decisions decisions... help me spend my money!

A.McPherson

A.McPherson

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Jan 27, 2012
Messages
2,913
ok, I got a economic stimulus payment from our Gov't, so I'm going to stimulate the economy by buying tools!!

so, I'm thinking one of three things, a new 2x72 to replace my home made one, a new anvil to replace my rail road track, or a Mig/Tig/Stick setup to replace my crappy old one stick.

I've got 1200-ish to spend, so let me know what ya'll think!
 
Do you heat treat yourself? Maybe a kiln.

Else I'd buy a grinder with variable speed.

Hey, pour one out for those who got nothing (dependent over 16) :D
 
From what little I know about you, your shop, and what all you do (which is next-to nothing I realize) I'd say look for a "real" anvil or the welder. I've got a couple of stick welders and have wanted a TIG welder for a couple of years now, so that is probably swaying my opinion.
I've never used a RR anvil, but can't see it being very useful for anything larger than blade stock. I also don't know how much a PITA you home-made grinder is either....
I'll be a jerk and add another tool to think about. When I asked Dave Lisch what my next purchase should be a couple of years ago after he was at my place, he said a reversible 9" disc grinder and said something to the effect that he'd get one of those before getting a 2x72 if that was a choice he had to make.
 
LOL! the 9' disk is already in my sights... just haven't pulled the trigger on that one. but then so is a power hammer and a press, soooo...
 
Alan, I think a grinder is the most important tool. But I don't know how much grinder you can get for $1200. As you know I am partial to the TW-90.
I personally would not get a disk grinder. I don't see that I would use one that much.
I have a Hobart 175 Handler welder on 220 volts with shielding gas. It is a fine machine. It makes welding easy. I have been doing a lot of canister Damascus lately and that takes a lot of welding. I do not like the flux wire.
A nice anvil would also be good to have.
 
Maybe to make things easier for you, you could buy a tig rig for your stick welder. You should be able to find one for under $150 and then you will need a bottle of argon and a regulator. This is what most commercial piping is welded with and unless you need bells and whistles for very thin metal or need to be able to do aluminum it will work just fine. If you need to be able to do aluminum you are probably going to need to spend more than $1200 though prices are really coming down for inverters. If you get a Atlas anvil you would have money left over. I have a Atlas forge and a post anvil but I have no real plans to forge other than just messing around. For me my grinder is the backbone of my shop. I have a esteem and someday I will pick up a TW90 since I want a second grinder that I would use horizontally much of the time. $1200 might not be enough for a good grinder unless you are just wanting a second machine.
 
If you are wanting a welder though I would look really hard at the ESAB rebel line. They are a little bit on the lite duty side but they are still a pro machine and they pack a lot in a small package. Having the option to use 115v power is super handy. They also tig and they have enough duty cycle to be able to use dual shield wire and that makes them so handy for doing something that you want good structural strength. And you can still do hard wire mig for all of your thin metal needs and pots and pans repair.
 
I just looked at the TW-90 and YOWZA! The price has gone up significantly since last I looked!!!
3700 clams!
 
If your looking for a welder i highly suggest the everlast power pro 205si. I know its not blue or red but this thing has been rock solid for me. Its a tig, arc 50amp plasma combo unit. You can take the tig down to 5 amps dc. First day i got this thing i was welding razer blades together. The control you have with a tig is unbelievable and its great being able to weld aluminum.

I bought it before i started making knives and dont use a a whole lot for knives but the plasma is great for profiling.
 
scott kozub said:
If your looking for a welder i highly suggest the everlast power pro 205si. I know its not blue or red but this thing has been rock solid for me. Its a tig, arc 50amp plasma combo unit. You can take the tig down to 5 amps dc. First day i got this thing i was welding razer blades together. The control you have with a tig is unbelievable and its great being able to weld aluminum.

I bought it before i started making knives and dont use a a whole lot for knives but the plasma is great for profiling.
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How is the plasma function on it? Can you get consumables for it easy enough?

Those little inverters have really reduced the cost of a lot of functions although they can be a little fragile. I have a esab caddytig that is probably 10 years old now. I may be having issues with the aluminum functions on it but since you have to use hidden proprietary menus I always forget how to set it up since I don't weld all that often now. It's a little 38lb machine and it would do 1/4" aluminum on 100% duty cycle (with old school machines it would have had to be a 350 amp machine and would have e weighed over 300 lbs) and it welded 1" round bar to 1" plate with no pre heat on 6061 aluminum. That still blows my mind. I used a 250 amp esab heli-arc that was about 3 years new that esab demoed at the school I taught at. It made welding pop cans together easy and would weld 3/8" 6061 aluminum plate with a 1/16" pointed tungsten. You actually had to start weaving the bead like you do when you walk the cup because the puddle was so small. You didn't walk the cup because its would have scratched the bead up badly and maybe stuck as well. When welding 6061 that lower heat input give a much stronger weld since the T6 temper can loose up to 50% strength from heat and still be acceptable. I'm sure the newer inverters have progressed a kit since then as well as getting cheaper.
 
Check out the "Reeder" Grinder Chasis package. Without wheels it's about 6 bills +frt...swap over your existing wheels add a motor and VFD.
 
Busto said:
Check out the "Reeder" Grinder Chasis package. Without wheels it's about 6 bills +frt...swap over your existing wheels add a motor and VFD.
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That would be my choice also. If you can swap over your wheels, add a couple hundred or so for 2hp motor and VFD, you've got enough left over of the $1200 to have a variable speed disk grinder. Before making my disk grinder I had no idea how much it would be used.
MOST IMPORTANT IS EVERYTHING MOTOR DRIVEN MUST USE VFD!!!
 
How much do you forge?
For around 12-1300 you can get a Ridgid Peddinghaus anvil. It’s going to be a huge improvement over a piece of railroad track. In fact you may enjoy forging a lot more with a good setup.
I sold two old anvils to get mine and I don’t regret it a bit.
If you don’t plan on forging very often then I’d put the anvil on the back burner and invest in a grinder.
 
Josh Rider said:
How much do you forge?
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If it's an anvil you're getting, my suggestion would be a Nimba Titan (120#) for $975. Big enough to do other blacksmithing projects but not too big to be cumbersome. Also, I love the tapered horn and heel that allows one to have a flat anvil face for just about any size of slot/hole one would need to drift.
The only negative is there is no step, but I find that's only a problem for folks who are used to having one.
 
Thanks for the advice folks, 'specially the toilet paper idea!! Never can have to much poo paper!

I decided to go with the Reeder chassis, and to get a Nimba 120# anvil. Really ends up being about double what I planned on spending, but whatever.

Tools are an investment right!? That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
 
A.McPherson said:
I just looked at the TW-90 and YOWZA! The price has gone up significantly since last I looked!!!
3700 clams!
Click to expand...

Its only gone up a couple hundred bucks. Price was like $3400ish in 2013 when i got mine.

And your going to LOVE the Titan. I've had one for near a decade now, and the only thing i'd replace it with is a larger Nimba. It's a little on the 'pingy' side, but some magnets and proper bedding gets rid of most of it.
 
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