matt87

Looks like some solid work sir. What's the weight of that beauty?

British chainmakers used to use a 36lb double-shafted sledge called a johnny. I think there is one in use in the Netherton chainmaking video.

Considering the things that some people have used and do use as an anvil (cast iron ASOs for a start), I'm sure such an anvil is certainly useable. Whether you want to use it day in day out is another question though -- it was probably made before your great grandfather and not so many anvils survive that amount of time, considering the daily heavy use they often had, the reduction in demand that they experienced in the last century, not to mention the scrap-metal drives during the two world wars...

Do you have a power hammer, fly press or other way to punch a hole that big? If so you could take a larger blank, punch the hex hole and cut it in half. Hey presto, two swage blanks.

I don't remember the URL but the Practical Blacksmithing pupblications from the 1890s have a number of readers' projects of building their own blowers. Wood and tinplate predominate.

Horned anvils were a specialist's tool until about 200 years ago; before that a general-purpose blacksmith's anvil was basically a large block of bloomery iron, hopefully with a steel face welded on. If you need extra features, make them -- a bickern is easy enough to forge and it can be stuck into a lump of wood, the hardy hole or your vice. If you need to punch something, make a bolster plate, a strip of iron with a number of different size holes in it. Alternatively, take a strip of iron and curl it into a circle shape and use that as your pritchel hole. The hole is used when knocking the biscuit out of the hole, the majority of the punching is done on the anvil face.

Anvilfire.com has a glossary of specialist metalworking words in several languages.

Warren, I may be teaching my grandmother to suck eggs here, but I assume you are removing the punch and cooling it every few blows?

Legs for stands. Bick iron.

I believe EN43 is roughly 1045.

Rstegman, the discussion is about 'set' or 'top' tools, i.e. handled tools designed to be placed on top of the work and struck with a hammer. The handle keeps your hand away from radiated heat and errant hammer blows. They are most often used when working with one or more strikers or a treadle hammer, but have some utility when working alone or with a power hammer. Examples include fullers, swages, set hammers, flatters, cutters/chisels and punches. Set tools can be either punched and handled like a hammer (though the handle does not need to be as substantial or secure as for a hammer) or have a handle attached by wrapping the body of the tool with a iron or mild steel rod, or more historically, a withy.

See ya Thomas, and good luck. I think I speak for everyone when I say that this forum has been a better place with your presence. Who's going to correct my history now? ;)

Pictures would help. Is the material wrought iron, mild steel or cast iron?

Zippos and their like don't use flint, they use a 22-odd-element alloy known variously as ferrocerrium, Mischmetal and various other names -- it's like those rods you can get from Light My Fire, the Swedish Army, BCB etc. The steel wheel grinds bits from the 'flint', whereas in a real flint-and-steel the flint shaves off bits of steel, as you say.

What sort of work are you planning -- belt buckles or anchors or somewhere in between?

Mass production of nails started with machines stamping cut-nails from wrought iron tire stock, Thomas.

A slightly long read but full of excellent, valuable, free information: Tips - Techniques & Useful Information - Steels Useful for Tools

There's also the matter of tempering accuracy -- both in consistency in steelmaking and in tempering methods. Backing dead-hard steel with iron makes for a tough tool which can hold an edge.

A number have been presented on the forum and in the blueprint section. A search will lead you in the right direction.

Is it possible to use the worn gear as a template for filing a replacement gear from metal or other suitable material?

It may have been a variation on the 'browning' process -- this is a somewhat similar process to proper (hot) blueing and is a controlled rusting. Don't forget there is a veritable rainbow available through temper colours!

Just seen a link posted on another forum of the axe-forging workshop at the Gransfors-Bruks factory, Sweden. YouTube - Axe forging / Yxsmide

Sorry John, I wasn't able to get out of working that day. Definitely will make the next event though!

Weygers' The Complete Modern Blacksmith details a few different ways of drilling square holes, including making the bits. It's a great book, though IMO he places too much emphasis on grinding rather than forging. (Some of his practices with grinding wheels would make most people run in fear of their bodily appendiges though...)

What is the problem with your knife? Is it too hard to put a good edge on it? What are you using to hone it with?