Glenn

Mac, you may want to add that things were fixed with a couple of emails. As soon as I found out (and figured out) what was going on, it was fixed.

Welcome to the forum and site.

Rick, she is on the list.

Like any fuel, it smokes on start up, but then catches fire and burns producing much less smoke.

Photos by Irnsrgn

When you know what they are, they seem to be everywhere.

Don't forget IForgeIron

IForgeIron has over 300 Blueprints showing you step-by-step how to make tools, jigs, and projects.

The IFI forum is a wonderful resource for asking questions, getting answers from folks who are willing to help you improve your skills, and KNOW which end of the steel is hot.

The Problem Solving section of the IForgeiron forum is just the place to ask those questions.

You may want to contact Mike-hr (Or) or Coalforge (Wa) to see where they get their coal.

Safery = Safety
Thanks for reminding me I should spell check things.
Fixed the problem :)

Greetings! I know a few here, and recently found the blueprints section and that eventually (after I looked at ALL of them) led me here.

Go back to the opening page of IForgeIron.com and catch up on the new material posted. There were over 50 blueprints presented or posted during the month of July 2006.

Tuesday night Live Blueprints present at least 2 new Blueprints each week. Doors open at 8 pm eastern time and the show starts 10:00 eastern time for only one hour. Everyone is welcome, just point your browser.

Welcome to the site.

Try these:

Farrier Supplies, 26729 Highway 99 West, Monroe, Oregon 97456. TEL: (541) 847-5854.

Valley Farrier Supply, 21383 S. Yeoman Road, Beaver Creek, OR 97004. TEL: (503) 632-4366.

Central Fuel, 1945 S. Market Blvd., Chehalis, WA 98532. TEL: (360) 748-8808. Bring your own containers.

Morris Coal Sales, 26458 Black Diamond Road SE, Maple Valley, WA 98953. TEL: (206) 432-3330.

Harry’s Leather Shop, 2712 Hewitt Avenue, Everett, WA 98201 TEL: (425) 252-5262



Tell them you found them through IForgeIron.com

Most folks only use the top of the face and horn on the anvil. Paint the rest.

As to the shelves, your a blacksmith !! Make some "ladders" to hold the boards, lots of scrolls etc. Keep the span short to eliminate the wood sagging.

As to the curtain, a pipe for a curtain rod and hand forged rings, or rings with hooks for holding the fabric will work. Your a blacksmith, forge the hangers attaching the pipe to a room beam. This is where your blacksmithing skills can be displayed so give it some thought and time.

All of this should be designed to be easily moved and reassembled at the new location - nothing is permant, so plan for the move.

The anvil stump can be raised with bricks. Make it comfortable for YOU to use. Better yet, there are stump designs that are adjustable. Make a wooden frame from heavy rough cut timbers with a open box on the top. Fill (or empty) the box with sand to adjust the anvil height. It will sure help deaden the ring. You already have an audiance so you do not need to draw them in. A bright ring to an anvil in a closed space with hard walls will damage your hearing.

Please post photos so we can see the finished product.

The link is to an OSHA report on the subject of the dangers of 55 gallon drums. Thanks JimC for the email.



NIOSH Safety and Health Topic: Traumatic Occupational Injuries

Construction Fatality Investigation Reports

98IA045 IA Arc Welder Dies in Explosion While Using an Old Barrel as a Worktable

Why are we considering polution of the air, coating the forge, forge hood, and chimney with material you don't want to breathe for 8 feet of scrap steel? Next fire you will get that residual powder coat hot again only this time not even thinking about breathing the left overs.

There are too many springs in the world that are not powder coated to try to clean up the one that is powder coated. Just find another spring.

If the powder coating were zinc we would bring up the name Jim "Paw Paw" Wilson and his death and try to guide folks away from using the stuff in a fire. Why not do the same for powder coating?

The stuff is a pain to remove no matter what the method. Local powder coater sand blasts to clean the metal before powder coating and says it is the only way to removed the powder coating if needed. Having an industrail sand blaster available may have something to do with that decision.

Easy answer, look for another spring to use.

I have had several pieces powder coated. The finish is prone to chipping. Once the finish is compromised, water gets in and rust starts. The rust will run under the finish poping it off. Repair is to remove the powder coat from the entire piece (sandblasting) and refinish.

Look at the ironwork that has lasted 50 years, 100 years, or more. It was maintained on a regular basis. And not with a $2 can of spray paint.

At some point your business will change hands. Chris Pook Blacksmith (or Blacksmithing) is good for your ego but very poor for the new owners ego, unless his name is Pook. The name should be short and memorable, and give the viewer some idea of what is being done.

If you select the business name as a marketable commodity it will add value to the business at the time of sale. Most like the new owner will not have to change stationary, advertising campaigns, or phone numbers, which is a plus, and more money at the time of the sale.

I need to amend my post to indicate that the appartment dwellers (no disrespect intended) have many hobbies that do not require heavy duty tools.

Folks sometimes work out of extremely small spaces but still do wonderful things. One older gentleman comes to mind that had general tinkering abilities and worled out of an couple of metal kitchen cabnets in his basement. He was able to sharpen knives and sissors better than anyone. He would not want and could not use a 200 pound anvil, but did have about 9 inches of rail road track he used as an anvil.

Next time your in the Big Box store, look at the vises on display. On the top of the vise body is a flat area that just invites you to pound on it. The vise in the photo has 4-1/2 inch jaws and a nice little 2x2 inch flat are that can be used for - dare we say it - an anvil face?

They are not blacksmithing tools but like the anvil / vise combo tool, they can serve a purpose. To often they are abused by doing work that is too large for the design.

The vise / anvil combo comes apart into the vise and rail section and the anvil section as shown.

On the anvil section there is a hole just up from the bottom and close to the left "foot" in the photo. This is for a 1/2" rod to be inserted through the anvil section, through the vise rail section and out the other side of the anvil section. This is the adjustment for the opening of the jaws of the vise to handle different size objects. The hardie hole is about 1/2" square.


The anvil section is maybe 1/2" thick but hollow inside.

The assembled combo and a close view of the screw mechanism of the vise. This was only a fine spacing adjustment for the jaws and the clamping action of the vise. The adjustment scrrew actually pushes against the back of the vise jaw causing it to slide on the rail and close.

Is not a bad tool for an apartment dweller with a work bench hobby (not blacksmithing). The vise / anvil combo is a vise, an anvil, a horn, and a hardie hole all in one tool. It is definately not a heavy duty blacksmithing tool and is not designed to serve that purpose.

Circumference of a 5" dia circle is 15.7" or 19.6 sq inches, area inside the circle. Double the circumference is 31.4 which is 78.5 sq inches or 4x the area. (Machinery's Handbook)

And I do not recall the rule where it says you have to assemble two stove pipes of the exact same size. Why not a 5" and a 8", a 6" and a 8", or a 4 "and a 6", or any other combination you can think of to get your desired end result?

There is a issue with how the air flows inside the square vs round chimney, and air flow inside a too large or too small chimney, but that is beyond the scope of the original question.

Another hammer rack. It could be easily adapted to handle tongs.

Think about building to code. IF something should happen, the insurance company may look for an excuse not to pay up.

Pipe either standard sch 40, or corrigated drain pipe will work. The inside of a hot water tank can be 14" 16" or 18" and is maybe 11 ga.

Dish soap....that's what I have used, plus it settles all the gunk down to the bottom as well....JPH

Your comment reminded me of #41 on the Advice to New Blacksmiths by Richard Hanson.

41.Besides the above, when is the last time you changed that water, and what is in there that killed all the algae and mosquitoes.

42. While you got your hand in the slack tub, you might as well clean it out. Only a couple inches of goo in the bottom this time, but that crunchy thing, dripping with slime that you just pulled out, looks a lot like a dead rat. That's ok, he didn't die from putting a burned hand or foot in mucky water, he drowned.

* Add a little household bleach to sanatize their gene pool.

* Use the slack tub more often. After a good day at the forge, the heat from the metal will bring the water temp up to jacuzi level and skidders are no more. There is the rumor that a good blacksmith, while quenching metal, could would boil off half the water in his full whiskey barrel slack tub by lunch. Me thinks he startes earlier in the morning than I do. :)

From the email:

What is the purpose of flux during forge welding, I mean what does it do exactly?

Can other things be used instead of borax?

Alan DuBoff, getting some one to ask about the numbers was why they were posted in the signature. Glad you ask.

This is information from the book, not a religious discussion.

Adam, Cain, Enoch, Irad, Mehujael, Methushael, Lamech, and Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron.


Adam's 5th great grandson was the first blacksmith.


Ge 4:22
And as for Zillah, she also bore Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.