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Merry Almost, Don't let the pile get so large, they won't spring into action!! Neil

Merry (almost), It looks like he is using a Propane Forge. Heat burn (like sun burn). If you can provide a little more information, What type of Forge? Is he working in his T-Shirt? Where is the Forge situated in relation to his Left Arm? It is not abnormal to have the hair burned off an arm (maybe it hasn't grown in yet). The Positive take, He is not hanging out at the Mall!!! Enjoy the Positive!!! The Journey has a beginning. For a lot of us, the finish line is not in sight. Every time at the Forge, is a learning experience, 16 or 85 or so. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! If you put in your area in the Avatar, there may be someone near that can mentor him. Neil

At what temperment do you risk.......?? When you're Hot, You are Hot. When you are not, are you being a nuisance? LOL Merry (almost), Neil

-40c = -40f If you spit, it lands solid, regardless. Windy -40 is the hardest to take. Neil

Take about 18" or so of 3" to 4" Channel Iron. Drill a multitude of holes through the short flanges, for pins. You can make all different kinds of things to hold in place with a couple pins. You can even flip the pieces with the pins still in place. Works great for straightening or radius making. Just a start!! move the blocks closer to the middle, make a smaller/tighter curve. The imagination is your limit!! Neil

Good Morning from the Left Coast, Welcome to our world. If you put your area in your Avatar, it shows up with your name. Nobody will remember to look back at an early post. The make or birthday of your Anvil isn't so important as who/what you call it. More important is for you to use it. You can paint flames coming from the base, if you wish, it still is called 'Your's' or whatever name you wish LOL. You will find that now you have bought your first Anvil, more will pop up. "Oh, I didn't know you could use an Anvil, take this one. it has been holding this door open/closed for years", or whatever story comes up. Merry (almost) Christmas, Neil

Good Morning Banjo, I have a similar Forge, except mine has only one burner. The style of Burner, I also have, it is called a 'Rex-o-Therm' burner. I got mine from a local supplier of Furnace parts. Sometimes the hardest thing to do with a Forge is 'Turn it down'. You don't necessarily need to crank it up to smoking hot, roaring hot. Sometimes, just enough is perfect. Enjoy the Journey, there is no Destination! The competition is between our ears. Neil

Good Morning, Beaten Path, Beating the batter with the wooden spooooon. LOL Neil

Good Morning, When you make Pancakes, add Cottage Cheese to the batter. It makes the centers slightly moist and they taste like Sourdough Pancakes, except better. Is this getting off 'the Beaten Path' Neil

Good Morning Alex, The sway won't be a hinderance at all. When you are forging, the material actually springs down and bounces back. It is much easier to straighten something on an Anvil like that, than a flat Anvil. I know, the logic isn't there, but the reality does make sense. Use it, don't grind it. Using it will tell you how to get the most out of it!! Neil

Good Morning, Nobody has said it yet, starting out with learning to make a 'Cable Blade Thing' using 2" wire rope, is like saying you are going for GOLD MEDAL. Except you haven't learned how to row the boat yet. Wire Rope comes with oil impregnated rope strand in the center or solid wire rope core. This is called 'Rope Core' or "Solid Core'. No, it doesn't matter which side of your mouth your tongue will stick out of. Start with something manageable like 1/2" or 3/4" wire rope. Learn to walk first!! Neil

Good Morning Will, The correct answer to your question is, it depends!! It depends on where you can hide your usable accumulation. If you are cramped for space to start with, your accumulation can only be what will fill a Garbage container. If you can call it 'INVENTORY', it COULD deserve a dry space inside or near the ceiling. If you are going to use ceiling space, GRAVITY can and will WIN. Store it smartly and safely. If you store it on the floor, make sure you can walk on it!! I have an Automotive business, Inventory is always changing, from Inventory to "BISH" (RubBISH). Some Bish is golden, lots isn't. Be selective!! Neil

Good Morning, Does it work better, if your tongue is partly sticking out, one side or the other? LOL I have found that using a piece of VW Front Torsion Bar Leaf (Beetle or Van) works well and with enough strength to open up each side. A Scraper also would work, but maybee a little thin. The best, is what you have in your Grocery Bag of Tools. A Bird in Hand...... Neil

Good Morning, What matters is, you want at least 1/2" overlap for the end of the cuts (measurement 1 to 2), more with thicker material. You can have any other dimension you would like. Neil

Good Morning, Charlie, If you use a Ruler or a Straight Edge on the back side of the stationary part of the Vice, You will see where your Bend is. This is normal, from Normal Use. You can straighten it warm (not Too Hot) laying on a fairly flat surface and give it a wallop using a Flatter to spread the load. or What I quite often do, is set it in my Hydraulic Press using a couple blocks and give it a push to go back to straight. Your Jaw will magically align itself with the other Jaw. Don't overthink the problem, Just do it! Neil

Good Morning, If you can't find a good Home for your Snowflake, Who's to say it has to stay a Snowflake. If you mount the Flake, horizontally on a pin, with a strong enough base and post, Think about all the special things you could hang up on it!!! LOL Rotisserie On a Stick, Rotate the Coats or ????? LOL Neil

Good Morning Mag, Washington State is the heart of the North West Blacksmith Association (www.blacksmith.org). You are surrounded by many members, wherever you are in the State. They use a building at the Fairgrounds in Longview. They meet every month. They have a 'Spring Conference' in May (generally). It should be part of your HUNT. Yes, I also am a member. Neil

Good Morning, What about a simple line drawing outline of a Rooster or McChicken? Neil

Good Morning, Couch Potato? A three course meal has Meet and Vegetables too, a bonus is with Gravy. LOL Broken wrist on your favorite side or your off-side? Right wrist, right handed?? Wrong wrist, right handed?? LOL Sounds to me like you are going to be doing some 'Tidy-Up' for a while, then there will be some 'Fed-Up'. The Fed-Up will get you into trouble with SWAMBO!! "If you are going to just sit there, then.......................", "If you think, I am going to wait on you, you have got another think coming". Don't wait for the boss to get "P------Off" Look at the 'Honey-Do List' and start picking some off. Probably some will involve Paint and the Brush Stroke. The Long Mower will also bee a candidate. When you get 'Fed-Up' with that, you will all of a sudden realize what you can do. You can make a Hold-Fast for your Anvil and work Wrong Handed, or One Handed. I was going to suggest 'Repousse', but that requires a second Hand or Foot. Oh well, when life rolls you Lemons, Make Marmalade!! Bee Creative, don't park your Butt!! Neil

Good Morning Justa, In actual fact, there is no perfect Anvil Stand. If you use a stump, your toes can't get under the Anvil for when you are doing dainty work. If you make a steel 3 legged stand. It won't wobble and you can get your toes under. If you use tubing or pipe, they can ring like a bell unless you put some sand inside the pipe/tube. You can make a garbage can filled with sand, with a piece of plywood on top of the sand to mount your Anvil to. Add or subtract sand to adjust the height and it won't ring. The guys are suggesting a thin rubber under the Anvil, this helps take the resonating away. You could make an Anvil stand with a section of I-beam on end, still add a shim of rubber. Water is not compressible, fill your pipe with water instead of sand. There is no incorrect way, your mind is the limiting factor. Enjoy the Journey, there is no destination or time limit. Speed is not advised (LOL). Neil

Good Morning Elm, The burner NEEDS to be in a Forge to set it up correctly. There is no resistance to the flame otherwise. Neil

Good Morning Michael, Thanks for your sketch. This type of Tongs are what I call "Poz Tongs", apparently from Richard Pozniak (New York?). It looks like you made a slight mistake in your sketch. Top sketches are correct. If you squeeze the handles together in the lower sketches, the Jaws open up. Just a mistake which side your Reins are on. Thanks a Lot, Neil

Good Morning Jennifer, I had a Natural Gas Infared Heater put in our Shop, 3-4 years ago. It is the Best Heat and not that expensive!! When the shop doors are open, you don't loose all the heat. No rush getting the doors closed. 5 minutes after starting, the shop feels the warmth. No benefit leaving the heat on all night, turn it down, yes, enough to keep the Ice away. I consider putting infared in one of the best decisions we ever made. Neil

That would be a 'FlyMo'. Hang on until you turn GREEN, LOL Neil

Curtains for his Tool or Parts shelves. Neil