philip in china

What are the most important tools in your shop? I would start the list with: Forge Anvil Hardie Hammers Tongs Vice I couldn't work without those. A fairly simple list. I think next would be: Drill press Bench grinder Angle grinder Welder Power saw Then I can manage without but use a lot: Hammer drill for mounting stuff to masonry Oxy Acet. I think general hand tools such as screwdrivers, wrenches, hacksaw etc. go without saying.

Reviving this thread my favourite boots have external toecaps but these are getting difficult to find.

Electrical list: Hard wire the buzz box into the wall so the 220 cable isn't rubbing against the edge of the welding bench. Improve the level of lighting in the welding area Forge Add some sort of a hood to guide the smoke better into the chimney. Install a sky hook so long work can be supported. General Install the hoist. Install the drill press vice which I have now owned for 10 months and is still in its box. Fix the holes in the tiled floor with some cement. Lock away all those loose tools that kids find so fascinating. Build the bench for woodwork. Demolish the "bench" that is falling to pieces and has a 70 pound vice on it. (Ouch). Sharpen the chain on my saw.

I know when my late father was an army medic one part of his training involved how to make medical supplies from almost nothing. One trick was to put a filter of grass, sticks etc. over the drains to the kitchen and thus retain the grease. This was then turned into soap but I forget where they gleaned the alkali to do it. It was certainly from some waste product. Could have been ash.

I don't know about making soap. I smash my ash up fairly fine and mix it in with the local clay. The soil here is very heavy and the ash helps to break it up.

Yesteryear, could you tell us about your 1,243 pound anvil?

Thank you. I know where I can get a treadle ready made

I saw that. Does anybody have any tips on actually constructing the thing? What are the mistakes to avoid? The old water etc. powered ones seem to be a very simple machine. Can I just copy something like that?

Which proves my earlier point. At your age you think you are super human. As a blacksmith you will become very strong but PLEASE take care of yourself. We have winches, hoists, pallet trucks, forklifts etc. for picking up heavy stuff. If you strain your back it might never recover so please use correct lifting equipment or get someone to help you. Also heed the warnings of those with more experience. Wear steel toes, safety glasses and all the other modern devices to protect yourself. This includes hearing protection. I am nearly deaf largely due to my own stupidity and it is no fun.

Thanks for that. I had pictured mine as having teeth of course but it gives me a design to ry to follow. Not just sure how that spring works.

Can anybody give me some advice on a helve hammer? I want to make some sort of a power hammer and from the pics I have seen these seem the easiest.

I hope you do well. In the old days (now fortunately long gone) a blacksmith would already have started his apprenticeship by your age. You will have a big advantage that at your age you will learn quickly- not like old guys who have more trouble remembering. So go for it and take my best wishes with you.

I was thinking of an electric motor originally but why not use that design? It would not be for me so the woodworkers can pedal their lathe instead! I suppose speed and feed are not as important on a woodworking lathe are they?

I want to make a woodworking lathe. Any ideas anybody?

To redydrate rawhide just soak it in water.

I know you should market them in pairs. Then people living opposite each other buy one each. Mine goes on your house and vice versa cos a weather vane on your own house is as much use as a chocolate swage block.

Of course the giant panda isn't a true bear so would that make them fair game to you? Also let me establish now my dog has got a paw missing but he always did have so if anyone sees a photo of Lurpak with only 3 feet it has NOTHING to do with me experimenting with traps.

I have to harden all the hammer heads I buy here. I put them in a soaking heat until they are a dull red, watch the colours run and quench in water at a purple. It seems to work well. The hammers I have treated like that have had some very heavy use without problems. My anvil is fairly hard.

Thanks for the info. As soon as Cabelos opens a branch in Dujiangyan I shall be one of their first customers.

Who, what, where is cabelos?

I wanted to make a medieaval type man trap for no real reason. I don't intend to ever use it to trap men or bears. I just fancied making one. I used to see them in the museum of the castle in Pontefract where I grew up. From memory they had interlocking teeth and the spring was a piece of flat steel that twistedas the trap opened. I don't remember how it was triggered. Interestingly they were used in the trenches in world war 1 so they are more modern than one might think.

Habu, that's not a dirk it's a sien dhu. A dirk is a sword! You must have heard: "There was a scots highlander At the battle of Waterloo. The wind blew up his Philabeg And showed his skien dhu."

Here they swing sledges (and axes) just like somebody breaking toffee. They hold both hands at the end of the handle. No concept of slidingthe handle through the hand on the down stroke. It seems to get the job done but the western style does it better. Then again the people round here tend just not to have the size or power for heavy work.

I got a delivery of my favourite smithing coal. In the new little forge this burns very hot and has no difficulty igniting the coke. I had a wonderful fire going in there on Sunday. As the coke and the electricity are both free I don't mind just leaving the blower on all the time. Thanks for all your help everybody. This site is great.