Home made machines

[shovelon]

Originally Posted by ThorsHammer

Anyone else interested in pooling some money to get this guy to the states and get him into a real market for his skills.

Your work is amazing. and seriously, if you can slam that out in a week with three guys you'd be able to make a fortune. What's that site that asks people to buy into a small business to get it off the ground?

You've got real talent. and I would definately look into finding a shipper, or something to get your product to the world.

I think he has cornered the market where he is at. And he found us.

Now I see where the questions come into play.

[farmall]

Blacksmithing would allow you to transcend some of the limitations of the stock you work with, and with the ability to forge and harden tools you could have a professional smithy in short order. You could forge your own drill bits easily in any size you like.

Here's a well-known casting website which might be useful to you.

http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/

Also, since "a sale is a sale", look on the internet for various stove designs and see if you think you have a market.

Google search "Third World Stoves" and "third world water pumps" for many interesting designs.

Google "Cole Drill" for examples of a drill you might build which can tackle light or heavy work. You aren't restricted to conventional drill chucks. The chuck on a bit brace will mount shanks you can forge yourself.

Let's respond with tool advice. This fellow is quite capable!

[shovelon]

Lutadam,

Do you use oxy/acetylene torches at all? I used to be pretty good with a rosebud tip.

[Lutadam]

Originally Posted by ThorsHammer

By the way what types of materials do you work with?

All gates are from steel supplied locally. Most of it is recycled steel made by burning cut-offs in furnaces here.

This depends on the design in the gate, the first gate on this thread, I used the following:- 80x40x1.2mm Hollow Sections for the framework. 40x40x1.2mm sections for the top. The curved square sections and the box frames below are from 40x25x1.2mm, sometimes I use 40x20x1.2mm depending on the available material. The round pipes for box frames that form the cages for their seats are 12x12x1.0mm, in the second gate, I used square twisted pipes 12x12x1.0mm. The squeezed / pressed square pipes that look like twisted bars are actually square pipes 20x20x1.2mm.

The steel plates are 1.2mm and I cut the boxes with hands, make slits in the corners and use a rail to fabricate them. The ball like structures are also made by cutting round section using a chisel of 7cm in diameter. Using a hammer and a round section of 6cm, a semi sphere is slowly hammered. The locks are made from old shock absorber shalfs.

For finishing, we sometimes spray but the gold/copper/bronze is painted by hand.

[Lutadam]

Originally Posted by ironmangq

If you could find a shipper, you could sell those gates just about anywhere in the world for 20 times what they are going for locally.

Wheeee, I'm not sure that will be possible as yet! But thanks for the insight!

[Lutadam]

Originally Posted by farmall

That's superb work and the tooling is brilliant in its simplicity.

That method of screw-cutting is how many of the first screws were made and it evidently still works well!

Your use of geometry, patina, and color are very good. Since you have the skill and a good eye for design, look for designs on the internet not to copy, but to inspire you.

For tool ideas, you might look to old hand tools. Some of the best pictures of these are on Ebay.

Since you have rudimentary facilities, consider doing some blacksmithing. Blacksmiths have made their own tools and a basic charcoal or propane or butane (I don't know what you have available) would serve you well. Forging can turn old parts into something completely different.

Old brake drums are often used for forges. A word to local truck mechanics might get you one too worn for road use.

There are many free books on the subject for download:

http://www.craftsmanspace.com/free-b...chanician.html

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home...orking/4303543

Persevere with your work! The conditions under which you must operate also helped develop your talent. Keep posting pictures. They are inspirational.

Thanks for your advice. I'm actually making most of the tools from materials from vehicles from garages. I have some dies made from gear box pressure, fly wheel, sleeve springs and shock absorbers.

[Lutadam]

Originally Posted by shovelon

Lutadam,

Do you use oxy/acetylene torches at all? I used to be pretty good with a rosebud tip.

No, I use charcoal stoves in case something needs to be forged hot. It has a hose and a bicycle wheel to fun air and raise the temperature a bit.

[Lutadam]

Originally Posted by farmall

Blacksmithing would allow you to transcend some of the limitations of the stock you work with, and with the ability to forge and harden tools you could have a professional smithy in short order. You could forge your own drill bits easily in any size you like.

Here's a well-known casting website which might be useful to you.

http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/

Also, since "a sale is a sale", look on the internet for various stove designs and see if you think you have a market.

Google search "Third World Stoves" and "third world water pumps" for many interesting designs.

Google "Cole Drill" for examples of a drill you might build which can tackle light or heavy work. You aren't restricted to conventional drill chucks. The chuck on a bit brace will mount shanks you can forge yourself.

Let's respond with tool advice. This fellow is quite capable!

http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/ I just landed on this site, surely it is gonna be very helpful.

[shovelon]

Is this thinking man you Lutadam?

[cc51]

Next time somebody talks about having it rough...show'em this stuff!

[Lutadam]

Originally Posted by shovelon

Is this thinking man you Lutadam?

No, one of my three associates. It is very unfortunate that it is the Lutadam who has to be behind the camera every time!! I will make an effort to post myself at work here.

[Lutadam]

Probably now I got the best view with a large pipe being groved. This is me in operation!! I first changed the die and the angle because I needed large grooves on the 42mm pipe. Then I oiled the pipe with old engine oil to enable it move through the machine smoothly. With large pipes, above 20mm, it is better to put two crosses on either side to enable two people turn it anticlockwise.

[Lutadam]

After securing the pipe with a screw and having enough pressure using the screw, the game begins. It is quite enjoyable especially when the groves are coming out fine. Sometimes it require several adjustments like tilting the angle on the die both by sharpening and in the vice.

[shovelon]

Beautiful Lutadam!

I learned something today.

[Coupebuilder]

Thanks again for sharing the pics and the explanation of the process was very helpful. I have seen some similiar work in the recyled metal art pieces my wife buys for her home decor business and always wondered how it was done.
Maybe this has occured to you, but if you were able to find and old pipe threader you could use that to turn the material slowly and with enough torque to save time and what appears to be a lot of hard work. Or possily a high torque/low speed drill (like a 90 deg. joist drill so you have a long handle for leverage) with an adapter chucked in it. Anyway please keep sharing pics and work, you have many fans on this side of the world!

[Lutadam]

Originally Posted by Coupebuilder

Thanks again for sharing the pics and the explanation of the process was very helpful. I have seen some similiar work in the recyled metal art pieces my wife buys for her home decor business and always wondered how it was done.
Maybe this has occured to you, but if you were able to find and old pipe threader you could use that to turn the material slowly and with enough torque to save time and what appears to be a lot of hard work. Or possily a high torque/low speed drill (like a 90 deg. joist drill so you have a long handle for leverage) with an adapter chucked in it. Anyway please keep sharing pics and work, you have many fans on this side of the world!

Very brilliant idea. One problem though, assuming the motor is turning the pipe, how do you keep the die moving along or how do you keep the pipe moving along the die? I'm not very good at the mechanics but probably I can find my way if I get the idea!

[killdozerd11]

I think Coupebuilder meant pipe threading machine which is what we had to twist metal
though you need to modify it with a momentary switch to jog the machine on and off
Or it can go to far when the normal switch is used

You do great work

[sporadic]

Originally Posted by ThorsHammer

Anyone else interested in pooling some money to get this guy to the states and get him into a real market for his skills.

Your work is amazing. and seriously, if you can slam that out in a week with three guys you'd be able to make a fortune. What's that site that asks people to buy into a small business to get it off the ground?

You've got real talent. and I would definately look into finding a shipper, or something to get your product to the world.

http://www.kickstarter.com/

Amazing work on those gates

[Lutadam]

Originally Posted by sporadic

http://www.kickstarter.com/

Amazing work on those gates

Uhmmm.. I wanna give it a try but I must have a strong base of ideas first. That is what I'm seeking here basically. Thx!

[Lutadam]

Originally Posted by killdozerd11

I think Coupebuilder meant pipe threading machine which is what we had to twist metal
though you need to modify it with a momentary switch to jog the machine on and off
Or it can go to far when the normal switch is used

You do great work

I just had a look at a pipe threader but it is complicated in pictures. May be I will have visit some workshops for physical inspection.

[Kelvin]

Originally Posted by Lutadam

I'm not very good at the mechanics ...

I think a few of us here would beg to differ.

I suspect your mechanical abilities (and grasp of English) would put many of us to shame!

Beautiful work...please keep posting!

[Lutadam]

I just found out I could do this design by changing the die and direction of rotation

[sarg]

Absolutely amazing. Thank you for sharing your work!

[lotechman]

All I can say is Lutadam needs an agent that won't rip him off but market his stuff in another continent away fron the graft and corruption.
I worked with a helicopter pilot who spent a year in British Guiana in the 1960's. A fuel drum left in the jungle was gone instantly and became cooking untensils and a variety of pots and pans. Under his direction I made our geology bush camp in Northern Canada a hot soaking bath tub that you could stretch out in at the end of a long day.

[weldermike]

Lutadam I am speechless buddy! Unbelievable craftmanship