Rhrocker

52100, and W2 are two of my favorite knife making steels, except for pattern welding, and that's 1084/15n20. I was going to look up the numbers for you tonight. Depends also on if you're using a HT oven, or HT'ing with a Ox/Act torch (Ed's favorite method, and he's darned good at it!).

Randy, thanks for the tips! I'm building a couple of differient soft brick forges. One is like yours, and is a small portable 2 bricker. I had initially thought I'd surround the soft brick with 1" hard brick, then wire that all together, but your ideal of using the aluminum angle may just be better, and certianly lighter! I have a gallon of rigidier on it's way here, and still might brush some on the surfaces of the bricks, this should help with the water absorption in the Satinite. Yes I have both Satinite and ITC-100. To me the main problem area is the placement of the torch head. You're either directly heating the work, or just a segment of it. I've experimented placing it underneath, on top, on the side, on both sides (is the best yet) and coming in from the back of the forge. Still working on that. My other forge is a stackable blown forge. Not all hat large, but big enough to get most work into it that I do. BTW neither of the brick forges will be used for forge welding. I have a large two burner (T-Rex's) forge I build about 6 years ago, and once I rebuild it (new kao) I'll do all of my forge welding, mostly knives, in it. I'm talking pictures and will do a little article when I'm done and everyhing is working. Thanks for the input! I really do appreciate it! R. Hensarlng

Those soft insulating bricks are talked about here quite a bit, and how fragile they are always comes up. I'm getting ready to build a forge using the soft bricks (not a one-brick type), and had an idea I wanted to run past you guys. What if a person used some of that rigidizer (used for kaowool) on he bricks? I though about filling a pan with about 1/4" of rigidizer, and setting a brick in it for a few seconds, then rotating to each of the six sides letting each set for a few seconds also. Do you think this might help strengthen them up some? Only downfall I can think of is that the rigidizer is expensive, and I bet those bricks would soak up that stuff like a sponge. Another option is to use a brush and apply a coat to the brick, but to me, letting the brick set in the liquid seems like a better idea. Also, maybe the inside of the brick could be coated if making a one-brick forge.

Sorry Dave, I just couldn't pass that one up I have some DVD's that show Peter demonstrating, and for sure, he knows his stuff, and no, I agree with you, he isn't silly. Pure dedication to learning and teaching, and passing on down the "early" methods of the craft. I believe I heard he's not at Williamsburg any more.

I'm wondering that also (about the Peter Wright). I have one except it's a 500 lber, but the one you're showing just doesn't seem to have the same lines. Is there writing on the far side? I have about a 75 or 80 lb. Vulcan (Arm & Hammer) and its portability makes it really handy.

So, now Peter, is silly? I always wondered about that!

Your finished bells really are nice. Can't recall if I've seen the dinger (ringer?) yet, but it probably will hang on the bottom part right? Does your bending fork ever have a tendency to bind a little in the pipe you used in the corners? It looks like you may have filed a little on the one leg that goes in the pipe. If it does bind a little, you could weld (from the topside) a washer on the leg so that the fork will slide into the tube, but not go as far as it's doing now. It's probably fine though. Great post, many thanks! What's next?

Then again, lets not! See below: I mentioned about getting a video off of Utube and posting it or the link here so I could see what was happening. In retrospect, I don't believe that's a very good idea, so please disregard that post. Thanks!

Hi Corin. This is great you helping Old Boiler out like this. Say, I really like the looks of that burner. Do you feel it's inferior to the "normal" venturi burners we use here? That unit sure puts out a big, nice blue flame. Are they expensive? I'm hoping that Old Boiler may have run across something we might want to look at. Now I need to get in my ute and go to WalMart and buy some Texas Prongs :D

Ok, now one of you guys go to U-tube and find a good "Bobber" so I can see exactly what it is that I don't want to do!

Say, really nice! I have his book and you're spot on. I still can't get over the dragon Dan made from the claw hammer. I think it's done with mirrors. :blink:

Were these really called "dinner bells" in the past? Did they perhaps have another type of use, as in warning of impending attack or something? Was there ever a set size, and style for these things?

The contents herein are worth their weight in gold!! I've gone through the entire thread, and now need to do it again and see what all I missed. Enjoying every bit of it.

Thanks Corin! I'll go surfing on the net also and see what the ol State of Texas allows. I'd sure hate to get hit with a fine of 50,000,000 for a violation like that. I'd be making trivets for the next several weeks! :blink:

Is there a tank size limit for using inside a commercial shop building? I guess this could be a state thing, but the actual danger considerations should be the same wherever you are. I've heard that you can be fined if the inspector (A railroad guy?) finds that you're using tanks larger than 5 gal (40# I guess). But this was just hearsay. My three forging tanks are 90 pounders, so of course I don't use them in my shop. Has anyone on the list been fined by these guys? Details?

Dan, I'm very new to the site, but just have to tell you that you've made the first really important decision in your blacksmithing career, and that's joining up with this site. There's more information and know-how within the boundrys of this website and it's forumites then you can imagine. Do like I'm doing and take in as much as you can, and enjoy it all! I like your setup, and wow, is that ever a BIG smokestack! :P

Ironstein, is there still a market for sharpening the jackhammer bits? Do you heat treat them also? I have a Little Giant 250 sitting around here that I'm trying to think of a way to put it to work. I guess making a leaf with it would be kinda interesting :)

I'm a woodworker by trade, but for the past 9 years I've also been seriously into bladesmithing, and l really like playing with the pattern weldng. I've made a lot of billets of pattern welded stock, some came out great, some not so great, but the actual doing and learning is the fun part to me. Aslo, I've enjoyed blacksmithing since 1988, and during that time have just mostly made the smaller items for my store where I sell the woodwork to. I always told my wife that when I started getting ready to retire, I was going to tool up for blacksmithing, and really enjoy the rest of my life. That's what I'm doing now is getting odds and ends to help me in my blacksmithing, while still being a woodworker. The ol addage that everybody has said at one time of another, "I enjoy working with my hands", well, actually there's a lot to that saying. One other thing I have enjoyed doing is being on this site. I feel very welcome, and comfortable here, and just can't believe the diversity of items being build by the lot of you, not to mention the knowledge contained herein of you guys and gals.

Thanks again guys. Glenn I had already gone through the 40 posts but didn't find anything on my anvils. However on one ofthe sites John posted (http://www.blackiron...nvil-types.html) I found one of mine after clicking on "Anvil Vices". In fact it is in the top row on the right hand side. It's surely worth about $25 since I paid $50 for it a few years back :rolleyes:

I think i'd try something like this: Borrow or buy a X-Y screw driven clamp (?, not sure what they're called). Then you'd need to fab up a framework of steel or wood for it. This way you could attach a cutter to it, then use the two hand knobs to go back and forth until it's ready to have more removed, then use the other know to push it in just a fraction. Don't know if you're following or not, kinda hard to explain, and my drawing really sux. Those X-Y units can be had mighty cheap through Grizzly, Enco, Jet, places like that.

Boy Howdy! Now I don't know a thing about anvils to speak of, but I think I can say without being to far wrong that this anvil is really old.

Is there a place on this website, or a book that's availiable, that shows all the known anvils? I have a couple that I'd like to identify and find out the history behind them. I bet I should have done a search before asking (yikes).

Rory, I just viewed your website, and my mouth and tongue are still on the floor! That is some of the most magnificant iron work I've ever seen. You and your brother are quite a team.