Chancellor

Hello everyone, I recently moved out to East Texas (near Sulfur Springs/ Lake Fork area) and am having trouble finding a supply of coal anywhere around. There's a lignite mine about 20 minutes north of me, but that doesn't really count :P Does anyone know of one, other than TFS in Kennedale, TX, 3 hours away?

Yeah, the flattened bends are great. What size stock is that, it looks like 1/4'' to me? Sorry it took so long to reply, I have been moving and haven't been on in quite a while.

Dominic's gate was really good for the most part, except the jumbled looking scrolls and bars on the inside of the 3D part, which I assume is supposed to be a dragon (though even knowing, I can't tell). I find it interesting that the clients said they didn't want a dragon, though there was a dragon's head on the drawing that they accepted. I do think it opened 90degs, its just that when it was being demonstrated they were swinging it in short arcs just to feel how smooth it was. I think Dominic's gate deserved 3rd, but it is interesting the difference between your perception and my own, because I thought that it was Dominic that was rather narcissistic. He just bothered me, but that was perhaps just because his personality and mine don't get on well. Funny how the one who picked all the technical skill up the fastest, and was the one the show portrayed as the best, was the one who's gate wasn't completely up to snuff because he interjected what he wanted to do above what the client wanted. Perhaps if it was better executed it wouldn't have been such a big deal. I think Jill's gate was very impressive, though there were a few things I personally didn't care for. I think the bullrushes would have looked a lot better had they been a tighter twist than they were. The heron was made out of round stock that felt a bit thin as well, though it was very well formed, and the overall design of the gate was excellent. She had a great eye for composition. Hugh's gate was my favorite (by a very small margin). It had an interesting story in it, and it sounded as if it was worked out with the client in the plans. And despite choosing something that was obviously above his current skill level (or so everyone thought), he showed that limits are not all they are cracked up to be. I do think that his spider web was poorly made, but only on the one tendril that was completely off center from all the others. Overall, I loved his design, as it filled space nicely, without seeming overly busy; there was definitely a sense of "Forest" there, albiet a stylized one. I did think that Hugh fit more with my personality, which could affect my partiality I think. Not to say that a few things he did didn't bother the heck out of me (when he blew off his instructor, for instance). But he was more soft-spoken and reserved I think, though he wasn't afraid to say that he really liked his gate. That may not be pride as much as excitement at accomplishing something though; something I felt with my first successful pair of tongs after so many frustrations.

Check out this BBC production about Blacksmithing. It's great! http://youtu.be/ozCdCdGOliE

Love them!

Found another great anvil deal: Stopped by my local Western Antique shop today, and walked down the aisle only to see a nice smooth 150lb Fisher with a few chips on the edges from the 40s. The anvil was sitting atop a polished Beau d'Arc stump with a number of tongs hung round it. Excited, I walk over and take a look at the price tag: $1300. That's one expensive Beau d'Arc stump. I was able to talk to the guy who put it on consignment, and he wasn't willing to part with just the anvil. As was mentioned earlier in the thread, he had too much tied up in it. Fatfudd, that peter right is a beauty, though I still wouldn't spend that much on it.

Its a link to an image gallery, I didn't want to use up space. I'll try to post pictures of it though:

Even with all the mass and heat of the anvil behind the faceplate? I would think that it would slow the cooling sufficiently to allow for a water quench, as even 5160 bars 2in in diameter are sometimes water quenched because an oil quench wouldn't cool it fast enough to harden it properly (or so I've read). Though there is the fact that it is only welded around the edges, so the center might cool quickly enough to crack it *shrugs* In any case, as has been said: Nice looking Vulcan! If you get a chance, I think I'm not alone saying that a video of it in use or a rebound test would be interesting. I can supply the steel bearing ball if you don't have one.

Nice looking anvil, but most of the heavier old anvils that I've seen look pretty good. When I was looking for my current anvil (early 1800s 153lb Mousehole), the guy who was selling it was asking $1200. So silly me wanted the thing and offered him $600 for it. When he countered with $700, I accepted. Here's a gallery of the anvil. I'll be cleaning it up with a grinder soon, as recommended by many I'm happy with it, except the corners are too rounded for many things, and I'm scared to use a Mousehole anvil's hardy hole to upset an anvil block for the edges. As well, the face is a bit soft, giving around 60% rebound, and goes from slightly concave near the horn to quite a bit convex around the hardy hole . Dunno what it is with the rebound, because my Trenton only gave about 65%. Maybe I just get bad copies.

You'll definitely want a flue if working with coal, especially with no wind. The stuff really messes with your breathing. Working with coke is even worse, I've found, though it doesn't put out any smoke. Of course, I'm an asthmatic, so that may make me a bit more mindful towards smoke and fumes.

Thanks everyone. I'll check and see if I can get some more coke tomorrow (I was using corn today, which can be tricky), and perhaps try to make some tongs (again) to try to make a mirror frame

Excellent work. I love looking at all the things you post. Its very inspirational, especially for days like this where I was at the forge for hours, and got zero accomplished and nothing made. If you don't mind me asking: On the bottom steak turner, how did you get those curls in the stock? I've been playing around with ideas for corkscrews, and all of my ideas have the screw to one side. Your method for those curls would have it right down the centerline.

Vaughn, I have a hot cut that was made back in the day that has a 90o bevel. It can be pretty annoying, since i leaves such a long rag and refuses to hold a good edge.

That's all you have to do? No fasteners, etc? I know we've had a number of mirrors that fall out of their housing, and thought that that was the reason.

Thanks for the replies everyone. To give a rough I idear about what I have in mind, I'll give a link to Ian Eddy's blacksmith shop: http://www.ianeddyblacksmith.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=IEB&Product_Code=2027&Category_Code=Mirrors I'm not looking to copy his design, but I think mirrors are a great idea. And I suppose the same question could be applied to the screens of fireplace screens. How to attach them? And thinking back at my last two questions, I should probably get my application to the North Texas Blacksmith's Association in.

I'm sure this is an easy one for most of you more experienced smiths, but I haven't been able to think up a really good way to do it. The easiest way I've thought of is to rivet bar stock to the mirror frame an eighth inch in, with rotating pieces to hold the glass in... But that doesn't sound like a very good method, especially for a thin frame or one where you don't want rivets on the front. So using traditional methods, how would one do it? Pictures would help greatly, as I find written descriptions hard to understand. Even reading my own description above, I don't think I would quite understand it :P

hilsbilt, that's a very nice box bellows, looks like it works well, and nice and quiet too. I've been thinking about building one myself. Whats the stroke distance on it? And is there a lot of resistance when using it?

I would think it would be like using a Ferrari in a demolition derby. Its too easy to make a brake drum forge to use a a $250 firepit. As to the copper, It would probably melt, given the temperatures reached in a forge. Though I would think that you would be a blacksmith of sufficient caliber to know most of this already, Lord Perrin Goldeneyes. ;)

Mr. Aspery, hope you are recovering well. I'm sure many are still praying for a quick recovery.

As for the piece, I couldn't tell that that was a stylized bird, but thought instead that they were seedpods.

Thanks, I've been wondering how that was usually done. -Chance

Very nice! If you don't mind me asking, how do you fasten the screen to the frame?

I never have understood why "The Blacksmith" Is usually sung mostly by men. The first line is "A blacksmith courted me". Seems it should be by a woman: I like it by Sheila Chandra better, but you'll have to search for that video on your own :P

This one's hilarious, gotta watch the video! My favourite is the first. "Sure I dream as the hammer strikes the anvil And I dream as the sparks light on the floor, Of my blue-eyed turtledove, She's the only girl I love, As she stood outside that good ol' smithy door."