Donnie

There's always tomorrow.... If tomorrow doesn't come, it didn't matter anyway.

Classy. You have a thoughtful sweetie.

It looks as though you and the little one make quite a team.

If you are holding tongs or stock with one hand and swinging a 7lb. hammer with the other, that is why they CALLED. I would have mailed a letter.

My Kohlswa rings like a bell. I keep a chain wrapped around the waist, ; sort of an anvil muffler.

Congratulations, fine sir. There's a lot to be said, for not giving up!

I can picture it in my mind. I just don't know why you would want to do it.

There is a long list of things that I've never heard of. A "T" backed blade would be one of them. Could you post some info on them? I'm not trying to be cute. That's just a new one for me. Educate me.

I like no.1 also. Be sure to post pictures of the finished project.

I would make more of a rounded transition from blade to tang. Steel does not like square inside corners.(cracks) I like the shape of the blade.

I wish I had known the value of RR spike knives, before I gave so many of them away. I always thought they were just novelty items. I could have bought a nice house. But, I just didn't know the real value of a RR spike.:rolleyes:

Thanks for the kind words, folks.

Thank you, Steve. Well said.

Here's part of a railing I've been working on. It is a charity job for a local church. There's not as much forged work in it, as I would have liked. But, they were in a hurry and it was free.

Most of my punches are forged from automotive coil springs. I don't heat treat them. I do cool them as needed. So far they have held up fine. If you are not using a steel meant for high heat applications, what happens to your heat treatment when it is driven into a piece of orange hot metal?

Just an idea. ANVIL MAKING

Today was a good day. The weather was great. I forged a couple blades and a long stem rose. Then I decided to forge a hawk from a rr spike. I wanted to upset it to about half its length. I made a pair of tongs to fit a spike head quite nicely some time ago. But why take the time to get them when a pair of tongs are within reach. Well, after a few rounds of upsetting the spike needed a little straightening. Quite normal. An orange piece of steel flying overhead is not normal. Said piece of steel coming down a couple inches from your face is an attention getter. Take the time to get or make the right tool for the job.

I believe, johnptc, is correct.

Thanks for the offer duckybackery, but I think I'll hang on to it.

Very nice work. All the extra luxury tools are nice, but I really appreciate a piece forged with just a hammer and an anvil. Thanks for sharing.

I love axes and hawks, yours included.

If so, I don't mind looking at it twice.

UnicornForge, you can count me in. You can PM me with the specs of whatever I can do to help. I think this is a great idea. I hope Dave takes you up on it.

It sounds like wrought iron. Try to work it at a higher heat.

The hood is a section of 12" pipe. It's what was in the pile at the time.