VaughnT

I thought about this thread just last night when I was watching an Aspery video on the net: he was making a turning wrench and it got me thinking about making some for myself. Noting the tools he used in that video I was quick to see that I was going to be starting at least three layers behind him. It really got me to thinking about how much I enjoy forging iron and making the tools. I don't mind making a knife or whatever as a final project, but I believe I like making the tools more. Maybe I'm seeing too many new smiths, and maybe some not-so-new ones, get hung up on making the glory pieces and not the more mundane things like the tools we use. If you can't make a good looking chisel or whatever, how can you expect to have the skills needed to make bigger projects? I encourage anyone to buy the tongs after they can demonstrate an ability to make them to a standard. There are dozens and dozens of chisels and punches you can use for various projects, so you can't say "I don't need that." I didn't need a J-chisel or L-chisel when I made them, but they sure came in handy two months later when I used them on a project. Same could be said for the half-dozen ball and eye punches in various sizes. Forge, file, sand..... make those babies look store-bought! All that to say - I find the journey far more enjoyable than the destination.

"Oh, one last thing- Turn over your horse shoe so the luck don't run out....." Blacksmiths are the only ones allowed to have the "inverted" horseshoe. (I'm sure it's a federal law) The only curiosity I see is that it appears that half of the fire is actually inside the hood. Generally, you want the firepot outside of the hood and the smoke gets pulled in. Not a huge problem, though..... What did you make the thing out of? Looks like some thick stock for the table, and I'm betting that it will last for a few hundred years, at least.

The diameter of the balls will vary depending on what you are working on, and the quality of the finish will determine how good your work turns out. Mirror polish is a must for silverwork and the like, but not really needed for blacksmithing. The stainless steel trailer hitch is a great stake tool; a few minutes with a file will round off the flat spot on the top. You don't need a perfectly spherical tool. You can also buy spheres from architectural metal suppliers like King's. They won't be polished like the one in your link, but they will have different diameters.

Very nice work!

Congrats on the purchase. If you're happy with that price, then you got a good deal no matter what someone else says. To silence the anvil, set it in a bed of silicone caulk. All you have to do is lift it off of the stump, lay down half a tube of caulk between it and the stump, and then drop the the anvil back in place. That will kill 90% of the ring, and the rest can be killed by placing a magnet on the heel and horn. I wouldn't radius the edges or sand the face until you've spent a goodly number of hours forging on the anvil. Find out where you're having issues before removing metal. Those edges don't look that bad, but you don't have any experience to tell you what you need.

"add some cement and mix it up, then compact." Amen! If you've got the good georgia clay, scrape it up with a rake and then scatter a mix of pea gravel and cement evenly over it. It's not as good as digging up 4" of the floor, but it's easier than clearing your shop of all the tools, benches, etc and getting a roto-tiller in there. The mix will sink in to the clay over time. Might have to do it a few times over the years, but it will still harden the floor and kill the dust.

I'm currently working on a similar bick project. My hardy is somewhere between 1" and 1.25", and the largest stock I have is 1" square. So, I welded on a piece of .125"x 1" to two sides of the stem. This gives me plenty of meat to grind down so I have a tight fit in the hardy, but I'll still be welding a collar around the stem so that it doesn't sink or wobble when working on the bick. After building my anvil stand, I had a bunch of little pieces of 1" square stock left over and thought.... "why not use them like legos to make something useful....." So, now I get to practice my welding and get some experience sculpting metal to create something that's relatively pretty. Should be fun!

lloe01, wonder how much they're asking for that firepot in the bottom of the photo..... I've been wanting a power hammer for a long time, but I can't make my mind up. I love old machinery so getting something big like a PH would be wonderful even if I don't use it!

Looks like you're really taking off with it! That giant hunk of steel will certainly come in handy over the years.

Definitely a good find. At that price, I would have snatched it up in skinny minute.

That's wonderful! I can't imagine finding a forge and blower in as-new condition, including the shipping crate. OEM paint on the blower handle?? That's simply unheard of in this day and age. What an incredible find. I would recommend adding clay to the pan. While the pan is pressed steel and doesn't need clay to prevent cracks, the pot looks very deep and I wouldn't mind bringing the fire up closer to the rim so you can heat longer pieces. Overall, you just don't get better than what you've got!

I think you'll do well with them, hoss. I wouldn't worry about durability or longevity in the least. With 3/8ths or better plate for the pot, you'll have to go a whole bunch of hours before you wear through it. 90% of hobby smiths are working small stock ( I wanna make swords!!!!) for maybe a few hours a month. That's not going to put serious wear on the pot. And, if a new smith decides to really get into the business and is turning out product regularly, they should be able to afford a new cast-iron pot when and if the time comes. Post some pics so we can see what you've come up with.

What a great addition to the shop! Those types of bick/stump anvils were so common back in the day that I doubt any positive ID can be made unless you can find a maker's mark on it. Definitely old - wouldn't doubt it dated back to the late 1800's.

That is some seriously nice work, and the quality of the photography really sets it off. The progression pics document the builds perfectly. When my forge is back up and running, I can see me trying my hand at it. Thank you very much.

Farmall, absolutely yes. If the pan is cast iron, it needs to be clayed even if it has a separate fire pot like the one above does. Cast iron doesn't respond well to differential heating so it could crack any time you wet the coal. You can't go wrong by adding clay, but if you don't...... it's just a matter of time before a crack develops.

A blacksmith shop that dates back to 1630? That has got to be a sight to see! Given half the chance, I would try to see if they would let me rent the space so I could use the entire blacksmithing area and all those tools. Bring some life back to the shop and make them some money in the process!

It is strongly recommended that you clay a cast iron forge like that. Cast iron is a rather brittle metal and stress on it can cause a crack quicker than you can spit. If you wet your coal while the forge is running (to contain/shape the fire) you can cause a crack. If the forge had been bumped around a lot, the stress in the metal can cause a crack. Best bet, give the gal a coat of clay so that the heat of the fire can be absorbed and distributed over a thicker area. They wouldn't have put "clay" on there if they didn't think it was in your best interest. You can buy refractory/stove cement at the home stores, or you can make your own using kitty litter, sand and ash.

Oddly enough, I've been thinking of trying my hand at making a lock and key to secure the shop. I'd love to hear more about how you forged that key! What size stock did you start with? Is the bit welded to the shaft?

The easiest way to learn also happens to be the most productive way. Start by making tong blanks, chisels and punches that you can use for later projects. Doesn't matter what their size or shape, they'll come in handy sooner or later. And, you learn hammer control, fuel conservation and a bunch of other stuff while doing it. If you make a hundred s-hooks or dinner triangles, you end up with a bunch of stuff that you don't need. I did the same thing while I was learning, and I quickly ran out of uses for all those extra hooks I had made. Triangles might be nice as gifts, and you might be able to sell a few. But, again, you're burning up resources to make a finished product that doesn't do anything for you. Punches, drifts and chisels, however, can be used countless times to make projects that teach you things without getting overly repetitive.

That's a fantastic bit of craftsmanship, PJH! She looks eminently serviceable and I love the overall look.

That is a mighty fine rifle gun you got there, M! I have a commercially-made .50cal "Hawken" that I got as a kid (going through my Jeremiah Johnson phase!) and I have always planned to rework the wood and metal to give it something of an older look. As it is now, waaaay too modern for my tastes. Forging your own hardware would have to be tough. I've seen a few videos on youtube that show snippets of the smiths in Colonial Williamsburg doing it, but I wouldn't know where to start. I'd definitely like to have iron hardware on my rifle, though.

Very nice anvil, and sure to last another century or two! Now you have to post pics of these flintlock longrifles you make. I've dearly love to have another flintlock in my arsenal; something from the Pennsylvania style since that's where my people have their history. One of these days.........

Very nice bit of metal, and one that I would dearly love to have. At the very least, I'd shave down that shank so that it did fit in your anvils. That way you could use it in the anvil or vise.

Very nice anvil for a very nice price! You just can't ask for a better deal in life!

I bought a 300# Fisher anvil from a lady in Massachusetts and had it shipped to my door in SC for $200. Like you, I had a lot of quotes from shipping companies that were astronomical, but I waited. U-ship.com has a lot of small carriers that bid, and one of them hit me the cheapest quote. It was beautiful. All told, I got the anvil into the ship for less than $3/lb, and that's a great price. If you're not in a hurry, use searchtempest.com to find anvils that are relatively local to you. Granted, OK is a large area to cover, but it's certainly worth it if you save $500 on the cost of the anvil.