Scampbell

need your expert advise on what tools to get I'n what order I am starting out and have the chance to get a variable speed belt sander, a table top or floor standing drill press or a band saw. So what order would you get first and why, also what are some of the things you would use each for.

I have a water cooled side blast and it works like a dream!

Awww MAN! I thought this is where we could get some info on why I can't open the stickey's or help for that mater...... It keeps telling me there is a system error! Oh well....:-( Lol anyone wanna help ?

Man that's wonderful ! Thanks for sharing , I havnt been using my Imagination I guess, but you are helping open my eyes to new ideas thanks Dave

Look at the early sharpening wheels.... Very similar to what you want to do but uses your feet to do the pumping kinda like the old singer sewing machines.... Or look for yard sale/ swap meet/ harbor freight for sander they probably can be had for less the cost and time of your "project" believe me, I always think of a differant (cheaper) way to do things ...most of the time when I figure time spent on the project and cost it is usually cheaper to buy the rite tool. My .02

WOW.....! Now that is a work of art. Very nice work, so I guess I am just over thinking the whole process way too much. Simple enough! But I wold love to get some more ideas on how to do differant patterns, let see some others

So when you say textures made from rocks .... You mean take a heat put some rocks between the hot metal and cold then just hammer away? Does anyone have any pictures of the process of making your own. I don't have a lot of $ so I will be trying to make everything I can. Thanks

Ok so I am still new to the smithing thing and I have seen some crazy works of art when it cOmes to blacksmithing projects..... So how do you/they or anyone make the spring Swages with the differant texture ? Maybe I'm over thinking the whole process..... Anyway you tell/show us how it's done. Thanks

Well I work for a short line rr company in California and there are laws that. Prohibit anyone to even be on the rr tracks, or at some places 15 feet from the center of the tracks ! They actualy own 15 feet from the center of the track on both sides which allows them to leave all sorts of stuff And equipment there. It is private property and trespassers are in violation and will be harshly fined and even jailed. Here in ca a few years ago when the prices for scrap steel were high they had loads of people taking in spikes, track and any other steel that was connected or lying next to the tracks in and this is the cause for the headache at the scrap yards. If you don't have written permission to have in possession anything rr related they government does see it as a federal offense. So to all out there who take those long Walks along the tracks for the cool steel. Remember to constantly look both ways for a train and try not to get caught cause it technecly is STEALING and be safe because trains do run on rusty old track

It's great to see all the responses, havnt had a chance to toy with it yet been working too much. Anyhow keep it flowing it's really interesting to see how many ways there ae to skin the cat!

Thanks for that info.... I'll have to get over there and take a looksee when they aren't workin me to deathon the rr, that should make it quite simple ....

Good to see all the responses ! I havnt any idea how to tell if the fan I have would work off a train control

Well I just got a fan from a car's ac system (fan and motor) . I an on making an air gate to use with it, but I am having trouble trying to figure out how to provide power to it. The wall outlets that I would like to use as the power source are 110v ac and the motor and fan unit fund off 12v dc, so theirin lies the Problem..... Also I wanted to have an inline switch to just turn the power on and off, so please let the ideas flow...... Thanks

I didn't say you broke it ...... I said I was going to blame you for breaking it!!!!

20 mule team..... Lol I grew up in an old mining town by the name of trona in California, they mine borax among other minerals and is where the 20 mule team was based out of, in fact the local hardwear store used the mule team barn to store their lumber! Agh what a small world it is!

Oooooooooo the anticipation........ Please post!!!!

+1 on that , if you ENJOY it now and maybe make a little side money keep it that way, you should use it to your advantage, meaning if it is at all pleasurable for you why would you risk ruining it by having to rely on that for the bills and what not... Just have fun with it and if you are making any money that is just a pluss!

Only 9 miles eh.... Just across the pond! Lol it's too funny how many times people ask if I am from that Exeter. Well as for the posts I thank you all so very much! Oh and the picture that really helps! Unfortunately the weather here hasn't been good enough to get out and use so I'll have to wait but at least I have an idea of how this is going to work! I havnt used it at all but I do know that it came from (sierra forge and fire) here in town and I guess it was used there a whole lot. I guess many would come from all over the world just to take classes there, too bad it closed in one light but good for me in the other..... Still would have liked to have had some hands on resources to use locally.

Ok it makes some sense now, kinda what I was picturing in my head! So you think any DRY sand will do or is there a specific that I should be looking for? Man I really thank you all for the help!

Ok so I posted pics of it in the it followed me home, but I need to know what to put in the hearth? I'm new to all of this and really want to do it up rite so the question is I was told to use some sand in it, and use " good sand" or I will burn the tueiron, so 1 do I use sand for it? 2 what kind of sand, I was kinda thinking sand dune, beach, or store bought "play" sand thanks in advance!

Central ca is $200 a ton

Welcome! You have made a great choice by joining! I have just started out too and I'm 27, the best advice I have is read read read and then when you think you know where you might want to start with your plans read some more..... Really I'm not kidding. It seems like every time I think I have the rite idea about something I read an article on here and then realize that i was on the rite track but needed a little more info on how it actualy works. Lotta people here have very simple plans and those with more $ and experience have more elaborite plans. You will find just about everything here! Oh and if you don't get it just ask!!! And good luck.

Lol oops it's the first time posting a new topic , well I havnt an anvil, but do work for the railroad and got my hands on some 115lb rail ! ( weight measured by the foot) us. About 3ft so the problem I am faced with is making a bick and hardy/ pritchal (spelling ?) I was thinking about using an oxyacetylene torch to rough cut a point but not sure how to make the others, any pics and ideas would be FANTASTIC !!!!! Thanks in advance.

Anvils

well i went to see how my car was coming along {at a frends repair shop, just nextdoor to exeter's forge&fire..} and was asking if joe was interested in selling me one of the two coal forges he had aquired when they closed.... and well like the title says ........ it well i guess THEY followed me home! the best part is they were free.