jimbob

check out this site you might find a better deal plus some of the other parts you might need http://www.surpluscenter.com/electric.asp

Grey iron is still much more brittle than properly heat treated cast steel. Millions of tools have been made in anvil hardy holes. If you are really concerned make a support for the tail of your anvil or make a upsetting anvil like Brian Brazeal

I just sent you a price on the shipping for the swage block. Sorry about the delay, I got a price from fedex right away but was waiting on a price from a trucking company as they are sometimes cheaper for the 14lb blocks.

I assume you have read Mark Asbury's recommendation to use a swage block for upsetting hardy tools rather than using the hardy hole in your anvil. Personally I have always been puzzled by this and disagree with this suggestion unless you have a particularly light tail on your anvil. Most older swage blocks and a lot of newer ones are gray iron which is much more brittle than wrought and tool steel in an old anvil or all steel of a newer one. I have upset quite a few tools in the hardy hole of my anvil which has a fairly thin tail with no ill effects. Yes there have been a few over the centuries that have broken at the hardy but I don't know anyone who has broken theirs. Most hardy holes are and square holes in swage blocks are not exactly the same size. Forging in the anvil the tool will be used in will ensure it fits exactly.

If the idea of damaging your anvil really has you worried, Brian Brazeal has a thread on here on making a striking anvil. Or a striking anvil could be laser or waterjet cut out of a chunk of heavy bar or plate.

thanks for the scan going to make one when I get the time...

scan your sketch in and post it so the rest of can make one ...(please)

Hes been on there at least three times I know of..I watch the woodwrights shop every week..i use to have all the blackmsith related episodes saved on my DVR but it crashed and wiped all of my saved stuff :(

amazon has it new for $41.50 ; also you can look at some of the pages of the book

The Spruce Forge "manual of Locksmithing"A Blacksmith guide to simple lock mechanisms by bill Morrison and Dennis Frechette
ISBN 0-615-11822-4
shows tools needed shows how to make Pipe locks,Spring lock, Trunk lock, Cupboard lock, Door lock, Gate lock.
I got my copy from Nation Builder Books ,PO BOX 253 Leesburg, VA 20178 ,800 480-5808; www.NBBooks.com
I believe you could adapt the information in the book to make what you want.

use a small drill to drill a series of small holes around the edge and use 1/4 chisel to cut the web away also drilling a hole in the center helps to let the chisel move the metal out of the way ...a small chisel works a lot faster than a larger one

thanks for the input guys ...taking it to the foundry now

One of the guys in our Guild is looking into having some anvils cast ...on checking in Anvils in America I see where in the past anvils were cast of Vanadium steel,4140,4130,8630,ductile iron.,and H13.
anybody have any suggestions as to what to have them cast from?

Leather gloves are also bad to work at the forge with, as your hand sweats the the heat from the fire steam cooks your hand .

for your smaller taps cut soda straws to make sleeves to slip over to keep sharp ...also Brownells sells clear plastic tubes and end caps up to about and inch ...

Thanks Lyle for clearing that up

has Brian changed the way he heat treats his hammers ...from the pictures only the face is hot ; thats a bit different than the way he showed us in the class he did on his odyssey around the country a couple years back.

thats good to know as you can us a rheostat to adjust the blower speed and not worry about burning up the motor

I watched Mark take a piece of 1"Sq about 6" long upset it to 1 3/8 sq then draw the point out and up set in the hardy hole for a platform to make 1/2 round to make rose hip on his steel rose ...

have you tried Surplus Center http://www.surpluscenter.com/electric.asp?catname=electric

going slow is the way to drill steel the electric drill motors all run too fast .
I carry one of the old type drill bits n my truck when ever I find and old hardware store I stop and show it to them and ask if they have any of that type and have found a lot of new old stock that way .

might try surplus center at http://www.surpluscenter.com/sort.asp?catname=electric&keyword=EMRC

is there a motor re-winding business near you, if so I would contact them. I'm sure that they could come up with a replacement.

these have been around for a long time ...the Heart one needs the U shape to be larger and there needs to two of them thats how the oldsones were made

In one of the blue prints here it was suggested to use mineral oil on the handle instead of linseed I tried this and like it better than the linseed it is also a bit cheaper

it hasn't been mentioned yet but keeping your file sharp is important also. one problem when transporting them is that they bang together or against other hardened steel. what I started doing was making a cardboard sleeve to put them in, awhile back I was in Tractor supply and found 1 1/2" flat blue water hose sold by the foot I now use this cut to length to cover each file ...

Another option you might consider is to drill and tap the hardy shaft and use a bolt and back up plate from the under side.