macbruce

I've mostly heard these hammers called ''English cross peens'' or ''engineers cross peen'', which I spose would hold true for the strait peen on the right as well. The one on the left which is 1 LB I got at Portobello Rd in London for 3 quid in pristine condition, so much so I had to dress it even though I'm sure it's an antique. Makers stamp is shown.......The middle 1 1/2lb Ive had forever and have shaped more small scrolls with it than I care to remember. The 1 1/2 lb strait peen I just got for $3 at a thrift store.

I would imagine TG wire is a much higher grade of WI than wagon tire. The few little things I've made with it forge weld like buttah.... B)....

Macbruce: I've been hunting some real wrought iron wire for quite a while; interested in selling/trading some?

Just now saw this Tom.....how much ya want?

I think DST sucks, ''you don't make a blanket longer by cutting off one end and sewing it on to the other'' (old Indian saying)

These guys have the best prices and products I've ever found. I've never had one break.....

http://www.google.co...di4JV4k9xobKYTA

For awile now I've been using grade 8 bolts for lower dies, they work but the steel isn't all that great and they're a pain to cut off and grind the round in the lathe.
I've been thinking about a way to forge my own and I came up with this. Top plate; 1 1/4'' hole 9/16 thick for the head, bottom plate 1'' thick with a 3/4'' hole for the shank. Heat up a slug, put it in da hole and squish with the 25 ton H press. Not sure what tool steel I'll use when I start producing bunches of em but that's the easy part.

This explains it better than I can, and no I don't think you're an idiot..... :D ......

The first pic shows what is happening with a bending table, The work piece is off center and when the power gets put to it, it's gonna take the path of least resistence and deflect over to the right or up like in a bending table unlike pic 2 which is centered. The only solution is to try and counteract that inevitable path it wants to take.

I thought a slot top and bottom would be enough.

That's what I thought too, keep an eye on the underside of the top plate if it gets galled due to the pin reciever scaping along don't just let it go. A support underneath isn't that hard to make. I had to retro fit my first one because of this. The pin wants to lift under load because there IS deflection caused by the pin not being centered/supported like in an H press.....Just keep an eye on it for now...... ;)

So much for portable, WOW......I hope (Ican't tell from the pics) that you engineered in a means to prevent lift, If not galling will occur as the bull pin reciever travels along the the slot under load........

One problem I ran into when tapping 1/8'' pipe for a mig tip (1/4'' x 28 I think) was that the pipe was too large to cut decent threads into it. I have a small spring swage I made for tennons so I inserted maybe 3/4'' of the pipe into the tool, gave it a few careful taps and it reduced it enough to cut good threads....A brass nipple with female threads to fit 1/8 pipe may well be simpler......I once tried to solder the mig tips into the pipe and it worked pretty good until I turned it off......The rising hot air melted the solder and it droped out.....The next time I went to light the forge it was burning a tad rich... :lol:

The hook also lets you hang it from the back of a chair or the top molding in a wainscotted interior wall.

from my Google search........................


Miners lamps

www.ramshornstudio.com/miners_lamps.htm
Apr 6, 2010 – A "sticking tommy" or miner's pick is a candle in a forged holder with a hook to hang on the front of the helmet. The holder also had a point that ...

Could be used on a Christmas tree...... :unsure:

I did try making one of these when I was a Noob and gave up after several tries. They're made from one piece. Note how the candle holder in this one is a spring and the candle was captured after it was spread open with your thumb and released.

Yep, a candle holder used in hard rock mining mostly. The spike was tapped into a crack in the rock or onto a wood beam.....If you want a good hard test of your forging skills try making one that looks as good as the one in the pic, not for a newbie.....;-)

I find when using pigment based ''patinas'' which are really just paint it's more about how much you remove than how much you put on. Anybody can slop on a color, the real proof in the pudding is taking away the right amount with say steel wool or Scotchbrite to expose the metal just enough to let the observer know their looking at metal and not something that could be anything under the ''paint''.

Sorry I missed that one, ya know Omniversal-Fabricated Anvil

Ah, a Grantism! I'm honored......Unlike Grant's omniversal anvil my little bender is pretty much a one trick pony....Free form bending of small to medium stock is all I need it for.....If I need precise angle bends or get into larger material to bend and such I'll use the H frame.

Nice Job! Can you fit it with different sized wheels?

I found this 'cone' at least 35 years ago in a junkyard and paid $15 for it. It's been through more moves than I care to remember and it's always functioned just fine with a 10'' pipe. I've thought about upgrading to a fancy side draft, but it ain't broke......Hoods can be used in a couple of ways that I wouldn't try with a SD, that is if I have a small painting project or acid etch to do I can do it under my hood (cold of course) and the fumes are wisked away no problem, otherwise they get done outside. 2' above the roof is minium and may be more as per code. Never scrimp on the length, but if it's too long it will tend to cool the smoke too much which can cause drawing problems.

I enjoyed reading all these stories, they're priceless.....Thanks for sharing.

Count me in.

Well....What can you bring to the table CD? Come on....... show us a toy, there are no BATF members here....... :unsure:

Lookin good, I love hydraulic motors for twisters.........Hey wait, who said you could hijack my bloomin' thread with twisting machines! First I gotta put up with Dangerisms and now this...Man I tell ya..... :P

Speed in changing dies is really not an issue for most of us. the whole bolt on die thing comes from what you can make yourself, cheap. I have a shaper and a mill dovetails for me, if you have a drill and a welder go for it that is best for you.

I agree, changing dies fast isn't that big a deal. Being able to make say a special texturing die (top and bottom) and have them online in an hour is what appeals to me. All those guys out there who are making their tire hammers and Kinyons etc would be hard pressed to do upper and lower dovetail receivers let alone shape the dies to fit em aren't necessarily cheap. The practicality and expense are just hard to justify for such a machine. Yeesh, I must be up to my 98 cents worth by now, nuf said..... :D

I would expect die alignment to be more certain and repeatable with dovetails

You're right, but it ain't necessarily so...... When I first bought my Bullhammer it wasn't long before I started making dies for it. And try as I might, even though I tacked the dies together bolted up in the hammer before I welded them they never quite lined up again perfectly....I got to looking at other, older hammers and figured the ones with sow blocks had the advantage of moving the lower die in and out, problem X solved but I still needed to fudge a little from side to side sometimes. The upper die on bolt on's always remains static unlike dovetails which can be shifted back and forth a little.
Anyway I went on to building a few hammers and built in what I call a sow plate which operates with outrigger coupling nuts welded to the anvil through which I put bolts that capture slotted flat plates welded to the sow plate. In and out no problem and for side to side I made the slots wide enough to give me about 3/8'' (which is plenty) side to side. Loosen the outrigger bolts, give a tap here and there and alignment is perfect.... B) ......If flat dies or combo's are a teeny out no biggie but I've made some closed dies and they must be dead on.

''Stain'' is way different than a patina and easier. Sculpt Nouveau sells both.........

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=sculpt+nouveau+metal+coating&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDgQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sculptnouveau.com%2FDetails.cfm%3FProdID%3D42&ei=n6G2UP7AM4ODqgH7l4DgCA&usg=AFQjCNGcy3AXWKhQ73qcIpu_tohVTRxEpA

You're right John, how many of us put down "Blacksmith" on the Occupation line of our taxes. The reporter from Modern Marvels probably researched it very well.

I always just write in 'welder' on my taxes lest some pencil necked geek thinks I'm up to something and earmarks my return for an audit..... <_<