infinityblacksmithing

I would have to agree with what everyone else is saying. They are great to have around the shop. Clamp things on the table, to each other, hold a random chisel instead of burning your hand, hold unusual stock that your tongs won't accomodate (how I made my first hardy stem), etc.. don't go more then 2 days without using at least one pair.

I don't know if it is relevant anymore but The Pottery House in Oakville sells refractory mortar.

I really like the swing door on the forge and the little side door looks like it would be quite useful. A thought on the lath for the forge. As it would be made of steel it would expand when heated and contract when cooling which leads me to think it would cause the cement to crack and if it was such a thick layer could cause large chuncks to fly off. Just a thought.

The one I got has 4 pretty bad sways in it. 2 on the front, 1 in the middle, and 1 in the back. So I think I will need to go for another piece to straighten on. Thanks for the advice.

I have read alot of the posts about grinding on an anvil. I bought the anvil at night time under a yellowish light in a storage unit. Then the next day realised that the top has a fair bit of sway. Just want to be prepared when I start using it end of summer/start of fall as I won't have much time except for the expected work I am going to be doing. I'll just have to wait and see how it goes, or maybe just get a flat cast iron plate for straightening for the scrap yard. Thanks

Looks good Paul, Did you primer under the paint? I've had problems with the high temp paint when I didn't primer under them. I think they even make a high temp primer aswell. Just a thought.

Definately cast, but it looks like it has a steel top welded on. Looks like it may have been done after its manufacture, if you look near the heel it has a chip or something similar. Maybe was bought and used before they realised it was not worthwhile and then they put the steel top on. Hope this helps.

I think it sounds like a good idea to sort out some details about a group work day at an OABA meeting, it would be alot easier to work out that way. I've already got Quadstate and Can-Iron marked off. I've already met John too, bought one of his small swage blocks from him a couple weeks ago.

Thanks Sam, I completely forgot about Mohawk, used to work around the corner from them. I'll check that out. Thanks to you aswell Colleen, No worries about the welding, I have no idea how to weld like that anyway. Only learned how to cut and heat.

I'm looking for either a oxy-propane or oxy-acetelyne torch. I'm wondering which one you guys think would be the better option. I'm thinking to go with the propane torch since I have extra propane tanks. I would just be doing simple heating for tennons, rivets, wrapping, etc. and simple cutting of material. I am also wondering what I would need for a propane torch since I am having a hard time finding specifics. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Aaron

Does anyone know how thick the tool steel top on Hill anvils usually is? I know I could check for the weld line and measure it, however the anvil is at my Mom's in the states and I'm in Ontario. I'm just trying to plan what I will need to do to repair the anvil to be worked on at the end of summer. Thanks for any help. Aaron

I've got my check in the mail to become a member, but it seems alot of the upcoming meetings are out of the way. Hopefully there will be some coming down this way soon. I saw that I missed one in Ancaster back in January.

Since alot of people have been asking about smiths around there areas lately, I thought I would too. I'm in Brantford, Ontario. Wondering if there are many smiths around southern ontario that might be up for getting together for a forging day. Lets see what we could come up with. Aaron

Its probably about an inch, maybe a bit more thats going to be driven in. I didn't want them to be to long as I believe they are going to go in the back of a solid wood door. I never did think about the radius being to large. Only the figure of the man will be a regular item.

Just a thought on flea market shopping. Remember to not just think of what the tool is meant for but what you could change it into to do. I have made many punches, hot cuts, etc out of chisels. I've seen different ideas of people using channel locks and vise grips etc to make make shift tongs and hold downs. Check through the anvilfire.com how to's, theres quite a few different plans on easy to make tools on there.

Sorry about some of them being oversized, I guess I screwed up resizing them.

Here's a few small projects I've done lately. Let me know what you guys think. Theres a set for a bathroom with spiral bases plus 3 towel hooks, a 3 votive candle holder, some address numbers, and an image of a person that is based on some art from a company that I recently got a contract from to regularly make items for. The man is one of 10 that I made for the first set for the company, and will also come in 2 or maybe 3 larger sizes.

Can't wait to read the next article. It's to bad you can rarely find a mentor like that these days. I know I would have sure appreciated one.

I would agree with all the others to start with more of the basics. Of all the books I have I would say the best would be The New Edge of the Anvil. It runs you through many small projects and the tools required to do them. It has instruction on how to make all the basic tools and a few specialized tools. If you work through the book it will take you a long way. My first 6 months smithing I would resort back to that book at least 5 times a week studying how to make something. Hope this helps and good smithing.

Check out the demos on anvilfire, they have a few different ideas on hold downs, A real easy one to make is a bent dog as I know it. Just a rod the size of your pritchel hole bent so it comes back down to the face of the anvil then bent again to be parallel with the face and flattened with just a slight curve to hold a variety of stock. Hope this helps.

We had a heat wave last week here in Ontario Canada with temps above 30 degrees celcius( I think about mid 90's). While I was forging the shop was at about 115 F. The only thing that keeps me going is lots of cold water and a box fan sitting right beside me just far enough back from the anvil to not cool the metal while I'm working on it.

I've been wondering the same thing. I found 3 or 4 pairs (but ones only 6") when I cleaned out my Grandmas garage. I pick them up about once I month and just can't seem to visualise how to change them. Looking forward to see what comes out of this.

Look on anvil fire, they have a few plans for hold down tools. Another easy option if you have a single horned anvil is to just get a bike chain slide it over the piece you want to hold and step on it. My first hold down was what I know as a bent dog, very simple tool that usually goes into a pritchel hole. Hope this helps.

I am going to drill 2 more holes in the shaft for larger items, time just did not allow when I made it. I had thought of welding another piece to the top for hitting but couldn't decide on what size piece as I don't want it to obstruct my view. Maybe I'll get to that once I decide to drill the holes. Thanks for the suggestions.

You use a guillotine instead of a spring fuller, I find I make a cleaner impression with them. Also you can do a much larger variety of sized material in it. I wrap my anvil with chain to 1- hold it down with lag bolts and 2- somewhat deaden the noise.