FIXING A 1900's STEAM HAMMER! Pt. 7

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PATREON: / alecsteele
My name is Alec Steele. I am a blacksmith, amateur machinist and all-round maker of all-things metal. We make videos about making interesting things, learning about craft and appreciating the joy of creativity. Great to have you here following along!
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[@LScardino]

I know it's probably worth just buying a new hand cart, however you have done quite a few videos about trying to build something that you can just buy. Why not build your own hand truck thats much more robust, and can move virtually anything without breaking? 🙂

[@awgunner429]

Take the broken one and mill his own replacement pieces.

[@The_Keeper]

If he manages to make a cart that is decent quality and durable, its probably cheaper in the long run.

[@-lone.wolf-]

Because its gonna take him a million episodes to finish this power hammer first!

[@michaeltilly6208]

Good idea

[@mincwell42]

Damascus hand truck, with gemstones!!!

[@farmer-jon]

Alec: the top of the milling machine will rotate on the base and the ram/neck can move in and out. It’s for drilling holes on things that will not fit on the actual table. Meaning you could effectively drill and mill on something large NEXT TO your mill by rotating the whole top, putting in a dovetail cutter or facing mill, then use the actual ram/neck portion on top of the base to mill along an axis. It would do everything you need to do and given the weight of your part you could probably just build a structure to support it and them shim it with door jam shims or nuts welded onto the support structure and then use bolts to level and lift for multiple passes until it’s right. It would be a bit of a pain but you could definitely pull it off for less than a couple of grand.

[@mattknowsnothing]

Good idea👍

[@qulizaftiunigal6900]

I would love that❤❤

[@leftaroundabout]

For bonus points, replace the wooden wedges under the mill with styrofoam ones before doing this. The precision will be amazing!

[@stevenwest1494]

8.21 you can see that. Interesting.

[@alexwolford2084]

I don't know if his mill top rotates I think it's just forward and back. I mentioned the same thing before reading your comment. I like it if he can though.

[@Nebuloe]

I do inspections using the penetrant dyes on welds. You need to clean the surface with a rag with the cleaner. And then you can apply the penetrant with a brush or just spray it. Then wipe it down with a clean rag, you can spray some cleaner on the rag and wipe it down too. You want to get rid of almost all the penetrant. The penetrant will travel into cracks and even when you wipe it away it will still appear to bleed. The developer will highlight it, you might want to shake the developer and spray some to the side before applying it on the metal. You want to pray it on enough to cover it but not soak it. And let it dry all the way and if any indications show up they will show very obviously.

[@timtelles997]

Your Bridgeport mill's head and ram can 360*. Rotate your mill head and ram 180* to the back side of the mill. If you fixture the anvil at a heaight that you can reach it with an endmill, if your ram has a rack drive, you can mill very large parts on the floor behind the mill. Or you can buld a fixture to move it in the X & Y direction at the right height. Light cuts only Also you need a simple email address for all of us that don't use twitter and instagram.

[@antoniodeanda2991]

This is brilliant. Like para que Alec lo vea

[@joshmason8766]

I agree and make the mill more sturdy by bolting it to floor

[@absynthminded]

Alec: ' I want to try this myself to avoid spending money' Also Alec: 'I just spent all this ridiculous amounts of money to destroy modern power tools.'

[@jamescollier3]

right. bought them. opens box. destroys them

[@kedrickswain6509]

Considering those blades are available in the size for that saw….

[@dakotareid1566]

@@kedrickswain6509you can also just buy a metal blade

[@tysonkoehn1]

Black and Decker tools are cheap kids toys. I bet he spent less than $100 US total for both saws.

[@malloystiggles5087]

alelelele😛🤪😛🤪😛🤪

[@BloopTube]

Ah god we are gonna turn Alec into a proper machinist by the end of this

[@patrickselwood]

Or he's gonna put an end mill in a router...

[@BloopTube]

Hey if you can still count to 21 when you leave the shop how bad can it really be?

[@they-call-me-mister-trash847]

@@patrickselwood I mean... if it works.

[@Dr.Cosmar]

I am a fan of scheduled uploads. Most of us over the age of 26 remember a time when we could count on our favorite show coming out.

[@matthewf1979]

Tack weld a jig onto the anvil with X & Y linear guide rails for the grinder. Build a tool holder for the grinder using the handle bolt holes and a clamp for the rat tail. Think surface grinder, but powered by hand.

[@Vikingwerk]

I suggested something like this last week. I suspect he choses the hard way just for content 😂

[@noahtittle1233]

I was thinking the same of using a jig but instead of a grinder use a router. Then you could plane it flat and then put the router on an angle and cut the dovetails.

[@opendstudio7141]

That base anvil may be ductile iron, not steel.

[@jmeyer5able]

@@noahtittle1233when he said he was getting a cup grinding wheel my first thought was he could build a router sled. Super common setup for wood working.

[@stephenhurley4296]

@@Vikingwerk i too tried to suggest something like this but with much less accuracy or grasp of technical language

[@r0llinguphill483]

Can't you find a lovely old retired machinist who can tell you war stories over tea while giving you guidance? You find out a train yard that has, effectively, the same gear you have, you found a shop that does grinding you need done...there has to be some old codger who would love an opportunity to sit in a shop and spout wisdom while sipping tea.

[@andrewadams4000]

Sounds like a half decent podcast idea

[@Dirty_Bits]

Regular vids are awesome. Please consider bringing back the live stuff from time to time. Really miss that spontaneous creativity.

[@Zach010ROBLOX]

I will say its worth remembering Alec is a blacksmith by training and not a machinist. That said, he gets by, even if he destroys his endmills in record time :P

[@Zoso14892]

Are you a trained machinist? If so, how distressing do you find his "almost, "nearly",etc? I imagine it must make people squirm!

[@Panicagq2]

Skookum! Nice to hear a bit of native Chinookan from the Western US has gone across the pond....

[@tonychristney2728]

I know right? That was not a word I was expecting on this channel!

[@sethbracken]

The globe spanning influence of AvE.

[@adriaantichler9420]

I caught that too - maybe it was the time he spent in the other workshop in the US?

[@johngraves9201]

Someone has been watching the AVE broadcast from the frozen shithole of Hoth

[@fitnessandfirearms7503]

Alec AND Jamie. Love the consistency, filming and editing. I've never been one to complain about long lengths in between videos. Been following for 9 years now. Whatever you upload is always an entertaining and informative treat. Keep up the passionate awesome work gentlemen. Need a colab with Sir William soon!

[@feelthepayne88]

We had a Bridgeport at my last job that was very similar to yours. It drove me nuts that it wasn't level or stable. So I took two 3/4" thick plates about 4" wide and maybe 3ft long, drilled and tapped them to fit the mounting holes in the base of the mill and drilled and tapped for a leveling bolt on each end of both pieces and bolted them to the bottom of the mill base, and voila! Leveling feet for the mill. No more wobble and I was able to level it perfectly. I highly suggest doing the same to your mill. Very simple upgrade and only took me a couple hours.

[@jasonwilliams74]

After watching this you should build your own heavy duty shop pallet/lift truck

[@TheLaensman]

Sunday afternoon is a great time for uploads, more please 😊

[@SirMath3w]

I totally agree! Dear Alec, please upload so that we can watch it already in the afternoon

[@patrickc.7235]

hope the hand finishing method works! It would be an awesome flex to hand scrape a part too. The finish is a beautiful pattern

[@minecraftbuilderify]

Could always rent a van & have a trip to Manchester

[@robr3169]

This is the way! Means we'd get to see the work being done too.

[@1pcfred]

You could put that part in a van. But it is close to the carrying capacity of the vehicle.

[@DH-xw6jp]

Do many box vans have a high enough load capacity for a 1.5 ton anvil?

[@KarlssonJohn]

More like a car trailer, that would work

[@Physicus9]

You should be able to get a double wide pallet and just use a few 2x4s to spread the load and some companies accept the higher weight.

[@GrantS112]

Portable milling machine for heavy machinery work, you don't have to move the anvil when you can move the machine. I did a quick search and here's to leads; Mactech Europe, I'm pretty sure they do rental. Nicol & Andrew Ltd, they do on sight milling for heavy things that can't be moved.

[@GrantS112]

Posting this for extra engagement hoping you see this post 😅

[@thegreatsimone8452]

Have you think about use the drill with the magnetic base as a mill to machine the anvil of the steam power hammer?

[@user-oy4tt4xm8d]

I've been watching for years and it's so nice to know my comments regarding rpm were heard😊. Wow, maybe more than one comment. My old jobs well represented here👏🏻

[@thedarkknight1971]

07:16 - NEXT PROJECT... Alec Steele makes his own - STRONGER - Pallet truck! 🤔😏😉🤣🤣 😎🇬🇧

[@Toastybear1]

Worth checking out woodworking router sleds- a way of flattening large slabs with a small router. A similar theory would work with a grinder…. Probably 😅

[@tannertasman]

was thinking the same thing - I made a nice one for my little handheld router but it would scale up fine, just make sure the sled is super rigid and take small passes

[@davidsanders9426]

Trouble is that, unlike a router bit, the material on the grinding wheel wears away with use. Not sure if it would be sufficient to actually matter on this particular job, but there's certainly a lot of material to remove there....

[@tannertasman]

@@davidsanders9426 that's a good point, perhaps a fine height adjustment could be built into the design, or perhaps a diamond wheel could work?

[@Toastybear1]

@@davidsanders9426 that is a really good point, I think that means the idea is pretty much untenable. Thanks for pointing that out, I will remember this moment and hopefully save myself some pain on a project one day in the future.

[@Zengineer]

Cast Iron... have you considered hand files?

[@piccalillipit9211]

I thought that.

[@legionof0ne441]

Or a bloody belt sander...

[@piccalillipit9211]

@@legionof0ne441 Yeah if its soft cast iron you can use anything.

[@Wormweed]

Just hand scrape it.

[@opendstudio7141]

Air hammer and chisels perhaps. Could also use the Bridgeport (swung out) to drill a depth pattern.

[@KeiranB]

My 7yo and myself are loving these

[@alexlock3176]

I've watched your videos for many years, and I finally stumbled upon a machining tip before you (running a face mill at lower RPM for better results)... always a pleasure to watch you learn!

[@ThatNateGuy]

I wonder if your next project will be to build your own pallet truck, or jack as we say across the pond. I'm sure there are parts you'll need to buy, like the hydraulics and probably the wheels. But, considering how much usage you get out of your pallet truck, I wonder if it's worth the worth. Especially since you'll be able to use non-trash metal. You made your own bed, you made your own bike, your own enormous articulating light, now maybe it's time for a pallet truck!

[@greggv8]

The tool to modify is a magnetic drill that's made to use shell mill cutters. They're intended for boring out holes in large things that can't fit onto a milling machine. Get a heavy duty screw driven slide as a starting point. Then you can fabricate the rest of the works to hold the drill and move it back and forth to mill the anvil.

[@scaniar200]

We use on site machining (OSM) to do turning and milling on large parts from the factory.

[@1pcfred]

Well la de da.

[@thejesusaurus6573]

Hey Alec, Its been a while since ive been a regular viewer but htis steam hammer series has grabbed me. Just gotta say the speed at which were getting steam hammer videos is incredible.

[@destinhall5631]

I do like coming to work on a Monday and having a video to watch during lunch.

[@mathis3314]

dude i gotta say, this series is my favourite thing you've ever done!

[@user-kl7jb4bn3l]

Alec I have done non destructive testing for 20 years. When using visible penetrant like that you need to make sure you clean stage 1 off between 80 and 90 percent. Good rule of thumb is if you still see red there’s too much penetrant on it. Then use the developer and anything that comes up red is a void it could be a crack or a casting defect but you will be able to tell the difference pretty easily. You can also do a back bleed which takes more time but is a little more accurate.

[@wassupmrdan]

Yes! Thanks Alec

[@squeak1888]

Amazing that after having that thing for quite a while your still learning new techniques

[@CowboyCree63]

Telling ya, Alec, the easiest way to get that big block milled is hire a portable milling machine. It'll be cheaper than the shipping, and it'll be cool content for the channel!

[@GrantS112]

Agree with you whole heartedly!

[@CardSharkLive]

We were a millimeter away from "I'm making my own pallet-truck" 20 part series.

[@holbroak]

Maybe you could adapt a milling bit to a magnetic drill press to rough out the bottom?

[@stihl888]

Love the ridiculousness of this project!

[@OmahaLasse]

Happy to see lo-fi approach on things for a change. Having to figure out ways to do things with what you have is a huge part of blacksmithing. The second is to make the tools needed to get it done. Milling is an enviable option and def would use that if I had it on hand but angle grinders are the way to go on most things.

[@TimothyHall13]

Oh Yeah!!! Thanks Alec!!!

[@mrkenenglish]

Definitely enjoying the regular updates, keep it up it's noticed and appreciated! Rooting for you on this bad boy, go get em!

[@toby1103]

Next video is Alec making a Demascus steel pallet truck

[@seedless-bud]

cant wait to see it all done!!!!!!!!!

[@garychaiken808]

Great job guys. Thank you 😊

[@frankierzucekjr]

"Looks like this anvil has got the plague" lmfao. Only you Alec Hahaha

[@stonyjupiter1481]

I wonder how much videos will be there. On one hand, i would love to see it finished as soon as possible, on the other hand it is not a quick process and these videos are so enjoyable, so relaxing to some extent, seeing that old machinery would one day be restored. What a dilemma. No matter if there will be 3 or 30 more, i will still watch every single one.

[@davyaldy76]

Sunday evening your time is early Monday morning my time and watching you is a really good way to get my head into the mindset of work, though mine is woodwork at the Men's Shed.

[@Mikkelltheimmortal]

I'm glad Squarespace is still sponsoring you. I used your code about 5 years ago I think.

[@kamakazi339]

This build brought me back to the channel after a good hiatus. This is fun

[@tonep3168]

Alec, you are living proof that “nothing is ever easy”. A motto I live by.

[@1pcfred]

Some things are easy. But nothing worthwhile is ever easy.

[@pandashrinks01]

Hi Alec from australia!! Im loving the same time each week uploading! It's great to enjoy your content while i get ready for work every monday. Keep up the good work brother! 💪

[@shaunramkissoon2]

Appreciate the consistency and precision, but not a big deal to me. I watch EVERY video, but I’m not waiting for it. Hope that doesn’t come off the wrong way. Just don’t want to put any undo pressure on Jamie. Love the channel and cheers!

[@jimrt1738]

The key (cottet Pin) that houlds the bottom block in is tapered on evey face and you will need a hole drilled in the block for the locking peg. 👍

[@bronchiosaurus2766]

defnitely enjoying the shedule, almost as much as this series! ALMOST!

[@Evipicc]

My two sons have started watching you with me on sundays!!

[@PedroCarvalho-bk4yn]

Really love the weekly uploads

[@artemisargent8623]

You can swing out the head of the milling machine to machine larger parts. You can also install/make things called "leveling feet" which are adjustable so you can make the mill not wobbly

[@roberta.brokaw3829]

Really like old well made equipment. This is a very cool series. Stay safe.

[@spleenbegone]

Really enjoying getting more of your content lately.

[@kasumach4828]

Yay he’s back

[@EthanBammerlin]

I like the upload schedule, in the US it’s been nice to take a break from working on personal projects and enjoy a Sunday lunch to watch

[@jameslovelace8828]

Never stop never stopping

[@user-sv7rt4hm8p]

always interesting and always fun...thank you.

[@matheighway]

7:36 Perhaps an interesting challenge for a future video would be to remove the trashy castings from the broken pallet truck and try to make your own, better, replacements? The Forged Steele Superior Pallet Truck™?

[@DaKevable]

i rly like the insight you give us in those vids

[@extraskiller5000]

I love this serie

[@Demoni696]

One of the only formulas I remember from metal shop is how to calculate the ideal RPM for a given cutter. RPM=(4*CS)/D where CS is the cutting speed of the material and D is the diameter of the bit. The CS for high carbon steel is between 60-100 surface feet per minute, assuming your cutter is 2.5" the RPM range would be between 100 and 160.

[@waverleyjournalise5757]

Really loving the regular uploads. This series might be my favourite yet. Keep up the great work!

[@yellowdrangon]

Preciate the Constant timed uploads

[@petermuller7687]

1,45t should fit on a transporter with twin wheels, so you could load the base on a pallet and drive it there yourself (assuming you can use a forklift on both ends)

[@carolbuzelim]

This project is amayzing in manu levels. How we learn about the machine, see your new skill, how cheap you are is always a bonus haha please never stop ir

[@jimcorbett3764]

It's like the plot for an adventure novel. You have to journey to the valley of peril where the stealth warrior tribe lives, defeat their champion so their chief will accompany you on your quest to acquire the magic key that opens the door to the sacred vault(in the lost tower of the sunken kingdom) that holds the sword of destiny, so you can wield it in battle against the witch king, who holds the princess hostage. Only then will she be able to fulfill her destiny to bring peace the six warring kingdoms. Just soooo many steps.

[@shay5025]

Very much noticing and appreciating the regular upload. Great work guys!

[@Vollholz_Tischlerei]

You could use the Anglegrinder like a Router. Simply make a Cut in a Plate where the Disc fits through. Then slide the Plate over two or more straight Supports. The Supports can also be above or next to the Anvil.

[@Mikecrawfone]

Great time watching this!

[@manythingslefttobuild]

Great video Alec and Jamie. Uploading videos at set days/ times are handy, but I think you do quite well posting videos that get to good stopping points in their builds.

[@nickleach5573]

Weekly uploads at the same time every week sounds awesome.

[@tobiasniesen1199]

Great stuff! Gogogo!

[@kzarnold3678]

The Sunday upload is great I really enjoy watching the progress of your projects👍😎

[@JustinArrington]

Fantastic as always. Keep it up guys.

[@karigisla]

After everything you've made over the years, you actually managed to create something as addictive as heroin, this series. i refresh you channel almost daily hoping that you posted early

[@RapNu]

That magnet drilling machine would be handy now😊, thanks for you fantastic work i enjoy every one of them😀

[@muatok9904]

You know they make tools for field machining specifically a Portable Line Milling Machine is what you're looking for.

[@Artorius443]

I've noticed the regular Sunday videos and looks forward to them as part of my weekend

[@Lucite01]

for milling cutters to calculate the RPM for cutting use the formula rpm=(CSx12)/(Pi x Dia) where CS is the desired cutting speed (this will depend on the cutter material and the material you are machining) Pi is 3.14 and the Dia is the diameter of the cutter in the case of a milling machine. So as an example of using the formula with a 3" milling cutter would be RPM=(500x12)/(3.14 x 3), RPM= 636. For the cutting speed value it can usually be found on the box the inserts came in or on the MFG website.

[@AlphaMachina]

Alec, you should try your hand at fabricating a handheld coffee grinder. Machine the burrs, design and fabricate the housing out of some nice materials, etc. That would make for a really cool project. Just look up, "what does an expensive coffee grinder burr look like?" and you'll see why. Edit: the cool thing is, you can machine different topologies of burrs to get a different type of grind, like espresso, multipurpose, etc.

[@Jnamrefiel]

Alec hit up some local NDT companies and see if one will help you out with that Dye Penetrant inspection portion. Having a trained person will make it alot easier. Prep work on it is very important. Another option would be to Magnetic Particle inspect it which would allow minor subsurface discontinuities to show as well.

[@Rangitatahunter]

I got the top of my anvil pretty much perfectly flat, practically no light under a straight edge in any direction with a 9 inch grinder then a flapper & you have heaps of experience grinding things to tight tolerances, I think you will easily do a good enough job for the task at hand

[@nathanmonahan6157]

Thinking of the shipping weight limits for the pallet handlers. A lot of those guys are pretty flexible, and can accommodate larger. It may take longer to wait for a truck with other underweight pallets to keep within weight restrictions on the trucks. And likely an additional fee for added logistics. Could be worth asking if you need to move big stuff in the future.

[@toowhitetodance]

Watch a few videos about woodworking router sleds. It’s a cheap way of flattening for those of us who don’t have space or money for a CNC. May inspire you.

[@Yellow_Hammer]

Brother I love this series.

[@richardjacobs7974]

I appreciate the consistency of the posts, super exciting to know the there's a post every Sunday 🤝

[@evandthayer]

H&W Machine in Fort Wayne, IN, USA sells a bridgeport leveling kit with bars that move the feet outside of the base so your fingers are always safe (they also sell all bridgeport parts)

[@brianholden9511]

Alec, if you still have your mag drill you could try mounting that to the table of the bridge port and using that to mill the pocket.

[@MobiuSphere]

They actually make metal cutting blades for circ saws. I use one on my small 7 1/4" radial arm saw for cutting medium plate

[@Kettenspanner]

In my shop we used to remove the table when milling big parts. I guess you could just rotate the head of you bridgeport and put the base on some pallets and mill it in your shop

[@swampcritterisbackbaby1740]

If you use a SMALLER grinder you can work it fairly quickly. Get it close to profile with a 4 inch grinder then switch to a sanding bar with 60/80 grit to finish the surfaces.

[@qulizaftiunigal6900]

your videos always make my day❤