Jonned

A friend of mine visited the auction site yesterday, Tuesday, and checked out the anvil. The anvil pictured is a 500# Fisher. The number 50 appears on one foot. There was another smaller anvil, maybe 200# in fair condition, maybe he said it was a Trenton. I talked with the owner a couple of weeks ago, a nice guy and very interesting, and he is convinced the Fisher weighs 1200#. I find it odd since he was a rigger years ago, but so it goes. Should be a fun auction.

Nice video. I like the "modern" electrical switch mounted on the wood anvil base. Great old hammer. Jon

I just picked up a sweet 25# Murray Hammer, late model, clean, tight, all original with no repairs!! The clutch does not release as readily as it should and am wondering if it needs to be lubed. The clutch: two flat steel wheels, one inside the other, inner wheel is faced with what looks like leather. I know w/Little Giant and others, the wood clutch blocks need to be oiled. Thinking that the leather also would need oil but would like other opinions before I do it. Thanks, Jonathan

First I would suggest you find a book that shows the shape of the scarfs for chain links. "The Blacksmiths Craft" now from a US publisher, used to be from COSIRA in England, has a good section on chain links. Second, can you recognize welding heat? It is easy to test for welding heat by placing 2 pieces of steel that have been fluxed into the fire. Bring them up to heat slowly, in a reducing fire, to white hot. Then, just as they give off a few sparks and look wet, if you touch them together while still in the fire, they should stick if everything else is ok. For an effective reducing fire you need a good bed of fuel below your work, for heat and also to consume the oxygen. Also a layer of fuel over your work doesn't hurt, same reason. Air into the fire should not be excessive, slow and steady to bring the heat up gradually. Two reasons for this, allows the consumption of the oxy by the fuel and gives your work a chance to heat right through its thickness. Third practice a few simple faggot welds. Take 2 pieces of hot rolled steel 1/4" x 1/2" x 12" (this is a good size stock, not too heavy but more importantly not to light). Fold one in half and slip the straight one into the fold of the other. You now have a sandwich of 3 layers with a single layer to hold onto. They will probably swivel a bit, but you just have to get them in the fire, flux a bit when hot and then bring the heat up slow and steady. Once they reach white hot, the surface will look wet and give off a couple of sparks, they will be stuck together and you can then carefully take it out and quickly hammer the layers together with rapid light blows. Do not get greedy and try to heat or hammer much more than a couple of inches each time. I tell my students to take only one hammer face in length each welding heat. Then take a few subsequent welds and each time move along the sandwich with hammer blows overlapping the end of the previous weld. Avoid hammering on any unwelded area that is not at welding heat. It is important to realize that the first few blows are welding not forging blows, rapid, firm and light. You are trying to bring the surfaces into contact, not change the shape of the metal yet. This should give you some welding experience on something that is not valuable, as it is just a practice piece. If it was easy anybody could do it. Keep at it and you ought to get it. Jonathan