JerryCarroll

My small vise (4" jaws) is on a heavy bench mounted to one of the heavy beams of my pole barn--24" from back to front It's to the right of the forge about 6'. To the left about 5', set in the fine gravel floor on a mulberry post is the bigger vise (6" jaws). Except for the forge there is at least 10' clearance in the rest of the area. I probably use the smaller vise twice as much as the other.

Ed, ditto on Ted's posting! He's good with words. Prayer and Faith can be a powerful balm. May God Bless you with healing and strength.
Jerry

It's a growth that was on an oak tree next to where a limb has been broken off--it's woody but was probably caused by a fungus. It looks like a snail so I dressed it up a little more with the eyes on stems (pop rivet nails)--smoothing and linseed oiling the surface and giving it a smiley mouth. The figured grain is really nice.

I found this guy by our big oak. That's my smithy in the background :)

Here's the die pictures I promised. I am enjoying learning to use a power hammer--especially since I built it!

Finn, matched pair of combo dies--4" longx1 3/4" wide. fuller part is a little under 1/2 the length of the die. The steel used was guide bars of medium grade used in a die for making plastic moldings. pieces are 1 3/4" square.

Jayco----shoes???

I finally got around to making a combination fuller/flatter die for my homemade hammer. What a time saver!! I'm learning more of what can be done quicker even with a 30 lb. hammer hitting 300+ hits flat-out. Pictures will be posted soon.

I have a bunch of tie plates--some are twice the size of the regular ones you see. I'm thinking tho welding enough together to make a table would be a chore to keep flat enough to be a decent table--for me anyway I've used one on the edge of my forge for a forge welding plate for light stuff for a long time to save heat losing time-- Got a big block now that's even better.

Cross your long handle fire tools over the fire pot after putting out the fire for the day to keep the devil out of your forge.

Happy Easter to all :)

There's a picture of my rusty type hammer in the gallery. Scrounging took more time than building. I have about one hundred dollars cash invested. A 1 1/2 hp 3500 rpm motor from a damaged air compressor runs it. I made the drive pully by using a flange bought from the local farm supply and fitted with a 3" round oak drive wheel 2 1/2" thick bolted to the flange--turned true after getting it bolted together. I use a counter balance on the inside of the tire rim that smoothed out the running real nice. The ram and dies weigh out to 30 lbs. and hits a little over 300 hpm. No brake--it stops when I get of the lever. Several adjustment points make it adaptable to different operations. I kept it as simple as possible yet easy to use. I'm pleased with the way it works.

Sabastion, Hoopeston is not too far from Kankakee if I remember right. I know some of my gun buddies go to Hoopeston for their gun shows. There is some dealers on the north side of Kankakee on rt. 50--Belson being the biggest & costing more. I have been fortunate enough to be able to scrounge sheet metal from old combines--belt covers mostly. Tie rods--shifting rods etc. is good round stock. Local cemeteries usually have a pile of easels for flowers that are a good source of smaller round thrown off to the back of the yard just waiting to be asked for. Got any fabricating shops close by?? Truck repair buddy is a good supply of heavy springs and truck axles. Look around--ask and you can be suprised how much will be "donated" when you tell them you're blacksmithing. Good luck.

Jr., Cookie and you are on our Prayer list for healing and strength to get on with living. Trusting in God and his promises sure do a lot toward both. God Bless both of you.

I have broke rail by scoring across the top and some on the sides with a chisel and smacking with a 9 lb. sledge. It will not always break straight but it can be broken.

I've made a bunch of wood working hand chisels from different sizes of masonary nails--the ones that some folks call horse shoe nails. Using Frosty's heat treating process they will be quality tools. I turn hickory handles for them using spent large caliber brass shells for ferrules. For draw knives I've used trailer leaf springs and auto coil springs.

Phillip in China--I've never checked the specs on the blower. It is the most air adjustable I've seen tho without changing the motor speed. On an oil furnace the fuel is fed at the center of the air gate and there is enough pressure to mist the oil as it injects it into the burner. My fire pot is 5" deep by 8" across and opening the air gate wide open for a couple of minutes will make a hole up thru the fire looking like a jet engine.

Irn, you and Cookie are on our Church Prayer list. This has been a bad winter for whatever strain of virus that's set upon us. Prayer is powerful!

This is an oil furnace injection blower--got it from the friendly neighborhood furnace repairman just for asking! Revolving side air gate adjusts the blast from nothing to blow the fire out by lifting the attached arm under the front of the forge.

The Center for Disease Control has issued a medical alert about a highly
contagious, potentially dangerous virus that is transmitted orally, by
hand, and even electronically. This virus is called Weary Overload
Recreational Killer (WORK). If you receive WORK from your boss, any of
your colleagues, or anyone else via any means whatsoever - DO NOT TOUCH
IT. This virus will wipe out your private life completely. If you should
come into contact with WORK you should immediately leave the premises.
Take two good friends to the nearest grocery store and purchase one or
Both of the antidotes - Work Isolating Neutralizer Extract (WINE) and
Bothersome Employer Elimination Rebooter (BEER). Take the antidote
repeatedly Until WORK has been completely eliminated from your system.

You should immediately forward this medical alert to five friends. If
you do not have five friends, you have already been infected and WORK is
controlling your life.

I bought several tongs at a flea market--most have nut/bolt for the pivet and work well. Not traditional I guess but very functional.

The 2 hot cuts I use most are made from auto leaf spring. One chisel shaped on the cutting edge with a slight radius. The other is sharpened on one side to make straight cuts on the project side. On one I notched a piece of square stock that fits the hardy hole and welded to the bottom of the 2 1/2" long piece of spring--the other I cut at about 2" from the bottom on each side to a depth that fits the hardy hole--heated and folded each side over in opposite directions and forged to fit the hole. I also made a hammer from 1 1/2" square mild steel to use just for the cut offs and chisels.

I'm a retired metal finisher, working 35 years for Ford's Stamping division. Retired martial arts instructor from the AKA headquarters 30 years. Fabricating, smithing and building Black powder arms, wood working and general fix-it guy suppliment my pension and SS checks.
Husband--Grampa--great grampa and Church Trustee takes some of my time too with the pay being the best ever!

I wonder if somebody can get the builder to post the blueprints!! WOW! Talk about ingenuity.

My Greenlee porta-saw is an industrail size that is at least 20 years old. I have a little trouble getting blades but have never done without then. I can't imagine not having the saw. After using one so long it's easy to find out how many ways there is to use it and save hours of hacksawing time.