Randy

Very nice article, Frank. I love that first piece and it is good to see you again!

I lost my ride and room and don't want to do that trip on my own. So looks like I won't make it this year. Bummer! You all have a great time!

Way to go, Beth! Good design, creative, fun and personal touches. We look forward to what you do next.

Frosty is right. an 8" flue is just too small. It needs to be 12". Also what the chimney does on the outside relates to the draft, too. It needs to be higher than the peak by 24" if within 10 feet of the ridge to get a good draft. Also if you have a cap over it it needs to be as high as the diameter of the pipe, not 2" as they come from the store. The air curtain is a great and simple tool. I just used flexable pipe and squished it down to make a rectangular shape. Stops the heat from getting to you and from running up the bar..I love it!

If all goes as planned I'll be there early Friday afternoon. I'll have a couple of old Champion fireboxes, an old champion blower, some tongs, tire making tools. some of my books (A Blacksmithing Primer) and my forged bronze belt buckles. Stop by and say "Hi!". I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and making some new ones!

I agree with Ric about a separate cart. It doesn't have to take up much space. I do not like putting the pump, reservoir and high pressure hoses on the top. If there is some kind of a failure it is at the level of your head. Below are two cart designs. The one is mine and the blue one is from the Claiborne press. These you can even put in another room for more safety and for removal of the noise. Yes, then there is the hose problem, but protective sleeves and or pipe to run them through can take care of that. .

Proud Papa our prayers are with you, the family and the girls.

I've got a Nazel 1B that has to go. It's a rare 2 piece unit. The anvil post is separate from the body. Most 1B's the stump and body were a one piece casting. Message me if you're interested.

You can also use your existing touchmark, punch it into a piece of steel then push that it into a plate then push that into your work using your hyd. press. Follow?

My post vise is solid mounted to an ash beam that goes three feet into the ground. The shop is arranged in the working triangle of forge, anvil and vise, so it is most convenient and fewest steps to each. A heat and time saver. If you hammer on a piece of metal in the vise and the vise moves or shakes then you are putting energy into doing that instead of moving hot metal. Having the vise solid mounted will save you energy as you will get more work done with that setup. It's like the difference on how much you get done hammering hot metal on a 400 pound anvil compared to a 75 pound anvil. Even with the anvil post, unless it's a real big anvil, you will get more work done on an anvil with a solid post in the ground compared to one that's movable.

My main post vise is mounted to an ash beam that goes 3 feet into the ground, It is set in a working triangle of the three pieces of equipment with about equal distance to forge, anvil and vise. If you are using the vise for hammering as in upsetting or forging animal heads, etc., it is important that it has a solid mount. If you hammer on your vise, or what's in it, and it moves or shakes then you are putting energy into the vise and not as much into your work. Same is true of your anvil. A solid mount will save you time and energy.

I'm just trying to find people that make a mechanical hammer as I get students that ask me about it and I don't know where to send them. I know Mike. I'll see what he says. Thanks!

Thanks! How about in the US? I'm asked about this from students all of the time and it'd be good to have something to show them. Is Yoder making a tire hammer? Anyone or anything thing else out there in mechanical hammers?

Are there any smiths or companies out there producing a mechanical power hammer today for sale? Who and contact info would be appreciated.

Amazing work! Please keep it up and keep sharing!

Boy, this has been a tough year already. L. Brent Kington died last week and now Jack Andrews. Two big holes are left in out community of smiths. Brent did much to bring the craft of forging back to America in the early 1960's and as a professor at Southern Illinois University fostered many top smiths, especially those working in the pattern welded metals field. Here's more info: http://craftcouncil.org/post/remembering-l-brent-kington Both of these giants will be sorely missed.

Please get Batson's book, "Build Your Own Hydraulic Forging Press". When it comes to designing a press one can't just guess or ask others if it will be strong enough. Too dangerous! This book has tables and charts to figure all this stuff out depending on the tonnage. Good luck and stay safe!

Great job, Harold! What is it? About a 20 ton? Only thing I didn't figure was that tonage is per square inch so if you try to push something like a 2" x 2" you've lost a lot of power. Most of the time it will still do a great job. More than enough for a knife maker. Good to see all of the safety you put into it. Now he can have fun making tooling for it!

I didn't see a calendar or listing of events so I hope it's okay I put this here. So you have time to make plans: here's the info on Blacksmith Days by the BGCM. Ken Schwarz from Historic Williamsburg will be demonstrating traditional forging and the new Armory and I will be doing "the versatility of the hydraulic forging press". Here's more info: http://www.bgcmonline.org/docs/bsd13.html I hope to see you there!

Michael Bondi posted today: I received the news of Norm Larson's passing today . For those of you who did not know Norm well .In my opinion Norm may have done more to educate the country about blacksmiths and the craft then almost anyone . He was really the first guy to carry and sell a wide range of books from all over the world . I know it was through Norm that I got to see all the current books from Germany and italy in the late 70"s and 80 s His books opened alot of eyes . He was always interested in the most current work and artists , while always supporting the how to and traditional work . As well as his love for wagons . He always a big supporter of the CBA and ABANA . And it was through his sort of support that the CBA became the great organization it is . Norm was a good man and will be missed. Norm was at most ABANA conferences from the very early years on. He supported what we did and was one of the first dealers to support my book, some thing that was very appreciated by me. He was always interested in what we were doing, what we needed and always had a kind word and encouragement for each of us. There is a big hole left by his passing. - Randy

Deke Weedow cam up with this one years ago. Cut out a piece of 1/8" thick plate like the drawing. If you need a number of them laser cutting works best. See drawing. Then hammer out the end on each piece like the seeds on a pine cone. Weld one end to a 1/4" to 5/16" dia. rod. Heat up the whole cut out piece and wrap edgewise around the rod. There you have a pine cone!

Mary called me this morning to let me know that A.D. passed yesterday morning. Please send her your prayers and support in this tough time.

Go to the source, "Build Your Own Hydraulic Forging Press" by James Batson.

Latest update on A.D. : They wanted to share their deep appreciation for all the friendship, support, and calls they have received. A.D. has returned home. However he is now bedridden but they are maintaining his comfort and care. Mary has requested that you keep them in your prayers and thoughts but refrain from calls or visits at this time. Please forward or share this e-mail with anyone who know AD and Mary.

It looks very good in black, Beth. Yes, that was part of an iron tree I did back in the '80's. One of the first times I did the process described for painting. Since then I've used it many more times for exterior work, Keep up the great work!