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I Forge Iron

Shop Teacher

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  1. I got the 4.5" vise. Great shape box and gears. Jaws almost perfect alignment. Cleaned up and straightened the leg and handle cold on anvil with student assistance. Now to make the spring and mount. Our forge isn't up and running yet, so may have to wait for that to do some custom work on the mount. Attached some photos
  2. I'm building our middle school's blacksmithing program at Leslie Middle School in Salem Oregon. We are starting from scratch and have our anvil (200 lbs 1910 Trenton) and we are currently about 80% into the gas forge build. Kids are freak'n out on this. I need to get our post or leg vise and have a Craigslist post up in our area asking for a vise at reasonable price or donation. I was directed to a local scrap yard with some but they want 180.00 to 200.00 for them in marginal shape. They may come down some, but I need to get better schooled in prices. I understand what to look out for in wear and tear etc.. I just don't want to be rude or taken. I want a at least three for sure so more than one student can have a work station. Any help on this is greatly appreciated. Bryan Bridges in Salem with the kids in Leslie shop. While I was writing this a guy contacted me and I have a 4 1/2" vise but it has no mounting bracket or spring for $10,00. Still looking for a 6-7" and a good 4" too. Attached a photo of forge in process
  3. Changed my mind after talking to a couple of local smiths. I am now in the process of building a propane forge. It's a tank and I'll be posting the process up on this board as soon as it is finished. Looks great and built like a battleship. Thanks for all your input on the solid fuel forge. I would love to have the ability to have both, but the gas one should do the trick. As long as I don't store the propane in the classroom, I can bring it to work on the days we forge and take it home. Bryan
  4. Greetings from Salem Oregon and the Leslie Middle School's Shop program. I am creating a new program in my middle school shop where the advanced students can create some basic iron work/blacksmith projects. I currently offer an intro to welding/metal craft where the kids can make a sculpture out of scrap iron that I salvage from local fabricators dumpsters. My advanced 8th graders can also come in after school and work on projects. We have a plasma cutter and a MIG welder, a 200+ lbs Trenton anvil and some other basic hand tools for sheet metal projects. However, to get the blacksmithing program up and running, we need to make a forge that can be wheeled outside and fired up. I have been researching and looking over several YouTube postings on brake drum forges and other homemade variations. I am seeking your seasoned mentorship on what you would advise for a basic and inexpensive forge we could build and use with safety in our school's shop. I would love the forge to be able to be made by individual students who want to make one for themselves as a project. I recently had an at risk kid, who has not been doing well on anything in school, just light up like a Christmas tree when I wheeled in the Trenton anvil last week and gave him the wire brush and air grinder with a Scotch bright pad to clean it up. He looked like the Peanut's character "Pig Pen" in a cloud of dust. He worked on that thing for an hour and then I gave him the 3lb hammer and a chunk of ½” round rod to bang away on it outside. It was like he was full of lightning and I told him maybe he was a blacksmith in a previous lifetime. He said it was better than a video game. I told him that the feeling he was having was his internal voice that was letting him know his passion. He really wants to make a project with fire and steel. What kid wouldn’t want to do this? So we need to build a forge. I don't want to use gas (LPG) due to our district's and fire marshal's issues with the fuels. Charcoal or Coal is what I would like to start with. Lord knows we have enough wood scrap to start the forge up with and even to use as fuel if that's possible. Also, if there are any Willamette Valley smiths out there who are willing to come in and present their knowledge or help that would be greatly appreciated. I am a highly creative guy who can figure things out quickly, but a good lesson on the basics will be a wonderful boost to getting the program up and running. Bryan "Shop Teacher"
  5. Here is the 200 lbs + Trenton I picked up for my self and my students where I teach Shop in Salem. I had a crowd of middle school boys just amazed that an anvil was real and still used today. Many thought they were only in cartoons to drop on people or coyotes' heads. I need to raise up the height so my wrist is in better position when swinging the hammer. Bryan "Shop Teacher" Bridges
  6. Greetings from Salem Oregon and I am very new to this group. I teach Middle School shop class, yes there is still shop class in parts of America where our youth can cut and bang away on wood and metal and walk away with most of their skin intact. Anyway, I just bought an old Trenton anvil and I would love to know its age. I know there is a book by Postman that has a chart or some way of matching the serial number from the anvil to its age. I just don't have this. Here is what I know. The anvil has a clear diamond Trenton logo with USA stamp under it. The numbers/letters "W 206" followed by A 23264 are on the front base under the horn. In the back under the Hardy hole is stamped "LL" which I understand may be the man's initials who founded/cast the anvil. Can any of you inform me of its age and perhaps who cast/made this anvil. It has a few chips on the edges of the face but no swayback to the face at all. I paid $135.00 for the anvil and it came with a rolling stand an axe like blade attachment that fits into the Hardy hole and two old tongs that look like Noah used them on the Ark. Can't wait to get the hammers ringing on this beauty. I'll try to get a photo or two,as if you all need to see yet another old anvil. Thanks for any help here. P.S. "Count your fingers before and after each cut on a table saw to make sure you don't have to sift through the sawdust at the end of a job." Red Green Bryan in Salem NOTE: I've uploaded some pictures of the anvil and its ID numbers. I had the kids scotch bite wheel the rust off and we will wire brush the rest and put a clear coat on it when it's all gleaming. They love to remove rust and this anvil was a rusty one when I brought her in. Looks much better now.
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