simmonds

I have been scrounging parts for the past year and have the material at hand to put together a junkyard power hammer. Now that I have all the material, I am instead contemplating building a treadle hammer instead...at least just for the time being. What would you guys build first if you had the material for either? What are the advantages of both designs and how do they differ?

I remember my first pair of tongs. Due to the only material I had at hand and to the fact that I knew nothing about different steels at the time, I constructed them out of re-bar. I must have spent 8 hours trying to get the two halves to conform. Punching the holes and constructing a usable rivet was another issue. After much frustration and a lot of four letter words, I finished them...and they seemed to be working pretty well. I was kind of proud of myself. The next day after quenching a project I was holding them with, they cracked and broke in three places around the jaws. :(

pictures! :)

Where in the world did you find THAT! I though the 30 pounder was the smallest Vulcan! I got a hundred pounder and unbelievably it has perfect edges. Gonna use it for a demo anvil (one of these days... ).

markb, I have been going to garage sales in the Eugene/Springfield and surrounding rural areas for over 20 years and haven't seen an anvil yet! What gives! Actually, I did see a very LARGE 200+ pound Peter Wright at a garage sale once. It was in the barn where the sale was being held but unfortunately was not for sale. It belonged to the guys dad who had long past and he said he used it "once in a blue moon" to "straighten stuff out". It was in perfect condition. :(

Larry, what method of shipping are they using to deliver? And just how are they going to get that thing off the truck! :)

Thanks for sharing Sam. Great photos and amazing shop.

When ever I am at the forge and wondering what to make, I turn to tools. You can never have enough and the experience gained in building them along with the satisfaction is a great reward. Look at the blueprints and pick one....there are hundreds. Chris

A picture of you standing next to it for reference to the the size of that monster would be nice!

Good for you! I would find it hard to sleep at night waiting on that beauty. What anvil were you pounding on before?

THAT is what I am wanting....Man I am so jealous. Maybe it will get lost in shipping and end up a little south of you. :)

ApprenticeMan, LOL, that is kind of what I was thinking after reading this thread.

Look in the gallery at the pictures of member forges. That is what I did.

I dont have any scrap! The only time I visit the scrap yard is to get MORE scrap!

To set the forge and anvil height to your personal size try this. Set your anvil height so your knuckles (making a fist) just touch the top of the anvil when standing beside it with your arms straight down. Do the same for forge height but add 3 inches. That is what I did and I find both very comfortable to work at.

Great info!

So five 55 gallon drums shoud be enough to hold a ton???

mcraigl - Will do! Though I wont be going up there till mid June. May make the trip sooner though.

Will Mr. Hofi be in Oregon or anywhere else in the Northwest any time soon? If so, is there generally plenty of room in his classes for anyone wanting to attend and how much do these classes usually cost? Thanks for any info. Chris

Glenn, YOU DA MAN!!! Thanks so much for the info and doing the legwork for me Once again Glenn goes above and beyond for the sake of his members. I really appreciate it. It looks like I will give the coal a try. I am heading up that way soon anyway to ride the Mt. Rainier scenic railway and I will pick up a ton. Chris

Glenn, thanks for the good info. I will call and ask for the analysis. Neil - Thanks for the response. The coal up in Chehalis is ALOT cheaper than the Cumberland/elkhorn I am buying locally (although it is excellent quality). Just thought it would be nice to go up and buy a truck load for cheap to use for general applications. I will shoot a email to your buddy and see what he says. Thanks so much. Chris

Has anyone tried the blacksmith coal from Central Fuel in Chehalis? Just wondering if the stuff was worth having around for non-critical forging projects. If anyone has used the stuff, please let me know. Chris

31 - 33 inches is usually about right.

Check out the 55 Forge in the Blueprint section. It is a great way to get started and takes little if no funds to build.

Looks GREAT!