Marksnagel

Longer piece of RR track stuck into the ground standing straight up gives you plenty of mass but a small area. On its side gives you a larger area but less mass.

RR train coupler knuckle works great as it has multiple shapes and a flat face. Finding one requires a friend or contact with the railroad.

Forklift forks.

A trip to the scrap yard will reveal many options.

As Grant Sarver (RIP) told me, "Tell everyone you see that you are looking for an anvil. Tell your barber, your relatives,  your friends, co-workers, the guy on the street. If you don't tell people you will limit your options."

Worked for me. I have a RR track, a coupler knuckle and an anvil all because I told everyone that would listen.

Mark <><

Looks to me that if you had to make a lot of identical circles or even just bends on "J" hooks, you could use this to gauge accuracy. Or even use it as part of a home made bending jig. The longer you stare at it the more options will come to your mind.

Either way, you got a steel. Pun intended.

Nice find.

Mark

Welcome to IFI,

 Ditto on what Dan said. PIctures, we need pictures for what good is art if we can't see it.

I too wish this were my full time job but alas, I like to eat and I entered into blacksmithing too late in the game to establish myself and hone my skills. This is not to say that one day I can't make it my full time job. Just not right yet.

Keep on keepin on and enjoy what you do.

Mark <><

Thanks Frosty! I will have to watch that.

Mark <><

This is probably a ridiculous question, but shouldn't there be some type of "gas escape" for the smaller drum or would that cause the charred wood to ignite?  I'm thinking of making a retort and want to get all the specifics down pat so I don't waste time, money, and wood.

wpearson said it right. For a more visual idea, take a kitchen glass and turn it upside down on the counter. The open end of the glass where it touches the counter is the same as the inverted 30 gal drum inside the retort. As the gas builds up inside the inside drum it becomes pressurized and escapes around the rim and burns. Because it is pressurized, no flame draws back into the inner drum.

All questions are good questions but not all answers are good answers. Hope the visualization with the glass helped.

This one works well for me.

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...have two irons in the fire?

 

Sayings and Cornpone

"You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.

     Charles Burton

My thoughts also Frank. Two pieces held together. You could weld or wire them together at the opposite end and then again half way down for stability. Then they would be as one. If you cant visualize that, put your pointer finger and middle finger together. Joined at one end and move as one. 

I think your smithy looks great.

For my first year and a half I was under the spreading oak tree and at the mercy of the wind and weather.

Then I built my smithy from posts and boards from the old cattle pen and tin from an old barn. 

Cover the pallets with plastic or tar paper and once the snows start, pack it around the pallets and it will keep the wind off of you. 

Well done.

Mark <><

Looks like it will be a very nice comfortable in the hand cane topper. 

Ditto on the opposite twist. 

How will it be affixed to the cane? Is the base hollow?

Well done!

Mark <><

Prayers for all involved and families lifted up.

Wow Jim. They look great! Looks like you had fun.

That is one sweet forge! 

Our local small town has a festival every year. Last weekend as a matter of fact. Two years ago I talked to them about doing a demo for the fair. They were extatic.

To rent a vendor table they wanted $100. I told them that if they wanted me to do a demo I would do it for free so long as I would be able to have a table to sell my wares. This seemed like a win-win situation. My home town so the demo would be at no charge. My daughter would sell at the table and I would get the word out and I would make a few dollars.

 The woman in charge said that she would talk to the Historic Society and get back to me. She did and her reply was, "If you do a demo and sell your wares, then you would only be charged the $100 vendor fee." ???????????? "If you do the demo and don't sell your wares then they will treat me as a non-profit who was educating the public on Blacksmithing and only charge me the $50 non-profit fee." Again ?????????????????????

I explained that most Blacksmiths that do demos charge a fee and or a take of the tickets. I have not been to the festival since and refuse to go.

If you do a demo and you have a table with your wares, have someone else work the table. Doing the demo, you will have no time to sell anything.

I would take the deal as you agreed to, sell some wares, meet some people, make some contacts, make some friends.

Mark <><

Ian.

That is a really nice retort. If it wasn't such a long drive, I'd really like to see that in action. Thanks for all the pics and great descriptions. I'll definately have to give that design a try some day.

Thanks again.

Mark <><

Hi Nathan,

First let me say welcome to IFI.

Second let me ask you where you are located. There may be other smiths in your area that could visit your shop and give you some good pointers. without more pictures it's hard to tell you which direction to go.

Also I have a question about your ash dump. The picture doesn't show anywhere for the ash to go other than your air supply tube. This could be a problem if and when a hot ash burns through your flexible tubing. Also it will clog with ash and rob you of your air supply.

Mark <><

My hardy tools also extend below the heel. A light tap will set them free.

He is in my prayers for a full and speedy recovery.

Here lately it's been the joy of making whatever tool that I need. Been making hardy tools and tongs. Seems that I always need another tool.

But no matter what I am working on there is always a fredricks cross in the fire. They are my addiction.

Thank you for serving from a retired Coastguardsman. 

Look at the plans here for the 55 forge. It is a great starter forge that will serve you well for your entire tour. 

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Welcome to IFI. Pull up a stump, sit a spell. 

Every Tuesday at 10pm eastern time, 4am your time Wednesday morning. (I think) Set your alarm early. We have BP's or Blue Prints which are held in the chat room. The Admin's post several links to projects and how too's and we all sit around and discuss them. It is not usually as intellectual as it may sound. A good time to be had by all. You can ask questions and get your answer from knowledgeable smiths and the rest of us :) within seconds.

Also there are people on chat from all over the world pretty much 24-7. 

Enjoy the ride.

Mark <><

Welcome to IFI JR,

 As some have said, please post pics of your work. You have more to offer than you think. Aside from gleaning info from other IFI members you can contribute.

As a chair bound smith you offer hope and advice to other smiths with physical limitations. Let them and the rest of us see what you can do. There are no limits to what you can accomplish unless you decide that. So show others what possibilities lie ahead for them. I imagine you have found ways to accomplish things that others thought were impossible and I don't just mean those with disabilities. We all need to find ways to do things differently.

If you are worried that more experienced blacksmiths will criticize your work then how will you hope to excell. Unless you are happy with where you are and have no wish to better your work.

There was a thread on here a few years ago about smiths with disabilities and how they overcame what some people would look at as a dead end to a hobby/career.

I look forward to seeing your work and how you made things. So take some pictures, grab a cup of coffee and share. We'll share with you too!

Mark <><

See everything. It is a great place of history. Be sure to visit the Blacksmith shop. It is about 2 hours from where we live now and we haven't been in a few years but we used to be stationed nearby and it was/is one of my favorite places to visit. 

Have a safe trip. 

Mark <><

 Good idea Charles about the pipe cap. But what happens once the area around the raised cap fills up with ash. Won't the top of the cap become the level bottom of the fire pot rather quickly?

See. Look at all the good information that is coming from a question thought to be dumb.

I missed where this was going to be held.

Actually this is a pretty good question. One I'd like to hear some different views on. I imagine someone somewhere has tried this. I mean if people can dig a hole in the ground and have that as their fire pot then I would say , why not.

If you build up the inside of the sink it should insulate it from the heat. I have thought about this myself but went with a brake drum forge instead.

I say give it a try and then if it works, you can be the resident expert on cast iron ceramic coated sink forges. If not, then you can tell us why it failed. But hang on for a little bit and see if anyone already has some experience with this.

While you are waiting, peruse the forums here to see if it has been mentioned and tried.

Good question.

Mark <><