charadam

Just spotted this in the local rag: http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2012/08/14/blists-hill-blacksmiths-forging-ahead-with-sculpture/ I note that the attendees included smiths from Belgium, the USA and France. Hope this is of interest, Charles

This is by way of an explanation to the blacksmith professionals and is meant to reflect reality. I use my anvil 2 or 3 times a month. My anvil sits out-of-doors in all weathers. I do not make my living on my anvil. I do like to preserve my anvil when it is not in use. So I coat the working surface with wax polish. I use satire, exaggeration and sarcasm to stop me feeling guilt about being a smithing hobbyist. And a hypothetical Brown Bess flintlock musket to keep the purists at bay. If I have offended you, I ask that you consider why. But what, exactly, is your problem with people who probably would love to beat their anvil into shining, but cannot, owing to real life pressures?

Posted 19 June 2010 - 06:38 PM 2 x sixpacks of Sam Adams in the 'frig. you + 3 friends. 2 x 6' scaffold poles 15ft of blue rope Cat's cradle around the anvil Insert poles Lift anvil into place with much shuffling and grunting Drink the beer.

Gents, This is some of the most amazing forging I have ever seen. As to the hearing thing - I lost most of mine to military gas turbines, lots of shooting and other loud stuff. Got tinnitus in the form of a 4kHz whistle. Started wearing hearing aids (in the ear type) which, in my case delete the tinnitus! But I also wear noise-cancelling headphones whenever required these days.

And in Lallans Scots (the dialect I was born into) the "close the door" command from Dad was Steek the yett ahint ye! Meaning, "kindly deposit the wooden article in the aperture provided, once you have navigated the narrow part". Now I know where "yett" came from!

Dodge, That is a beautiful piece of programming and profiling! Did you CNC the horn to its round cross-section? The boss had his eye off the ball - unless of course, you are the boss! I suppose you could have multiple dovetailed a high-carbon top plate if you felt the need. Is that an idea? With CNC profiling I suppose you could take an old, knackered anvil, slice off the top, cut a few dovetails and while the thing is hot, press in the cold from the 'frig' interference fit top plate you cut last night. A shrunk-in top plate must be a better option than hardfacing. Mustn't it? All the best, Charles

Pictures were promised - here we go. As you will see from the pics, everything lives outdoors. The anvil is an unidentified 1cwt and it stands on a poplar log. Had a clear ring before I mounted it on the log and the rebound is about 80%. The wooden coffin lid and its associated plastic bag protects the (reasonably) well-finished anvil top surface from rain, muck, fluff, dust and custard. The forge is very heavily built and has a 240V-12V inverter to drive twin squirrel cage blowers. The blowers can also be driven from a 12V battery. When I got the forge, the tuyere only protruded from the back wall by an inch or so. I have machined and welded a 3" extension which gets the heat more towards the middle of the thing. I have also cut a 6x4" removable "door" at the back of the forge to allow long parts to be heated in the middle. The leg vice was a local find from asking around. Cost 10 quid. The leg is set in a socket on a plate and the plate is bolted to the ground slab. The vice stands 4 feet from the forge. My bucket of tools is building nicely. The Peddinghaus hammer was bought in the US from Blacksmiths Depot, by phone, when I was last in Monterey Ca. It arrived 4 hours before I was due to depart. The Hofi style hammer is a recent ebay acquisition and has become an instant favourite. That's all folks!

On the question of shipping, a container load to the US, a 20-foot ISO container would gross out with around 400 anvils (a 40-footer, would take about 900). There would be a lot of dunnage to spread the load which would probably reduce the shipment to around 350 anvils but might get you a ton of useful timber. At the moment, a 20-foot ISO, Shanghai to Baltimore, around $6,000.00 and you get to keep the container. Import duties, Customs and insurance - probably another $2,000.00 on top. The real question is - "tell me, Ding Ho Manufacturing, Street Of A Thousand Foundries, how much for 350 anvils delivered to (insert name & address) FOD Baltimore (or other seaport). I will pay on confirmed receipt of the shipment". That way, they have responsibility (and risk) for getting the stuff to your door. I bet the ex-works unit price would be less than $20 a pop.

Hello from Shropshire. I have lurked for a number of years and it's time to introduce myself. OK, former British soldier, now in the defence industry and travelling the world selling stuff for the last 20-odd years. I am a very fortunate individual in that I married my soulmate more than 30 years ago. My wife tolerates my shooting, reloading, welding, fishing, golf, etc. We have grandchildren and it is my delight in life to introduce them to unsafe, unhealthy, positively dangerous practices involving anvils, forges, tools, guns, explosives and open water. My blacksmithing training began when, as a small child, I watched the local blacksmith/farrier shoeing Clydesdales on my walk to school in the early 50's. The smell of coke smoke mingled with scorched hoof is probably the most evocative early memory for me. I have, to this day, the horseshoe nail he gave me for boring laceholes in conkers. Part of my technical training was a few weeks "on the anvil", back in the seventies. When I looked back a few years ago, I realised; a) I loved it. I picked up the skills reasonably well. So, a couple of years ago, an anvil followed me home. Would you believe it. So did a forge, a few hammers & tongs and other stuff. I may have a retirement business - anyway, I can hope! All I aspire to is Mr Fixit status. I will leave the beautiful iron to others. Pictures to follow, All the best, Charles

2 x sixpacks of Sam Adams in the 'frig. you + 3 friends. 2 x 6' scaffold poles 15ft of blue rope Cat's cradle around the anvil Insert poles Lift anvil into place with much shuffling and grunting Drink the beer.

I believe "stiddy" is a North country dialect form of "steady" - so you use the stiddy to steady something whle you hit it.

It's not fair! Guys with the same exposure to noise as me over 50 years of metalworking, blacksmithing, turbine, truck and tractor engine tuning, auditing Cape Canaveral noise abatement society membership, 7.62 NATO shooting, and all that good stuff have severe hearing damage. But I can still hear Hillary at 1000 paces. It's not fair!