Mark Emig

Very Nice!! Way too cool. Thanks for posting it. Mark

Hey All, Been a while since I posted anything and figured I better pitch in. I am doing a log rack for a nice client, who has given me some freedom in making a log rack-so long as it is the style they like. No twists etc. Just clean forged stuff. So, I am doing all mortise and tenon construction. Here's some various pics in progress. It's nice to do an all forged project I'll post more pics after assembly.

I have a Fontanini-250-Love it- but if you're looking for a big one I would go a Fontanini 450 (or it's somewhere in that range), or the Nimba (Gladiator??). American made-in my opinion I should support (and do wherever possible) American workers and crafts people. I have a Hay-Budden (around 225 or so) that is mint and once I got my Fontanini it's rarely gotten used. The Fontanini is so much more versatile for me and what I do with the shelf,upsetting block and the euro style horn. For doing finer work the euro style horn is sweet. In my opinion (and you know about opinions-they're like rear ends, we ALL have one and they ALL stink), the really big ones are only useful for industrial stuff-the face is way too wide for any small work. Also-they're a bear to move. I work on all sides of my anvil depending on what I'm doing and a really big one is just too much work to move a big one around.

Tapers down from 2-1/4to 1-3/8. I thought it might be for a stake plate also.

Thanks!

tried the attach files thing and the pictures won't load.

Hi All, My 250 lb Fontanini and my 225 Hay-Budden just had a baby-55lbs. I think it's a Peddinghouse-can anybody help identify? Has a cool dimple by the horn for riveting. Looks like it's never been used.

A while back Doc was nice enough to let me copy his bender-GREAT tool. Very versatile and simple to build-best part is it's light to carry to a job site. You can build different shoes for different stock quickly and cheaply.

I've found I need to be careful with getting wrought iron-it's like a disease. I have probably 3000 lbs or so-keep looking for more. The worst part is I keep waiting for that "special "project to use it, so the pile keeps getting bigger. I should just start using it on regular stuff. Mark

The other Mark's last line put to words a lot more clearly what I was trying to say Mark

Hi All, Just a quick note. We all should try to pitch in some $$$ for the spring fund drive. This is a FREE fantastic educational Blacksmiths site which I feel strongly that I/we need to support more. I know times are tough-I've had the worst winters business sales in the 8 years I've been in business(but they say the economy is getting better-baloney) but I scraped up 20 bucks. If money is tight, please donate a buck or two-the price of a cup of coffee. Glen and the guys do all this stuff for no pay, and it takes a LOT of time. The least we can do is pony up to do our part. There is a whole lot of members-we should be able to come up with 500 bucks or so between all of us. Please do what you can to help-I imagine that any donation is more than welcome and will be appreciated by all the people who go to the site. Thank you all in advance for your help, Mark Emig

I had the pleasure of teaching at P.V. when Mark was the shop assistant-great guy. He was fun to work with, very knowledgable, good at passing on knowledge. Something that still makes me smile is that he didn't have much use for stupid stuff-like the people who would grab a plastic 5 gallon bucket for an ash dump. He hung a melted one on the wall with something like "don't be stupid" on the side of it-too funny. I'll miss him at the Valley-and the pig roast. Mark Emig

Hi All, 147 replies about a hammer? wow. For my .02, I don't like the Hofi style hammer. That is NOT a shot at Hofi. The thing about other hammers "tipping" upon impact is not noticable to me. I've taken classes from him, great guy, good friend,very skilled,done loads for the iron world. Whe I am forging lots of big stock my hand gets too hot with the short stumpy hammer. A good friend of mine (great blacksmith-very talented) calls it a rock on a stick. I am a professional smith. A lot of times that I am doing production work that has to be done on the anvil, a heavy hammer is not good for me. For instance, if I am doing lets say 500 snub end scrolls. It takes 2 heats to do each one-lets say 10 blows each heat. That works out to 10,000 blows. Rebound or no, a 2-3 pound hammer is a LOT more work than a 1 to 1-1/2 pounder. At the end of the day you see the difference big time. That is not to say that I don't use a larger hammer when necessary. Let's see who , after a long week in the shop can pick up their arm , much less anything else after using a big hammer. But then again, for the testosterone thing, a big hammer is fun. Mark Emig

3 great choices- I was looking at the Nimba, but couldn't come up with the extra dough. For me, the Fontanini has been a great choice-it's a real pleasure to work on a great anvil. Mark

Try a Fontanini instead-made in America-I think that the Fontanini is a better product, and it's better for everyone to support American industry. If we don't it all goes overseas. Mark Emig

Hi All, I bought a 250 lb Fontanini about a 15 months ago. I really like it-it's a really good looking tool also. The european style horn is really great to use on the smaller stuff. The side shelf and upsetting block work very well also. I got mine delivered to the shop for $1222. Steve is a great guy to deal with, and best of all buying one SUPPORTS AMERICAN CRAFTSMANSHIP! We need to keep our dough moving around in our country first. American made to work in america-can't get much better than that. Mark Emig

Hi Larry, Wow! looks great. That's even better than the ones you brought to the Hammer-In that Jon and I put on, and they were very nice. Keep posting pics. Mark Emig

Man-18 grand for a hammer that needs a complete overhaul. Be very difficult to get a piece of equipment like that to pay for itself. Don't forget the getting it home part-adds a lot of expense. Mark

Boy, I don't know-Frosty's idea sounds best. I was going to move to AK a while back and my wife says "Sounds great-I'll come visit you once or twice a year." Being as I actually like my wife, you know what happened next. Alaska is like a disease-you either get it or you don't. I got it. Mark

Glad to hear it-I'd want a 12x12 when you get them done. Hope it works out. Mark

Nice find-good addition for the collection. I do have an question though,hopefully you don't mind me hijacking the thread, which is- Are you going to cast up some of those nice swage blocks that you have the patterns for? I've been hoping for a while that you will . Mark Emig

If you can find a copy of Francis Whittakers "A Blacksmiths Cookbook-Recipes in Iron",there is a plan for a shear that you can build with minimal tooling. Mark Emig

If you can find a copy of Francis Whittakers "A Blacksmiths Cookbook-Recipes in Iron",there is a plan for a shear that you can build with minimal tooling. Mark Emig

Actually, I hate to admit it, but I like these kinds of jobs. I got really good and quite efficient at making snub ends on this one. This kind of sub work is really nice. The shop I do this for sends me a full size drawing with quantities needed,the level of work required by the client and budget,doesn't ask for bids (we've worked together for a few years now-I'm really good at production stuff-I charge him a honest price for hours worked and don't get greedy), and they pay a fair,honest price for the work I do. The other nice thing is he tells me what size area the piece needs to fit in, I make them fit very well, and I don't have to weld and assemble the rail,gate, or fit it in the site. I just get to do the part I like the most-forge lots of steel! Once I get home from the holiday I'll post various pics of stuff I do for them. Take care, Mark Emig