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Good Morning, You will be beyond 'Old and Grey' before you need to do anything about it. Enjoy the journey!! Neil

Good Morning ASA, That would work until............and then you would have 3 (or more). I have given up counting..... one and another one, and another one... That is only One (at a Thyme. LOL). That is like someone asking "Have you ever done this before?". The proper answer is 'Not Once' (many more than once, for sure) LOL Neil

Good Morning Vancer, Square Tubing has a weld down the center of one side. I doubt very much it is 'Cast Iron', Cast Iron has been poured from a molten Soup, into a Mold. You would see a seam from the joint of the two levels of the Mold. Cast Iron is Brittle, It will break with/from hammering. Neil

Good Morning, Welcome Vancer, If you fill out your Avatar a little bit, you may be close to someone who could help you. To answer your question, Yes it can/could be an Anvil, for something light. Not for heavy hammering though, no support mass under the face. When you have nothing, anything CAN BE an Anvil. I have a heavy Pipe Flange that I use, to Demonstrate just that. If you are Forging Fork Tines, you will want an Anvil just like your Square Tube, except with the concrete(?) removed. LOL Neil

Good Morning, I forgot the MOST IMPORTANT Part!!! When your Bucket has been holding itself for SOOOO Long....It has to Have a LEAK...... DO NOT KICK THE BUCKET!!!!! LOL Neil

Good Morning, We have been using them for that for years. If you get one that springs a leak, touch up the rust area with Phosphoric Acid (to neutralize the rust) and seal it up with some Silicone Sealer. or, Go to your local Import Auto Repair facility and ask them to save you a Synthetic Oil 16gal small Drum to replace it.. I get so many, they build-up outside. Great for Garbage containers as well. Phosphoric Acid is used in Coca-Cola. it is available from Auto Body Repair suppliers, Hardware Stores, Pharmacy's, etc. It is like a strong Vinegar, it will not eat your clothes. It turns the rust Black. Neil

Good Morning, I think what you have is totally Fine. You NEED to get the Fire going so you can start to Learn, pay attention to what goes on. There is no such thing as a 'Forever Forge'. I don't know how many I have and how many I teach in at the Blacksmith Association. Probably, over 30 different Gas Forges. One Gas Forge is a Pipe Tee!! Works Great!! I have 2 AMAL Burners, exactly like you have. They can work in a small Forge or a Larger Forge, you can adjust it for what you Need. Don't let the tip of the Burner Nozzle stick inside the Fire-Box, always sucked back a bit. There is no such thing as 'It Has to be this Size, or it won't Work'. Use your Noodle that the Good Lord gave you, the one that holds your Ears to your head. Try it and See!! MAKE NOTES!!!!! I was asked to Hammer Texture 3/4" solid square bars, started out 10 feet long. Hammer Texture 4 sides. I did it in a single Burner Brick Forge. Yes, I had made the Burner, it was 2" pipe with Flow Straighteners, it has a single speed Fan with a Gate Valve to control the Air Volume. I did it in 3 sections, almost 3.5-4 feet per heat. 120 Bars. They were 11-11.5 feet, when done and straightened. The builder was making Security Bars, for a Fancy Motorcycle Shop. I visited him about 15 years later when he had to move. He said "Here, this is Yours", he had made a fancy high back Chair with the left over short pieces. Sometimes, you just can't say No!! Neil

Good Morning Third, The B.A.B.A. is big in the UK, British Artist Blacksmith Association. They have history going back to 1600-1700, maybe further. Some have moved to N/America (not just USA), as well as wherever Feet will Travel, Neil

Good Morning, Would you like some Blackberries? We can't kill them!! Their roots travel under the soil and pop up with another shoot anywhere it wants!! LOL Neil

Good Morning Third, Don't change anything!!! The Forge HAS TO COME UP TO TEMPERATURE, FIRST!! Everything changes when the Fire-Box is at temperature (maybe a yellow colour of the bricks). ONLY Change ONE Thing at a Time!!!!! If the Fire-Box doesn't get up to HOT, then try a Jet Change, NOT BEFORE. Make sure your End Doors are in Place. For anything to go into the Forge, you MUST have an Exhaust Path!!!! The Doors will retain the Heat Inside the Fire-Box. After it is HOT, you will see that you can turn down the pressure at the Regulator and maintain a good burn with less fuel. This is all new to you. Take Little Steps!!!! Document what every change is and what result you have after the Change!!! Neil

Good Morning Third, The picture above must have been taken just after starting. There is no reaction in the Brick, from Heating in the Fire-Box. When I start a Propane Forge, cold, I have to adjust the pressure at the regulator richer/up. Leave a strip open at the bottom of one end of the Doors, Close the other end. After the brick gets hot, you will find that you can adjust the pressure down and still keep a Roar. Be careful not to bump the Bricks, when Hot. In the above picture, you either have the regulator turned down, or too small of a Jet. Learning and keeping track of your changes. Change one thing at a time, jot down the change in your Book. What is the reaction/result? Is there someone near you whom you could ask for assistance/mentoring? Good Luck, Neil

Good Morning, I have one that looks the same as that. Kolswah. My father was born in Tysberga, south of Stockholm. Welcome from the left Coast of Canada, on Vancouver Island. Neil

Good Morning, Welcome Rich I have used and I have made a Wood Fueled/Fired Forge. Look up 'Whitlox Forge'. When I was about 12, my Job at home was to take care of our Wood/Coal furnace. My father didn't have an Anvil, but he had a piece of Rail fastened to a block and another block had a piece of 12" square, 2" thick plate. There was one set of Tongs and nobody told me not to play in the Furnace (I probably wouldn't have listened. LOL). If you are patient, there is no problem using a furnace as a Forge. With the Wood Forge that I made using a discarded Bar-B-Que frame/cart, I use a Hair Dryer with a reostat turned down Low. No problem, No Mess. Neil

Good Morning, Contact Glenn Moon, NSW pm me and I will give you his phone number. Neil

Good Morning Rusty, A lot of people like to be called 'Rusty' Welcome to this world. If you put your location near where you are making a Shadow, Maybe someone close to you can help you. Some Regulators have a Pressure Gauge, Some don't. You need to look for a plug/port where a Gauge can be screwed into, for your Regulator. If there is no plug/port, then you need to replace your Regulator with one that can have a Gauge. The problem with a Gauge, some people think of it as an Absolute. It is just a Reference Point that you can use as a Guide Line. No two Gauges are identical or Absolute. When you start your Forge, have a Forge door open, until it starts, then you can close it. You will have to adjust the Pressure up for Starting and when it warms up, you can adjust the Pressure down. The Refractory of the Forge Lining will assist with maintaining better combustion when it warms up/gets hot. Good Luck, Neil

Good Morning Third, I also have a couple Amal Burners, except my Firebox is greater diameter. After I got the Forge running, I tried adjusting the thumb screw and eventually moved it back to where it was when I received them from the UK. The tapered set screw holds the center thumb screw from moving. You have too much fuel going to your burner. Either make/get a smaller jet and/or adjust your line pressure town with your regulator at the Propane Tank, not the Needle Valve. You can make your own Jet if you have or have access to Jet Drills or small number/letter/Metric drills. I have all of these from when I needed to tune Weber Carbs. Drill a hole in center with a Lathe, then You can Solder up the Hole and drill a smaller hole. Now you can step up the Jet size until you are Happy. If you go too large, Solder it up and Drill again smaller. KEEP A NOTE PAD FOR YOUR CHANGES, then it is easy to know what to go back to. Welcome to the World of Forgery!! LOL Neil

Good Morning 3/8th, I can name that Anvil, It is 'Your Anvil'. Yes it is not a Baby, but it will be able to tell you a lot of stories. You just have to be friendly with it and introduce your Hammer to it. Maybe even give it/her/him a Name. Something better than 'My Anvil'!! 'GGA' (Great Grandpa's A..........). It may look a little Tired, but, I'll bet it still has lots of Life in it!! I have see quite a few Anvils that have been welded at the Waist. It doesn't seem to affect their rebound. Enjoy her/him/it (LOL) Neil

Welcome, Just think!! If you didn't start, you wouldn't be making Progress. Progress is making Miss'Steaks and Learning from them, next time there are smaller Miss'Steaks!! Don't ever get so cocky that you Never Make Miss'Steaks!! Enjoy the Journey and Welcome from the Left Coast. North of Seattle 150 miles, west of Vancouver, 20 miles across the pond from Port Angeles Neil

Stand it Ver-Tickle. A few minutes with a Grinder, you can make all kinds of shapes for Bottom Tools, you will NEVER loose them or wonder where they got moved to. Weld 2 or 3 or 4 together, think of the possibilities!!. Keep the Mass below the workface!! Neil

electrodes which contain around 2 to 2.5 percent nickel 2 Nickels is a Dime, Be Creative, Don't ask Permission. The Disaster is going to be AWESOME!! Give it a Name like you would your Child, No Different!! Neil

Another Soul goes to the Great Beyond!! Sh--y!! I met Michael at the CanIRON in Baddeck, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. He was not afraid of trying something and did well doing it!! SORRY to Hear the News!!!! Neil

Good Morning, I first took Drafting in Grade 8. By the time I finished Grade 12, I thought I was going to be a Draftsman. Then another change in Life happened, I have owned my Automotive business since 1975, never thought I would use my Drafting skills again, except I do. I can still sketch and make others understand. When i went back to Blacksmithing in 1980, I use my Sketch Skills quite regularly. I have not grown up into CAD, yet. I have tried, but not stuck with it. But I can still ride a Bike and I can still make a ledgeable Drawing with whatever kind of thing that is in my pocket. On Paper, or a Blackboard, or with a stick in the Dirt. LOL I have a Drafting Table that I made in High School Woodwork, I have a Drafting machine that I haven't used in an awful long time. That doesn't stop me from Drawing something. My wife makes a few Quilts and can see three dimension with her Patterns, but she can't see three dimension in a set of Plans. I shut up and say nothing. LOL Neil

Good Morning, Good Morning, You are not the first to weld an Anvil together. The first one I saw was on display at CanIRON II in Calgary. The gentleman had welded a few drops together to make the body, it weighed 350lbs. I bought a welded Anvil, it also weighs 350lbs. Mine is 6-1" profile cut plate welded around the cirumference, on the edges mounted vertically (not on the flat). There is a piece of 6" wide (Leaf Spring?? T-1??) flat on the top for the Anvil Face. Yes, it has enough body that it works well. The word 'Can' means do you have the ability. The word 'May' is asking permission. If you 'Can' you don't have to ask permission. Enjoy the Welding and Grinding!! Neil

I have been to St. Petersburg. We had to be with a Tour Group, We saw enough to realize we didn't see everything. Very interesting history and it is a very young town compared to the rest of Russia and Europe. The only open Sea Port almost all year!! Neil

Good Morning, Is there a second Hardy Hole or is there a piece of something on the Anvil in the picture. If you grind the top, you will be removing 'Life' from the Anvil. The Top gets 'Work Hardened with use'. If the top is not absolutely Flat, that is BETTER for Forging. If you need something flat, use a piece of Glass (older car side window or door window", not when your work is HOT!! Enjoy it for what it is!! In a few years, look at it and ask yourself if it really is bothering you. Use a Mirror to Shave, NOT the Anvil Face!! Neil