simmonds

Welcome aboard! GREAT looking project. Hope you dont mind if I copy that idea... :)

Merry Christmas!!!

Everyone!

I have already contacted Cumberland Elkhorn coal and coke and will be selling the coal for the same amount if and when Turkington stops selling it at Farrier Supply. I am in the same locality as John in the Eugene/Springfield area.

I go to John Turkington in Monroe for my main supply of coal. Farrier supply has been in the area for many many years and was once located just up the road from me here in Fall Creek. I am really sad to hear he is closing shop. The last time I was up there buying coal I asked him if he had been working in the forge lately and he told me he hadnt been in there in about a year. I had a feeling then that he may be closing up soon.

Thank you so much Mr. Turkington for offering the services to all us smiths and farriers for all these years and for sharing you wealth of knowledge. I wish all the best to you and your wife.

Chris

Euurgh not a Marshall... one of the '50s Fender tweed amps surely

Thanks guys for the uplifting comments. I am new at this forging thing. It sure is fun.

I am still amazed at how much this wonderful site has grown. I remember back when I logged on daily to visit "the other site" and although I found it to be a great resource, it just lacked a user friendly forum and a few other key ingredients (like a massive user picture gallery). Glenn, this site is amazing and is far more valuable to the beginner and advance blacksmith than any book or publication could hope to be. It is so nice to be able to post a question and receive informative answers from many talented veteran blacksmiths or run a search and come back with hundreds of useful results at the touch of a button. Where can we mail donations!:D

Aaron. Thanks for the heads up and the great info. That settles it. I will fab up the flat type then.

Thanks everyone for all the advise and help.

Thanks for the reply so far. I was looking through the photos section and saw some pics of Sam's forge and I think I understand how the clinker breaker was fabricated on his forge (I THINK!). I will try and go with that design.

Looks GREAT! Sam.

Merry Christmas fellow Smiths. It has been a while since I posted here. It is good to be back.

I am currently building a new coal forge and plan to add a clinker breaker to my firepot more as a way to clean and adjust the airflow more than anything. Does anyone have a good drawing of a clinker breaker construction or close up photos they can refer me to? It is good to be back again. Thank you. Chris.

Now that is the best deal I have seen on an anvil in a long time Bear!

Great score!!!

Please!!!!!???

Can I have one?????

woodtick - If you or anyone else knows the link to that picture of a work table made from these plates, I would love to see it. Thanks.

Just go with coal. A far superior heat source! :D

Steve - sounds like you came up with a great solution though so I guess something good did come from it. I thought about using an old sewing machine switch too but recently went back to a hand crank Champion.

Man, I have been to hundreds of garage and estate sales and have never found a single anvil yet.

THAT is a nice looking hammer and comfortable to use. You do nice work on your hammers.

I am not sure of the brand you bought but the stuff you want looks like whats left in the bottom of campfire after it burns out. It will be hardwood chunks in their charred remains. It will not be uniform in shape and appear pressed. Hope this helps

Some "art" is questionable to me. An artist with name recognition could sell a clinker from a fire and make good money from it. Some would see this as a ludicrous example or art while there will always be other who "get it" and appreciated it. I must be of simple mind or simply not refined for I hardly ever "get it" ;)

Glenn -- Thanks for pointing out that poll. I should have ran a search on the subject first. Thanks to those results it does seem that most people prefer the horn to the left.

....who works at the anvil with the horn on my right side??? I have noticed by observing lots of other smiths from pictures on this site and at open forges and demonstrations that working at the anvil with the horn on the left side seems to be the norm. Being right handed this just seemed odd to me from the start and not very comfortable. Also, most old anvils I have seen are typically worn on the far edge when the horn is at my left.

Look close and see if they have little holes drilled through the rods. If so they are concrete form stakes and should be roughly 7/8 X 24 inch. Usually mild rolled steel...not quite certain though.