Prokopto

Generally where would one find the date on a William Foster?

Perhaps. I do not use it. I bought along with a little portable rivet forge so let me muse on the idea a bit.

I found a few pieces like these in a river 40 feet beneath a railroad bridge. Does anyone know what they are?

Had to build a coal bin for this load of coal. I still have to put the lid on the bin but I want to make the hinges in my forge.

Not sure what this one is. It's 193 pounds. The face is 12 x 5 and the hardy is 5/8". It has another handling hole underneath as well. Anyone venture a guess as to the maker of this anvil?

A friend of mine (who is an antique gun collector/ dealer) found this anvil in a pawn shop in Western NC for $50. Since he sent these pics he's removed most of the paint with Goof-Off and it is a Paragon 76lbs. The face is very flat and the edges look fairly crisp. I will get my hands on the anvil when I see him at the Summer Camp where we both work next month. I have a 163 lb Hill and a 193 lb anvil that looks like a Mouse Hole or something and now this Paragon. For $50 I could not pass it up.

So here is what I found out about coal in WV. Almost all of the unmined coal in WV is pre-sold under contract. None of the mines tht I found sell to the public. Wholesalers will sell in the Fall for home heating but along about March they run out and cannot get any until the following Autumn. So in the Fall maybe I'll go back and stock up on a couple of tons.

I just got home last night with my Sewll Seam Coal. I have yet to burn any but when I do I'll post how I liked it. I got mine near Rainelle, WV and ended up with 1770 pounds of coal in my 1995 Toyota DLX 22re and surprisingly the little blue 'yota got me down the mountain and back to Richmond with ease. (I did add 12 pounds of air to the rear tires though). The wierd thing is that you can only get coal in the fall there and one guy I met at a gas station said he works in a coal mine and he is not even allowed to buy any yet I passed hundreds of rail cars loaded with coal going somewhere. Its a good thing the fellow I bought mine from had saved some extra. So what's up with the whole "you can't buy coal in WV" thing.

That is too funny. I'll try it.

I really like this piece. Is it okay if I copy the design to an extent?

I hate clinkers! Is there any use for them? I thought about putting them all in a barrels and in ten years paving my driveway with them. ha ha

Yeah the guy selling it to me works in the industry and says it tests at 3 to 4% ash. So does that mean less of those rotten ole heat sinking clinkers? By the way anyone ever find any gold in them thar coals?

I am in Richmond, VA but am traveling through Sewell Seam country in June. The cost per ton is $200. I have some Pokey 3 right now that clinkers like crazy!

I have a chance to buy 1000 pounds of Sewell Seam Coal. So I was curious if anyone had experience and or opinions on this coal for smithing.

Hi folks, I once saw a video on youtube of an older gentleman demonstrating a basket (bird cage) twisting press he had developed. I cannot find it again and I was wondering if anyone had it in their favorites and could post the link. The twisting press was hand operated while he pounded on the top of the press. Thanks, Bill

No Sir, it does not intersect the other hole. Maybe some guy's kid was playing around with the drill press. IDK

Hi folks. I picked up this little hammer (about 2 lbs) today but I don't know what the hole in the hammer is for. Any guesses. I figured it may be a flaw that was revealed when the hammerstruck something or it could be put there intentionally. Why it is there is a mystery to me. I bought the hammer to use so I intend to grind out the hole on my wet grinding wheel at some later date. Maybe it's a rock hammer for a stone mason IDK? PS there is a similar hole on the top near the handle eye. ???? Bill

awsome thanks for the 411. at first I thought "What a good idea take the A.T.F. and cram them in the blower gear box and grind them up." LOL

I recently bought a hand crank buffalo forge and blower. I took the blower apart and cleaned and lubricated it but there is a plug at the top. Is the blower supposed to be filled with oil?

Okay, so I took the ad-vice (punny) given here an completely disassembled the post vice and cleaned it with thinner and a wire wheel on my Makita 4" grinder. It works like a charm now. It doesn't have that wonderful handle bounce like I've seen but the secondary jaw opens when the handle is turned out now anyways. Thanks gang.