ThomasPowers

Some anvil brands used very high grade wrought iron and even made it a selling point. After 1900's some companies used cast mild steel bases that they would then weld to the tops.

Back around 10 years ago when Columbus OH was dropping their metal shop programs I saw a number of such items go at auction (and bought several things as well) Lets see the fast muller was about $25 the Heat treat Furnace/forge was $40 Foundry furnace was $80, 55 gallon drum of petrobond oil and a 5 gal drum of activator was $5---the first time things came up for auction. The next auction that had such things for sale everything doubled---used machinery dealers would not spend much on spec so when something new appeard they wouldn't buy and then they would go research what they could get for them and if there was a market and *next* auction bit them up to what they were willing to pay.) Recently I traded a Johnson gas forge mixer control box to a smith who had one of their slot forges but no mixer for a bunch of anvil tooling---he got a great deal as replacement cost was over $1000. I got a great deal as I needed tooling for 1.5" hardy holes and he had some top swages that could be forged to fit.

If the "hourglass impression" is created by the edge of the anvil base projecting slightly down past the base then it's strongly indicative of it being a Hay-Budden, in quite nice condition and a good size for some heavy work! I believe that Anvils in America can map the serial number to a date too!

Traditionally you added salt to your water till it would float an egg. I assume this would be a *fresh* egg in those days and not a dried out in processing and storage egg.

Vinegar works great, speed depends on the temperature and as mentioned you then rinse it off under running water, dry and oil! (Skip the oiling if you will go directly to sanding,filing, grinding, etc. I have a 5 gallon bucket I use for de-rusting or de-scaling. When it stops working I use it to discourage the weeds around the shop and buy more cheap vinegar.

Can you get a shot of what the bottom looks like and if there is a number on the front base under the horn?

can't open the link; however unless it says it's good against flux it probably isn't! Most refractories are not and you would need a good thick layer as cracking could eliminate the protection.

If you don't know what to use; oil is a good first guess. If it's not hard enough (under any decarb layer), re-do it in brine. If it shattered in oil; well it was an air hardening alloy---not very common in the scrap stream though.

Coals: you can smother them, wet them down (and let them dry) or if you are forging move them directly to the forge and add them in. Nice to sift out the ash first to keep down on the junk in the forge.

Thomas; I haven't dome much with it this last year as I've been working on a bunch of stuff. But thanks for the nudge lets see if I can get something done for the SWABA-AABA Conference IITH!

I've been using an acetylene regulator on my blown propane forge for about 8 years now. If they are rated for it then no problem. If they are not rated for it then you are rolling dice!

The blades look good indeed! The handles are a bit clunky looking with the lovely curves on the blades putting more curves, "organic" looking handles would be super---and you're using really nice material for the handles too! (I might try to make that finger curve on the blade able to open bottles for one for myself...but that's a dangerous thing mixing bottles and blades!)

All the professional swordmakers I know use propane---(I apprenticed under a top swordmaker back in the early '80's...) My advice is to work on learning to smith *well*; them move on to knives and learn alloys and heat treating *well* and then move on to swords! I assume you have Hrisoulas' books: "The Complete Bladesmith, The Master Bladesmith and The Pattern Welded Blade" as he is one of the few experts that actually cover swordmaking info as well as just knives. We're having a session on pattern welding at our conference in Las Cruces NM in Feb---but that is quite a piece down I 10 from where you are at!

Unfortunately most structural alloys don't make good knives unless you add them into a pattern welded billet. I do have some Polaris missile sub hull alloy from a university scrap pile. I've welded up some maille into a billet. I've made my own iron from ore and I've been promised the Ti knee from a friend You used to be able to go up to "the Black Hole" at Los Alamos and buy scrap from the US atomic bomb project---I have a small blower marked AEC on it from there...(they had a lovely tungsten collimator one time) Thomas

Yes a single bevel cut is quite common and is sold by a number of blacksmithing supply places too.

First: Is it made from an alloy that produces hamons? Most don't. Then: I know you can use furnace cement; I'm not sure what fire cement in Ireland translates to over here. Most likely yes if you can get it to stick to the blade.

The base will be wrought iron, mild steel or cast iron depending on the anvil type and age; *all* should drill easily.

Charles McRaven used the local fire truck to harden an anvil he redid. Story in "Country Blacksmithing"

Look up The Columbian Exhibition; *lots* of things rode those coatails!

Second the drum filled with sand! Helps quiet the anvil too As mentioned previously as well: is your hammer face dressed to have no sharp corners? Look at what is causing the dings; then figure out what is needed to avoid them---different height, dressed hammer face, more practice---control! (too heavy a hammer can be a factor too)

Actually I tend to pick up old pressed steel frying pans at the fleamarket for a buck apiece. Seems to be the easiest way to me...Wirebrush and rehandle and bob's your uncle! To forge them I like to take the blank heat one section of the rim and place it between two disks on my flypress and hammer the hot section letting the press keep the center flat and true. I've been reproducing some of the Opera's stuff too! Remember that a lot of such cookware was done in copper and copper alloys and so can be worked like you work such things---silversmithing books will give examples of setting a base.

Rune; please think about this: I've been thinking about buying a new vehicle; can you tell me what I should get? Of course I won't tell you if I need it to haul a ton of coal---or commute 200 miles a day on interstates---or have 23 miles of rough trail before I get to a paved road or will be in a overpopulated metro area where space is a premium; or if I need it to hold 8 people, or just 2, or... I want you to spend *hours* typing out all the options so I can reply "that doesn't suit my needs". When you ask folks to spend *their* time helping you it's *nice* if you make it as easy as possible for them. Now for generalities: masonry forges are usually fairly expensive to build, impossible to move around and hard to convert. I've seen a score of shops where the masonry forge is now just a fireproof table for a propane forge. Rather than trying to fake a refractory buy some of the real stuff or use firebricks. Not knowing if you want to make 6" pattern welded knives or 20' gates sort of limits what I can suggest. Can you tell us your preferred fuel and what type of projects you hope to work on with this new forge? What skills and tools you have? How likely are you to be in the same spot 2,5,10 years from now? What's your budget like? How much time you have to spend on building it? How soon do you need it?, Etc...

When I lived in OH, (6 years ago) I averaged a good name anvil in great shape for under $1 per pound every year. Out here in NM prices are much higher. On some of the coasts you see folks bragging about only spending $3 per pound. $1 per pound for a brand name anvil in good using condition is a bragging price most anywhere. $2 for such an anvil if you are in need of one is not a bad price most anywhere. $3 and up is getting kind of high IMNSHO. That anvil is a bit light for a shop anvil but is just about *perfect* for a travel and demo anvil! Much above 100# and it's too heavy to move after a long day!

My double lung bellows was repaired one time in 20 years and it was getting towards time to work on it some more when I gave it away. What was your construction that it needed so much work? Shoot mine still had it's original treated canvas "leathers" still good even after being stored outside over the winter a couple of times.

The DW and I have a pact: we don't buy things for the other WRT our hobbies without consultation first. Saves a lot of pain seeing your disposable hobby budget spent on something you cannot ever use; but having to tell them that they did good anyway. At least they were not the bunion stretchers I keep seeing advertised as blacksmithing tongs!