[bruce wilcock]

each year 5-6 blacksmiths gather at the smithy ,and we forge a anchor ,all forge welded we use fires in the yard to make the crown weld .This year for a change we forged a anvil ,i made two floor fires to weld the parts at the waist .The job was thought out and the only lift was to place the top section on the spigot in the dog hole ,the bottom part we just flipped it over and dragged it out of the floor fire with the dog tongs ,no lifting and we used heavy hammers we then got the job back in the fire and welded bars in to tydy it up with it in the fire the anvil weghed 160 lbs .we have olso made a new pike for a small anvil 95 lb without pike and forge welded it on we made the pike with a blunt end and jump welded it on without taking the anvil out of the fire we pulled it to the side of the fire and throwed a steel plate over the fire to cover it up to let us work and then finished the point of with another heat all on the floor. If a few of you get together and one is forgemaster ,and you make fires to suit the job and get some coal on , you will bumble albout for a start but it will come togeather ,big jobs hold a lot of heat and men tire out so you need a change of men so split your gang up