Tim McCoy

Biggundoctor,

Rained in Vegas almost all night and day ... had snow and sleet in the western part of town at around 3:30 pm for about 30-45 minutes ... my back yard is flooding and will have to move the tortoises in the AM ... more of the same for tomorrow they say. Funny, when it all stops, I can go out back to my steel pile and see what rust really looks like.

Tim

In Las Vegas; scrap yards are getting 25 cents a pound and at Curtis Steel their drop is 50 cents a pound unless you bring gaterade and then you get a discount :-)

Really tastefully executed ...

Dancho,

Thanks again for your response ... I understand how it works now.

Tim

Dancho,
Great anvil - would you please share your thoughts about why convex face is magic ... I am finishing a 4.25 x 27" round bar as an anvil and was considering a flat face ... thanks in advance.
Tim

How about "Universal" ... because that is what it is, the Universal Anvil - fully adjustable, user friendly, works in any situation, etc., etc.
Tim

Great work - how's the cross attached to the base - tenon??

And I was worrying about how to get that point just right on some 1/4" rebar - Ha

My My that's funny!

Braedon,
Congrats on the fire ... great layout and cool looking hood ... whens the vent pipe goin' in??
Tim

Grant
I know that you are in the final, final stages of your design ... as your photos show. Just trying to plant a seed for the future ... some of us won't be able to afford the fare for one like you are building ... maybe later when you have finished with this project you could find a way to craft a smaller unit.

In answer to your question, I would give up the horn first ... a hardy would allow lotsa bicks and other tools as does using the slotted die concept ... your thought about the horn/flat/hardy/bolster die meets many needs in less space of course ... a die fitting over a cut out with a hardy hole at the bottom might work ... it seems that the possibilities remain endless ... can't wait to see one of your finished products sitting on a pallet waiting to be shipped out! Thanks for letting all of us share in your project!

Medusa sounds like a winner IMHO - especially when you consider that you have already worked out your advertising/marketing tag line ... the graphics will be easy to work out ... now you just need a color scheme. So, you sell a "basic" anvil, include whatever you know will work as a starter kit for the first purchase and then sell'em all the extra goodies that will be needed. Run annual specials for Fathers Day, Mothers Day, Valentines and .... well, Merry Christmas Grant!

May I be bold enough to suggest a half size unit for those of us on a limited budget ... can it be done with just two slots and at a 150# weight at a cost/profit point that makes business sense ... a Mini-Medusa or Medusa's Daughter?

It is amazing when we see a design that is "correct" in every way. You anvil base bands are more than supports - they speak to the idea of tools as art. We should all be able to do such wonderful work - well done!
Tim

It is a wonderful thing to get to watch as your project expands and gets worked out! Thanks for sharing - have you a name for your anvil yet??
Tim

Monstermetal,
Larry - monster make very pretty and substantial without having the end result look heavy! You have a fine hand and an eye for the understated. Great work! You possess more than a skill - most artists usually do.
Tim

Thanks guys ... plated stuff gets used for it's original purpose ... the trailer hitch/draw bar is good for trading stuff or maybe hammer heads ... the red angle iron will be part of a leg powered treadle hammer ... the 4.25" round bar is being cut to length for my primary anvil ... the stone mason's hammer will get remade ... the trailer hitch balls are for hardy tools ... and so on ... ain't this fun??

Thanks Glenn - we (the wife and I) have an agreement - I can collect, but no fire until I finish a couple of honey-do's ... that list will be complete in about 5 days! Then it's her choice for the place for dinner and then I learn to make some tools out of those springs. What a great way to end the year!

Tim

FYI,
Alexander Weygers, in his book, "The Complete Modern Blacksmith", pgs 255-256 has some instructions about making files/rasps and shows a jig for file making. IMHOP this may not be a cost effective task, but anything that teaches us better hand/eye coordination and patience is a good thing. Others have said this better, but craftsmanship comes from time, endless hours of mundane practice, steady hands, the patience of a saint, a desire to make the work meaningful in and of itself and a sincere disregard for the nay-saying of others. All of us recognize craftmanship and those of us that dabble in the black work should appreciate more than casual observers what is involved in making something out of iron and steel. Making a file or polishing a hammer face to a mirror finish are not so far apart ... I for one, need to know how to do both.

Tim

And here's just a little more of what I've gathered. I need help, someone has to help me stop! It's gotten so bad that now my wife is yelling, "Hey, isn't that a piece of steel over there!" as we drive down the street. And funny thing, everything seems lighter when you first put it into the trunk.

Tim

Over the last 90 days I have crawled through countless alleys, been to yard sales and scoured many abandoned construction sites to have the items shown below follow me home along with another forge, over 300# coal, and a couple of anvil alternatives ...

I have large bolts, wheel discs and drums, shocks, spings, channel, round and square bar, box channel, forming stakes, bearings, plate, u-channel and more ... enough for a few projects I think.

More photos later of my anvil alternatives ...

Tim

EWCTool,

There is a John Wayne movie where the "soldiers" bend rail in the same manner heat it in a large fire then bend it around the nearest telegraph pole ... guess it is an old trick ... just need a couple of friends and ...

Tim

I now understand the Zen of toolmaking!!

Regardles of the source of his inspiration it is a work of art that reflects something soulful and filled with life ... captures the flavor of the shipright's skill, the sea's brutality and the fine hand of an artist all at one time. A real treasure you have there. Could you please let us see some closer shots?? Thanks for sharing this wonderful work!!

Thanks guys ... I think I understand now about the weight under the face ... hence earlier suggestions about setting a four foot piece of rail into the ground to hammer on. Sorry to get us off topic. Seems like the consensus is this, get something heavy (cast iron being the worst) and crunch hot things on it often, and get something harder and deeper as soon as you can and hit things some more. Free is best and when spending money, buy the biggest and hardest you can. And so on 'til you can get a power hammer or three.

So much to learn and so little time!
Tim

I searched this forum and couldn't seem to find any info about concrete cutting blades. Used with water cooling as they cut lines for slab removal. Would like to know if anyone can tell me what types of steel they are made of. I have several that were left in a dumpster at a job site ... about 1/8" thick with a diameter of approx 18" with a 1" arbor hole. Tried cutting with an abrasive wheel ... very tough. Can they be used for knife blades?

Thanks,
Tim