Calipers | Blacksmith Show and Tell | Forum

Thanks, I'm thrilled with how they came out.

Hard to judge from the first pair: I probably have 12 hours in on this. However, I have half a dozen more knobs already made up and made the knurls and gravers in that time. There's also several hours of accumulated head scratching and contemplation. I think if I did four pairs at once they would be about three hours each.

There were lots of fumbly things, like how to drift the slot in the box joint, that required several tries. (It's just a slot, so the drift keeps falling out.) So I wouldn't have the experimental/tool-making time and I would spread out some of the other costs over four sets. (I usually need a lunch break between forging and other work. I can forge all day if necessary, but I can't stop and go straight to something else. So one pair or four pairs I still only need to make the transition once.)

Of course, what I really want to make is a big pair of dividers with tool steel tips forge welded in. Those won't be ready for this auction because I have some actual paying work to do.

A look at the forged box joint. I'm probably drawing on Donald Streeter's book "Professional Smithing" for most of this project.

Cybo,

Here's a link to making the knurls: http://www.practicalmachinist......es-212670/ No threading required. Carving the knobs ought to be easier than shoving that sharpened bearing into your rivet header. Maybe not easier, but less scary.

Mike, happy to help. "Tell" is my favorite part of Show and Tell. :giggle:

Well, they were sold in the Metal Museum auction on Saturday night for 4-1/2 hours of my shop rate. I guess I'm going to have to raise my prices. :devil:

Brian Russel built a really fantastic little garden gate too. I'm all fired up to get out to the shop and finish my forge-welded willow railing now. (Brian Russel from England, not Brian Russel who imported the Sahinler hammers.)

Thanks, Stretch. Just give a shout if you've got questions.

Mike, that is awesome. I hope you enjoy using it. That's way cooler than would have thought of.

Yea, I got that double thing coming around on the second pass too. I suppose one could do the math to accurately size the blank, but you'd start cutting from the overall size instead of the pitch circle anyway, so it might not help. I've just used a single knurl roller pressed against the side of the work, did you need two for a pinch/scissors-type knurler or just to fit a commercial knurl holder?

Oh, yeah. Now I see it in your picture. Next time don't tell anyone. :happy: