swedefiddle

The top of the burner is drawing in cold air, it will be cold. There shouldn't be any heat in the burner until close to the forge. If there is heat in the burner body, that means than the flame front is moving back up the pipe. NOT GOOD. The flame should be at the opening of the forge wall, not inside the pipe. You can build a forge with stacked fire-brick, floor, walls, ceiling and using brick to control the open ends. It is not magic. That kind of burner needs the propane jet at the center of the pipe and pointed directly down the pipe. You can loosen the thumb screw and adjust it to get the best burn, you will hear it when it is right. Neil

Good Morning, A bird in hand is worth twelve in the bush!! Who cares if you think it is too big, it is on your plate. Large anvils are HARD to find, when you are looking for one. A sway in the working table is not a problem, I have found it is easier to straighten something out than a flat top. The angle on the heel? I don't think that you will be doing a lot of work out there :) :) If you want an anvil like new, buy it new. If you are going to go for a drive, take cash. I wouldn't be surprised if you can steal it for $5-700.00. Put $500.00 (??) in one pocket, bring it out in a lump, "This is all that I have". Take a friend, If the seller asks for more, ask your friend if you can "borrow" (your money) the balance. Ask him if there is anything that he is looking for, that you might have or can scrounge to use for a trade (ask in advance). If you get it, you won't be able to wear it out in your lifetime. :D Neil Neil

Perfect length Flux Spoon!!

I think you paid too much for it!!!! :) :) It is made of rubber, it bounced right into your truck. I wouldn't keep it :rolleyes: :rolleyes: No matter how much experience it has!! Neil

That is a London Pattern Anvil. It used to be an old rock :) . If you were to clean up the sides and rub chalk on it, you may find it's makers name. It looks like a Peter Wright, but I may be Wrong. If you don't have an Anvil, it is at least twice better than the one you have. :) :) Neil

Go to Anvilfire.com and buy "How to cure the Bang, Tap Blues" video by Dave Manzer. Dave is no longer with us in this world, but I think his information is still available. Yes it is still available in the Store. Dave Manzer spent an awful long time making the Little Giant's sing (in Canada a Jardine was built under license from Little Giant). His knowledge and thinking, regarding the Power Hammers, is HUGE!!!! Dave will show you how to put a Brake on it. If you can't find it send me a note. Buy his other video on tooling as well, it is worth GOLD!! Neil

It would work, but it would stall if you leaned on it. If you are gentle and patient it will work fine. Grizzley Tools has a good knife Belt Grinder. 2"x72" belt. They used to not ship to Canada, but they will now. Check out their web-site http://www.grizzly.com/ part # G1015 They have a tent sale once a year, each store on a different date. It is worth the drive if you can be there, if you aren't there in person, there is no special price. Neil

I wouldn't be surprised that a coal mine doesn't have a web-site. They don't want lots of people hanging around when they are moving product. Open the old fashion thing called a 'Phone Book', be inquisitive, phone and ask :) :) There is lots of coal in B.C. but they ship it overseas. Head office is in Calgary to pick-up coal in Vancouver. Go Figure. Slightly longer drive for you though:>LOL Neil

John McPherson has the most often answer. We have been using glass beads for over 35 years, same problem sometimes. A small lumpectomy stuckectomy in the pick-up circuit. :) :) Neil

Take the control valve apart and see what is stuck/broken. Neil

Forget about carry-on. If he finds something you can't be without, send it home by slow boat. Freight comes across every-day, no problem.

Use an Induction Forge, no scale (or very minimal). :) :)

I made mine from Moose Hide, It is VERY supple. Across the back (X) straps with big snap hooks. Real easy for big ugly mittens to get dressed up. Neil

Some things in life you have to figure out yourself! You have to know what it is worth to you and stay within your means. That generally is a good blower, but it is not a teenager anymore. Treat it like an old man and it will do you good for a long time. :) Neil

Welcome to one Islander, from another. Just a few miles and another large Island between us. Where's that, that you did or do?? Neil

Either a good Locksmith or the DEALER will have the ability to cut that key. They are making it tougher for the crooks, so the good guys don't stand a chance of cutting corners and saving a buck!!!! :) :) Neil

The question remains: How does it move the metal? One Blow at a thyme!! Neil

I have heard people talking about hardening and not tempering. I have a hammer that I use as an example, for when I am teaching heat treating in my classes. I was given this rounding hammer from a farrier friend who was taking a farrier course. They were heat treating rounding hammers and they all were hardened and tempered, except one. One was hardened and not tempered because Ken was going to temper it later, He put it in a drawer at home and forgot about it. He was rummaging through his workshop about a year later and found the hammer that hadn't been tempered. The whole hammer head was tiny cracks, similar like crystal structure. This hammer had NEVER been been used to strike ANYTHING since it was hardened. It had too much internal stress and it relieved the stress by itself. Hardening makes steel strong, Tempering makes steel tough. If you make anything too hard, you are taking the risk of creating projectiles that you have no control of where and when they are going to release and what direction they are going to go. I know there are blacksmiths who have steel fragments in their legs from such projectiles, What about the kids that might have been watching?????? It is better to err on the side of caution, Temper hammers slight softer that you might think you want. It is easier to dress a hammer than build someone another EYE!!!! Neil

Offer him what you think it is worth to you. Don't ask permission from this forum. Worth, is what it is worth to you, nobody else. :) Neil

The short answer is, You Can't. Take a whole lot of little steps before you buy the bank, The above replies are polite and to the point. First you must have an idea of what you want to do. Second you have to have an idea of how to do it. The knowledge doesn't come to you, by your keyboard. Get off your xxx and work with someone to learn. Join up with others of like mind. Don't ask permission from this or any other forum. Learn by doing!!! Lesson #1- make your tools, you don't HAVE TO buy them. You may have to BUY the knowledge from someone else, who you take a course from. Neil

Save yourself a whole lot of grief!!!! Use the anvil as it is, It is totally serviceable even with the bite out of it. It just means that you use that piece for an extension of the cutting table or whatever. What you will gain by doing a PILE of welding, is nothing compared to getting a scrap piece of 2" plate to level your work out on. Keep It Simple S------. KISS!!!! Learn how to make your tools first!!!! Find some other people that you can work with, look for the ABANA affiliate near you. Join in, keep your eyes and ears open, not your mouth. Purchase "A Blacksmithing Primer" or something like that and READ, before you make a mistake or 20. $.02 Neil

Talk nicely to it, offer it something. They have lots of stories to tell, just have to be patient and listen VERY carefully!!

LUCKY

If you drill the soft brick it will break. Rub two bricks together at an angle, you can make them wedge shape, like a cathedral arch. I would use refractory cement over regular brick, for the ceiling. Make it upside down to let the slurry dry and not fall. Use some ni-cad wire (used for the heating element in a clothes dryer that someone is throwing out), the ni-cad wire will help support the refractory and will not burn. Try not to over-think the mission. I have used the same regular fire bricks for a long time without breaking. I have many pieces of hi-temp fire brick. :D :D Neil

The keys are tapered length-wise and depending on how the die is machined, sometimes they are tapered width-wise. The taper in the sow block will hold the key & the bottom of the die down. When I make a key, I forge it close to dimension and then heat up the tapered part of the key and drive it into the sow block and Die. Makes a perfect fit everytime. If the keys need adjusting because they are going in too deep, I cut pieces of metal bundle strapping and use it for a spacer between the other side of the Die and the sow block. Yes they get thinner with use but that expands your adjustment possibilities. Neil