with it, it's good material to have on hand.

Frosty The Lucky.

I am working on running a bead.... but can't say I am to the point of leak free.

Only been playing with steel for a little over a year, but I am getting there.

Got some smaller square tube for a quench tank. ( still practicing my leak free bead).

As for what the I beam will be used for??? Thinking a good excuse to build some  type of crane to move them.