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I Forge Iron

Indiana Flintlock

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Everything posted by Indiana Flintlock

  1. I initially thought the heel had broken off, but it does not appear that way. What gives the appearance of a heel breaking off is what looks like mushrooming on the face. It has been surfaced, but not all of the mushrooming was removed. I'll have to look at it some more, but I really don't think any heel was broken off. There is mushrooming all down one side of the anvil and I feel the heel end mushrooming is a continuation of this.
  2. Take a look at the Armsmaking Workshops offered by Conner Prairie in Indiana each fall. They offer a class on forging gun barrel. I've taken other classes with the gentleman who teaches this barrel class and he is a top notch instructor--Nathan really knows his stuff. http://www.connerprairie.org/Learn-And-Do/Programs/Arts-And-Arms-2-Day.aspx
  3. I picked up this little anvil at a local estate auction. Weighs around 50lbs and paid $50 for it. It's been resurfaced on both the top and bottom and still has a nice rebound for such a small anvil. There is no hardy, pritchel, or markings anywhere on it. One picture is of it on top of my 129lbs. Columbus Anvil and Forging Co. anvil. It's small and interesting, and for the price I can't lose, even if I don't use it. I like the looks of early anvils and this one certainly looks the part. If only this old anvil could talk. Take a look at the pictures--what can you tell me about it? From the information I've gleaned from Anvils in America, it would seem to most likely date from the mid-18th century. What do you think? Pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11904373@N00/sets/72157629030722643/
  4. Looks good! Maybe next time you could try a wider tang and drill it for a copper rivet? I like the looks of the copper rivets, but still with epoxy to keep it secure.
  5. I'm not sure, he was hesitant to even sell one but was able to be convinced. It'll probably be a while before he's ready to sell anything else, but once I get my forge built when it warms up we're going to do some forge work together.
  6. I've done some work researching the history of my anvil and thought I'd share it with everyone here. This might bore some of you, but I'm a historian so when I get things I like to know about their past so this was a natural progression for me upon acquiring my first anvil. I acquired my first anvil a few days ago. 129 lbs. I've been searching for quite a while now and had located an anvil with my former high school calculus teacher, of all people, as I remember him telling me when I was still in school he was a farrier before becoming a teacher. He told me he had three anvils and I was intending to give him a call to discuss potentially purchasing one from him. After being home from college for my Christmas Break, my Dad said we had to go pick something up--but wouldn't tell me what. Turns out after I had been telling he and my mom about the teacher having an anvil they got in touch with him and purchased one for me as a Christmas present! What a fantastic present!! He doesn't know much about it, other than he's had it for quite a while and is glad it is going to someone who can use it. A few hammers and tongs were thrown in with it, as well. He's still got a few more anvils, so maybe down the road I'll be able to purchase another from him. Anyways, the only markings I could find were BH & M CO stamped into the front along with a string of numbers punched into the side of the base. I did some research on these markings and came up with BH&M CO standing for Belknap Hardware and Manufacturing Company of Louisville, KY.--not far from my home. After some research on Belknap, I found they only began to use the name B H&M Co. from around 1912 onward, so I had a starting date for my anvil. It couldn't be older than 1912. To compliment the anvil, I also got a copy of Anvils in America which was the key to unlocking the rest of my anvil's history. Turns out to be made by the Columbus Anvil and Forging Co., the makers of the Arm and Hammer anvil. It's a cast base with a wrought body and steel plate welded to it, so was made before CA&F stopped using wrought iron. Further research in AIA showed CA&F stopped marking anvils for other companies after the mid-20's, so my anvil was now dated to between 1912 and ~1925. Considering CA&F manufactured around 80% of their anvils before 1920, I believe it is safe to say this anvil was manufactured between 1912 and 1920. Postman notes CA&F anvils lacked mouseholes by serial number 21910 (1913/14); mine lacks mouseholes as well which bumps the birth date up a few years. The first number of my serial has so far been impossible to make out, so I cannot be entirely sure the serial number. The markings on mine are 129 [the weight] ? 9? 8? 51. Once I figure out what the first number is, I will be able to relate it to the dated CA&F anvils in Postman's book and by using the manufacturing statistics given for the company will be able to match it up, hopefully, to within a year or two of its manufacture. This is what I've got on it so far. I will be sure to update as my research continues! And the obligatory picture of said anvil (excuse the quality, it's from my phone)...
  7. I've got several full length sections of RR track (legally acquired a long time ago) and would like to pick everyones brain as to uses for them. Besides makeshift anvils, what all have you used track for? What is the best way to cut it? I'd like to cut a small section to mount and use in my shop as a small anvil. I'm sure the uses for the stuff are infinite, but I guess the main challenge for me using it is size. They're far too heavy and long to be of much use now.
  8. Thought I'd share some pictures of the first two knives I have made. I don't have much smithing experience, just some trigger guards and buttplates for flintlock rifles, but I'm mighty proud of these two! The sheath on the smaller knife will be a neck knife sheath once I get around to braiding a neck cord for it. I still need to make a sheath for the bigger one. I did the forging at Conner Prairie's workshop in Fishers, Indiana and had some good help getting these made right. They've got great forge facilities up there and up to now that's where I've done all my forge work but I've acquired an anvil and blower and will be building up a forge and building for it once the weather starts to warm up. I can't wait to really get at forging and start learning more. In the process of researching and reading in order to get my forge up and going I came across this forum and have spent the last few days reading. It's a great resource! Let me know what you think of the knives. The wood handle is persimmon stained with nitric acid.
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