mike-hr

#3 looks like a spider guage for testing the depth of the saw tooth set.

Don't run the forge in a closed shop without a carbon monoxide detector. My shop is 22 x 36 with 12 foot walls and open trusses, I can get the CO detector beeping in less than 10 minutes if the fuel mixture isn't just right.

I'm very up front with customers in regards to the longevity of laquer. I guarantee the finish for 5 years, and tell them it will probably need work after 7 or so. It's real easy to sand down, and brush on a new coat. I've had problems with painted railings, specifically Sherwin's Polane catalyzed, in shades of gray. The black does fine, but the gray crashes from UV in 3 years or less. For painted stuff I now use Sherwin's Sher-Kem. We'll need another 3-4 years to see how it's working.. I got to experimenting a few years ago, trying to duplicate the look of wire-wheeled steel in paint, I got a real good look by mixing half black with half chrome fleck metallic.

I use a touch-up spray gun in the shop, paint brush in the field.

I've been using Sherwin-Williams OPEX clear metal laquer for around 5 years, haven't had any comebacks. I live in high desert type climate with snowy winters and lots of UV when it's not snowing, don't think I'd trust it on the coast.

Build an angle iron surround, screwed to the stump for the base, I don't think it will jump out. Move the stump and block around with a hand truck.

You may just have a choked fire. As you spin the blower, take a small diameter (3/8") piece of steel and gently lift the fire down by the bottom of the firebox. Does the sound change from not much, to a roar? You may have to give the fire a bit of a lift each heat until you figure out the personality of the forge.

Howdy from Klamath Falls! Stop by if you're in the area..

I get up early and aim the reddi-blaster just under the platen table. a couple hours and the cast iron soaks up btu's enough to radiate out until the gas forge or woodstove kicks in.

I often get headaches when doing shop math. Does trigonometry generate Carbon Monoxide?

The hammer behind 'Little John' looks to be a JDH Foot/Power combined. I'm re-doing one just like it in my spare time (Hee hee). It's supposed to have a mess of springs and arms at the top so you can unhook the eccentric, and use the foot treadle for a manual blow. I wish I could find someone with a working model so I can see a picture of the coil spring set-up on top. There's patent drawings in 'Pounding out the Profits', but pretty vauge.

This item didn't follow me home, it was waiting in the driveway when we got back from labor day in the desert. Mcraigl and Darryl Pech teamed up and got it for my birthday! It's an air compressor, 25 HP GE motor, Kellogg-American #A462TV head, and I-Rand tank, 24" diameter X 60" long. I would estimate the overall size as 'Fairly Large' and the weight as 'Pretty Heavy'. Thanks Guys!!

I'm real happy to hear it's up and running. He bought the 4B from me. There was a rumour around town of the Weyerhauser mill shutting down the blacksmith shop, and scrapping some mysterious huge hammer. I called the department head several times, he never returned my calls. A couple months later I was driving past the local U-Pull-It auto salvage, and the 4B was sitting behind an old Dodge sedan. I got it home and quickly realized the infrastucture involved in setting it up was more than my marriage could take. I was glad when Dave found me and bought it, he does big sculpture stuff and can use it to its potential. Did he make a foot treadle for it? It was set up for 2-man operator/driver originally.

Was the 4B at David T's shop behind the building center?

What are you going to do with your tools? Are you going to go into full time smithing, and will it help you feed your family? At $40.00/hr shop rate, you will pay for the anvil just after lunch on Monday, and it will most likely out live your grandchildren..sounds like you did just fine to me.

It sounds like you're hardwired with a fair amount of self motivation and initiative. I would suggest: buy a welder and take a class at the local community college to learn to use it, It's a skill you won't regret learning. Also, find and join the local smithing club, guild, etc. Local is a perspective thing, i often drive 4-7 hrs to local hammer-ins, You'll more than pay for the gas getting with folks that can help you get some technique in a weekend, as opposed to the difficult self taught road.

EV, Thanks for the heads up! I called fellow CBA member Bob the farrier guy, who lives in the area, it's now in his truck.. He said it looks to be a mousehole type, about 180# if the horn was still there. Bob's a good hand, and will make sure it's vacation is over.

Sometimes if my Propane forge is running out of plumb (too rich, too lean?), my stuff comes out of the heat pre-rusted, it's a bear to get it wire wheeled off.

In my shop, plastic face shields and safety glass lenses have a tough time. A little grinding dust combined with a hurried wipe from a shirttail makes for intolerable streaks and rainbows. I'd use discarded glass patio doors.

That's a nice saw. I have a 8 inch Wells, it's at least 40 yrs old. It's the heartbeat of my shop. It just keeps chugging along, takes whatever I feed it, and don't complain. Great score!

In the shop I work with the horn to the left, but when I demo with my traditionalist buddy Dave, I always put the horn to the right. I kinda like the pattern the bulging veins in his forehead make when he sees me working like that.

Scrap driveshaft tube measures on the O.D., so 3 inch flex exhaust piping fits over 3 inch driveshaft tube real nice.

Thanks Chainsaw, great tip! The rubber boot would also discourage students from using the screw as a 'backstop' for chiseling and upsetting operations.

We tried coke in a bottom blast forge once, it clinkered up and clogged the air inlet faster than we could clean it. The side blast forges allow the clinker to settle under the air inlet.