ThomasPowers

One thing I have learned at Pennsic was that I can forge small items sitting down. I also once rigged up a 1 firebrick forge so I could forge nails for my mastermyr chest in the basement when the weather was too bad outside in OH. (OTOH there was one SCA campout I had my forge at where I was getting bruised from the hail bouncing off my anvil and hitting me and we were both under my forge tarp at that time!)

I just taught a beginner's intro class and brought a wide selection of hammers along so everyone could "find" one that worked for them. During that class I pretty much used *every* hammer there as I would grab the one handy when I was cleaning up their workpiece. A $100 hammer doesn't make you any better a smith than a $5 one---it's the skills you have to gain! Now as to favorites: my first hammer a double jack about 2.5# used it so much there is appreciable wear on the face. I have a couple of lynch collection hammers, round faces and a dropped crosspeen---not french style, a swedish style 3.5# crosspeen for when my arm is in good shape, oh shoot almost all my hammers are my favorite at some time or other!

Loogs like a beauty for bladesmithing allright! BTW all the blades smiths I know like their anvils about 4" higher than knuckle height to save their backs. (Me included) If you are scooting your anvil and stump around you are probably pounding it too heavily for the size of anvil. I have a 93# anvil just on a wooden baulk about 16" on a side and it works fine with a 2# hammer. When I go to the big hammers I go to the big anvils (515# or 410#) Type of wood doesn't quiet your anvil; how you have it mounted to it does. Fasten it securely to your stump and you can mount tip-up wheels to the stump so you can move it and the anvil around easily and have it sit securely when vertical.

I try to build with what is to hand; my "dirty shop extension" is 20x30', 10' walls; made from free from the local electrical co-op used utility poles with a couple of ancient steel trusses---craigslist. I did splurge on new purlins---metal C ones and all the sheathing is hail damaged steel roofing---got the roof and 1 wall done so far; all in shades of blue. Picked up 2 9' wide roll up doors (used of course and *blue* to boot!) for the open end, (other end ties into the "clean shop" building.) Oh yes; I also sprung for a couple of sheets of fiberglass for skylights in the "storage half" of the structure. I'm a bit more concerned with stuff walking off as I had a 200# anvil stolen out of my back yard in OKC back in 1982 so I plan to enclose my space; but it is sure nice to look at all the green alfalfa in my neighbor's pasture right now... What about sliding "barn doors" open for good weather and close for bad.

Ahh are you mixing up sharpening with holding an edge? A.G.Russell once flattened an Al beer can, folded it over and flattened again and honed it till he could shave arm hair with it---so it was sharp but would not hold an edge worth beans!

I used to have the same feeling that I wasn't a "real" smith because I wasn't proficient in a lot of things that an old time smith was. Then I realized that though my great grandfather could point a plow for NW Arkansas USA soils and I couldn't---I can do pattern welding a whole lot better than he could! We had both specialized in what we thought was important for our craft in our own situations. (And I sure know a heck of a lot more about metallurgy than he did---or any smith before 1800 and most smiths before 1900!) I've made my own iron/steel from ore; but don't consider that as part of the craft of smithing---even in the early iron age iron was traded from makers to users---look up "currency bars"; so commonly found in the archeological digs that there is even a term for them! If you can only call yourself a title if you are a master at the thing in question; then there is very few of *anything* out there. As for self taught: who is the real smith---someone who is self taught and is *GREAT*; or someone who has spent years with a large number of instructors and is *TERRIBLE*. Here in America we have very open sharing of information between smiths too.

Looking good! I picked up some industrial paint at the Re-Store so I guess my hammer will end up whatever colour they are. Gotta get the cans re-shook well before I can open them and check. I like the highlighting of the cast proud words you did too. Thomas

Funny last Sunday we had 8 people forging on 2 gas forges from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm (class I taught) and we were able to cool our tongs in a 5 gallon bucket of water---of course the outside temps weren't that cold. (Actually it was hot!) Do what you want! I'm just suggesting that perhaps you could rethink how things could be modified. Electricity may not be a big part of overhead---*but* every penny saved on overhead automatically goes to profit! Savings in room can be handy too. As for tangents; sometimes folk ask specific questions "can I do this with that" when what they should be asking is "is this what I need to be doing in the first place?"

It's not only used for blades; but bladesmiths are always looking for something *special* to make their blades and the current link to that style of hammer from the japanese makes it *special* to them so they are the biggest users of that type in the west. In the east it's used for all types of smithing.

Edge9001; how wide are the jaws? Flea market report: 3.75" dia ferrous ball---for armouring stake: US$2, 12# sledge head in good condition: $2.50 Spike driver sledge head in good condition: $2.50 (fellow was telling me the spike driver was *old* until I pointed out to him that it was stamped "wear safety goggles" which as I recall didn't start until the 1970's...anybody else remember when that started to show up?) Also someone was sell cheap chinese scythe stones and was giving away the ones that had broken; so I picked up a couple of those to "hide" in the tool boxes for when I need to clean an edge for demo tempering.

Brushes are usually easily modifiable; so if you can't find spot on ones get them a bit larger and grind them down---messy though!

When my wife got a different stove for the kitchen, (50 year old propane range), I got the old electric one for the shop. So once I get power out there I can not only temper but brew tea, heat soup, etc.

Frank; can you remember where in the early literature it's shown? I don't recall it in Moxon 1703, or Theophilus 1120, I'll try to get a look into Richardson, 1889-1891; but he's not early. I'll also check a book I have from 1915 that does a lot of basket stuff in it.

My wife says that blacksmithing is good for "constipation of the soul" When I get cranky she can order me out to the forge knowing that I'll come back in mellow and smiling.

Again---what are you doing that you need that much slackage all the time?

I had to box fold some 3/8" plate once to make a fire box for the Santa Maria. I dug a trench in the back yard and put a piece of pipe with a lot of holes drilled through it down the center for a tuyere and used a vacuum to blow it. Cost $0 and I was able to get several feet hot enough to bend over a chunk of RR rail clamped to two uprights about 4 feet apart.

If the numbers were located on the foot of the anvil under the horn, there were several makers that used serial numbers there. I don't know of any maker that used a serial number on the side of the anvil. However any previous owner could have stamped an asset number on the anvil.

Actually as I mentioned over at another forum; usually anyway that tries to avoid forge welding is generally a "modern" rather than a traditional way.

Oscer; remember that you don't need to level the entire stump---just where the anvil sits and if you route out only the anvil base shape you then have a pocket that holds the anvil in place!

What do you do that you need a slack tub so much you're willing to pay all the time to keep it un-frozen?

Why pay to keep water from freezing? What's this love of slack tubs? I seldom use water when forging and a 5 gallon bucket carried out to the forge when I go is more than sufficient. I can drop a hot piece of steel in it if it wants to freeze up before I'm done for the day. Really most of my "cooling" is done by tossing stuff out into the dirt or placing it on a slab of soapstone on a workbench. We're not working low carbon wrought iron or even 1018 anymore---water can get you in trouble with A-36 and in big trouble with blade work!

I have a bucket of hammers as I generally pick up any decent hammerhead that's a dollar or less to use as stock for hawks or even to give to "idjit" students who want to run out and pay $25 for a hammer that should run them $2 (1 for the head and one for the replacement handle). One of the joys of smithing is that you can do it and do it well "on the cheap" I once traded away my bucket to a friend who couldn't find any out his way. Took less than a year to have another one full up over the top...

New Generation; *my* location is under my name just to the left of my posts. It's in my profile, that way it's shown every time I post. Note that for security reasons you don't have to give your specifics but even knowing that you are in the USA rather than Hong Kong can make a difference for answers to common questions!

DON"T MACHINE THE FACE FLAT! now that that is out of the way; as to price vs value: out here that would be a decent price to pay for a usable anvil. Back where I used to live that would be pretty high. Where you live I can't say as you don't tell us.

Irons: note that the ignition point of cotton is about the zone you would start to be concerned with your steel---so if your clothes are not going up in flames you are probably fine---even without the consideration that you have a massive *COLD* heat sink stealing away heat about as fast as you can pump it in! If building fires under the horn and heel didn't mess with the temper an iron won't either and on anyanvil I've tried that on it necver got the anvil *hot* just warm.