skunkriv

There IS a town somewhere in Europe with a museum of blacksmithing and a big pyramid of anvils as I recall, maybe even some lining a road. Don't remember which country and a websearch has brought me nothing. I HAVE seen pictures but searching through my piles of newsletters ( I used to be an editor, have hundreds of newsletters from all over the US and Canada) would just be crazy :D

Sorry for your loss. We share thoughts and moments with friends like these that are unlike those shared with anyone else in our lives. I am heading out to a nearby hammer-in this morning to see a few.

We plan to be there. Thomas, thanks for posting.

Welcome to ifi Dave...Cheers

Well its been quite a few years but if I remember right the plans for the BAM forge originally appeared in the Blacksmith's Journal so were likely designed by Jerry Hoffman. I only took it the first three years so it should be somewhere in those years. My issues are at work and I won't be back there til Monday. Back issues are cheap and Jerry may throw you a freebie because you are making these for your "affiliate".

I buy forge pots from a friend in IL. $118 for the pot and ball only (fab your own piping and ash dump) or $200 complete. VERY heavy duty. Email me if you want more info.

BABBIT INGOT USED FOR GRT LKS ORE BOATS PROP SHAFTS - (eBay item 110190153667 end time Nov-13-07 18:09:47 PST)

Babbit on ebay. Bid of $9.95 with a day and a half to go. I agree with the above, melt out what you have and melt and add enough new with it to make sure you have enough for a good pour.

Hollis-Glad you didn't get bit too bad. Hope it's not hurting much worse today.

Stay Safe-Old Rusty T.....Oh wait, that is someone else ;)

Welcome Steve. I made my first trip to the IBA conference in Tipton this spring to see Clifton, Steve and Kurt demo. If you were there maybe we met. I was the fat guy, beard and bibs ;)

I started like many with a book in one hand and a hammer in the other, charcoal briquettes etc etc. That was 20+ yrs ago. What I remember now is how much you can learn in one day (or one heat) watching and talking with somebody who knows what they are doing. I would advise any new folks (who range in age from 12-65, another great thing about this craft) to get out to a local hammer in and play in the fire with the great people you will meet. You will never quit learning.

Congratulations!

This has been done a couple times. Do a search in Blacksmithin' on "strike while the iron is hot" an you will find many. Revive one of those threads if you can add some more.

Nice table Jr. I have never gotten around to making a cutting table. I usually just cut in the air or block things up over the 30"X4' cast iron table in the shop. My shop is small and my 5X8 layout table lives outside. I have to move it over beside the shop in the winter so I can plow snow. One of your swingup tables will definitely be hanging off the end of this table soon. The angled dividers are a great feature.

As you folks can see the bars on his table have been flipped over once. Two for the price of one.

Sounds like it is set a little high to me. I like to be able to planish with light blows at a slower speed. My dies will hit a little at maybe half speed.

The horn on your anvil was probably not broken at all. If it indeed ever was much sharper it was likely purposely hammered back and blunted the first time the original smith suffered an injury. To his pants. This was quite commonly done. You did do a fine looking job. Bibs are almost $30 now, I will leave my horns blunt (or blunted).

#1 Join BAM

There are hammer-ins coming up in Nov, Dec and Jan. There are new members at pretty much every meeting. May be you find your first forge in the back of someone's truck there.

There are three, one day beginner's workshops in Feb and March in Eminence, MO utilizing BAM's Mobile Teaching Station. Price for these workshops is very reasonable.

Join today

Welcome to IForgeIron

You definitely want to join BAM Blacksmiths Association of Missouri : ABANA affiliate. A great organization and all good people. They have a meeting every other month and you will not want to miss their conference in Sedalia next May.

Boy there are some sick people here You may or may not know (but you do now) that the rewind and pause functions were put on your remote so you can revisit and study ironwork in movies whether they be from Paris, London, Rome, Texas , or Harlem.

You could slice off 1"-2", flatten it into a disc and raise a bowl from the disc.

One time back around '90 I was working at an antique power (tractor) show. A gentleman who had to be well into into his 80s came up and with him was a frail old man who had to be 100+. This older man just lit up when he saw several of us set up and working. He said his uncle had been THE blacksmith for the Barnum and Bailey Circus when they had travelled everywhere by train. He didn't say much more than that and they moved on but it got me thinking of all the things that man would have to manufacture and maintain. All of the shoed animals of course, the iron for the many many wagons, riggings and chain for tents, tent stakes. Maybe even contraptions for trapeze and other aerial acts. He almost certainly would also have had some part in the show itself. Just something to think about.

When someone tells me "grandpa etc was a blacksmith" I always ask them whereabouts?
They most often don't know any more than that and it gets the conversation going.

And then their is that old favorite: My grandad was a REAL blacksmith :D

Some elements from a "Free Form Forging" demo by Uri Hofi in Germany

When I was a kid my aunt and uncle had a mynah bird that talked. Oscar lived in the house in the winter and the rest of the time lived in Uncle Bud's welding shop. One of the many things he said was "watch your eyes". Not sure if the bird closed his or not :D

Here is a set of Uri's from the IFI gallery.

Main shop anvil. 156 lb Arm and Hammer. Stand is 10" well casing with a 2" plate welded to it. Plate was about 120 lbs. Three angle iron legs around the base for stability. When I got this anvil all four feet had 1/2" holes drilled in them. I would never go to the trouble to do that but I was sure gonna use them. Anvil is bolted through the 2" plate.

There is a 132 lb Peter Wright that floats around the shop on various benches and tables. Usually set pretty high off the ground for really light work. My traveling anvil is a 128 lb Hay Budden and it lives in the van.

I also have an anvil with the horn broke off. Can't read much of the name and even Mr. Postman couldn't identify it based on my description but it is definitely English and still weighs over 100 lb. It is usually on the heavy vise table right by the forge or weighing something down on my welding table. Best anvil I ever bought, it was only $6!!!

25 lb Little Giant with 2 1/2 X3" flat dies and mechanical brake.

25 lb Mayer with matched radius dies and mechanical brake.

100 lb Moloch. Work in progress (this winter's project)

Also have a 25 lb LG I leave at the Iowa State Fair