# Chipmaker where are you



## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

Has anybody heard from Chipmaker lately he must be making something new to show us with his skilled hands.
Jody


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

I hope so, I really enjoy his posts.


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## Greg (Sep 16, 2003)

Maybe he went to wherever Kevin has gone....?


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Greg _
> *Maybe he went to wherever Kevin has gone....? *


Yea Kevin hasn't posted in a while. Where are ya ll almighty Chipmaker and Kevin:worthy: :worthy: come out and play.
Jody


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## Chris (Sep 15, 2003)

CHIPY CHIPY CHIPY!!!!!!!!  

Andy


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## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

I'm still around.........just been pretty darn busy. I think the last post I made was asking Leonov (sp?) if he was in the abrasives business........duh! Never got back to check on a reply either.

I have been busy making a boss metal cutting bandsaw. Nt the typical Delta bands type but a sure nuff heavy duty metal cutting saw. This project lead to other projects, such as having to bend up the sheet steel for my covers I did not have a brake so I had to build a hydrualic powered press brake to bend up my sheet steel. In the process I got to be in tight with the local job shop up the road from me that sells and fabricates steel procucts. (steel stairways, railings, walkways, tanks etc) The owner is a country boy and he had quite a few machines in need of repair, and I fixed just about all of them for him. Most needed some parts made and the company that made the machines were either out of buisness or parts not available anymore. I made a pipe roller for him that works great. Powered by a 7.5 hp electric motor that drives a 125:1 gear reduction box, and will bend up to 2" heavy walled steel tube or pipe into as large or close a radius as you adjust it for. Sure is neat to take a 20 foot stick of 1 1/2" steel tube and make a full circle out of it. Just put the tube in the machine and turn it on and let it form the circle. Perfect for making corral panels and also round bale feeders etc around a farm. Of course he intends to make some of those on the side, but his primary use was for making spiral stairway railings etc. I get alal the drops of new steel I now want for free, just haul it off. Plus I have access now to all of his equipment when its not in actual use, so this opens up yet a bigger area for more projects I would like to make. Creep feeders, pipe panels for livestock, an overhead gantry type lift........the list just goes on and on. Since I made and designed the pipe roller, I get the pipe rolling jobs he now gets that needs doing. I agreed to do it for now anyhow, but sure was not looking for any long term or actual job since I retired, but its fun and keeps me occupied, like I really need something else to keep me busy.

In the process of tinkering around up there a local retired man who is in this area, came in with a brand spanking new Ford Tractor he wanted a multiplurpose hitch built for. This fellow is in his mid 70's and used to own Sylvest Super Chicken (sort of like Tyson Chicken) , but has since turned the company over to his investors and has basically retired to playing with hay and raising up a herd of cattle (Texas LOnghorn and Angus)for something to do. He used to have 2 Ford TW-35's and 2 Ford 7000's that was used around his farms and mainly for hay work, but they went with the company when he retired, so he bought a new Ford / NH which is just like the old TW series was but a different series number which I forget at the present time. Anyway his tractor is loaded with all kinds of neat things. Its like a Caddilac. Even has GPS and a computer that tells him just about anything and does just about anything you could ask for on a tractor. I built a hitch for him that will be there until H. E. double L freezes over. It will fit anaything and everyting he will or anyone will ever need to hook up to it. I finally got back to my own projects which are going fine. Another couple of days on my bandsaw and it will be readyfor a finish coat of paint. The press brake is for the most part finished, but I ama going to experiment with some different die head configurations so I can bend and form different angles and such. Its 30 Ton capacity and is capable of making a bend in 10 ga steel up to 4 foot wide, and can handle 1/4" steel plate about 20 or so inches wide. Sure is nice to bend stuff like this into a 90 deg bend.

You can check out my bandsaw project on my website under my projects page, and hopefull I get time to throw up the hydraulic press brake prouject and the hitch I made for that tractor. It can be scaled down and is a handy item for around a farm and very easy to build if you can weld.

www.frugalmachinist.com

I also put up the rear wheel and front bumper projects as well as my home made vac cart and push type string trimmer on the website.

I obtained a MIG welder and for some reason I have a hard time letting it go unused. Its very addictive. I would recomend to anyone considering buying a welder for home use to consider a MIG over a stick welder. Learning curve is about 15 minutes or less and if you can use a hot glue gun or caulking gun you can mig weld. Its awesome.

About all I have used my tractors for right now is hauling firewood to the house and lifting up the I beams used in my press brake construction with a Gin pole, and the weekly trip to haul trash to the burn pile area. Sure wish the grass would start to grow as cutting grass sure is a lot easier on the old body than burning the midnight oil in the shop making all these things.

Probably next week I will give the garden area an initial tilling, as I usually plant it about mid Febuary.

I also had to make a few trips with the wife to UAB (University of Alabama, Birmingham) which is a medical school and is one of the best in the southeast as far as skilled medical care is concerned. Looks like she also suffered some jaw damage from the fire extinguisher, and will soon be going in to have her jaw reworked. She had TMJ years back and they reworked her jaw and eliminated a severe underbite and missalignment, but now it appears the extinguisher undone the alignment and broke apart some plates and pins they had installed back then on the side it impacted. But she is doing just fine overall. She is in a hurry to get back to work as she is kind of bored.


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

Sounds like you have been busy glad to know you didn't drop of the face of the earth. And i agree that a mig welder is the way to go glad to have you back and i like your web site. You do alot of things and you have a shop i am envy of.:smiles: 
Jody


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## Old_Nodaker (Nov 1, 2003)

Chipmaker - Your next job, should you choose to accept it, will be to build a mower deck out of stainless steel.

Also, would you post what model mig welder you got. I'm not to proud to be a copy cat.


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

Yeah Chip, everyone wants to put their order in for a stainless steel deck and figure your just the guy who do it.:smiles:


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Chipmaker _
> *You can check out my bandsaw project on my website under my projects page, and hopefull I get time to throw up the hydraulic press brake prouject and the hitch I made for that tractor. It can be scaled down and is a handy item for around a farm and very easy to build if you can weld.
> 
> www.frugalmachinist.com
> ...



Wow, Chipmaker.. Thats pretty impressive.... must be nice to start from scratch and create a tool like that Great pics & web 
pages

sj


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## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

The MIG welder I have (borrowed from a friend) is a Lincoln SP170T. Its about 8 or 10 years old. I had tried a Miller 185 before that was also borrowed from the same fellow. I sort of like the Miller a bit better. My friend used to erect steel buildings for a living until he got a cushy civil service job, now his tools like his welders etc go unused for the most part. I tried both kinds as I ama looking to buy one for myself here shortly and its still a hard decision to make, between the Lincoln and the MIller. The Miller you get a little more lower end and top end and the gun is not as touch as the lincoln gun is. Just think wire feed and the Lincoln is feeding the wire. Definately a bare handed use gun as you would be feeding wire without knowing your on the trigger. Both do however weld super. If your in the market for a MIG, go for the 220 VAC model and not the 115 VAC model. 

I'll make you a stainless steel deck, should not be a problem if you can afford the material. When we built the mower deck for the ATV, my friend had seriously considered using stainless steel, but what he had on hand was just not enoughI like to work stainless, much better than black iron or steel plate. It welds up super and its not hard working or milling. Most screwups in stainless steel is working it too much and it work hardens on you, then it gets tough to work. 

I'll have to price a 4 x 8 sheet of 10 ga 316 stainless, and then well see how many want a deck made ;-) Bet its close to a grand a sheet.

Do you want stainless steel spindle housing to go with that deck as well? That can be done. I had to buy a 30 inch drop of 3" 316 stainless just to g et a piece 19 inches long, and the price was $275.00 

Now don't fall down on your orders, I have the time if you have the $$$

Regards and y'all have a great day


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## bontai Joe (Sep 16, 2003)

Have you tried pricing T-304 stainless? The 316 is nice but expensive, you might find out the 304 is more affordable and just as rust resistant in most environments.


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

The 304 would be cheaper but not that much cheaper. At least in round bar it isn't but it will wear just about the same. The 316 would hold up better as far as corrosion goes.
Jody


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## Mossdaughter (Dec 4, 2014)

Does chipmaker stillwant to know what happened to the moss brothers of garden State Farm supply in belvedere nj?


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

Last post in this thread before you was nearly 11 years ago, but heck, enlighten us! .........


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