Built a press and WOW - it makes welding easy: UPDATED WITH PICS

[Bobby Urban]

I know, I know - photos are necessary but I did not have my camera at the shop.  Just wanted to say that with a press getting solid welds becomes easy as compared to all my failures pounding layers together.  

We built a small 50 ton press out of a metal muncher at the fab shop.  Actually just made smooth dies fpr the angle cut off and gave it a whirl.  My welds took real easy and I have a new damascus(forge welded) blade in process.  

The opening is pretty small because it is fabbed up out of an angle muncher so the mouth is only about 2x4 but for small knives and cable it works sweet.  

For those that are struggling to get consistant welds I strongly recomend a press to get them set.  Makes life so much easier.

Here is the "iron Worker" - we converted the center part(angle chopper) into a press by building smooth dies.  
*a couple pics of the shop, forge, power hammer and some of the many anvils laying around.  That ball behind the big anvil is solid and about 16" across.  My buddy builds custom iron fences and you can do some cool stuff with a round anvil.
*I also added a pic of some of my recent works in progress.  The knife blade is just a teaser to see what kind of pattern I am getting and I think it may be a nice one.  The top piece is a cable billet I made today.  I am not sure what I will find inside regarding cold shuts and junk but I am sure there is a decent blade in there.  
 
 
 
 
 
 

[snakewood3]

Sounds neat, would like to see some of the damascus you produce, particularly the cable.

[mater]

Id like to see pics also. Ive welded cable many times and am tired of pounding.

[Bobby Urban]

If I get to the shop this weekend I will take some pics of my press but it is just a steel fab shop tool that punches holes in steel for fabrication and has a muncher for cutting angle iron.  I think they call it an "iron worker" but I call it the muncher.  It is all hydrolic and uses a foot pedal control.  I need to fab it so that my press has a larger surface area and to gain a little more control with the pedal.  I would like it to just come down and set the weld but currently it smashes pretty much into a 1/2 flat so I have not yet been able to turn my billet on it's side and go in the other direction which would help in making a nicer pattern.  Or at least having more pattern control.

Leaning as I go but the esentials are there, I just need to tweek it.  Point is, welding with a press is so much easier.  For me at least.

pics will be fourthcoming.

[srtben]

We have several of those Ironworkers at my workplace, I eyeball them every time I walk by.  

[mater]

You have alot of cool stuff.  And that knife blade came out well also.