Michael

Nice work, forks are challenging. A section of thick walled square tubing makes a nice bridge to work each tine without having to bend the other tine out of the way.

Could I some help with an anvil ID?

This came up on a local listing for $100, and a buddy and I both called the seller, who let both of us know that there was so much interest that he pulled the anvil off CL and would be selling at a later estate sale.


There is supposedly a cast 100 on one of the feet.


Looks nice from above, but the chunky shape and what looks like a thick, maybe cast in top plate and those shoulders on either side of the table gives me pause. I know what PW's look like, but not much else. Trying to decide if its worth the drive and scramble to try and get it.


Thanks

I spray shellac a lot of work as it drops down to black heat after a wire brush. Too hot and the finish bubbles but below that the alcohol in the shellac dries out almost immediately. Not the most durable finish but it is food safe. Never did this at a demo, just in the backyard.

I've also got a Miller Thunderbolt that was a $50 Craigslist machine. Couldn't be happier with it, the wife on the other hand, isn't real fond of the stove pulled out from the wall and the cord running thru the kitchen window.

Very original idea! Is there a "wine country" in Minnesota? 'cause you could sell a LOT of these in Napa, California. Nice work.

I'm surprised no one's mentioned the Hofi style chimney.

http://www.iforgeiro..._+hofi +chimney

which, wind or no wind, would move the smoke away from you, offset a couple of feet back thru the wall behind the forge.

As soon as I can scrounge up some non galvanized ducting, I'll be replacing the 10 inch tube and "hood" over my forge.

I have a mini anvil and hammer, visible here:



Seen a few of them at garage sales over the years, not sure if its intended as a door knocker or a paper weight.

Next version of this will be in sheet steel, with a striker swinging a sledge alternating with the smith. That one might be noisier.

• Wow, just got a chance to try some of these techniques. Fantastic (if somewhat ugly)results! Pointing the bar on the horn, worked great. Fullering the stem so it lays flat across the face of the anvil, brilliant! I couldn't quite get the heart shaped leaf I was going for. I ground and belt sanded a flat face on a too heavy (3.5 lb) boilermakers hammer, it'll have to do for now. Half inch stock has never worked so easy.
  

Just built this a couple of weeks ago, the only non construction woodworking I've done in a while now.

Note the lack of horsehoes.

vid in action here

http://www.flickr.co...N04/7590827446/

Nice, I like the twist in the spike, haven't seen that done before.

This is an amazing vid!

I get good smithing coal from Lazzari Fuels in Brisbane, just south of San Francisco.

Don't know about 10 tons, but there a pretty big warehouse when I drive down to buy 50 or 100 lbs at a time,

Lazzari Fuel Co
11 Industrial Way, Brisbane, CA (415) 467-2970 ‎

No affiliation on my part, just a satisfied customer.

Friend of mine works as a carpenter at Fort Vancouver, goes by the name Dofi, I did my very first smithing under that guy, who handed me a 40 oz hammer and kept yelling 'Hit it!"

I like the riveted arms and legs! Easier for a beginner, both the attach to the body and form the claws on the ends of a longer bar.

Any tips for getting the horns so long? I've been trying to make decent dragon heads for years now, and the horns always mess me up, ending up short and stubby so that my dragons look more like dogs.

I've tried flat chisels and curved chisels but I never have enough "horn" to be able to draw out or even manage to hit the little ear like stubs with a hammer.

Thanks

It was out of my price range! even if I did buy it, doubtful I could have destroyed it for the WI stock. I do get to keep the picture though.

Many thanks to the curmudgeon for the Old Globe contact. A flat rate box of 5/8 shorts is on its way to me now so I'll get to practice with Wrought without trashing the work of a long gone smith who knew what he was doing.

Hope this link works

http://www.iforgeiro...t-cl-find-ever/

Just about a year ago I got this deal. $50 for a forge table w/ firepot, blower and a second post vise.

Hey I have one of those! Bought it off of ebay when I drew a smith in a Secret Santa exchange. Sent a Yellin book instead when I saw how cheezy it was. Still use and refill it. One showed up in a Iron in the Hat recently.

7 foot long anchor for sale at the swap, only $100 a foot!

wrought and how it had been worked really showed up in the ring on top, where you can clearly see the grain and the twist that positioned the smaller ring before the larger one was threaded thru it and welded.

Would wrought that has become this etched still be workable? Just in case I run across a smaller one !

If you think that syrup can is bad, look at this

Bad anvil, wrong hammer, horseshoe, but at least it was still full of bourbon!

You just have to show up and see. My local scrap yard does a lot of recycling (Acton Metal on Richmond Parkway, Richmond CA)

but when I come out of the yard dragging rod and bar and say I'm buying, they move me to the front of the line. I think its a nice change
for them from the recyclers trying to sell stripped out copper wire and cans, fighting for their space in line.

Bring a box of donuts, no one gets in trouble for donuts. Maybe even bring and S hook or poker, so you can quickly show the work you do, saves the explaining.

I brought my then 5 year old daughter with me one time, in overalls and pink Barbie work boots, They smiled and told me to keep her close, away from the forklifts (kid is well trained about machinery)

Mount it to a 30 or 55 gallon drum, mount a drain plug or hosebib to the lowest point you can on the drum and fill with water. Stable vise, and a reasonably light structure when you drain the water.

Oh you're going to have fun! I came away from my first smithing conference (not Quad State, that's still on the list) inspired and energized with a dozen new skills and twice as many project ideas.

Bring a camera, a notebook and the aforementioned lots of money for a real anvil and a blower. Nice forge by the way, much better than the ASO.

Also, if you have a business card with your contact information its good to have a handful of them. You meet a lot of like minded people at a gathering of smiths and its nice to keep in contact after the event.

Other than horse shoes, I can't name a single thing anyone in the non-smithing public would say is made by a blacksmith. Fireplace pokers?

Our friends and family know better, but if you asked 100 random people what a blacksmith does, how many do you think would say "horseshoes"?

My guess would be better than 90 out of a hundred.

I use the BBQ charcoal chimney, fill about half way with lump charcoal and in the 10 minutes it takes to get that burning, set up the forge, uncover the anvil and vises.

when the charcoal is going good, I dump THAT in the bottom of the firepot, mound up the coal around it and gently crank the blower to get the coal going. Works every time.

Very nice design. Do you have a shot from above the handle? looking down the back of the knife?

Bracket? check, spring? check? chamfers on the legs? check. Good deal! you got a nice vise.