A Harbor Freight Moment

[DaveH]

(08-10-2013, 08:03 AM)PixMan Wrote: An English wheel in my hands would likely result more in elegantly flattened fingers than precision crafted sheet metal.

Yep, mine too, not to mention thumbs

DaveH

[TomG]

I've often wondered about that. It seems like it would be pretty easy to run a finger into a wheel or under a hammer. '

Are there a lot of sheet metal bashers out there named Stubbs?

Tom

[oldgoaly]

You might.... Well... you will pinch your fingers! should not loose any unless you have a very large diameter, wide, and heavy upper anvil, you develop inertia and that can be fun to deal with, if you are not prepared for it.
Power hammer make so much noise you know you don't want anything near those dies. With my bad shoulders, that means my nose is real close, good thing I don't stick it in everyone's business it may get in the hammer.
hf makes a english style wheel, nicknamed the "C- wheel" c= china or crap or communist, some work as is, most need help, but they can work!

[TomG]

Building one is on my list of things to do since I've hammered out way to many parts by hand. I have John Glovers plans and my design will loosely based on his. Probably a bit stiffer in the frame and foldable for storage.

Tom

[oldgoaly]

Tom that will work! John has worked with flats you need to be aware of alignment, it needs to run on the flats cause you are using more pressure than true radii. Each style has there advantages and disadvantages, you just learn what you need to know to make them work. I have both types and have done side by side tests, so instead of a internet troll who has something to sell, I tell it like it is.
I started with a Stiles-Herman fender roller to smooth a old fender and thought scale this up be able to do a whole fender! Always use the flattest lower anvil to start, untill you have done a few then you can jump a step or two. Experience is the best teacher! I've had guys over to melt metal and shape metal. Got to say it isn't that hard cause most of them have made parts in a few minutes that were perfect and they had never shaped metal before.
Here is a link to the old Metalshaper's site http://allshops.org/cgi-bin/community/co...0087878680 Unfortunately after the passing of Terry Cowan and the many lies told by a few on others site, add in the old software this site has slowed so much.
Many of the things I make are for metalshaping tools old ones and re-purposed ones, I have a pretty nice collection of old tools, if you should happen to have Tim Barton's Metalshaping series of books some are displayed in there. Tim called me to verify some info and after a couple of months he was a cussing me for coming up with so much "odd ball stuff" I went a little overboard, I wanted to clean up my lathe before making the springs, so that led to the swarf separator, then the drip pan under the lathe while it was so clean. Added a light and making some holders and organizers.... There is always something to do around here!