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Meep Meep, Splatttttttt. Road Runner always misses getting crushed. Poor Coyote!!!!

Good Morning Army, That BandSaw will have many different names. I have worn out a couple, but I still use mine. Don't look for a hard answer, if you are missing a bearing, look at it's number and order one from your local bearing/parts store. The Saw is not perfect, but they still keep ticking. If H/F has a saw, look at it's parts sheet. Neil

Good Morning, Duck To start, start by reading something like 'the Blacksmithing Primer'. Randy McDaniels explains how and why to start. Start with a container of Play-Doh, Steel works identical to Play-Doh, except you can work the Play-Doh in your hands. For the steel, you need Tools to hold the hot material. If you aren't doing your own research, don't ask someone for the answers. You need to find someone or a group of somebodies near you to help guide you. Please don't over-react when you ask a question and you don't enjoy the answer. An Anvil, is something to hammer on. Anything can be an Anvil. A hammer, is a lump of Steel?? on a stick. Any style hammer is still a hammer. A ball pein Hammer is very versatile, there is no perfect weight, the one you have is better than the one you think you may need. Using a Hammer is very simple, but the Hammer is not a simple tool. You must learn to use movement in your whole arm and shoulder, not just your wrist. You need a mentor to help guide you, to suggest what and how to do something. You need to learn to make your Tools and why you make them a certain way. By doing this, you will learn the subtle nuances of using the Tools. There is no test or exam to pass, If you make nice Tools, you are learning to do nice work. This is a Journey, with no Destination you can put your finger on. Enjoy the ride!! Neil

LOL Neil

Good Morning, When something doesn't move the way you are thinking about. Stop doing what you have did, Use a different tactic. Did you try unscrewing it? WackaMole only works at the Fairgrounds!. Neil

Good Morning, A Flatter does not HAVE to be handled, I have often used a scrap offcut that looks like it has a handle. No problem, just hit it straight and tight to your work. Neil

Good Morning, Or you can wrap it in an old blanket or tarp and put it wherever it fits best. Don't plan on having an accident and have a good trip/journey. Neil

Good Morning and Welcome from Canada!! Your Anvil is in excellent condition. It is asking for you to heat something up and get to work on it!! We use Play-Doh or Modeling Clay, to learn how Hot Metal reacts, on the Anvil. You can use your hands and fingers instead of Hammer and Tongs, or, you can use the Hammer and Anvil to see what something will look like when working/playing on the Anvil. Paint a wide smile under the Horn and a couple eyes on top the cutting plate. Then you will have to name your new Child!! If you look at the Anvil from the end of the Horn (with a little creative thinking) you will see a Face with a long nose!! Enjoy your new baby, You don't need to know where it was born, to enjoy using it!! Neil

Good Morning Cam, You are in the heart of the 'Ontario Artist Blacksmith Association' "OABA". Check out their web-site, they have something happening soon. The amount of knowledge that is available, close to you, is HUGE!! Neil

Good Morning, Cut a piece of plywood to fit inside the square tube. Sit the Anvil on top of the plywood, sitting on top of the Sand. This cuts down on the sinking Anvil. If you want to change the height of the Anvil, remove or add sand as desired. The plywood cuts down on the sand landing up on the Floor. Keep It Simply Simple (K.I.S.S.). Neil

Good Morning, Mad Welcome to this world and greetings from Vancouver Island, just west of the far away place called Vancouver, BC Canada. Contrary to what you may think, it is far easier to make something 'Flat', using the slight dish in the Anvil Face. When you hammer down on the high point of what you are trying to straighten, it is better to have a place for the material to spring into, before it springs partway back. If you wish a Flat surface, get a surplus piece of granite counter-top. If you wish a piece of flat surface, get a drop or an off-cut of steel plate. Your wonderful Anvil has already survived at least one life-time of work, don't go ruining it's day by threatening to machine it flat. There is quite a group of Blacksmith's in Australia. If you would like a couple e-mail address, send me a PM (Private Messanger is near the top of the main page). If you put your locale in your Avatar, we won't have to keep asking you where you are making a shadow. Thanks, Neil

Compactus Clay, wasn't he a Boxer? LOL Neil

Good Morning, Use a soap stone/chalk, write "MT" on empty bottle. Neil

Good Morning Hawk, When you are looking for an Anvil, an Anvil can be any shape and size. It is better to play the hand you have, than wait for a perfect hand. A bird in the hand is better than 3 in the Bush. North West Blacksmith Association will be having their Spring Conference at Longview Fairgrounds, end of May. There will be lots of 'Tailgate Sales', surplus Tools and Equipment, new & used, young bucks and/to geezers (youngsters with many years of experience). Plan to poke your head in. Neil

Good Mourning, The School of Hard Knocks just taught you to not miss the Tempering stage. To try to take a bend out of a Hardened and unTempered trinket is foolhardy. I hope you have learned why the Best Time to Temper something, is IMMEDIATELY after the Hardening Process, no delay or lunch break. A friend of mine was reworking a Ball Pein Hammer head. He Forged it to the shape he wanted and Hardened it. For some reason, he put it in a drawer in his workshop and forgot about it. He opened the drawer about a year later and found the Hammer Head he hadn't finished. The complete Hammer Head looked like a road map of any town, cracked itself to relieve the strain of the Hardening. He gave it to me and I use it when I am teaching a Blacksmith Class, as an example of the tension in a piece of Steel. Neil

Good Morning Victor, It doesn't matter who it's mother named it. It is your now and you can make up any story and name you wish, (Bam Bam)? Too many people want to know it's previous life and who it is called. It is now called, YOURS!! You have a heck of a nice working Anvil, it will outlive you. Call it nice names, unless you bang your thumb, then, accept the reality and accept your responsibility for creating the 'OOPS MOMENT'. Don't blame the Messenger!! Except (or Accept) the truth, it was the boy downstairs. LOL Neil

Good Morning Bug, Your question is too amBIGuous. To start, you want something to do. Something to heat with, something to hold hot TAMALLES, Something to hit with, something to hit on, a notion what it is to end up like. Ambition is a big help, getoffyourDUFF is mandatory. Eye and Ear protection is an absolute, thinking ahead is also mandatory. Other that that, it is a Kacke Walkke. You put your right foot in.....................................................................and then you are done. Neil

Good Morning LB, You are in the heart of North West Blacksmith Association. Find a member in your town, I know there are members in Spokane and area. It doesn't sound excessively noisy, it sounds normal. You also have to leave a space/area for the exhaust of the Forge to go. Air/fuel goes in, burnt air/fuel has to go out! Let the Forge run for a while and allow the refractory to heat up and start working. Welcome from the continent of Vancouver Island!! Neil

Good Morning Trevor, I am not hearing any arguing. I am hearing Mike and Jerry answering the same questions and remarks, over and over. They are trying to suggest, how to make your Forge better. There are an awful lot of questions, you need to answer on your own. Myself, I like to pay attention and try something. Make little changes, only one at a time (then you know if it helped or not). I keep a log book of all my designs, what worked and what didn't seem to. I go through my Log Book, now and again, to see if something will change, with another new change. I call it 'Research and Development'. Never cast off all thoughts, when you are working on something new. Yes, sometimes, you just need to keep some thoughts to yourself. The problem with the keyboard, it is really difficult to read the other person's facial expression(s). Good Luck with the Forge. Remember!!!!! Only make one change at a time!!!!! Neil

Good Morning Duncan, Welcome and you got a good deal on the Sawyers Anvil. A circular Saw blade needs to have a dish shape when it is sitting still. When the saw blade comes up to speed, it straightens out. This is done so the blade is always in tension and the blade will stay straight and cut straight, instead of following soft parts of the wood. The Sawyer knows how much dish he wants and he needs a flat face to create the dish. I have a couple like that one and I have one - 4 times the size. Neil

Good Morning Don, Welcome to our world. We have all done that to start with. Look up the Blacksmith Group in your area (I think there is a list at the bottom of the page. If not, there is a list at https://abana.org/ If you are not sure how to make something, get some 'PlayDoh' and make it in your hands. Hot metal works exactly like Modeling Clay or PlayDoh. Find someone near you and spend a little time with them to figure out the 'Basics'. Find a copy of 'the Blacksmithing Primer', Randy explains things in plain language. Enjoy the Journey, Neil

Good Morning Mike, Welcome to our world, regardless where you park your house. LOL I wouldn't start ordering a bunch of things for Blacksmithing, until you talk to the Blacksmith Group near your home. Quite often you can get serviceable good Tools and Equipment from someone who is moving on or moving up. Start by reading 'the Blacksmithing Primer', It is written in plain English, very understandable. A lot of your Tools, you can make out of junk you pick up off the ground (as long as you keep your eyes open). Sometimes just letting the word out and be patient with your ears open, magic things appear from the unexpected. There are some very strong Blacksmith players in both Florida and NH. Neil

Good Morning Malleus, I have had 12' long Lathe Beds, i have a Colchester that is foot powered, I have 5 others somewhere in between. I have seen a 12' Lathe from a Shipyard with a 6" 3-jaw Chuck, in it's big Chuck. It seems most work I do is within 12" from the Chuck. Yes, there are times you have to spin an axle or a driveshaft, but, most of the time you don't. The Lathe with Deep Reduction is the Lathe that will twist your fence pickets or something heavy (sometimes it works better with a little heat or a Rosebud). Putting square stock inside a piece of pipe and twisting with a Cresent Wrench will create the same, COLD!! The Lathe is also a GREAT Milling Machine, put the cutter in the Chuck and fasten your work-piece to the Cross-Slide. Cut keyways in a shaft, notches........whatever the mind can imagine. Is it possible?.....Yes it can be done, just put a little thought into it. K.I.S.S. Neil

Hoakey Doaky, Pardner. Hang onto this while I light it, the BANG won't be too much!!!! I forgot, the bang is the little flag that comes out of the barrel of the gun, right? Enjoy the Daayy, Neil

Good Morning Liienn, Welcome from the Left Coast of Canada or North Hamerica. I have used that spelling before, but what does it sound like, "ROAR" LOL. You have a whole pile of 'Like Minded' soul's on your Island. Pay attention to what is happening locally, find someone to bounce idea's off. The distance between places on your Island, is just like around the corner, compared to the size of our Island. To travel 1000km here, is a day's drive with time to spare. Enjoy the Journey, Neil