VaughnT

Awesome to hear something good came of it all. Just remember to "make for shop" anything that he noted was worth it. If nothing else, it will be good practice.... and it would be very neat for that message to be heard and followed decades after he wrote it!

That's very nice. I could spend an hour or two just walking around looking at all the old stuff!

In the first photo it looks like you're missing either the gib key or the wedge to hold the mounting bracket tight to the vise. The spring can be 1/4" mild steel formed to shape. All you need is a gentle nudge on the bottom of the jaw's leg; remember, the harder the spring pushes against the jaw, the harder it's going to push against you when you try to close the vise. One fellow on here did a tutorial of sorts on making a spring. Another fellow did a rebuild that had the bottom of the spring turned into a very pretty scroll after the point of contact. I liked that idea and plan on using it whenever I need to do a rebuild. A lot of old vises had the threads wrapped by the folks working in the shop because it offered some protection against idiots setting the workpiece on top of the screw and then banging on it. Any covering, though, will become a trap for scale and grit.

People are always complaining about the lack of anvils in California so it will probably go very quickly. The size is absolutely perfect for general smithing that any hobbyist might be interested in, and it's not too big that it can't be moved around with relative ease. That and the condition should fetch a fantastic return on your investment!

You've got a real talent for this stuff, John. Most folks take years to develop the eye for scale and proportion, nevermind the hammer control.

Very nice. I like the fluidity. How do those adjustable leg thingies in the second photo work? Did you build them yourself?

I would love to get a set of blueprints for that hammer. I love the combination of wood and iron, especially now that she's got some age on her! A lightweight hammer, to be sure, but more than enough for any hobby smith, even the ones that want to do damascus. The only downside I see is the dies facing straight into the main beam. If you could figure a way to angle the dies or pass through the beam, you'd be well ahead of the game. And I just happen to have some long pieces of rail track.....

Step One: Read. Every question you have has been answered a dozen times on this forum. The stickies at the top detail all kinds of things about forges, anvils, tools and techniques.

That's a dead sexy anvil! I don't know if it's the narrow waist accentuating the lines, but that horn is really impressive. The little bit of belly, that gentle curve on the underside... I bet she turns a fine loop! Congratulations on a wonderful find. She's a perfect size, and in immaculate condition; no doubt she'll serve well for the next few hundred years....

I'd definitely buy it if the price was right. Just looking at the face of it, it would make a great anvil/swage for beginning bowls, and as a hardy block. Mount it on a low stump and you could have a decent striking anvil. She needs an electrolysis batch to get the rust off. Then a coat of car wax or oil to preserve her.

Good one, MR. Vulcan's get a bad rap, but they're a solid anvil. That example looks as new as the day it was cast! She'll do you proud for years to come.

You're right that it would be problematic if the leg had been attached to the pivoting jaw. The leg would be moving around as you opened and closed the jaw, but it would still potentially distribute force to the ground once the vise was tightened down. If the leg has been reattached to the actual hinge plate and not the pivoting leg, it wouldn't be ideal, but it would be steady enough to function as it was originally intended. Sadly, while a lot of old tools were modified in the shop for some legitimate purchase, they were later "repaired" by scroungers that don't know what the original looked like, or why it was modified in the first place. Without a picture of the vise in question, we're shooting blind.

You absolutely do NOT need a fire pot. Forges like you have were designed without the pot, relying instead on the smith forming a pot/depression when he clayed the pan to prevent cracking. The idea behind the pot is that it concentrates the burning fuel. If you were to add an inch of clay to the pan, creating a bowl around the grate, you'd help to concentrate the fuel directly above the air source. I would note that your grate isn't original and needs to have the holes drilled out a bit larger. Those small holes will quickly fill with slag, choking the fire and making you work harder.

Looks great, and it's a wonderful project for the two of you to venture into. Kudos to your son for thinking big! For a bit of motivation....... http://www.bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?showtopic=27126 http://www.bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?showtopic=27179 Can't wait to see the next step.

You couldn't have described me better if you tried! Add in a touch of sadness for the knowledge lost. I love to see examples of work left over from the early 1900's or before. The Golden Age of Ironwork, some call it, but there was a lot of other stuff going on, too. It seems that designers wanted even the little parts and pieces to look beautiful. The Art Deco/Craftsman movement certainly helped.

Wonderful! I love the photo stream showing the steps. I'm going to try that with some mystery metal I have in the corner.

Or the leg had been cut off and reattached wrongly. Is there a weld visible between the leg and the pivot? Which jaw the leg is under wouldn't matter as it's still distributing the force to the floor, but it would be a weird design.

Instead of raising your anvil and forge, why not go with the Eastern route and keep it low. All you have to do is sit down on a comfy stool and your anvil will be at a great height. There are tons of videos on the net showing third-world smiths doing great work while sitting and squatting! Stand your track anvil on end, secured to a 4x4 that's buried a bit, and you'll have a stable, relatively quiet anvil that's as good as you can ask for. And it will be more efficient!

Great job, Tig! She's working and looking mighty fine doing it! I would never have tried that project, but I'm glad you did. She deserves to be in a loving home.

Wrought iron will usually display a grain like wood does if it has been corroded sufficiently. Other than that, you'll have to cut part way through and bend it to see if the grain is there. Wrought iron isn't, imo, better or worse than modern steel for forging. Because you can't usually get it in the size you want, you have to burn a lot of fuel to reshape the stock. If the piece you're making doesn't need the grain pattern exposed for appearance sake, working with mild steel is far quicker and easier.

Good job! Now it's time to make something...

I'm thinking that the "15" is part of a date someone put on there. I've seen a lot of anvil weight markings, but never one that big or that high on the body. I have, however, seen dates cut into the side that were that big and that high. Considering the lack of the pritchell hole, the date could be 1815, with the 18 destroyed. I'd certainly put her to use, though there's no harm in letting collectors know you have it and might want to part with it. She cleaned up well and takes a good picture. You might get an offer you can't refuse......

Try to stick with projects that are roughly the same size and shape of the stock that you have. Keep round stock round and flat stock flat. Other than that, it's rather easy to work the stuff as long as you keep it at the right temperature. The quality of the WI that you have will determine how it works, but WI likes to be worked at a yellow heat, almost welding hot. If you have a thin wagon wheel, it makes a great back piece for a wall-mounted plant/lantern hanger. Flare the ends, maybe do a scroll, and mount the horizontal part with rivets. A soak in vinegar will etch the iron to show the grain.

A brand new anvil from one of the top makers is in that price range! He's got a good anvil, to be sure, but it's not worth what he's asking. Looking at the pic, the edges look mint, and the face appears flat. If it's a cast steel anvil from Sweden, that's a great anvil. But I'd offer no more than $3.50 a pound.... and that's if I could drive over to pick it up. If I was going to spend $7/lb for an anvil, it would be a Fontanini or Nimba. I can buy old anvils all day long, and have them shipped to my door, for less than he's asking.

I would never have figured that! Very neat contraption.