dancho

That's right, IFI is a great place!

Too light to fell the trees. It's a precise hewing axe to make good things

Very beautiful!

Exactly! I should try this as well. Thanks Frosty!

Hello everyone! I have made a small video to show how the solar axe is performing in real life. Note the option of taking the axe head easily off the handle and use it as a plane

Solar Axe #3. The back became longer and more massive. Everyrhing else as usual. Steeling and pure forging. Weight 620 g

Solar Axe #3. The back became longer and more massive. Everyrhing else as usual. Steeling and pure forging.

Thank you!

But it is so nice to simply press the button and do nothing but watch the fire!

Wow! This is great!

I am absolutely with you Thomas! Spend 10 years working solely on bellows at the museum forge in Kiev. Have had enough fun with it.I I deserve now some little electricity ))))))

ha- ha! You revelead my plans. I was going to ride myself on that seway. Just need a good battery bank to stick into anvil pipe. I could also run my power grinder and drill from it Thanks Tkunkel! No problem with poles. The basin is filled with char coal (fines from the bottom of the bags) and you just keep pouring a bit of water with mug to keep the fire centered and prevent coal waste. The water evaporates and cools the coal below. The basin gets only a bit warm Thanks! It's in the bag. You take off from bottom plate whenever need to get into the train or bus or manage the stairways.

Hello Everyone! I would like to share here with latest design of Rolling Anvil set up which I have developed in pursuit of ancient blacksmith spirit of freedom and common sense as well as modern concepts of sustainability and living lightly on the Earth. The Rolling Anvil evolved further and became more light, compact, mobile, efficient and sustainable! The new set up has been combat tested month ago during my return trip from Ukraine to Switzerland (buses and trains) where I did a blacksmith demo at the old castle near Basel. The forge (stainless basin) has been put on trekking poles tripod. The steel mesh hood topped with sieve was used for spark and wind protection. During transportation it is rolled down and put into anvil stand pipe. The blower I use now is cheap 12 DC air pump for blowing matrasses found anywhere on the net. In this case it ran from 10 Amp/H power bank which itself was charged from solar panel. The anvil became a bit lighter (24 kg). The anvil stand (and cart at the same time) can be disassembled into plate and pipe in case it needs to fit in some limited luggage space. In case heavier works are involved a gabion is arranged around the anvil. The set up is highly efficient allowing to heat and forge quite massive pieces like axe or hammer but mobile and compact at the same time. All is needed on place is char coal and this can be found in any supermarket or gas station.

Solar Axe 1 by Bogdan Popov Weight 500g, dimensions 130X130 mm, steeled edge, pure forging

The wheel base is interchangeable depending on the situation. I just couldn't resist this nice blue-yellow combination which reminds me the the flag of Ukraine))))) I will!

Hello! Here is the Rolling Anvils video which is about blending ecology and blacksmithing together and the mobile forge set up that I have developed in pursuit of it. Enjoy and join the Rolling Anvils community!

To get maximum from charcoa side blast is in my experince the best. It that wonderfull spot fire that hat enables you heat the piece right where you need it to the welding temperature.

The casting itself is around 5 EUR per kilo. But then of course lot's of work with grinding, heat treatment and such.

Frosty, I do not cast myself. I just carve the form from rigid foam and give to the foundry. It's a huge anmount of equipment and huge amount of energy. The whole factory. They put the form in sand and then make what is called evaporative method of casting forcing the liquid metal under pressure. One foam form -one anvil. But as I said lot's of problems. Wish I had access to some modern foundry somewhere in the developed world but they will probably charge a fortune. All the hardening and tempering I do in my ordinary side blast char coal forge. The only diffrence I arrange it right on the ground level outside . Lot's of charcoal, of course. But fun! Especially when it close to the evening. Like Guy Fawkes night

Thanks Frosty and everyone! You may call me even a pot just don't put me in the oven !(russian saying) Yes Frosty , as you mentioned absolutely correct heating this anvil is't that hard. Firstly you heat only face and not the rest to get the real zone hardening and proper qualities (one of them is that anvil is very silent while being really hard.). The anvil is around 30 kilos so it is possible even for single person to handle around . However assistant would be good. The real problem is actually how to temper the horns afterword otherwise they fall off with the first hammer blows. Another thing is the quality of casting itself (pores and cracks or maybe something else) and here you can't really do anything but prey and maybe bring a bottle of cognac to the caster before. The innovation will be really fun I tell you! Bogdan

The Bogdan Popov’s anvil got its further development ! Now becoming more and more versatile tool. A longer built-in hardie with the alloy steel welded edge, deeper and wider notch and square horn on the other side of the notch. This really worked well and proved its validity. However a lot more other very interesting and effective developments came as well. The video coming soon!

Thanks Frosty for the Gumby link! Nice chap. I will watch some of his videos with kids. Usually the masterpiece of soviet cartonn industry was considered "Winnie the Pooh " series. https://youtu.be/P3UVAPQotxk But specifically me (the travelling eco-smith Bogdan) was formed by the "Bremen town musicians" https://youtu.be/3-HBgvJL5rI

Yeah, that's my compensation for no Gumby. I grew up on soviet cartoons. They were actually pretty OK ... Absolutely agree about flat heads outside. It would be better with more massive heads. I thought first about the mouth and even showed the sketch to the customer, but then decided to omit it. It is a wise firedog. She sees everything but doesn't say annything. When the fire is riding her back you see him through her eyes

The Fire Dog. Designed and forged by Bogdan Popov. Dimensions 380x500 mm. Original material – mild steel flat 40x12mm. Upsetting, splitting, punching, riveting.

I work with char coal ONLY for many years. This is in my view definetely the best fuel for forge welding and working with steel and just as sustainable local resourse. My experince: 1) Side blast is the best. Bottom blast will work but not as good. 2)Average size of char coal is wallnut. Smaller sieve away (sieve diameter 5 mm). Bigger crack by hands in gloves.. 3) Not too much air. Bring the to the heat slowly step by step. Good luck!