Glenn

Scrap yards here only hold the rr property until the rr comes and collects it. If you are able to purchase some items as scrap, be sure to get a written sales receipt and list all the items purchased.

Go to where trains run. Look for a repair crew, or ask a rr person where they are working on tracks. The crew may be able to provide you with some track or a location where they keep the parts and short pieces of track. Tell them what you want it for and usually they are helpful.

There are many left handed blacksmithing tools, left handed hammers for instance. There are many tools that are right handed only and the left handed person just has to adapt. Never have seen a left handed chain saw. They are always right handed as a safety feature.

You can buy it but it comes at a high price due to the short lengths and connivence of having it in stock. If you want new material go to a steel supplier and purchase a 20 foot length of steel in your favorite flavor. They may give you one free cut, so take a hacksaw, bolt cutters, chisel, etc so it can fit in your vehicle. You can find mystery metal many different places. Go to where they use metals and ask to look at their scraps. Offer them at least junk prices for what you are allowed to take, or donuts and cookies. Tell them what you are going to use the metal for (blacksmithing) and that you ARE NOT a junker. Next time you pass by be sure to bring them something you have made from their metal. Give it to them with no expectations in return. Always bring rope and a red flag to tie the metal together and to the vehicle. When you think you have it securely tied, use the rest of the rope and tie some more. The red flag is notification to anyone following you that they should not follow real close.

Left handed people can function in both the left handed and the right handed worlds. Give a right handed person a left handed pencil, or a left handed ruler, and watch the fun begin.

For the shop, take each machine, anvil, item, etc and put a strip of 2 inch masking tape on the item. Write the item name, model number, serial number on the tape. When you photograph each item the information is in the photo. Put the collection of photos in a safe place, usually off premises. A copy can be included in the insurance papers, as to what is insured. This will become very valuable incase of a insurance claim, or theft.

Use a chisel and score a line on one or both sides of the bar. Bend and it should come apart. There are other methods if this is going to be a repeated process. Hack saw blades are cheap. Buy good quality blades and keep several in a drawer as spares. They are a consumable item.

That is the point when you realize that the forge has indeed become a tool.

Ear plugs are not just for sound. They keep dirt and debris out of the ear canal. Welding should require ear plugs as they keep the spudderballs from entering the ear canal.

No. One chimney for each point of use. The chimney for a solid fuel forge is recommended to be 10-12 inches in diameter. Straight up is better than bends in the chimney. A side draft hood is the way to go. It will suck the smoke up and out of the work area when you place it nest to the fire. Look at the side draft, through the wall, chimney by HOFI, or the side draft called the super sucker also on the site.

Does that make the spacer stock at least 1/8 inch out of matching the clamping stock ? Or can you then shim the difference using the 1/16 inch thickness ? Ask another way, how do you use the spacers to match 2-1/16 working stock?

You can use corn kernels for fuel. Discussed on the site several times. I have used cardboard (the brown corrugated stuff) for fuel but it takes a lot of cardboard. Not something I would recommend as a fuel but it did work on the short testing trial. Find a fuel that is cheap and available in your local area, then build a forge to use that fuel.

"The reputation of a furniture builder isn't based on how 'perfect' every piece is, it's based on how professionally he can cover up his mistakes". I've seen a lot of dovetails cut by well known historical furniture builders that have a "sliver" spacer in them to make the joint tighter. Mentor to Chris C.

She and the family and friends are on the list.

A collection of improvised anvils and I did not see a Harbor Freight anvil in the bunch. You would be better served by finding a sledge hammer head, or piece of heavy metal and beating on that. Use the TPAAAT - Applied Anvil Acquisition Technique and be patient. It works and at some good prices.