GruffaloGriff

Well i bought a ram.......think it is big enough? 6"bore! 200 bar should give 36 tonne if my calcs are right. P1090483 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr

Very capable looking knife. Nice Job!

Don't have an account but was thinking of joining so that may spur me on.

fantastic! I would love the spec on that press. Motor size, pump flow rate etc. Definitely on the cards to make.

Superb! I like the extra curve on the sambar.

I didn't have the time..... so i bought one.

Nick Argi is the guys name that makes them. He had an ebay shop but i don't see any of his at the moment. google him there is plenty of info out there. General consensus is his is one of the best value for money machines. I got mine second hand and it was already fully upgraded with a 3 phase 2hp motor running off an inverter/ speed controller so it is infinitely speed adjustable and plugs into a 240 volt supply. Also had various radius wheels etc with it. Can't remember but think it was £450-500 ish....it was a good deal anyway for what it is. Probably about half the price of all the kit new from Nick. Same spec branded machine new and you won't get much change out of 2k. Easy enough to make if you have the time and inclination. Plenty of info and plans out there and wheel kits available to buy.

2 x 72 belt grinder by "Nick the Greek" PICS HERE

Yeh this bloke makes a press from a cheap log slitter Link think i would go a bit bigger though. Or a scrappy power hammer might be a cheaper build. Scrappy hammer.

Yes first canister weld i have tried. Seems to have worked ok. A hydraulic press or a power hammer i think will need to be on my short list of projects!

Had it fired up again today trying a bit of chain Damascus from a motor bike chain.

Aye Jok, even mad enough to have a shave with that cut-thought razor you gave me! Sharpened up pretty good!

It is an idea that has been floating around in my head for a while....using wast oil to fire a forge up to welding temp. Anyone that does much forge welding knows fuel is expensive! I was looking to keep it as simple as possible so gravity fed fuel and low pressure air with no fancy nozzles to get clogged. This is the solution i came up with. Based around an old propane bottle. Filled with water and cut top and bottom off. P1090436 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr">P1090437 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr">P1090438 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr"> Brake disk welded on vent end and an old chimney pot for the inner skin. P1090440 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr">P1090442 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr">P1090443 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr"> Ceramic wool on the inside of the door, base and between the pot and the steel bottle. P1090444 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr">P1090445 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr"> Painted rigidizer on the ceramic wool on the door and around the pot, layed a piece op polythene on and closed tight and let it dry. The pot was left 20mm proud so it pushed into the wool and formed a checked seal. P1090446 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr"> Cored a hole through the lot for the burner. P1090447 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr">P1090448 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr"> Burner 50mm scaffold pipe with stainless milker nipple nozzle on the end. Something like a 8mm steel pipe down the middle for an oil feed. Initially i left the end of the air pie restricted thinking it would spray the oil better but it restricted the air flow too much so i cut it back to nearly full bore. P1090449 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr">P1090450 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr">P1090451 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr">P1090453 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr">P1090454 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr"> After first fire the chimney pot is cracked but still in tact. I put o piece of stainless steel 6mm plate in the chamber where the oil lands. This needs to be red hot for the oil to vaporize and ignite. The first burn i just threw some paper and sticks in and lit them up then started injecting oil and air. For the next burn i added a quick hitch point pr a propane line to pre-heat before starting the oil injection. P1090455 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr">P1090456 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr"> Pics of the assembled unit. Waste oil holder is just a plumbers gas bottle with the bottom cut off and a simple tap to control the oil flow. P1090457 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr">P1090458 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr">P1090459 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr"> Here she is on her maiden run at forging steel. Ever optimistic i went for forge welding straight off. About 12 strands of bed spring and 4 strips of file welded in a bundle then forge welded like a cable weld, twisting them together. These pics are all with the burner shut off, just the after glow! P1090462 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr">P1090463 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr">P1090461 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr">P1090465 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr">P1090468 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr">P1090469 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr"> This thing pumps out insane heat. After running at welding temps for a couple of hours it has actually started to melt the fire-clay chimney pot! May replace it with fire-bricks or refractory, but will wait till it disintegrates, P1090470 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr">P1090471 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr"> In summary: The whole thing was built entirely from scrap.The fuel is even free. The only thing i paid for was the ceramic wool and welding rods. Best used outside. It burns surprisingly clean but i wouldn't chance running it in an enclosed space. The blower is an old variable speed hoover...again off the dump. It pumps out insane heat but is quite adjustable. It will light up again without pre-heat half an hour after the previous shut down....just turn on the oil and air. Finally here is the forge welded Damascus blank. P1090474 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr">P1090473 by Terry Griffiths, on Flickr">

Ferric chloride is what you want for etching Fleabay

Thats what home made knives are all about. Have a go then have another go. We all start somewhere- those are both as good as my first knife. Keep at it lads.