560Dennis Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 26 minutes ago, KWRB said: Per my 1930 Marks Handbook (3rd edition): Semi Steel is a vague trade name for various products near the border line between steel and cast iron. It is made by either addign low carbon steel scrap to the charge in the cupola or by adding steel to gray iron while in the molten condition. So we know that steel is less brittle than cast iron, and that's why you'd want to make a vise out of it. This was obviously before the development of ductile iron, and probably cheaper than cast steel. Honestly, not sure if anyone was casting steel in 1930. as for the "bar" part of it, I wonder if it was continuous-cast. Continuous casting extrusion I think of as a fairly modern practice, but I am not certain. Continuous casting is the process of making bars out of cast iron, like extruded steel bars. It is like it sounds. Molten cast iron's properties are tightly controlled and extruded in just the right condition so it "freezes" in a bar shape as it comes out the extruding equipment. It great for making prototypes of parts that are to eventually be cast. Prototype molds to cast a low quantity run of parts, especially if the deisgn is going to iterate, is very expensive. So, we just use a big ol' slug of continuous cast material (one trade name is durabar) and machine the whole thing. After all the iterations of the part that are made that way, spending money on a mold and testing that version isn't so risky. Sorry, geeking out on Durabar! That’s an excellent explanation , I’ll go with it , would take me months to come up with that ! Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KWRB Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 Just now, 560Dennis said: That’s an excellent explanation , I’ll go with it , would take me months to come up with that ! Thanks I collect old technical resource books. They complement my hobbies of collecting other old things! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
560Dennis Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 13 minutes ago, KWRB said: I collect old technical resource books. They complement my hobbies of collecting other old things! Rest assured I I admire and respect all of that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehammer Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 Hope you guys like this. New prices as of 1920. Reed, Prentiss, and Parker. I’ve never seen a vise like those Parker “combination” vises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
560Dennis Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 Wow ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinj Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 Well at least got my vises at about new cost!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandhiller Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 15 hours ago, KWRB said: well...? Pics of the anvil, my man! My Opa, Oma and my dad (he was 3), came by boat and brought the anvil with them from Kassel, Germany and went through Ellis Island in about 1923 IIRC. It is nothing special to anyone else but is priceless to me. One of my boys will inherit it someday. When they were little I tried my hand at spur making. Each got a pair with quarter with the year of their birth as rowels. As you can see, I don't have any artistic ability??, I gave it up and defer to and appreciate the more talented. It may sound corny but every time I make that anvil ring I think of him standing there many years ago plying his trade. Opa was a blacksmith by trade and first took his family to a small town south of Clearfield SD (no longer there) and later settled in Snyder NE where this next picture was taken. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehammer Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 First one is a baby vise I use to hold handles and things to let stain and linseed oil dry. Second is my go to Vise on the work bench. I won’t get started on anvils ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Sohn Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 36 minutes ago, sandhiller said: very time I make that anvil ring I think of him standing there many years ago plying his trade Yup, caused me to remember Clyde King at Lake Park, Iowa so many years ago! Sharpening plowshares. best, randy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rawleigh99 Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 More pictures of my vise and anvil. The scale of the Vise is deceptive, so I took a picture of a 2.5 gallon oil jug sitting on the mounting plate next to it. That is why I had to lower it to get a good working height. It is beast! 185 lbs with 6: jaws. it was the biggest Reed built, I believe. And here are pictures of my Peter Wright anvil. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DT Fan Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 Well since an anvil showed up, I'll add one. Threw in a pic of the forge I picked up at an auction last fall. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iowaboy1965 Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 On 4/3/2019 at 10:07 AM, Sledgehammer said: Hope you guys like this. New prices as of 1920. Reed, Prentiss, and Parker. I’ve never seen a vise like those Parker “combination” vises. For comparison i believe you could rent a house for $25 to $35 a month in 1930? Look at the board game monopoly. The house rents on them are based on house rents when game was invented which was that time period unless im mistaken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iowaboy1965 Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 On 4/2/2019 at 8:10 PM, farmallman77 said: I've got a big reed. Got a great deal on it. Need to get pics. Wiltons are junk. Between dad and I I think we have broken 5 at least. Overpriced junk. Chris Have many wiltons at work at at past jobs. Never seen one broke and considered them a good vice. Perhaps there are different grades? Or maybe too small for the job? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehammer Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 56 minutes ago, DT Fan said: Well since an anvil showed up, I'll add one. Threw in a pic of the forge I picked up at an auction last fall. That’s a pretty nice Arm and Hammer anvil. Did the forge come with a blower? I may have to snap some more pics if we are headed this direction. ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DT Fan Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 8 minutes ago, Sledgehammer said: That’s a pretty nice Arm and Hammer anvil. Did the forge come with a blower? I may have to snap some more pics if we are headed this direction. ? Yes the forge came with a blower, need to make a handle for it though. I should have mentioned in the post that anvil has been on the farm longer than I've been alive. Need to build a stand for it. My blacksmith buddy at work says I need to coat the bottom of the forge with clay to deflect the heat away from the iron. It's on my list, not going to hold my breath about getting it done this year but would like to be able to heat things up with it. There was a pretty nice leg vice at the auction I went to Saturday, it sold after I went to watch the tractors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehammer Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 2 hours ago, DT Fan said: Yes the forge came with a blower, need to make a handle for it though. I should have mentioned in the post that anvil has been on the farm longer than I've been alive. Need to build a stand for it. My blacksmith buddy at work says I need to coat the bottom of the forge with clay to deflect the heat away from the iron. It's on my list, not going to hold my breath about getting it done this year but would like to be able to heat things up with it. There was a pretty nice leg vice at the auction I went to Saturday, it sold after I went to watch the tractors. The clay won’t hurt anything but you don’t have to have a clay coating. I’ve never had trouble with mine and it has no clay. The blacksmith that taught me didn’t use it either. Still won’t hurt anything though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dumbfarmer Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 On 3/31/2019 at 12:04 PM, IH Forever said: Beer is my vice. Ice cream is mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1586 Jeff Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 1 hour ago, dumbfarmer said: Ice cream is mine Ice Cream is my vice as well!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delta Dirt Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 Re: forges Hammer & Son Farm from up in Illinois own a Champion 400 forge way off down here in Mississippi. Don't give up on me Hammer. I am gonna get it to you before Hammer, Jr. starts shaving!!?? If I remember right-------they won this "rusty/dusty" old forge for being named the top cotton producer across the entire mid-west!!!!? Not sure about Hammer--------but Hammer, Jr. is definitely one of the good guys!!!! ****** Gotta look the model number of my old Parker vise up------maybe find a date on it??? My dad had an old Marks handbook that went to my brother (an engineer) when my dad died. I used to refer to it on a regular basis--------absolute tons of information in there. I sure like those prices from 1920-----sales tax on an equivalent new item today would probably exceed the 1920 price. DD 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehammer Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 Hammer Jr turned 2 yesterday. Here he is playing with a toy IH backhoe on an Illinois farm. He has a small scale excavation business started hauling gravel from the driveway into the yard....?♂️ I think I put this in the wrong post...lol 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DT Fan Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 21 hours ago, Sledgehammer said: That’s a pretty nice Arm and Hammer anvil. Did the forge come with a blower? I may have to snap some more pics if we are headed this direction. ? Here's a pic of the blower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehammer Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 3 hours ago, DT Fan said: Here's a pic of the blower. Those are good ones. That looks nice and clean. I may even have a little info in an old catalog on them. May have to look Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehammer Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 Hopefully the OP does t mind being slightly off track here. First pic- my Great Grandfather’s forge blower. I used to use it exclusively on a small rivet forge I had. Second pic- my go-to forge. I purchased it in pieces from a blacksmith friend and built new legs, rebuild the blower, and added wheels so it can be moved like a wheelbarrow. third pic- hammers and tongs (I may have a problem ?) Fourth pic- 189lb Peter Wright anvil (Made in England)A RP buddy picked it up for me in rough shape. After 2lb of 6013 rods I had it nice again. Still rings well and works like new sitting on a red oak stump. It’s a backup most of the time. Fifth pic- My normal user anvil. 150lb Hay Budden (USA made). It has a bending jig I made in the Hardy hole (square one) sitting on an Ash stump. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledgehammer Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Was off today in the rotation so we took in a local show/sale. Not many big tractors there but lots of fleas at the market. I came home with this bruiser.... Has a cracked piece and locked up but all there and should work as is. For the price I could not pass it up. After a counter offer on my part I was headed for the truck. Haven’t weighed it but the guy was surprised I could move it by myself. It says “MFD BY AMCO ATHOL MASS 164” on one side. Other side reads “STANDARD No 95” 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmall666 Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 On 3/30/2019 at 10:28 PM, superih said: I ponied up the money for a new Wilton last year, wow what a great tool, holds tight and stays tight, amazing what I've been missing all these years! I BELIEVE WILTON IS NOW OWNED BY JET. THEY HAVE THEIR CHEAPER GRADES AND MOVE ON UP TO THEIR BEST GRADES. WILTON HAVE LIFETIME WARRENTY BUT NOW ALL MODELS.WILTON IS A GOOD VISE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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