Aspery class next week

[KevinD]

Aw shuks... :blushsmilie

[jimbob]

some observations on my part...first I think my anvil is to high its set with my arn down making a fist ,with my fist touching the face. after taking the class I think it should be with my finger tips touching the face this will enable me to hold the tongs between my legs and work on something.
second I've been playing with desssing some of my hammer faces...most of the books I have show a prounced radius on the hammer face yet in Marks book its only slight. when he uses it he has a flat surface when I use some of mine I need to flatten the work more. my hammer faces have too much radius. that means more work for me.I also found out tongs really do make a difference. the ones Mark made to use 1/2 square stock are box jaw I was using square on the diamond mine tend to twist when I try to hold them between my legs and set the eye socket in the wizard head the ones I made in class one eye is way off the ones I tried at hoe with another pair of tong are much better. more later

[GOATMAN]

jimbob

You can have it both ways, on both the anvil height, and the hammer dressing:

Anvil: you can have a wooden platform, around six inches high, available to stand on; you stand on the floor for normal forging, and put the platform in place to stand on to “lower” the anvil. Be careful not to trip, or accidentally step off.

Hammer dressing: get more hammers. You can dress them differently for different operations.

Just some suggestions.

[jimbob]

right now I've added a 16x16 paver to stand on . as for hammers I have about 20 derssed different ways. I think what I'm seeing here is the English way and the American way . kinda like their side draft and out bottom draft forge

[KevinD]

Jinbob - I thought about the 'tongs on the diamond' thing and until I can make some box jaw tongs like the ones in the back of Marks book, I'm just going to heat and twist the end of the bar that goes in the tongs so that the other end that I'm working on is flat on the anvil.

[jimbob]

I'm goning to make the tongs

[metalmangeler]

More and different tongs are always a good idea.

[Mark Aspery]

There are many ways to find the 'right' height for your anvil and all are about as good as the next. Just when you have it adjusted to draw out points on the bick, you reach for a top tool or a chisel and there goes the perfect anvil height.

I think it's about the 'average'.

For me that equates to a piece of 1/2 inch stock on the face of the anvil. On top of that I place my normal (in my hand most of the time) hammer and look at my arm. I don't want it too straight as I might hyper-extend the elbow. I don't want it too bent as I will not be maximizing the attainable force of my hammer blow.

And of course this measurement has to be within your inside seam measurement if you want to hold the tongs between your legs when you want to use both hands free of the tongs.

I like Kevin's idea about the twist in the square stock until you make your box-jaw tongs.

As far as hammers go - I like a 1/16 rise in the center of the face with rounded edges. It's a personal preference thing.

[ApprenticeMan]

Mark, welcome!

From the young blacksmith you met in Vermont on your vacation!

[Mark Aspery]

I remember you quite well. That was a few years ago now.
I saw your hammers that you had made on another thread... Very nice.
It's good to know that you are still smithing.