Marksnagel

Glad you were lurking nearby Dave. Saved me the search. :)

Here are some dimensions and cuts that I posted a while back. I have another that I did and will post, but the best tutorial was done by Fieryfurnace. I'll see if I can find it and re-post. Meanwhile, you search the site looking for it. While you are looking you will encounter many different ways and many different opinions. The best way to get a quick answer here is to do a little research on your own. You will learn more and also learn to navigate the site easier. cross.bmp

I walked into a bar. I get the stitches out next week. :wacko:

My fire started out as a coal fire and I always make sure that there is coke left over from each days fire for the next days fire. There is always a bank of coke that gets mixed with the raw coal as I forge.Therefore I reckon I mix coal and coke. The leftover coke from the previous fire allows helps me to get forging faster since i am not waiting for the coal to coke over. If I am going to do any welding, I will use coal to build a dome. I like to use very fine damp coal to form the top of the dome and feed coal/coke inside. Works for me. Mark <><

If it is a post vise you are talking about then it sounds like the leaf spring is either missing or needs adjusting or has simply come loose. Can you post a picture to help identify the problem please?

Beautiful blade!

25 for the anvil, 10 for 30ft of rope and you will have an anchor.

Great pictures. It looks like they had a good time. Thanks for posting the pics.

Charcoal won't aggrivate the neighbors like coal will either. They may show up to see what you have on the grill though. Do not use briquets as they have a lot of impurities in them. Get ahold of some lump charcoal if you can.

I agree with John.

I was with my wife in a Dr's waiting room talking about an upcoming blacksmithing show which prompted a woman to show us a picture of her horse. "Yes," I told her, "I shoo horses every time they come too close." Mac & cheese commercial, nuf said. Saw a few minutes of a newer Conan movie this morning and they were "forging" a sword. Yeah right. Therefore it is up to us, if we chose to do so, to set the record straight to the uneducated/uninformed masses. Or not.

Welcome to IFI Amy. Glad to have you here. Please remember to post lots of pictures so we can see how you are doing and we can learn from you too. We love pictures. Mark <><

Hey David, welcome to IFI. Where in VA Beach are you? I'm in NC and travel to VA Beach quite often. Dr's, commissary, work...... As Rich stated, the RR takes a dim view of people walking the tracks let alone taking spikes so try to keep that to a minimum. There is a good blacksmithing group in the tidewater area. Tidewater Blacksmith's Guild. This is their site: http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/92-tidewater-blacksmith-guild/ They are well established and those that I have met are really good guys.

Justin, welcome to IFI. I am glad you have the drive and passion to venture into blacksmithing. Take in all the knowledge and advice you can. This site is a great place to start. You will get plenty of advice/opinions/critique here so long as you think about your question prior to posting. Glad to have you! Once you get started, post lots of pictures. We like pictures. Mark <><

I see nothing wrong with your design. They should do you well for years to come. Fine job. Mark <><

Beautiful craftsmanship. Thanks for sharing.

Outstanding! If you don't ask, you don't know. Good for you.

The K.I.S.S. system at work! Great idea, thanks. Mark <><

I have been given 4 large rims (5' diameter) from a friend who is going to build a log cabin. He wants me to make all the hinges for the cabin from them. Hinges are a thought. Mark

Very nice flowers. Thanks for posting the picture. Without pictures I'm lost.

Thanks for posting your close call and the warning. We all get lax at times and it sadly takes a jolt to bring us back to reality. Glad that you were wearing your PPE and that it saved you a possible trip to the Dr or worse. Yours is a story of how the consequences of bad things can be lessened when proper precautions are taken. Thank you. The 6 P's: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance

If it is good coal then I would jump on it like a bum on a balogna sandwich. $5 for 50 lbs? Oh yea! If you can, get a bag and check it out. Lump coal you will have to break it up first into pea to grape sized pieces. But it breaks up easy. Wear safety glasses. Good luck.

I have used both. I have also mixed the two with good results but much rather have bituminous. I had a friend stop by yesterday from West Virginia and brought me @ 100lbs of really nice bituminous. :D The easter bunny has a beard and is in his late 50's. According to him coal is just laying around waiting to be picked up. KY is not far from WV. The land of milk and coal? Mark