Woodlife

welcome Kevin. Put those coils to good use! :P

Best method, Powder Coat it.

That wouldn't be me! I maybe be a noob, but that is something I figured most already knew. :)

Yeah that's funny. His date usage could be within a 70 year period. It's like he's using informercial marketing tactics. Looks cool, but not for me.

Thanks for the info. I found a video on youtube where this was done (not in a forge of course) with fire clary bricks. I'm curious why the Aluminum oxide. Doesn't Aluminum oxide and Iron oxide creat thermite? My curiosity has got me wondering if this has anything to do with it's mixture in the bricks.

Yes in a sense, but Iron is an element, and heating it slowly returns it into a pure state. With enough heat, you could molten the slag off even, which is an impur metals. Heating it with High carbon coal changes the state yes, but what I'm talking about is much like washing your clothes. I believe that things that are high phosphorus would melt into a more solid state. It would burn off a lot of purities within the metal, thus making it stronger. In the chemical industry we use distillation towers. You can pour raw stinky black crude oil into a huge distillation tower and heat at high temps and what will happen is that crude will seperate into different chemicals. Sulfer, Tolulene, xylene, acetone, benzene, and.. let the drums roll... COKE! but that's not all it seperates into. That's just what most Refineries try to get out. You take those chemicals and remix together and you can make gasoline, or diesel, and things like phenol which the medical industry uses. This is all because under heat, all chemicals break down into their most solid forum. So yes you're right, but it's all based on the heat issue.

I was thinking of going two routes. Finding a good quality firebrick to line my forge, or learning how to make my own out of fireclay and sand/silica. These bricks are known to withstand up to 3,000 degrees F. My understanding of good quality firebricks can be made with minimal skill as long as the ingredients are available. But that doesn't help me as I couldn't find the method they were made. I don't know the best recipe of silica/fireclay and if that's the best way to even do it, and the method, just the ingredients. So that's why I'm posting this thread. I would be happy to purchase some of anyone has had good recommendations, however being the type of man I am, I love to make my own. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. Any thoughts or comment?

I'm not good enough to control what type of steel to make. I have all of the resources to make Iron and Steel, but not experienced enough to know the formulas. No doubt I will have to learn spark tests, and by look, time and feel of heating etc. I planned on making the face the hardest part and yes weld it to the anvil. This is of course because I haven't had a trial on one yet. Maybe after my first, second, or third attempt, I will find a better solution. Nothing better to do now but lurk the forums and absorb information like a sponge.

My original intent was to see if this was an idea worth trying. My judgement now would be to go ahead and wait a few years. This project seems to take several men to do. I do however think that a small scale forged Anvil will be on my to build list, and a large Anvil will be on my bucket list. My plan is on build up the materials by building up blooms, then converting to ingots and when I feel I have enough, I should have a general idea of my next move. Possibly building a foundry next. 300lb seems a little on the heavy scale. I'm looking more towards a 150-200lb with a mild steel face. But things are subject to change from not til then. Thanks for all of your input, and well planned answers.

Now a days it seems that ASOs are the way to go if you don't smith for a career or on a budget. Has anyone here tried casting their own Anvil? I'd feel a sense of pride into making my own cast anvil, but wouldn't attempt it if those before me had major issues in it. But then I think of the old 15th century Blacksmiths that had them and got to figure with this day and age it couldn't be THAT difficult could it? Don't get me wrong, I'm not underminding this feat which would take some work. I tried searching on the forums but haven't come across one, just welding tips on some pretty ASOs. Still my sense of curiosity lingers. What makes the Anvil a hard thing to make the old fashion way? Any failed attempts? Successes?

I'm in the process of moving to the volunteer state full time, so I'm there about half of the year. I guess I am a lucky fellow after reading this. Where I just bought property in Tennessee, the stuff is available for grabs along the side of the road. Infact, not even 1/2 a mile it's so thick it's falling from the side of the road onto the road in small bits. There's a huge 100 lb (my guess) rock of coal an arms distance from the road even (coke is a refined crude oil byproduct) but this stuff in my books would be considered coke due to it's dynsity, though a geologist would disagree, and it is infact coal no doubt by definition. I know this because I was a Chemical Inspector and worked in refineries throughout Houston, and before I got into smithing a Houston Blacksmith educated me on coal vs coke. I would say they are close enough to be twins. The difference is coal has a shine, and coke is more dull. Back to what I was saying, if you're inclinde and on the middle eastern side, shoot me a line and I'll gladly direct you to the location. And some may question the laws of taking "wild" coal, however I have talked to the Game Warden and he told me as long as I'm not taking it to sell, or moving out of state lines to make a profit, it's all in good terms. So if you're using it to heat your forge you're being legit. To put it in Layman's terms, don't take if you're wanting to start a coal mining company. This was within reasoning that I wasn't going to take dump trucks to the location either, but mind you this stuff is even in the river beds near my house. It's essentially EVERYWHERE.

Many thanks for thr video.

What is the process into getting into this guild? I'm far from it now, but for future reference.

I've seen a handmade aluminum knife with bends on each side that enforced it's sturdieness. It was light, and sharp, but only a art piece. I know nothing about who made it, but where it came from. I wish I could find the owner again, and ask, but that was years ago when I was in the military.

I'd love to see a youtube video of it.

That's got a wicked cool look to it.

This is a funny story. I learned about blacksmithing from a video game called Ultima Online back in 1998 (and still play the game today). I was a grandmaster smith in the game, and that took months and months of in game play to acheive. It taught me how to mine, smelt ingots, and smith in a basic concept. Later I have a thirst for it in real life, and started learning. Right now I'm at a neophite level to it, but I am learning fast. I work with what I have, and 10 years from now, this will be my story as I'm living it right now.

Are clay flower pots usuable?

Hi, I'm new to these forums. I wanted to add in here that when I was a chemical inspector I had access to free refined coke by the trucks full, and now that I'm out and started getting into smelting Iron, I have none. Right now, I've found some natral coal, but it's a slight inconvience to get as It's in the mountains. My question is that would it be best to take these coals and put them in as rock forums, or crush them? Would the same amount of coal work more effent as coal or small grain? Also a master blacksmith told me he wanted to try pouring raw unrefined crude oil into his project as a test to turning it into carbon steel. Anyone know if this is infact a proven method? Right now I'm all curious ears.