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Good Morning, David Common mistake is making the Tool Box too big! The bigger, the heavier it gets. It gets a lot more heavy when you put supplies in the Tool Box. Multiple Tool bag works, easier to stack them in your vehicle. Neil

Good Morning, There is a group, Manitoba Blacksmith Guild, mainly in the Winnipeg area. If you can't ind them, contact Matt at Cloverdale Forge, near Gimli. Enjoy the journey, Welcome to this wurld!! Neil

Good Morning, Send me an email. Let's drill it in the Lathe. I am around this weekend. Next weekend we will be doing the Fair in Nanaimo. Thanks, Neil

Good Morning, 1045-1050 is commonly used for shafts in machinery as well as most car/truck axles. The eye MUST be soft and the corners of the handle hole MUST be radiused. You will find that the square face that you have, will leave marks in your work from the outer edges. The joys of learning are what teaches you what and what-not, that works well and the reason for/against. It is your hammer and you can make it how you want it. The good part is, you can change it at any time. Ask a number of Truck Drivers "Where do you find truck parts?" and/or "Who does your truck repairs?". This will get you a location of available scrap parts. Any steering or suspension part will be made from something similar to 1045 (they have to survive severe road conditions without breaking, yet can be hardened). You have created a nice starting point with your Cutler/Sawyer Hammer. Enjoy the journey!! Neil

What about using a Black, White-tail Antler Handle. Neil

Good Morning, Punching 1" holes in 1/4" plate is a job that a 'Punch Press' or an 'Ironworker' does easily. It happens with a BANG when cold. Ironworker Dies are available in different sizes, I have seen some at Pr----Au-o occasionally. Punching Hot is a lot easier, but would be done with different tooling. What is your mission, to punch a hole, or to create a slug? Neil

Good Morning Dex, Welcome!! You are in the heart of OABA, Ontario Artist Blacksmiths Association. They have members in many parts of Ontario, even me on the Left Coast. Look up the link to their web-site, if you can't find it, send me a PM. Thanks, Neil

Good Morning, We have a meeting tomorrow Sunday morning, 11:00am. Luxton Fairgrounds, 1040 Marwood Ave. Victoria. Bring what you have. we can help you. The Blacksmith Shop will open about 9:00am. Bring a chair and a bowl for coffee. Meeting will be outside the Shop. Vancouver Island Blacksmiths Association (VIBA) Neil

Good Morning, A great way to make points with the better half, Rusty shower curtains. Neil

Good Morning, Almost looks like a big Flatter. Put a stick in it and see what you use it for. Neil

In Micro-waveys, there is a stack of magnets. Neil

Good Morning Geebe, That is quite a serious problem. You could stand on the other side, or you could saw the Shelf off. Your Choice. Neil

Good Morning New Zealand, I would recommend a 2-stage pump. 1 stage is Low Pressure/High Volume, 2-stage is High Pressure/Low Volume. The first stage takes up all the play between your Dies and your work piece, quite quickly (not much heat loss). When the dies come under load, the pump switches to High Pressure/Low Volume and your working pressure goes up (everything will start creaking and groaning, this is NORMAL). You will have time to watch what is going on and make an adjustment. The School of Hard-Knocks is the best teacher. A 6" cylinder will be slower than a 4" cylinder. You have your hand on the Control lever, you are in control!! Neil

Good Morning Harris, I have taken what you have and made a small stake Anvil that fits in the Hardy Hole. It works well for small tiddly things. Neil

Good Morning, I have one that is similar, they work great for little things. Not big hammer things. Neil

Good Morning, I fixed a perplexing Anyang, last year. Similar thoughts and sequences. We found a 6mm set screw in the bottom of the Base. We couldn't find where it had come from. Under close inspection of the piston, there was/is a threaded hole in the piston. Obviously now, Anyang was trying something and had drilled a hole through the piston and later plugged it up with a tiny set screw. The set screw had vibrated out. This caused compressed air to push through the hole in both directions, upsetting the valving. We put the set screw back in with Loc-Tite and a little peening the threaded hole. Magic, it works fine now. Neil

Good Morning 4 Major, Better ventilation is in the Breezeway. Before you design a purpose built Blacksmith Shop, maybe spend some time doing some Blacksmith work. As they say, 'The Proof is in the Pudding'. By understanding how a Blacksmith Shop works, you will know how best to lay it out. Every person has different wants and desires. How I set up my Blacksmith Shop, may be completely awkward to you or someone else. For Forging, you need as little body motion as possible, a small triangle. If you want a layout table, the universe is too small for the options. Some people layout on paper, some people start fires with paper. There is no such thing as perfect layout Gud Luk, Neil

Good Morning Bud, Keep those Tongs. In a few years, take a look at them, 'This is where i came from. Be proud of them, you tried!!' Neil

Good Morning Eck, I would braze the 2 pieces back together and after it cools, drill across center and put in about a 3/8"-1/2" big rivet. Neil Good Morning, A set screw is not strong enough!!

Good Morning, I have made tongs from 1/2" square. You will need to gain more mass for the hinge area and the jaws (maybe, depends on what you are after. The biggest mistake is making the set downs too thin, next to the hinge boss. This is a beginners common mistake. Working Slow, is Working Fast. Neil

A Snapping Turtle?? With flames licking out of the Mouth? Neil

Good Morning, Welcome to IFORGEIRON. The hole out the side means nothing gets stuck part way, in the Hardy Hole. It just means that your Hardy Stems will be curved, No Problem!!. When you make your different Hardy's, the shoulders are what takes the impact, not the shank/stem. Neil

Good Morning Duncan, They are not meant to turn fast, they are meant to Finish or sharpen an Axe or something similar. The were put together with locally available material, not to a BluePrint. The lever will be long enough to work with your foot pedal, comfortably. You may have to weld a stub onto the axle, or make another axle to fit modern available bearings/bushings. To grind off a lot of material, use a powered grinder and finish on the Wet Stone (water). Neil

Good Morning Reno, Welcome from the Left Coast. You were born with 2 Eyes and 2 Ears (hopefully), Make sure you are always wearing your Personal Safety Gear!! You don't get (yet) a second chance for replacements!! Neil

Good Morning, Your reservoir will have oil in it, to supply your pump pick-up. The pressure out of the pump should go to your control valve, which will go to your work cylinder. The bypass hose from the control valve should go to a system pressure relief valve. The excess oil HAS TO go back to tank (reservoir). If your system is full loops, the system will bleed itself. Start with the system relief valve adjusted lower than you want it. Safety is #1!! Start it and check for leaks. FIX THE LEAKS FIRST!! Neil