Safety and Innovation

As a blacksmith/bladesmith it is often necessary to make and alter tools and equipment to get the job done. Altering equipment to do a task that it wasn't built or designed for can be rewarding and cost effective, but may aslo be potentially dangerous. Recently I converted a log splitter into a forge press. After watching countless youtube videos I set to the task to make a forge press for a fractoin of what I could buy one for. Although the log splitter can be converted and work well as a forge press, a word of caution is in order. The pictures below are of my converted press after it failed while working on a damascus billet. I was fortunate not to get hurt. I will rebuild with heavier I-beam and install a safety shut-off switch. Build safe!!