Mark Emig

I think it's a pretty poor repair-there is no reason why the hole should not have been drifted square and the material cut to size and fit properly. That being said, "can't see it from my house", so if the owner likes it-fine.

Thanks for the laugh-now how do I get up off the floor??????????????

Thanks!

Just because there is only a little path between all my tools and I keep buying/building more doesn't mean I have a problem. Denial isn't just a river in Egypt :)

Spiritual?? I don't know. Blacksmiths, like all others, are good and bad, and do good and bad. I was reminded once that a Smith made the nails that cruified people, and many other insruments of torture. Me, I just make pretty stuff, for the most part.

My suggestion is rather than spen $15 buck on a piece of unknown steel, order a piece of tool steel. Old World Anvils sells 4140 for 2 bucks a pound. The approach I would take is get a piece of 1-1/2 square. I start with about 3 or 3-1/2 " piece, put a blunt taper on it,and drive it into the hardie hole. Next step, forge your chisel end. Then heat treat and enjoy a real tool, rather than a converted something. Forging tools from scratch to a specific dimension improves your smithing greatly.

A little more than my shoulder width-didn't bother to measure it-just the right length for me. Just a hair under 6 pounds. I like a 6 pound sledge-for me, it's the perfect weight. I get a lot of control, but can put a bit of power into the swing when I need to. When I was 20 or so I cut firewood for a living-the other guys used a 8 pound maul, I used a 6. I cut and split 4 full cords a day (hardwood), they did 3. As a friend says "Mark can hit harder than the average bear"-comes from splitting a LOT of wood-you learn to get efficient with your swing, and learn how to pack a bit of punch in the blow..

Yes, we did Frank, and I enjoyed your demo-bought your book and am actually reading it :) Hopefully we meet again before too long.

I got my 225 or so pound Hay-Budden from my step-father. He showed me the basics and I took off from there. I get a phone call a year or 2 after I started and he says "You're going to be better than I ever will, come get all my tools." A short list is a 225 Hay-Budden, a 175 or so Hay-Budden, a pair of mint Yater blocks, bunch of tongs, 2 forges, and a bunch of other stuff. Got rid of the 175 Hay-Budden-it was kind of beat, still have the other stuff and use it all.

Nice find. A little clean up and it'll be sweet.

That was the second class I took with him. I do them just as a social event-too much time in the forge alone makes me a bit nuts.... Always good energy at a class-I get to have fun, make cool stuff, and help others-it doesn't get much better than that for me.

Good idea- First pic Nathan Robertson on the left-Doug Delurey on the right. Second pic-Paul Crosby on left-2 guys whose names I can't recollect, and Doug Delurey. Third pic-Ron Bakerian on Left, and then Doug Delurey, and a couple more whose names I can't recall..... Doug is a darned good striker also.....

Nice, another tool I "need", but how do I get it in the shop?? I've been told that a new TV show is going to be made about me-Tool Hoarders.

Here's a couple poor pics of the sledge I made in Nathan Robertsons class. My new highly prized baby. I've wanted a nice sledge for a while-love to strike-so it's nice to use a nice tool.

Here's a couple pics of the hammer class the Capital Districts Blacksmiths had with Nathan Robertson. Nathan puts on a good class-he's very knowledgeable smith who is good at passing knowledge along in an understandable way. I'd highly reccommend a class with him if you're able to. Our class was $70 bucks or so-reasonable price for a good class.

Bought it new from Steve Fontanini :)

Score! Enjoy it.

Electrolysis works best for me, no wire wheeling, brushing etc. All the rust comes off, and no fuss.

Try using half round, if you don't have a swage block take a piece of 1/2x1-1/2 or 2 and drive a round rod into it to make one. Mark Aspery has a great description of how to in one of his books. The other main killer is too long a collar-makes it so it'll never weld as there will always be a gap.

Now that's funny!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sounds like Paradise!!!!!!!!

Dude's got mad skills!

You'll put yer eye out, Kid!!! I posted it cause it was actually kind of humorous-forging a 6 pound sledge on a 125lb or so anvil, and it went downhill from there......... It's one of the things that really turn me off of this site-too many people who never pick up a hammer and actually MAKE something telling others how to/not to. I'd like to see more "doing" and a lot less "reviewing".

They were all small..............

I do it for the same reason.... The over reaction thing really bugs me.......