Stash

Putting it all to work to get steel to forging temp- priceless! Steve

With the pivot bolt, I've found that sometimes general use has worn a slight a ridge on the bolt that locks things in a bit. I usually try to spin the bolt in the hole with slip joint pliers or a pipe wrench, while tapping with a bronze hammer so the threads aren't damaged. Or just give it a whammo or 2 with a big ball peen if you're going to replace the bolt and nut. One or the other has always done it for me. Steve

That coal will burn fine, you just need to work with it a bit. If you have any coke from a previous fire,, set it around your paper ball, lay some small wood splits around to make a campfire. Get your coal wet in a bucket, with enough water so there isn't free water in the bucket, pack hand fulls of that around the paper and wood with an opening on top. light the fire and as the wood burns slowly push the coal towards the center, without blocking the fire. It should start to coke up- the loose coal seems to be a more solid mass, break chunks off the mass with a poker or rake and work it to the center of the fire. add more of the coal to the outside of the fire, and work it in to the center. Lather, rinse and repeat. If you have no coke to start with, just make a regulation boy scout campfire with wood,, and add in the wet coal as above. It'll be smoky for a while, but once it starts coking, it won't be as bad. Depending on your source, you can get coal graded to a particular size- I can get pea or nut. It looks like your grade is gravel (actually that size is probably 'rice'.) Steve

My wife agreed to a late supper last night so I could run out for this load. 11 tongs, 40 odd swages, both top and bottom, hammers, hardies, fullers,punches and other stuff- about 160 pieces in all, for $200. Couldn't get the money out of my pocket fast enough. Sorted thru in the daylight, set out what I wanted, and loaded 4 heavy crates to take tailgating. Supper was broiled salmon, with a nice Pinot griggio. Steve

Another vote here for black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia). Steve

I get a good stem transition by doing my necking- down on the horn with a rounding hammer. I neck in close to where I want it, then work my way up till I'm happy. Then I just go the other direction to do the stem. I do the whole thing on the horn, with minimal cleanup on the face. Steve

Looks very similar to an unidentified anvil I have, but mine is missing the horn. Be cool to mount them together on one stump. Mine has a hardie hole, but no pritchell, so maybe pre 1830 ish. as yours looks a lot like mine in what is left to compare, yours might be the same era, either colonial or early English. Steve

The same article and reference is printed in AIA. Mr Postman must have found it and had the same response as you. Thanks. Steve

Any of the above penetrants will do the job for you- pick one and go for it. Don't be in a rush. A little heat can be helpful, too. As far as cleanup, Ive done electrolysis on a heavily rusted vise and it worked fine. Usually I hit it with a wire wheel pretty good and then oil it. Steve

Well, according to AIA, it is a cast steel anvil made for Sears in the '20's, and the producer is unknown. Looks like a nice find. Just don't use a sledge on it. Steve

I've used the Delta version of that sander for a while, before upgrading. There should be a way to tilt the belt mechanism from horizontal to vertical. I did that, and rigged a simple sheet metal guard, and I was off to the races. That grinder should serve you well. I was unable to kill mine. Steve

No,Thomas, I don't have any of them- really, no. No, don't look there- nothing to see here- please move on. Steve

Well it seems to have started life at 114#, so subtract missing heel weight and general wear and tear, you might be in the 100-110# range as she sits. If the top plate is original with reasonable rebound and ring, I would put it in the mid $100's or so in USD, here on the east coast of America. Too many unknowns from the pix to speculate any more. Steve

Probably done late in the day on a Friday, or early on a Monday. Steve

Well, stating the obvious, you need to make tongs that will hold the stock with which you are working. V jaw will give you flexibility to use round or square. With that size stock they will need to be beefy. Maybe think about adapting something like farrier nippers or flea market finds to your needs. Tongs, especially that size can be a frustrating experience for a noob. Steve

You could use a garage door spring, just uncoil a bit and you're good to go. If you can find a small enough gauge, you don't need to draw down as much, and put a long taper on it then do your twist. When done you just normalize. Steve

I would just use a chunk of rr track as-is, without grinding shapes on it. Unless you need that shape. No need to try and copy the shape of a London- style anvil. I keep a chunk in my basement wood shop for odds and end kinda stuff and that works fine. I just have a small assortment of other shaped metal bits that I can put in a vise, and I'm good to go. If I need more mass, I go out to my metal shop. Steve

Dave- no issues at all with the hammer. I can and have lightly dressed out dings with a file. Next time I see you I'll show you the heat treat app, just to make you drool. Steve

Hi Dave. A few years ago Nathan Robertson had a hammer making workshop for the PABA gang at Steve G's shop. What we did was normalize/ grind, heat to critical,water harden, and then set refractory blocks in front of the dragon's breath of a gas forge so only the eye area was being heated. We kept moving it around, till the face and peen were bronze and quenched it off. In a coal forge I would probably do the trick of heating an eye drift hot and insert it into the eye, and watch your colors, reheating the drift as necessary. Seemed to work for us. Hope this helps. Steve

Yeah back in the day ss number was etched or punched or( ) into things to ID them if stolen. Looks old- is there a pritchel hole? I can't tell from the pix. If not, could be pre 1830 ish. Looks like some of the steel plate top is worn thru/ broken, but seems there is enough left to forge on. NO GRINDING ON THE FACE!. Clean it up if you want with a wire brush, and polish the top with hot steel. Steve

I've enjoyed George Dixon's "A Blacksmith's Craft". Also the complete Aspery series. Just wait until Thomas P gets back on line. He might have a thought or 40. Steve

I stand corrected (and not for the first time, either). Thanks for the info. I really need to get my own copy of AIA. Steve

I'm Presbyterian and we don't use red brick dust in our sacraments. Is that a Druid thing? Steve

Definitely we don't want to set Das on fire. He is nobody's fuel. Steve

Yeah, that'll do. Steve