Thread: Embarrassment

Originally Posted by JohnF

they are cheap enough if you have someone to help you repair them.

Today I was told of a guy who got a diesel disco for $500.






Ps. Later I read where you were offered Harry. Driving him would be much more fun.

I was??? I think you misread that John, after all the blood sweat and tears Banjo has put into rebuilding it, I don't think he will want to part with it real soon!!

Banjo, when I mentioned the fire place made from a couple of rims, I should have told you:--

DO NOT USE OLD MAG RIMS, use only Steel rims

magnesium burns.

Do not use Land Rover Rims, some one will need those for a restoration, use Crapota, or Holden, or Nisan rims, etc.

Imagining the rim as a U shape, or upside down U, place three rims thus sitting on each other—no gap as in illustration, the bottom one sits on the ground:--

n
u
n

And yes, this will not be legal during fire season, especially when windy, but will be okay at other times, when you are allowed camp fires.

When I first saw this in use, I thought it was a great idea.

I did forget one other thing, a round grid as per drain pipe grid, to sit the wood on, and sto it from falling through. Following my diagram it sits on the bottom of the U.

Wood is fed in through the axle hole in the top rim.
If the top and second rim were different sizes, say a 15 inch and a 16 inch you could make this without welding, unless you wanted to weld up holes that would have vented brake drums in the top two rims in order to lessen sparks in windy conditions.

I would see no reason to weld up the holes for formerly bolting the rims onto the hubs. Actually thinking about this, when using three rims these holes could be used in order to bolt the base rim to the one holding the wood, the top one just sitting like a lid. May need too weld on locating lugs for it to sit where you want it to sit.

With slugs welded in the top and middle rim, I think it could be made fairly spark proof. We made slugs to weld into holes in out truck rim forge, and I watched others do this as well with their forges. Should mention we made these forges as a welding project during a TAFE Welding Course.

We also made anvils from pieces of old railway track, oxy-cutting them to shape finishing with angle grinder,

And if the old rims used to make a fireplace are a bit bent it does not matter too much. And you save $200, but it won’t look as good as a Ozpig. It could look much better 

Now that I have told you all this, we found a second hand pot belly stove with a cook plate top for only $100 a few years ago, and with a piece of the right diameter pipe thrust in for a chimney such could be used for what you need.

And you could then make me a cuppa on it if & when I get down your way again 
. I will give you a call if I get down that way.

Since I mentioned a forge with its holes welded, I must add that the rims used for a fire place could be used without any welding. The one I saw was not welded and was made from old Holden rims.

The first homemade forge I saw was a small one made from a Holden rim.

Do burn all the original paint off your rims, and do not breathe its fumes, may contain lead, etc. If you did want it painted paint it in “Stove Black,” which is used for pot-bellied stoves, etc., and does not give poisonous fumes.

If you do make a fire stove this way, do be aware do not have any flammable litter near it, and definitely no petrol in plastic Jerry Cans, etc., near it. It could send sparks, but not too many.

At TAFE, before they cancelled these courses I did a Rural Black-Smith course, and later a Decorative Metal Work course. Over half the class in that decorative Metal Work course were women, who were taught to weld, etc.

In the TAFE forge I made a cold chisel from 1 inch hex bar, and without the forge I made a tool to open 44 gallon drums, and made a 2 inch high letters brand, F76 to brand my beehives, made a homemade hive tool, made a twisted T-shape sump plug remover, made a star post driver, a candelabra and also made a letterbox from an old rusted in the bottom milk container [the one farmers sold bulk milk in, that held somewhere around 25 litres or so of milk] plus its pole, decorated with scroll work. I can’t remember at the moment what else I made, not counting that Anvil plus that Forge mentioned above.

But many things can be made in the forge at only the cost of fire wood and a bag of coke. One guy made himself blacksmith tongs and other tools.

One other guy was making a sword out of an old leaf spring.


Those really keen on blacksmithing get steel springs from cars, torsion bars, axles, etc., [even if broken from an old series] as in older cars these were made from good quality steel better than much that is used today.

So that black-smithing is not that expensive once you have your forge. anvil, hammers tongs, cold chisels, and other tools, plus leather apron, gloves, oxy-goggles or protective eyewear, protective non-flammable clothes [cotton or wool] leather steel caped boots, etc. drop a heavy large red hot cold chisel, etc., on your foot and you will know why leather steel capped boots are essential. You can find these in op-shops or garrage sales, at times.

If you salvage your steel from old cars, axles, etc., the only running cost of a forge is your firewood & coke. Get an axe & reduce your running cost to a bag of coke now & then [a bag of coke will last you a long time, of many days at the forge.]

This assumes a hand-cracked blower on your forge, such as the one that we used at TAFE. Some use an old vacuum cleaner to blow the air to fan the flames, and this does add a cost of electricity. I have not seen this being done.

The reason for the firewood is you make a bed of coals for the coke, and this takes time, so you boil the Billy & make some Jaffles [assuming you have a jaffle iron] while you are waiting for a good bed of coals to form.

But it is fun to use a forge, and you get the kids to crank the fan of the forge, while making sure they do not touch any red hot metal.

Oh I met one man who showed me his very small forge that he uses to make jewellery to sell at the markets.

And as I said we found a hot plate to fit our truck rim forge, so it can be also our BBQ.

Originally Posted by Ausfree

I was??? I think you misread that John, after all the blood sweat and tears Banjo has put into rebuilding it, I don't think he will want to part with it real soon!!

Jim, went back looking for the post I refered to and could not find it. May be I was dreaming that post.

Jason, ages ago I mentioned Wendy to you on this thread, and aone other thread. In the gay marraige thread, post 442 onwards I mention something else about Wendy.

Well FRED got her Ls last thursdy.So Karen took her upto the industrial estate so she could get a feel for the car.Did'nt go to well she HATES driving the landy WANTS A small AUTO car ..I Said series 1s are small .Did'nt go down to well..

So we said we would look around for a small car after we get the wagon..

Gees we'll end up like jim & own a hybrid thing Landy thing..

But she get her Ls so thats good..Got them first go.A couple of girls where there at same time & failed but they resat the test.I thought you had to wait a day atleast but nup they did it again same day bout half hour later..

Originally Posted by banjo

Well FRED got her Ls last thursdy.So Karen took her upto the industrial estate so she could get a feel for the car.Did'nt go to well she HATES driving the landy WANTS A small AUTO car ..I Said series 1s are small .Did'nt go down to well..

So we said we would look around for a small car after we get the wagon..

Gees we'll end up like jim & own a hybrid thing Landy thing..

But she get her Ls so thats good..Got them first go.A couple of girls where there at same time & failed but they resat the test.I thought you had to wait a day atleast but nup they did it again same day bout half hour later..

Find some pictures of young girls driving a landy and tell her its cool. That might change her mind.