Glenn

He was wearing his good dress pants AND a good dress shirt for the photo. (grin)

Larry if the sand wants to move about and lower the anvil, try placing a piece of plywood (or heavy metal) into the box and then put the anvil onto the plywood. The sand would have to move past the plywood to change the height of the anvil and I do not see that happening. Fill the rest of the box with sand to keep the anvil from twisting. BP0336 Adjustable Anvil Stand. You can use the sand as a holder for punches, chisels, etc. How much sand did it take to fill the box?

bonds of steel go to the top of the forum page and click on user cp click on edit profile go to the bottom of the page, enter your location and save. We would like to know where in the world you are located.

To get a good representative price on the job, make a 3-4 foot section of the railing as a sample for the client to approve (in writing). This way the client knows what they are getting and you can more accurately price the job. Don't be upset if the job does not materialize due to the cost. At least you have a sample of your work to show others, and understand the REAL cost involved.

1) Not always, I sometimes do not wait for it to cool that far down the temp scale. 2) Take a piece of *mild steel* and make a chisel. Harden then temper to a cutting tool. Now use the chisel to cut the parent stock. 3) I place hot steel on a forge table to cool. This table is beside the forge and I can protect the steel from being grabbed by others. The steel that goes to the work table is ALWAYS placed into water and then transferred to my bare hand and only then placed on the work (public access) table. This way there are no surprises and no one gets burned. There are times when it goes into the water still quite hot and some quenching may occur, but it is usually a finished piece with no additional work being done. 4) been there, did that. 5) I will, thanks for the input and the idea.

Role playing games are popular with the younger (and sometimes not so younger) folks. The problem with role playing games, is you have to do what the game developer thinks is proper to advance to the next level. Some of the game developers have done their homework, some have watched Hollywood movies. Many RPG blacksmiths are becoming interested in the real thing and finding that accumulating points is not the same as physically holding a hammer, and using the hammer to move hot metal. How they got interested in real blacksmithing is not important. We need to provide accurate information to their questions and encourage them to learn. They then take this knowledge back to the role playing game to educate others.

We need to get back to blacksmithing. Let's move on.

There have been several questions about clinker, what it is, what it looks like, etc. Next time you clean out the forge, take a photo, and show me the clinker. Not a contest, just informational photos. The right photo is clinker from forging with dirty coal. You can see the rocks embedded in the glass like clinker.

Go to the top of the forum page and click on user cp. click on edit profile go to the bottom of the page, enter your location and save. We would like to know where in the world you are located.

Lessons in Blacksmithing: LB0003 Blacksmithing Forges LB0005 Blacksmithing Anvils I can only guess that you have not gotten to lesson 3 in your reading. The 3rd paragraph is titled *Now to build a forge*. The 4th and 5th paragraph show you HOW to build a forge !! Just this evening, I spent 2+ hours at the forge trying to make a project I saw demonstrated. As yet, I can show you nothing for my efforts. As I type this to you, I have a small anvil (20 pounds), modeling clay and a 3 pound hammer on my desk next to the keyboard. The forging practice continues, even into the night. Most likely I will dream about forging. I will solve my problem, by practice, using different medias, using different techniques, using my spare time, and devoting them all to finding a solution. But that is my method of learning, my dedication, my way of doing things. Blacksmithing is NOT a spectator sport. What you get out of it depends on what you put into it. .

Apprentice You have one of the best apprenticeship programs right here on IForgeIron. Go to IForgeIron > Lessons in Metalworking > Blacksmithing and start at LB0001. Then go to IForgeIron > Blueprints and make each of the 600+ projects listed. IF you have questions, aask them in the forum. What better could you ask for than advice from 3,700+ of your peers that WANT you to succeed.

Chris it has been fixed. Thanks If any more of his postings are found, please let me know.

Jerry posted a video of his power hammer in action. You can also go to the IForgeIron gallery, videos, sized for dial up, and see the video.

Send me the URL where it is being posted.

BP0257 Bending Fork If your making the rings, make one of these to adjust the rings where adjustments are needed.

Send me the URL for the photos being judged please and I will look into things from here.

You bending the metal the easy way or the hard way? If you look at the end/edge of the finished ring, the easy way by bending the 1/4 inch thickness and the ring stands 2 inches tall (think pipe), or the hard way by bending the 2 inch thickness and the ring is only 1/4 inch tall (think big flat washer). You say "perfect ring". That would suggest a large, properly aligned band saw and a piece of pipe. Give us some details of the project and the use of the ring.

You can now add several photos to the gallery at one time. This, and the touchmark section in the gallery, are some of the changes that are being made to the site.

You do realize that this hardens the metal by quenching it. If you use this piece of metal later, will you remember that the end was hardened?

AllThumbz Go to the top of the forum page and click on user CP click on edit profile go to the bottom of the page, enter your location and save. We would like to know where in the world you are located.

LB0007 Seeing colors

Low ash vs high ash. As a blacksmith, you want the BTU value in heat from the fire otherwise your paying for rocks. I do not know the acceptable values. I can tell you that good coal produces only a small amount of ash and clinker at the bottom of the fire. Other coals produce clinker, goo, rocks, etc that choke the fire to the point you must clean out the fire pot and rebuild the fire, sometimes on a regular basis. One good measure of the percent ash, is the amount and quality of ash in the ash bucket after a weeks forging.

arftist Go to the top of the forum page and click on user cp click on edit profile go to the bottom of the page, enter your location and save. We would like to know where in the world you are located.

Hephaestus, glad to be of service.

We have added a section in the gallery for touchmarks.