Above 1200 Sq/FT Cleaning Up My Shop

[Guster]

You can usually drive more than one SSR off the same PID. Tho that photo of the kiln with the furnace pieces is very deceptive - that kiln is huge!

Funny enough I took delivery of an SSR yesterday too. Picked up a microwave transformer, digital timer and some B&S2 battery cable to make a spotwelder with. Just hunting around for some copper to make the electrodes with.

I have a few Saturdays from tomorrow but kids are on school holidays and will need some entertainment. Big polar storm front rolling up the country with snow down to sea level for most of the southern parts. Tempted to take them for a drive to Tongariro or Ruapehu(semi active volcano) so they can experience some snow flurries. But the best part is that due to 'poor planning' on my part, taking Monday off has paid off as the kids are now staying with the in-laws, wife is at work and I have a full uninterrupted day of QST.

All's well. That's good. Take Saturday off to relax.

Hey now... Andy's finally tidying up his shop! Don't go getting him all confused again.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Andy I'm glad to hear the good news! And as always, great job.

Thank you! It is nice to get a year's reprieve!

Thanks for the kind words

Wow. That's a lot of stuff to tear out for an A/C install. Definitely worth saving! Condition looks great, too.

I thought they kind of over did it. Everything is straight and clean with minimal surface rust except the heater core housing is bent a bit on one flange. Not hard to straighten.

Hey, all i can say is "karma means that they find something new every day." And that is what makes hope so good!

Andy, your tool board is looking great.

Mine has taken several iterations and I am still not happy with them..

Regards

Thanks! I don't spend much time planning and just live with the results. But I'm easy to please.

Heater parts for a '57 you say, now I wonder who I know that has one of those.... I actually think I have all of the parts for my heater but will let you know if I need some. Also glad to hear the checkup went off without a hitch and not too big of a pain in the rear.
JB

If you do need something please let me know. I think the generator may go on the show truck, however. Interesting bit of trivia. Since I grew up in the early sixties all cars had 12v generators. And had since 1955. As far as I was concerned 12v generators were the standard. I have a young friend who thought all generators were 6v and they changed to 12v with the alternator. In perspective, 6v generators were around for 30 years, 12v generators for 7 years, and alternators, so far, for 54 years and counting. It surprised me that the reign of the 12v generator was so short in the big scheme of things.

Yeah, I had a comfortable ride home

All's well. That's good. Take Saturday off to relax.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm allergic to laurel.

So I try not to rest on my laurels.

Thanks for the visit

You can usually drive more than one SSR off the same PID. Tho that photo of the kiln with the furnace pieces is very deceptive - that kiln is huge!

I understand the PID can trip more than one SSR. But you have to have more than one SSR. I had two and fried one And I've spent months getting the pieces together. I think I cast the furnace pieces in April. And I'm trying to cook the refractory today. So I'm making do. Story on the kilns, I had a friend who gave another friend her porcelain kiln (she made porcelain dolls) when she retired. Friend didn't really want it, so stored it in my shop. Fast forward twenty years and I start doing pottery from clay in my creek bed. Getting into pottery I met a lady in Tulsa with a small pottery supply store, we became friends. She calls me one day with such a deal, one of her customers wants to sell the big kiln (24" diameter by 30" high, inside) for $300. It's a real bargain, a $1,400 kiln that has never been used. They came down to $200 to induce me to buy it. I envisioned big production runs of pottery so I brought home the big one. I only fired it once to see that it worked and it sat unused for several years. Now I have a need to cure high temperature refractory at 1,500F and I have the perfect device sitting around. Sometimes it pays to be a pack rat.

Funny enough I took delivery of an SSR yesterday too. Picked up a microwave transformer, digital timer and some B&S2 battery cable to make a spotwelder with. Just hunting around for some copper to make the electrodes with.

I'm laughing. In a few months I can cast electrode material from copper wire. Do you think copper ground rod would work. I've got one I don't need, 1/2" diameter. Pop over and I'll give it to you.

I have a few Saturdays from tomorrow but kids are on school holidays and will need some entertainment. Big polar storm front rolling up the country with snow down to sea level for most of the southern parts. Tempted to take them for a drive to Tongariro or Ruapehu(semi active volcano) so they can experience some snow flurries. But the best part is that due to 'poor planning' on my part, taking Monday off has paid off as the kids are now staying with the in-laws, wife is at work and I have a full uninterrupted day of QST.

It's a shame you have time off and no kids. Well, make the best of it.

Hey now... Andy's finally tidying up his shop! Don't go getting him all confused again.

What are you trying to say?

I'm trying, my wife says I'm very trying...

Thanks for the comments, guys!

 

[oldironfarmer]

Big day today. Checked the kiln in the night as it was coming on up in temperature and realized it might get the wall behind it too hot. So I rummaged around in the dark and found a piece of roofing metal to act as a heat shield.

The heat shield is getting to 250F right behind the kiln but the wall is only at 104F (40C, I know that one).

Working on the tool board, and using some of the new tools, I came across this nice Bluegrass center punch.

I dressed the point and like I usually do, polished the point. I think it makes them penetrate much better. I also like a tiny flat on the end. For what it's worth

Like I said earlier, I was heating on two of three coils, the SSR won't drive all three. However as the temperature passed 1,000F it was taking about all the energy the two coils would put out. So I scrambled to find an alternative to keep the heat going. It was 95F here today, and 110F in my foundry room. My compressor and kilns are all on the same circuit. The circuit is good for 50 amps so I found a receptacle which fit the kiln plug (20 amp 250v) (I never use those, got it by mistake some time, I was ready to run to town to get one when I found it) so I rigged a piece of wire between the compressor contactor (it is on a separate local 30 amp circuit breaker to protect the compressor) and the kiln plug for the upper unit.

I took a deep breath and hit the breaker. It came on and the controller immediately backed off, temperature only overran setpoint by about 20F.

Notice I had to press my new dust pan into service as a heat shield for the control box. It was getting hot as the kiln passed 1,300F. I set up a thermocouple at the air discharge from the heat sink and it stayed about 115F.

Here's the sophisticated compressor connection. One of my limitations is the compressor has to be shut off during kiln operation. Not really an inconvenience, kilns don't get run all that much. Except today!

My wire was a little short so I fed it through the scale for support.

Plan is working, I opened both doors to keep the temperature down in the foundry room.

Thanks for looking in!!

Remember, you get what you pay for, and this thread is free

 

[oldironfarmer]

One more update. Went back to the shop after the kiln should have been at 1,500F. Exactly as it should be.

Unfortunately, I learned I can't photograph the display. The red actual temperature was at 1,500 and the green setpoint was also at 1,500. But in the phone the numbers continually flicker, I took twenty pictures and could never catch both of them at the same time. 10:26PM and it will shut off and I cal close up the doors and let it cool in the kiln.

Big job done. We'll see if we had any damage when the kiln is cold.

 

[Guster]

Would love a kiln, even a little heat treating oven would be nice though my workshop is as big as it’s going to be for now and even a selective pack rat like me is having to be more selective these days. If I can upgrade to a combination vertical+horizontal mill I might be willing to forgo the shaper as well as both mills and that would finally give me some much needed floorspace again.

Thanks for the offer. If I plan to come all that way for some copper I’d probably have to stay a bit longer and help with some of the ‘cleaning’. Sure there is still drywall that needs sanding or something. In fact a copper hammer is a very nice thing to have. Copper ground rod would work fine for what I am doing. Sadly they are all using copper-coated steel ground rods over here now. Some fools are even opting to pull out the copper rods to replace them with brand new(cheaper) steel ones to make a profit off the copper scrap. Melting copper down to make roundstock would also be great. I had quite a bit of copper scrap when I fixed some plumbing on the house 2 years ago. Though there are a few suppliers and even an online seller of 1/2” stock for a good price. 3.6m of it for half the price of a set of 3.75” long, 1/2” electrodes from the supplier. I have a few things I need to pick up on Friday(another Saturday) anyway.

Time off with no family around is a very rare gift indeed. Once in a year occurrence if that. I have quite a few projects that could use that level of uninterrupted commitment. Just have to keep below the radar and not end up with a day of honey do’s.

 

[oldironfarmer]

I am honored to know a gentleman like TwoBytes.

He volunteered to help me fix my photo hosting issue, spent his time and resources downloading my entire file from PB onto his site and then modified the photo names so I can just change the existing GJ description prefix, same for all pictures, and thereby post from his site.

Words are not enough to express my appreciation.

Thank you, Sir!

I and the Construction Supervisor are proud of you

My pictures are slowly beginning to reappear

Thanks again!!

 

[oldironfarmer]

Would love a kiln, even a little heat treating oven would be nice though my workshop is as big as it’s going to be for now and even a selective pack rat like me is having to be more selective these days. If I can upgrade to a combination vertical+horizontal mill I might be willing to forgo the shaper as well as both mills and that would finally give me some much needed floorspace again.

Thanks for the offer. If I plan to come all that way for some copper I’d probably have to stay a bit longer and help with some of the ‘cleaning’. Sure there is still drywall that needs sanding or something. In fact a copper hammer is a very nice thing to have. Copper ground rod would work fine for what I am doing. Sadly they are all using copper-coated steel ground rods over here now. Some fools are even opting to pull out the copper rods to replace them with brand new(cheaper) steel ones to make a profit off the copper scrap. Melting copper down to make roundstock would also be great. I had quite a bit of copper scrap when I fixed some plumbing on the house 2 years ago. Though there are a few suppliers and even an online seller of 1/2” stock for a good price. 3.6m of it for half the price of a set of 3.75” long, 1/2” electrodes from the supplier. I have a few things I need to pick up on Friday(another Saturday) anyway.

Time off with no family around is a very rare gift indeed. Once in a year occurrence if that. I have quite a few projects that could use that level of uninterrupted commitment. Just have to keep below the radar and not end up with a day of honey do’s.

I need to make a heat treating oven. I would be uncomfortable opening the top lid kiln while hot to quench a piece.

I guess in reality you only need a button to make contact with the work. Cable to that button would be suitable I suppose.

If I give you enough advice will you tell me how to make a spot welder?

Should you happen by, plan to stay a while. We could get a LOT of stuff done, and cheap supplies are readily available.

While I have never had a horizontal mill, it seems most dual use tools are not just that good. Especially when you have had a better tool.

Let me know and we'll kill the fatted calf.

Thanks for stopping by!!

 

[Guster]

That is real nice of TwoBytes!

I need to make a heat treating oven. I would be uncomfortable opening the top lid kiln while hot to quench a piece.

I guess in reality you only need a button to make contact with the work. Cable to that button would be suitable I suppose.

If I give you enough advice will you tell me how to make a spot welder?

Should you happen by, plan to stay a while. We could get a LOT of stuff done, and cheap supplies are readily available.

While I have never had a horizontal mill, it seems most dual use tools are not just that good. Especially when you have had a better tool.

Let me know and we'll kill the fatted calf.

Thanks for stopping by!!

I'll do one better and share the link to the first in a series of 3 or 4 youtube videos that inspired me. You will get an absolute kick out of it as it even involves casting aluminium though using a 3D printer for the pattern and the powder coated finish is a tad excessive even for me.
Enjoy:

Link to an image of the circuit

I found a digital timer that is all mains voltage, using a mains SSR and cooling fan so no additional lower voltage PSU is required. It is a light machine but simple cheap and effective enough for a lot of what I want to do. Portable as well. Sure you will find it plenty handy too.


First mill I used in high school after using a shaper was a horisontal mill. Way overkill but taught a lot about work-holding and setup. First few part time jobs all using large old horisontal mills with large cutters in them. When I first got to use a vertical mill in the gunsmith shop I was delighted with the sheer amount of tooling, flexibility and overall ease of use. At least until I needed to do something more serious again and realised I'll be there all night. A true craftsman doesn't blame his tools but then there is also using the right tool for the job.

There is a combination mill I have my eye on securing this year. It is about as competent as a Bridgeport for vertical use but has the horisontal spindle in the column that is sturdier than my little old Britannian. Both setups being more capable than my current machines with a slightly larger footprint than my vertical mill. These are less desirable by small businesses due to the unnecessary 'horisontal feature' and suppliers can't sell them so some are slowly being marked down and one seller promises an offer I can't resist.

Just have to convince the minister of war and finance as Lyndon so eloquently puts it. The only real detraction of these is having to switch the machine from vertical to horisontal setup. It requires a bit of room to rotate the ram 180deg to fit a arbor support. Something I'm happy to live with.

I must admit I've honestly never considered visiting the US till now!

 

[oldironfarmer]

I'm afraid TwoBytes has done more for me than I could ever repay.

2-1/2v for welding? I would not have dreamed it was so low. Cool that I have the SSR as a spare stock and can use another phone charger as low voltage power supply, assuming the timer can operate on 6v or so.

I wonder about using refrigeration tubing for the arms? It would be plenty stout and resistance should not be an issue. A guy might even just get by with MIG contact tips for the electrodes.

Thanks for passing that along. it will be interesting to see how they require the transformer, or is it just reversed, secondary/primary?

So, didn't you start out in S.A.? Then N.Z., so a visit to U.S. would round you out. Except our drains go the other way, and the sun sets in the east.

You've got me wanting an old horizontal mill now. They are cheap.

Thanks for the visit, mate

 

[oldironfarmer]

Little job for a friend today. He has an antique corner chisel which needed sharpening. He brought it to me months ago and the urge finally struck me.

Edge was damaged pretty good. First step is to grind the end square until all the chips are gone.

Didn't think to take a picture before I started. Or an overall picture.

I ground it close and planned to file it to final shape. However it was too hard for a file to cut, and I didn't want to destroy the patina by annealing it and re-heat treating after shaping. So I had to do final shaping with various stones and diamond hones.

It will work for him.

The kiln shut off at 10:26 last night. This morning it was down from 1,500F to 460F. After noon it was down to under 200F so I opened the lid. It looked good, no broken pieces on the floor of the kiln!

This morning my woodcutter was working right outside the shop. I invited him in to cut a groove into my stump. He did pretty good, I cleaned it up with a chisel and planed the top mostly smooth.

I think it is usable but may plane it a bit more. Tough planing on end grain, only light cuts. I need to try a block plane.

In spare time I'm cleaning out a spot to put the shear and English wheel. These two cabinets were in my fire. The one on the left is really not salvageable. The one on the right, however, an old computer card file, has the top several drawers free. I just can't bear to throw it away so I'm going to get the drawers freed up and use it for storage.

I moved my keg of flooring nails (100 lb keg, have no idea where I acquired it) and the bottom fell out. Only these few fell, the rest are packed in tight.

I've got enough of these nails to make a couple thousand tool boards.

Thanks for visiting!

 

[Craptain]

I think it is usable but may plane it a bit more. Tough planing on end grain, only light cuts. I need to try a block plane.

actually a low angle plane works best for end grain, but maybe you don't have one? Reason to get another tool.

 

[Guster]

2-1/2v for welding? I would not have dreamed it was so low. Cool that I have the SSR as a spare stock and can use another phone charger as low voltage power supply, assuming the timer can operate on 6v or so.

I wonder about using refrigeration tubing for the arms? It would be plenty stout and resistance should not be an issue. A guy might even just get by with MIG contact tips for the electrodes.

Thanks for passing that along. it will be interesting to see how they require the transformer, or is it just reversed, secondary/primary?

So, didn't you start out in S.A.? Then N.Z., so a visit to U.S. would round you out. Except our drains go the other way, and the sun sets in the east.

You've got me wanting an old horizontal mill now. They are cheap.

Thanks for the visit, mate

The videos show it but in short you remove the original secondary winding and replace it with 2 windings of #2 (35sq.mm.) battery or welding cable. About 2Vs but at much higher amps.

The timer provides you with consistency though many simply use a momentary switch to do it manually. The arms can be made from pretty much anything conductive. Aluminium solid round would work too. Copper contacts are preferred as they don't fuse with many other metals other than copper and its alloys. I have stainless for that if I ever need it. The SSR is just the switch between the timer and the transformer of course.

My digital timer and SSR are all 220V mains along with the momentary switch and cooling fan. Reduces the cost of needing an additional lower voltage PSU for some parts. I have all the electric components and just need copper for electrodes and some more steel or aluminium for some of the parts. The majority of the clamping components in the video were cast as well which is right up your alley.


Yes, I started in SA, came to NZ. Visited Aus, Hong Kong and many of the Polynesian islands for holiday. Wife wants to visit family in UK soon and I think I might have a work trip or two to Aus in August. Then the better half has her mind set on Tahiti and Hawaii. US would definitely make it most of the way around.

Hehehe... as far as I'm told the drains don't always go the other way. Rather that the Coriolis effect is stronger on the equator side of the subtropic lines or something like that. Gets a bit iffy on certain lattitudes. Though if your sun sets int he east I'm afraid you've been falling(or kicked) out the wrong side of the bed in the morning all this time.

The refractory came out well. Look forward to the new furnace build.

 

[dlcwent]

Hehehe... as far as I'm told the drains don't always go the other way. Rather that the Coriolis effect is stronger on the equator side of the subtropic lines or something like that. Gets a bit iffy on certain lattitudes. Though if your sun sets int he east I'm afraid you've been falling(or kicked) out the wrong side of the bed in the morning all this time.




The refractory came out well. Look forward to the new furnace build.

Couldn't have said it better myself, as a matter of fact, I couldn't have said it at all.

Just passing through again.

 

[xtremek]

BTW, thanks for posting about the HF e-wheel anvils. When I read that, I got off my **** and went looking for some for my e-wheel. Turns out there were only 4 sets in the lower peninsula. Now there are only three. Thanks for the back door warning.

 

[jbmatth]

Great work on the refractory curing, looking forward to the furnace build as well. Now this spot welder build has me intrigued as well, I never thought about them being that low voltage but it sounds right knowing how much amperage is required to get the metal that hot.
JB

 

[oldironfarmer]

actually a low angle plane works best for end grain, but maybe you don't have one? Reason to get another tool.

I was making pretty good progress, the plane is sharp. But it is tough going. The only low angle planes I have are block planes. And I've never gotten proficient at adjusting them. Seems to take me forever to get one right.

However you are right, I need more tools Different than want

The videos show it but in short you remove the original secondary winding and replace it with 2 windings of #2 (35sq.mm.) battery or welding cable. About 2Vs but at much higher amps.

Two turns, I should have the patience for that. I have not taken the time to watch the videos yet, but it is in the works.

The timer provides you with consistency though many simply use a momentary switch to do it manually. The arms can be made from pretty much anything conductive. Aluminium solid round would work too. Copper contacts are preferred as they don't fuse with many other metals other than copper and its alloys. I have stainless for that if I ever need it. The SSR is just the switch between the timer and the transformer of course.

Thanks for the additional information.

My digital timer and SSR are all 220V mains along with the momentary switch and cooling fan. Reduces the cost of needing an additional lower voltage PSU for some parts. I have all the electric components and just need copper for electrodes and some more steel or aluminium for some of the parts. The majority of the clamping components in the video were cast as well which is right up your alley.

I'm going to stick with low voltage control to match what I'm keeping in stock for the kiln control. A spot welder will be nice to have. Yes cast aluminium is right up my alloy.

Yes, I started in SA, came to NZ. Visited Aus, Hong Kong and many of the Polynesian islands for holiday. Wife wants to visit family in UK soon and I think I might have a work trip or two to Aus in August. Then the better half has her mind set on Tahiti and Hawaii. US would definitely make it most of the way around.

Oklahoma is a prime holiday spot, you know. It has not yet been discovered by the international tourists. For a more in depth review read Grapes of Wrath.

Hehehe... as far as I'm told the drains don't always go the other way. Rather that the Coriolis effect is stronger on the equator side of the subtropic lines or something like that. Gets a bit iffy on certain lattitudes. Though if your sun sets int he east I'm afraid you've been falling(or kicked) out the wrong side of the bed in the morning all this time.

Yeah, I forgot to look at the drains when I was in under. Just repeating an urban myth. The sun, however, that's a different thing. If you are aware of your surroundings, and tend to keep which way is north in the back of your mind (I don't know how people who don't know geographical directions keep from getting lost. And a lot of them suffer), we in the top half look toward the midday sun and know it's going to the right. My office in Sydney looked north, right at the sun. And it was slowly going to the left, which should have been east. I knew better but my subconscious could not get used to it. The sun would set in the east every evening. So I figured you might experience the same confusion. It was unexpected.

The refractory came out well. Look forward to the new furnace build.

Thanks, I was pleased with the refractory. I can't believe it's been in the works so long. My next fear is that the new furnace will take a long time to heat up, as this refractory is very durable but has low insulating qualities. I'm not sure how much that will slow initial melt. The second a third pours, however, should go quicker with retained heat.

Hehehe... as far as I'm told the drains don't always go the other way. Rather that the Coriolis effect is stronger on the equator side of the subtropic lines or something like that. Gets a bit iffy on certain lattitudes. Though if your sun sets int he east I'm afraid you've been falling(or kicked) out the wrong side of the bed in the morning all this time.




The refractory came out well. Look forward to the new furnace build.

Couldn't have said it better myself, as a matter of fact, I couldn't have said it at all.

Just passing through again.

Glad you woke up, Dan! You're going to have to get up a bit earlier while you're staying here.

BTW, thanks for posting about the HF e-wheel anvils. When I read that, I got off my **** and went looking for some for my e-wheel. Turns out there were only 4 sets in the lower peninsula. Now there are only three. Thanks for the back door warning.

The store I went to had them on half price clearance. So I bought two additional sets. I saved big. Glad you found some.

Who knows, they may start carrying them again in a year after they think demand has picked up. They sure sell a lot of English wheels. With the small radius. Which from everything I read is the least used anvil.

Great work on the refractory curing, looking forward to the furnace build as well. Now this spot welder build has me intrigued as well, I never thought about them being that low voltage but it sounds right knowing how much amperage is required to get the metal that hot.
JB

Felt like I was back on the job with a 36 hour dryout.

By luck, I had saved an old microwave. What were the odds of that?

I'm a little concerned all that amperage going through steel will get it pretty hot, though.

Thanks for stopping in, guys!!

 

[power wagon]

andy love reading your posts,i guess a lot of us are alike, we start out cleaning our shop but only end up making more projects, keep up the good work

 

[bolensboneyard]

I find a sanding disc on a 7 inch whirly bird works well of the end grain.

 

[oldironfarmer]

andy love reading your posts,i guess a lot of us are alike, we start out cleaning our shop but only end up making more projects, keep up the good work

A sad but undeniable fact.

I find a sanding disc on a 7 inch whirly bird works well of the end grain.

I have a little rule that once I start sanding I don't use edge tools again. I take off a lot more material with a plane if I can get it to cut. But the sander is coming...

Thanks for the comments!

 

[oldironfarmer]

Not much shop work today. Did manage to get the area cleaned out for the brake. On the way I found this gem.

The end off a factory second 1-1/2" (1-7/8" OD) upset tube. Big end is 2-3/8" OD (matches 2" pipe) and ID of big end is 1-5/8". The upset end is a great piece of lathe stock for bridging gaps in diameter. I've got about five of them. Don't remember them.

Also found a real rats nest under the stack of pipe that hasn't been moved in twenty years.

No way to keep them out with the old sliding doors.

Then took the burned handles off the card cabinet. I thought they were pot metal, but they are plated copper.

Cleaned and rearranged.

Then moved the equipment into place. It will need a few lights.

I plan to put narrow shelves between the studs on the left, and sheet metal storage on the right.

 

[tym]

A sad but undeniable fact.

Yep. And I blame GJ for my ever-growing collection of tools. After all, if I *might* need a particular tool at some point in the future, better to just get it now to save the frustration, right?

 

[Bob Heine]

Andy, I don't know if my time in the Boy Scouts was helpful but I have a decent sense of direction and have that awareness of the sun's position you describe. Living in Australia was a big surprise because I got lost on a daily basis, all because of the northern path of the sun. By the time I was acclimated, it was time to move back to the northern hemisphere and I questioned my sense of direction for several years. Now the navigation system in the car or phone gets me lost much faster.

 

[madoc1]

Big day today. Checked the kiln in the night as it was coming on up in temperature and realized it might get the wall behind it too hot. So I rummaged around in the dark and found a piece of roofing metal to act as a heat shield.

The heat shield is getting to 250F right behind the kiln but the wall is only at 104F (40C, I know that one).

Working on the tool board, and using some of the new tools, I came across this nice Bluegrass center punch.

I dressed the point and like I usually do, polished the point. I think it makes them penetrate much better. I also like a tiny flat on the end. For what it's worth

Like I said earlier, I was heating on two of three coils, the SSR won't drive all three. However as the temperature passed 1,000F it was taking about all the energy the two coils would put out. So I scrambled to find an alternative to keep the heat going. It was 95F here today, and 110F in my foundry room. My compressor and kilns are all on the same circuit. The circuit is good for 50 amps so I found a receptacle which fit the kiln plug (20 amp 250v) (I never use those, got it by mistake some time, I was ready to run to town to get one when I found it) so I rigged a piece of wire between the compressor contactor (it is on a separate local 30 amp circuit breaker to protect the compressor) and the kiln plug for the upper unit.

I took a deep breath and hit the breaker. It came on and the controller immediately backed off, temperature only overran setpoint by about 20F.

Notice I had to press my new dust pan into service as a heat shield for the control box. It was getting hot as the kiln passed 1,300F. I set up a thermocouple at the air discharge from the heat sink and it stayed about 115F.

Here's the sophisticated compressor connection. One of my limitations is the compressor has to be shut off during kiln operation. Not really an inconvenience, kilns don't get run all that much. Except today!

My wire was a little short so I fed it through the scale for support.

Plan is working, I opened both doors to keep the temperature down in the foundry room.

Thanks for looking in!!

Remember, you get what you pay for, and this thread is free

andy that is a great picture of the foundry room showing both overhead doors!

jim

 

[oldironfarmer]

Yep. And I blame GJ for my ever-growing collection of tools. After all, if I *might* need a particular tool at some point in the future, better to just get it now to save the frustration, right?

Alas, you touched on a sore point. One of my joys in my younger days was walking through Sears tool department and dreaming of the tools I'd like to have. Then it got to where I would walk through and not see anything I wanted, only gadget tools were what I didn't have. You know, like the wire finger universal socket or the electric adjustable wrench. It was a sad time. Then they quit honoring Craftsman warranties so I just quit going and put them out of business.

Actually, what put them out of business was buying K-Mart. You could always go into out K-Mart and find an empty store with good values. Then spend what seemed like four hours in one checkout line with 35 empty checkout lines and ten employees standing around the Service Desk ready to provide astonishing service should any customer require same. No, we just wanted to give them our money and they would not take it until we proved we really really wanted them to take out money. As with the Harvard School of Business corporate unification plan, after a takeover each company must adopt the worst practices of the legacy companies so as to make the legacy management feel better about why their company could not succeed on it's own. K-Mart didn't have a catalog, so Sears shed that (who will make money in this day and age shipping to homes?) and Sears didn't have astonishing customer service so they shed customer service so we would be astonished at how they provide no reasonable way to pay for your merchandise. I've even been so pissed I would walk to the service desk and ask whether anyone else could run a register, and in their surprise, would tell me, no, I can help you here (and then finish their conversation with their coworker about how bad management was before actually taking my money). I guess it kind of makes you feel like a ***** to take money for service.

Hmmm, did I say sore point?

Andy, I don't know if my time in the Boy Scouts was helpful but I have a decent sense of direction and have that awareness of the sun's position you describe. Living in Australia was a big surprise because I got lost on a daily basis, all because of the northern path of the sun. By the time I was acclimated, it was time to move back to the northern hemisphere and I questioned my sense of direction for several years. Now the navigation system in the car or phone gets me lost much faster.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was disoriented. But I guess moving from the Far East would always involve being dis-orient-ed. (hey!! it's free, you get what you pay for, you want good humor pay PB)

andy that is a great picture of the foundry room showing both overhead doors!

jim

Thanks! I had lately been questioning my wisdom at putting in two doors, the west one had not been open since moving the desk in. But a little breeze on a hot day while slaving over a hot oven was grand.

Now if I can just clean up that one room my shop will practically be clean

 

[a_thiel24]

Hey Andy,

I started a thread to figure out what the tooling was that I PM'ed you about. Here are some pictures if anyone would be interested, let me know in that thread.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=365385

 

[power wagon]

Yep. And I blame GJ for my ever-growing collection of tools. After all, if I *might* need a particular tool at some point in the future, better to just get it now to save the frustration, right?

iam not blaming no one but my self

 

[drivesitfar]

Andy: i hear you about Sears and CRAFTSMAN'S tool department cause as Tim Allen used to say in his comedy acts walking in the store would make my ******* get hard.

i think the last time i bought a new Craftsman tool was a socket set in the 1980's and then a couple plastic tool boxes for my grease guns about 10 years ago.

that said my wife just found a deal on a new fridge and ordered it online. they said delivery on a certain day and kept in touch via email and text and were here on time, took the old almost broken Kelvinator (lasted 30 years here and still was working without much maintenance), and left us a working new fridge in about 20 minutes.

hope your new forge parts are nice and solid now that you've baked them (I think you've baked them cause i've seen several pictures).

Cheers

 

[oldironfarmer]

Hey Andy,

I started a thread to figure out what the tooling was that I PM'ed you about. Here are some pictures if anyone would be interested, let me know in that thread.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=365385

Some nice drills and chucks there. If we were closer I might try to make a deal. Hope someone close can use them.

iam not blaming no one but my self

Andy: i hear you about Sears and CRAFTSMAN'S tool department cause as Tim Allen used to say in his comedy acts walking in the store would make my ******* get hard.

i think the last time i bought a new Craftsman tool was a socket set in the 1980's and then a couple plastic tool boxes for my grease guns about 10 years ago.

that said my wife just found a deal on a new fridge and ordered it online. they said delivery on a certain day and kept in touch via email and text and were here on time, took the old almost broken Kelvinator (lasted 30 years here and still was working without much maintenance), and left us a working new fridge in about 20 minutes.

hope your new forge parts are nice and solid now that you've baked them (I think you've baked them cause i've seen several pictures).

Cheers

I have bought a few appliances from Sears in the last few years. Pretty good deals on lots of brands. I know they are trying but they've not succeeded yet.

The furnace parts seem to be OK, I'm ready to bake the top and bottom now.

Thanks for the visits!

 

[oldironfarmer]

Unloaded the kiln and got ready to cook the top and bottom of the furnace. They are almost as big as the kiln so I put in some firebrick for spacers underneath.

The arch (top or roof) is heavy and has to go too deep in the kiln for me to reach, so I made a little tool like holds a pickup spare tire up under the bed. That extends my reach so I can set it in one handed.

It went in nicely

The floor was cast in an old disc. I have tried to remove the disc but it was stuck tight. Today it was time. I didn't want the disc in the furnace contaminating the refractory. Tapped on it for quite a while with a small punch and it finally came loose. Next time it will get plastic film on it before casting.

Put three ceramic kiln supports on the arch and set the floor down. It was just enough higher I could set it in with both hands.

Ready to cook.

First dryout session I had the control box laying on the oven top. Less than ideal. So today I looked for some support materials. I don't know what this cover was off, but it was in my junk pile and will be better than an old car wheel.

Floor flange and pipe came from my folks house, a handicap handrail frame my dad made for my mom. Time to recycle and live on.

Start the cook at 6:00AM tomorrow and we'll finish up at 6:00PM Sunday.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Had a few minutes to assemble the English wheel. (Wife had to go to the doctor and had minor surgery on her arm, didn't take all afternoon like I thought it would)

The frame assembled very quickly, everything fit well

Finished it up in a few minutes. The frame is 2" by 4" 1/4" steel tube. I may reinforce it to make it stiffer after I get a little experience.

Couldn't help myself, I had to form a piece of scrap into a shallow one ended dish on the stump then smooth it on the English wheel. I have a lot to learn but this worked well.

That was it for today!

 

[Guster]

Customer service in NZ shops is much the same where minimum wage only attracts young kids. Having to interrupt the boys chatting up the girls to get at some stock or a till attendant or walk the full shop to find a single person there. One young lad was caught laughing at me struggling to lift a flat pack cabinet on a trolley by myself and was fired on the spot. Worst is being treated like an absolute idiot in order to get their commission on the target sale items. That earns a no return policy from me... as in I don't bother to return to that shop.

More tools!

Nice job on the metal shaping.

Here is another spotwelder build with a slightly different setup:

I like the parallel arm arrangement.

Have a good Saturday... mine is spent!

 

[bolensboneyard]

Andy, must have missed something, where did the English Wheel come from? Been thinking about making one but time is limited.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Customer service in NZ shops is much the same where minimum wage only attracts young kids. Having to interrupt the boys chatting up the girls to get at some stock or a till attendant or walk the full shop to find a single person there. One young lad was caught laughing at me struggling to lift a flat pack cabinet on a trolley by myself and was fired on the spot. Worst is being treated like an absolute idiot in order to get their commission on the target sale items. That earns a no return policy from me... as in I don't bother to return to that shop.

More tools!

Nice job on the metal shaping.

Here is another spotwelder build with a slightly different setup:

I like the parallel arm arrangement.

Have a good Saturday... mine is spent!

Performance of the help is the responsibility of the supervision. Oftimes poor supervision does not give the new help the training to perform well, or may not know themselves. They complain about online sales but for the most part I get just as much customer service online - none.

Thanks for the comment. I'll have to watch the video.

Andy, must have missed something, where did the English Wheel come from? Been thinking about making one but time is limited.

Hmmm.... it came from China. Through HF. Several weeks ago. I considered making mine buy HF was so cheap and making the large wheel is no small task, and making the anvil wheels is a challenge. In the end I capitulated for a few dollars to my favorite importer.

Thanks for stopping by, 7-15-16 was my first post on Garage journal.

 

[dchance]

Andy,
It has been a year since your first post. It has been interesting and have enjoyed what you have added to GJ. Keep posting.

Looking forward to what you make with your furnace.

I don't know that it is the only reason but the reception that I have gotten from Chick-fil-a would explain why they seem to always be busy. They seem to mean it in their service.

Dwight

 

[oldironfarmer]

Andy,
It has been a year since your first post. It has been interesting and have enjoyed what you have added to GJ. Keep posting.

Looking forward to what you make with your furnace.

I don't know that it is the only reason but the reception that I have gotten from Chick-fil-a would explain why they seem to always be busy. They seem to mean it in their service.

Dwight

Thanks! It feels goo to be one year old again Even if it is in GJ Years

I agree Chick-Fil-A seems to do their best to provide good service. And their food is good.

I also have to say that, generally, Taco Bell are good.

There are others!

 

[ajohno]

Time flies when your having fun Andy.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Time flies when your having fun Andy.

Glad to have to drop by, Aaron! And the frog says time's fun when you're having flies...

I still remember you were the first bloke to post on my thread.

Thanks for stopping by again exactly a year later

 

[oldironfarmer]

First thing this morning I got my stand for the kiln control

Mounted under the control box and started the 36 hour program to dryout the refractory pieces to finish up my new foundry furnace.

It was really nice to just start the program and know the correct ramp and hold points would be followed! The positive side of automation

 

[oldironfarmer]

So it's been a year since I started posting on Garage Journal. A great year for me, with a few bumps along the way. The greatest part is all the new friends I have become acquainted with on GJ. We are all so alike and so different! I have clocked screws for many years but was a closet clocker, I really hoped nobody noticed my fetish

A few things from 15 July 2016:

I really did not have much of a plan, just wanted more space and a cleaner shop to work in. I'm still hoping for a cleaner shop.

View down the west side of the shop 2016

Same shot a year later

Pan to the right (east)

One more pan

I had dreamed of replacing the big sliding doors with an overhead door for many years. One of many dreams come true

 

[oldironfarmer]

The broom room a year ago

And today

Sadly, this is the only room which has really been cleaned up.

The main shop room

And today

Another dream come true, getting a ceiling in this room, and with the door, it is now air conditioned.