Some new video footage....

EdCaffreyMS

EdCaffreyMS

"The Montana Bladesmith"
Nothing fancy, just some new video footage of "Orange Crush" (my 80 ton forging press), showing a "can" who's boss! :) The "can" is 4"x4"x7", filled with cutouts from accordion folding mosaic billets, and the air space filled with 1095 powder, with a 10% ratio of Nickel powder. I turned this into a "loaf", and once it's annealed, I'll mill off the "can", then slice it on the bandsaw. From there I'll be offering some of the slices for sale, and making others into blades.... since you can only post one video, I'll post the first part here..... and if you want to see more, just reply, and I'll post the other 3 parts.

[video=youtube_share;deShBD9Z4Ps]https://youtu.be/deShBD9Z4Ps[/video]
 
That's great Ed. There's always something mesmerizing about someone working with material that is 2000+ deg.

love to see more.

Erik
 
that's a big chunk Ed.
If you get a chance, I'd sure like to see how the garbage can stuff comes out.
t
 
Me too Fred! :) I think back to all those years when I was using a 24 ton press, and all of the things I can do with "Orange Crush" that I couldn't do with it..... However, I'm really glad my progression went the way it did. I learned how NOT to wreck things with the old press, and they doubly apply to using "Orange Crush".

Hopefully that "can" will be cool enough/annealed to take out of the vermiculite today, and get to milling the can off. :) (It's been annealing for two days now).
 
I watched all of the videos in the series last night. Watching that metal bend to the will of your press was amazing. I can't wait to see the finished product.
 
After taking two days in the vermiculite to anneal/cool enough to handle, I got the "can" ready to cut into slices....

First I cut the ends off.....


Then milled all the "can" off. It ended up 13 1/2" long x 3 1/2" wide x 1 1/2" thick.....


Now to spend a few hours on the bandsaw, cutting it into slices. Once I get that done, and some slices cleaned up, I'll post some pics of what the slices look like.
 
Maybe I don't need to say this, but I will :) If you're building/assembling a forging press, you simply cannot "overbuild" it. The heat, repetitions, and resulting stresses experienced by a forging press are exponentially more then the average press would ever see. EVERYTHING, especially the frame needs to be solid and super heavy duty, otherwise you'll spend all your time repairing a forging press versus using it.

I am flabbergasted when I see some folks building forging press frames out of tubing, or lighter gauge steel..... it's a train wreck in the making. With some of the "Press builds" I've seen on the web and various forums, I'm surprised we haven't heard of more injuries or deaths as a result.

I've had experience on many different forging presses, and have actually refused to use some that are in other peoples' shops because they were so under built. I was fortunate in that I learned with a smaller press of only 24 tons, before I graduated to "Orange Crush" (which is 80 tons).... had I not fully know and trusted Jim Clow (he's who built Orange Crush) I would have never considered owning it. I have to believe that many people just don't realize/understand the massive forces and dangers inherent in a forging press, and although I might sound like a "mother hen" when I talk about these things, it's only because I've seen what can happen when folks don't understand all those forces and dangers that a press can present.....especially if the press is under built. I'll end with this...... whatever you think is heavy enough for a press frame...DOUBLE IT, and you MIGHT be OK.
 
I tend to over-build- by choice.
Pure Logic:
Possible negative consequences of over-building:
1. spending more money than I had to.
2. spending a little more time than I had to.
3. ending up with a little heavier project than I had to.

Possible consequences of under-building:
Serious injury or death (and, 'injury or death' more then cancels out #1 & #2 on the first list, not to mention the cost of un-neccesary breakdowns!)
 
EdCaffreyMS said:
Maybe I don't need to say this, but I will :) If you're building/assembling a forging press, you simply cannot "overbuild" it. The heat, repetitions, and resulting stresses experienced by a forging press are exponentially more then the average press would ever see. EVERYTHING, especially the frame needs to be solid and super heavy duty, otherwise you'll spend all your time repairing a forging press versus using it.

I am flabbergasted when I see some folks building forging press frames out of tubing, or lighter gauge steel..... it's a train wreck in the making. With some of the "Press builds" I've seen on the web and various forums, I'm surprised we haven't heard of more injuries or deaths as a result.

I've had experience on many different forging presses, and have actually refused to use some that are in other peoples' shops because they were so under built. I was fortunate in that I learned with a smaller press of only 24 tons, before I graduated to "Orange Crush" (which is 80 tons).... had I not fully know and trusted Jim Clow (he's who built Orange Crush) I would have never considered owning it. I have to believe that many people just don't realize/understand the massive forces and dangers inherent in a forging press, and although I might sound like a "mother hen" when I talk about these things, it's only because I've seen what can happen when folks don't understand all those forces and dangers that a press can present.....especially if the press is under built. I'll end with this...... whatever you think is heavy enough for a press frame...DOUBLE IT, and you MIGHT be OK.
Click to expand...

well put Ed...........
 
It took most of the afternoon, but that big billet, is now a lot of smaller ones! 5 slices 13"L x 1 1/2" wide x 1/4" thick, and 5 slices 13"L x 1 1/4" wide x 1/4" thick.... the last two vary a bit just because it's so hard to control/cut 1/2" wide on a 7x12 bandsaw. I did find a good source for93"x3/4"x.035/ 4-6 tooth M42 bandsaw blades on Ebay......got 3 for $84... and if they can survive a billet like this, they're pretty darn good blades. :)

Most of these will be forged, however, if anyone is interested in purchasing some, just let me know via PM or email, and I'll finish out/etch them for you to see!



 
These look to have a unique random and cool pattern to them.
Question pm sent via tapatalk messenger.
 
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