How about a lathe !!

When I first started my Industrial Blacksmithing business I went to an auction hoping to buy an Upsetting machine. After looking around I asked the auctioner where the Upsetter was, he said outside near an old caravan. I looked and looked, went back inside and told him it wasn't there. He gave me a silly look and showed me where it was.

I was looking for a machine that had 2" capacity about 12' long 8' wide 6' tall. The auctioneer showed me a 24" Upsetter, this thing was the size of a two storey house, no wonder I didn't 'see it'.

 

Probably the reason the machine shop cl*** closed down in Lead is that the Homestake gold mine in the Black Hills closed. They had gotten so deep in the mine that workers from South Africa had to be brought in as they were the only people who could stand the heat that far underground.

I don't like liberal *****s either, just thought I'd set the record straight.

I also work in an industry here in the good old USA where 30' lathes aren't all that uncommon & 6" mild steel plate is plasma cut regularly. Don't count our midwestern welding / fabricating shops as down and out just quite yet. We are giving the Chinese & Europeans one Hell of a run for their money.

Worken2much

 

Haha, nope those chips are too big to get in your eye, they'll knock you out!!