Recent content by latticino

Yes, I'll take those

Tips: Final passes on each grit, just pull towards you for full length of blade then place back at plunge and repeat, no "pull/push" Sand up to 600 grit with good quality paper on a hard back block, then repeat at 600 with a leather or hard felt covered block Finish with fine or extrafine...

Yes, best is a snap test (forge down a small piece and harden in oil and/or water. Carefully snap in a post vise), alternate is spark testing to get close.

I don't know about this specific oven, but almost any oven controller can be replaced if you are willing to dig into the guts enough. Depending on the existing wiring you may need to get either a new mercury relay or solid state relay (SSR) to work between the low voltage controller switches or...

Love this idea, but still trying to wrap my head around the plate to vise connection. Are the holes in the vise large enough to allow the 1/4-20 bolts to float a bit? Is the only compression from the aluminum plates to the billet made by the springs? Thanks

Here is an older one of mine with a baby integral guard. Inspired by a 60's era small kitchen knife my folks had.

I'm curious about the handle. How are you getting those lovely parallel grooves on a curved surface? If that is just hand filing I'm very impressed.

Forging integrals isn't really as hard as you think. Using a guillotine tool like a smithing magician can help you isolate the masses without putting too much effort into it. Check out Nick Rossi's videos on the NESM channel for some good tips and tricks using the post vise as well (the...

So it fits easily inside the standard 2 x 72 grinding belt. The thickness of the scotchbright belt makes up the difference. Wish it had been my idea, but I saw it somewhere else.

I have heard of, but not personally used, an interesting budget alternative to a rotary platten: get a scotchbright belt made to a custom 2 x 70 size and place it inside your standard grinding belt so they rotate together in the grinder. Presumably the "give" of the inner belt allows for the...

Well I guess I was wrong. Best jump on this one quickly: https://www.facebook.com/groups/390450277752115/permalink/2148971805233278/?sale_post_id=2148971805233278&sfnsn=mo . It isn't mine, and I don't have any connection with the seller, but from the photos and description it should be...

I'm afraid you would be hard pressed to even build your own for that price, particularly if you include the required regulator. I am not aware of any commercial forges that cheap that I would say are ready to use safely and effectively out of the box either (note that most of the cheap ones in...

Thanks for all the great feedback. I guess I'll work on building some hand skills first. I've got an old German ball vise and a binocular scope (though I'm not sure if the latter will be effective for engraving, it certainly wasn't designed for it though it does have a bunch of height...

I did a quick search and didn't see any feedback on this type of system. Apparently it takes a rotary tool and allows use for simple power engraving. Something I'd like to experiment with, but not ready to plunk down the big money for a GRS system or the like. Anyone use one and have...

Well, I'm not sure I'd call it a "gigantic" waste of money to get a small oven. I paid $50 for the used enameling kiln I bought from a fellow student (though admittedly that was some years ago). Then I built my own larger one with a used programmable PID, some kiln elements I got from a kiln...