the hangman

I'm no expert; but I'd recommend taking an 80 grit sanding flap disk on your angle grinder and LIGHTLY grind a radius on the chipped edges. If you are new to blacksmithing - I'd lightly dress the chips like this and then use the anvil for a year. This light dressing should stop any further chips from breaking out. You can always do further dressing of the edges after you learn how you use your anvil.

If you grind too much out - you really cannot put it back

- just my 2 cents

I would jump on that Vulcan for $100.
You can always sell it if you progress to where you want a better anvil.

Any 100 pound anvil starts out at $250 around here - even in much worse shape than your photos show

What kind of work are you planning to do ?
Do you want something that is portable or do you have a permanent shop for it ?

A 100 pound anvil is too small for large work. It will be fine for small stuff though.
I have a 73 pound Trenton myself - but I have to carry it up and down a flight of stairs every time I use it.

I plan to build a shed next year and I've been looking for a larger anvil to keep in there.

Wow thank everyone for all of the advice and knowledge that you have. I am in northern Michigan for all who needed to know. I have started scavenging some supplies but and not sure on what I have so far. I am learning as much as I can before I start doing anything so I don't make too many mistakes. Thank you all for being so gracious with everything.

Nemdoug: When you say "Northern Michigan"; do you mean the Upper Penninsula or Upper Lower Michigan ?

I am from Green Bay. I have been watching Craigs List and haven't seen a real lot of stuff in the UP - occasionally something will pop up though. A nice looking portable forge not too long ago.
There is a good coal supplier here in Green Bay if you need that.

Vincent: Give it a try . . . if you already have it in your basement - what's to loose ?

Do you have a forge or are you just thinking about getting into blacksmithing ?

here is my version.

http://www.farwestforge.com/Forum/bsgview.php?photo=3441&cat=&by=Sweany

What does "neoprene of plywood" mean ?

I do alot of camping with my family. Two years ago we were at a campground and a woman had set up a demonstration in the outdoor pavilian. She was selling dutch ovens and related camp cookware - like tripods. She had a very well organised demonstration where she was showing an amazing variety of dutch oven and open fire cooking. Stuff like pinapple upside down cake in a dutch oven, baking cookies in a foil lined cardboard box, bread sticks baked on twigs, etc. After the demo - she took orders for the equipment. The cast iron cookware is too heavy for her to bring it along. She had brochurs and you could contact her at home later if you didnt want to order right away. I don't know if she was married / if she actually made money or just covered her vacation expenses or whatever ?

I would think you could sell some stuff in campgrounds and the like . . . and maybe make anough to cover your camping expenses - but not enough to live on. Maybe if you were retired and just wanted to suppliment your income . . .

Just my thoughts

I don't know what kind it is but it looks good to me. What did you pay for it?

I paid $260 - maybe a little high in some areas of the country - but I've been looking for a year now and this is about the best looking anvil that I have seen. There aren't very many for sale around here. Anyway - it is mine now.
I started dressing the edges - most of the chips are ground out already with a 1/8" radius.
Oh ya - I also got a tree stump base and a cut off hardie with the anvil.

I agree that it is probably a Trenton.

The year of manufacture would be 1917 according to AIA.

Wow - thanks for the information. This is a great forum with very helpfull people

Jeff

After 12 months of suffering with a lousy Harbor Freight / Chinese cast iron anvil – I finally bought a real anvil. The seller had no information about it other than it was about 70 pounds. I needed something light that I can carry up and down the stairs every time I use it. There are no apparent manufacturer’s markings on the sides. There are some numbers stamped into the front foot – under the horn:
“73” I assume that is the weight of the anvil
The other numbers appear to be “A 156 196 “

I know I don’t have much information other than the photos. Can anyone make any guesses on the manufacturer or approximate date of manufacture?

I appreciate any info

I recommend a regular hairdryer also. I have been running my brake drum forge for a year now on a $10 hair dryer from Wal-Mart. I use coal if that makes any difference though. I also added a simple rheostat that was meant for use on a ceiling fan. It works very well and very quiet at low speeds.

Jeff

Hey I bought a 1" x 30" belt sander from HF and it gets the job done for light sanding. I bought some leather belts and do some sharpening on it too. Here is a picture of the sander on the site. My link
It was only about $40.00 from my local HF bought as the other said you get what you pay for.
I would love to build that "no weld" belt grinder that they sell plans for.

R.Harrell: I have one of those HF 1"x30" belt sanders also. One of my other hobbies is building and flying remote-controlled airplanes and helicopters. That little sander is great for small work. I burned up my first one after a couple years and my second one is starting to go . . . I would like to find a similar unit - but made a little better

Jeff

Thanks guys:

I assumed it would be OK to keep it for years. I just wanted to check with you guys. It would be pretty hard to dispose of 2000 pounds uf useless stuff.

Thanks
Jeff

This may just be the dumbest question ever asked . . . "How long does coal keep ?"

A little background: I've been learning a little blacksmithing for about a year now. I've found a local supplier that sells what seems to be good blacksmithing coal for $100 a ton. Smaller quantities are available at a higher price. The dealer is a large volume dealer and they normally sell by the semi-load. It is a big industrial facility and there are semi's and cranes and payloaders - back and forth. I have to drive way in the middle of all that. I've been lucky that they let me come in and fill my 5 gallon pails of coal for $3.50 each - which I still consider a good price.

I am worried that as this hobby develops that I may loose my coal source - either they stop carrying this type coal or for safety reasons they discontinue letting me inside with my little pails.

If I were to buy a larger quantity - is there any issue with storing it for a few years ? Maybe up to ten years. I realize that coal is a million years old - but does exposure to air or humidity and anything affect it? I would be storing it in covered garbage cans or something - not outside.

I told you it was a dumb question - but I don't want a ton of "bad coal" either.

Thanks

As a new person the I Forge Iron website; I spent a few days reading alot of the old threads. One thing I saw again and again was some new person asking a question and getting several helpful answers in return. Then the new new would come back and argue against the replies.

I started to see myself doing that a little - So I bit the bullet and took your advice. I built the table this weekend using durarock board. I still coated it with furnace cement (I already bought it) to give it a nice smooth finish. The durarock was alot easier to cut than the firebricks (it is alot thinner) and I think it is going to turn out pretty nice.

I appreciate all the input
Thanks

Jeff

Well, I think that means another trip to Home Depot ...

Thanks guys

Jeff

Bryan: I already have the black iron pipe. 2" black pipe "T" hooked up to a hair dryer on a speed control rheostat and an ash dump. I've been using it for about two months now - the forge itself works very well - I just want a table around the brake drum to set down my tools and keep a little extra coal ready and forming coke at the edge.

How hard is that durarock board to cut in a circle ? Acutally I need to cut an inside circle . . . much harder than an outside circle.

Jeff

I'm really having a hard time cutting the firebrick to match the curve of the brake drum. I have another idea i'd like to bounce off you guys. Set the brake drum into a hole in the plywood table and coat the table with furnace cement. The furnace cement is rated at 2000 degrees - but I assume the fire would basically be contained in the brake drum anyway. I guess the cement would mostly keep the edge of the fire (or a stray buring peice of coal) from burning the wood.

I think I have seen cautions about using furnace cement to build a fire pot - the cement can spall from the heat ? I assume it would be OK outside the brake drum - but I don't wan to get hurt.

Is this a reasonable approach to this forge table ? I want something that I can store in my shed and carry or roll out into my back yard. If this is doable; how thick should I build up the cement on the plywood ?

Any thoughts?

Jeff

A masonry cut-off wheel on a 4" grinder makes cutting firebrick a breeze (just make sure you do it outdoors as it creates a lot of dust). If you don't have a grinder (HF for about $20 would suffice), the try a masonry hack-saw blade or a mas0nry blade for a sawsall (reciprocating saw) or even a radial hand saw - they all work on firebrick though the hacksaw take a little longer but gets the job done more precisely than a chisel.

I'm having a heck of a time cutting the fire bricks. I am trying to cut a circular edge on them - to match the 11" diameter brake drum. I have tried a Dremel tool and a chisel, a jig saw with a carbide masonary blade and a Sawzall with a masonary blade. I have angle grinder and a pneumatic cutter - but neither of them will cut a the arc. So far I have 4 bricks finished of the 8 bricks that need cutting.

Anyone with any easier suggestions ?

Jeff

Dan: I think I looked at that same cart at my local HF store - thinking I could use it for a table for my brake drum forge. The main thing that turned me off is it is very, very low. By the time you extend the legs, add the bracing, cut the hole, etc . . . you may as well just start from scratch.

I am 6'-2" if that matters

Jeff

Great Lakes Coal, here in Green Bay has marble-size Bituminus coal. They said it was good for blacksmith use. I picked up 200 pounds for $20 a couple weeks ago.
I'm kinda new at this - but it seems to be pretty good coal - it cokes up nice and I haven't found any clinker after two afternoon sessions at the forge.

Jeff

Hi
Just been lurking for a few weeks here. Just ordered this book from Barnes and Noble for $7.99.
Here's the link
My link

Rustyfinn

WOW - that's an unbeliavable price - I just ordered one too

Jeff

Thanks for all the replies. I knew you guys would steer me in the right direction even if it wasn't what I wanted to hear. I was just hoping to use something I already had laying around. I guess I will either go with the fire bricks or a sheet metal top. I know my local home improvement store has fire bricks for $1.29 - but they will be a pain to cut with a chisel to match the shap of the brake drum.

Jeff

I just assembled a brake drum forge and used it for the first time last weekend. It actually worked better than I expected. However, I did see some of its shortcommings: Having no table makes it difficult to add more green coal to the edges of the fire and keep the coke in the center. Also I didn't have any place to set down my tongs or anything.

Of course this brake drum forge is only temporary - but I would like to for a while yet untill I learn a little more. However, I would like to improve it a little right now by building a simple table around it - maybe 24" x 36" . I really don't have the metal working tools to fabricate a metal table - Do you think I could build a table by laminating several peices of 5/8" drywall with a wood frame below it ?

I would be used outside - but stored in my shed. I just want it to last maybe a year.

- I will be getting some lessons from an experianced blacksmith - but he won't be available untill summer and want to learn a little on my own

Thanks
Jeff

Hey - It looks like a cannot edit my misspelled word in my subject line - now I look like an idiot

In the days of apprenticeship, one of the first things learned was to pick up hot cut pieces off the floor, quench them, and dispose of them, and this was done as soon as they fell to the floor. Pickup tongs were used and were often extra long overall. The various curves in the jaw could accommodate different sizes. Nowadays, we don't often have apprentices, so people are asking, "What are pickup tongs?"

Interesting trivia . . .

Thanks

That makes sense now . . .
Thanks guys

I am new to the forum and also to blacksmithing. I have arranged for some lessions from a seasoned vetran - but he doesn't want to start untill the snow is gone - so I am banging on some metal on my own for now. I am gathering parts for a brake drum forge to replace the $10 propane torch I am currently using and I picked up a couple books "New Edge of the Anvil" and "The Art of Blacksmithing" I have a junk China anvil and I am looking around for something better - but I have something in the mean time.
I just bought a couple real tongs to replace my vise-grips. I bought an Off-Center Wolf Jaw and an Off-Center 1/4" V-bit chainmaker (16") - for making those manditory S-hooks.
Here is my question: What is the purpose of a "Pick-up" tongs? I read they are used to pull the workpiece out of the fire. What does that mean - is that all they do ? Then what - do you transfer the workpiece to your regular tongs for forging ? Can't I use my regular tongs to pull the workpiece out of the fire or will that somehow damage them ?

Thanks