jayco

I've had rusty metal and tons of coal in the back yard for a long time. Guess that makes me a lifetime addict! What's even worse, I've noticed on days when I not smithing.....and happen to walk by the shop, that I'm drawn in to the smell of the doused coke from the last fire!
The aroma tells me "Time to hammer some iron"!

My dad always had a little forge here on the farm, in a back corner of the barn. He didn't do a lot with it, but he did occasionally "beat out" a hoe, axe, or straighten something that got bent. He even welded some rings for harness once. He used the shop to make quick repairs on the farm.

When I was 12 or so, I would build a fire once in a while and mangle some piece of metal. Of course I didn't have any idea what I was doing, but it sure was fun.

I remember one of my great uncles telling me that "They used to make everything in the blacksmith's shop at one time."

That was just amazing to me to learn that. I would find old hand-forged tools and marvel at the skill it must have took to make it. (I still marvel at some of the things I find.)

In '70 or thereabouts, dad got our first Lincoln 225 arc welder. Neither of us had ever welded with arc. He tried it ,but soon decided I should try it. I took to arc welding fairly well, so I became the family arc welder.

Before finishing high-school, I had rediscovered the public library and read all the blacksmithing books they had.By that time ,smithing had become an addiction I suppose.

James

Sam...you've done a really good job on that forge!

I was looking at the cinder breaker......is there an extra handle under there?

Please explain how it works.

James

RILL...a narrow, shallow incision in soil, caused by erosion.

You might find a MOLE.

seed....sub mitted by my seven year old grandson.

I've got cows to FEED.

M Brothers,I saw in your post that you 'threw some gas in it'.

Your safety is your own business of course, but please be careful!

Throwing gas,diesel, or any other petroleum product on a fire or something you intend to burn can be very dangerous!

To be totally honest, when I was younger, I used to do stuff like that too......but I was lucky I guess.

Other people I've known were not so lucky.

One guy I know tried to refill the gas tank on an old farm tractor........with the engine running...........spilled some on his t-shirt and some on the engine.The spilled gas ignited.
His stomach, chest, and neck are one massive scar.

An older guy in the community took a can of gas to burn a brush pile......they found him later with burns over 85% of his body. He never regained conscienceless, but died a few weeks later.

My buddy who has worked in a body-shop for 20 years,spilled some gas on his flannel shirt one morning and made the mistake of lighting his A/O torch.
That one resulted in skin grafts and months of agonizing pain.

So.....I don't use gasoline to start fires. I didn't mean to come down so heavy on you.

Just......PLEASE BE CAREFUL!

James

Do a good DEED.

Norpus :A small clay jar found in Egyptian tombs. Wow! This is getting hard!

GULF of Mexico.

6 inches is stove pipe size......might make a great top for a 55 gal. drum/pot belly style shop stove.

Thanks Thomas....your post kinda cleared up my question about the origin of charcoal 'fleas'.

We had an old barn that fell here on the farm 8 months ago.There have been a lot of broken posts and timbers to deal with in the cleanup. But, on the bright side....I've extinguished a lot of fires and made a lot of charcoal from the scraps.

I raked up and shoveled up a lot of charcoal in the past few months......nearly all hardwood, too.

I've had as many as 30 5 gal. buckets on hand at times. But........even months later.........the extinguished charcoal in the bottom of the buckets is still damp!Just the other day I tried welding with some......which didn't seem to burn really hot as I had hoped, and wound up having to spread it out in the sun to dry!

I'm planning to try an indirect retort when I get time.(fire under the barrel....and a pipe from top of barrel dirrecting the smoke and volitile gases back into the fire.

This is supposed to be more effecient and get rid of the smoke.I'm gonna try it when I can.......and try to post some pics of the results.

James

What's really scary is that he could probably do that on an anvil as well as a beam!

Few people have that kind of coordination!

My BULKmight cause me to fall.

Tompon:An inking pad used in lithographic printing. 1913-websters'

I try to keep my anvil fairly level,though I never go to the trouble to actually get a 'level' out to check it.If my round punch tends to roll off the side or end of the anvil, it might be time to re-level a bit. That's the short answer.
When I asked myself "Why would anyone want their anvil tilted one way or another?" ,it occurred to me that there might be sound reasons for tilting the anvil in certain situations. (I realy hadn't thought about this until I read this thread).
A specialist who uses the horn a lot might want the horn upturned a little to help him both see and hammer under the horn.
Let's say.....perhaps a bladesmith wants to keep a portion of the anvil cool and wet(with water) but needs a dry section also for drawing a taper. Tilting the anvil and making the low side the wet side allows the high side to remain dry.
At my skill level, I have not done these things....and yeah...I'm sticking my neck out!
But I do believe there are possibilities for a tilted anvil.
Two strikers.....hammering something wedge-shaped like an axe or cutter-stalk or froe......each standing on opposite sides of the anvil.....might be able to strike more squarely if the anvil is set in a 'compensating tilt'.
But then again I could be wrong.......I was just thinking out loud!
James

Newbiesmith.........Is there an ash dump on your forge? I studied the picture you posted ,but I couldn't tell for sure. If you don't,ash and cinders will stop up your air inlet pipe after one or two short fires.
Without building a fire at all,.....turn your blower on and check if there is air coming up through the fire pot.

By the way, be carefull about using the 'lighter fluid' thing to start your fire.
there are lots of safer ways to build a fire.
Light a couple balled up sheets of newspaper....add a handfull of dry sticks....give it a minute or so to catch up ......turn on some air....gradually add some coal.
That's how I do it most of the time.
Good Luck! Happy smithing.
James

A chicken is a FOWL.

In olden times, the blacksmith was believed to hold an almost mystical power over the four elements.....earth,air,fire, and water. All you have to do is look in the IFI Gallery to see that that spirit is still alive today.
James

A great holiday.....EASTER!

Just drink MILK!

Quite a FEAT!

Try reading Henry David Thoreau's "Walden". Not only is it a great American book with chapters on all kinds of subjects, he also has much to say about being 'alone' but not 'lonely' while he lived in his cabin for two years and two months.His unique perspectives are absolutely uplifting!

James

Welcome trentinistefano! That is a beautiful knife!