metalmangeler

Jim bob you may have more mass to keep your anvil together but you might still affect the heat treatment. That said I have always upset in my hardy hole for the fit, but you do see anvils that are broken there.

I hear those saying that if I get paid it is good enough, but only if the customer remains happy with the purchase for the long haul. When a customer is not happy they are likely to tell anyone who will listen. I also believe that we see things that our customer don't really see but they will usually chose the right one if it is sitting beside one that is not as nice. They see more than they reallize. That said I recently desided to make some hinges without going over the edges with a flatter to take out the drawing die marks, I have never done this before as it seems undone to me but I think that to some the hammer marks may be an improvment. If they sell well then I will either have a new additional style or good enough will move in a direction that seems less good to me, but maybe better to the customer.

How can you be so sure that the Dr. is wrong? You could get a guard to put in your mouth when working but it wont help when not in your mouth.

From the face book acct. it looks like he has been able to move into the restroom with a walker and some assistance, to do his thing. This is some big improvement.

I went into Anchorage last night to visit Frosty I was somewhat discouraged, Deb was not there at the time, but today I talked to a friend who had seen him about 3 weeks ago and again yesterday she was very encouraged so I understand that there has been much improvement. Please keep praying for both Deb and Frosty. I am sure that they both need it. I will be a vendor at a show in Anc. in Nov. and again in Dec. so I will be sure to stop in to see him then, maybe beween times as well. It is good to hear that he swallowed.

I talked to one of Debs friends, it sounds like they are planning to move Frosty out of ICU tonight. He sounds confused but is talking, likely the drugs are contributing to the confusion. He still needs work done on his leg,and foot, I guess his ribs are healing OK. Deb is going through the mill as she has been there steady, and needs a break but feels the need to be there at the same time. Continue to pray for both of them. Mark

looks like a nice anvil.

You did good if you had not made them because you could do better you will never get better, because we could all do better. If we think that we could not do better we will likely only get worse, since that is not an objective and true analysis of what I or you made. I think that when first tongs work that is a good thing esp. if you didn't have some one to show you how. It shows a willingness to go out there and do it which is what all the top people do. You're way ahead of the many who make excuses (no anvil, no help, no power hammer, no brain, ect.)

I think that I will come to the art on fire Sat. but I am unsure what I will bring. Last year it was not a good sales show.

Hi Frosty If you think that you want to make them as a sales item after you get your hammer running you can come by here some time with some stock I am sure we can put together a system that would be considerably under an hour of forgeing. How long it would take to finish them I have no idea.

Here I normally use an axel as was stated, the tool you need to think about good steel for is your eye punch which I use H13 for as I normally get it to hot. If you keep a couple hammers around that are not heat treated they are good to let the learners use as they won't reck your anvil.:rolleyes:

Hello Jeff Hay Budden anvils were made in the USA which is good if you live here. They were wrought with a steel face welded on. The face seems to be harder than some of the old anvils and maybe thicker so they seem to not sway as much as some. There is plenty of rebound due to the hard face, but that contributed to the edges chipping some. They made both blacksmith and farrier anvils and some that are kind of a cross i.e. they have a larger horn and thinner heel than you would likely find on say a Peter Wright, that is a mixed blessing depending on what you are doing. Mine is 184# the serial number is mashed enough that I cannot make it out. It is my main shop anvil.

Hey Cooper if you find a good deal on a heavy anvil pick it up it should be easy to trade for a lighter one of the same quality.:D

I use a large outside tank here, propane will not vaporize below -40 F. so if you are using enough in a small tank to get below that temp or if that is the outside temp then there are problems. The propane place which delivers to us recomends a magnetic heater that is normally used to warm engines so they will start on cold mornings. This tank is about 185 gallon if I remember correctly I don't have problems with this system here, the tank is always outside, the only safe place for propane, the last few years I don't remember the temps getting below -35 F, so I would expect it to work in NC. With small tanks inside I have used a tub of water it works pretty well.

You might try Parker they have a large selection of hydraulic and pneumatic stuff. You should be able to find them by googleing.

A lot of my market is the pre-Christmas shows they have been down for me this fall so far, I've been wondering if I should be modifying my products or if it is just the economy, maybe both. I think it would be a hard time to start full time, if you have back up income it might be really good to have some inventory stocked up when this is over as many will not be able to stockpile in a slow economy. From what has been said here some of the competition won't even be around. Having multiple skills should really help to stay employed in hard times.

Hi if you do not have the tools to properly aneal as discribed you can heat to nonmagnetic (not much beyond) and cool however slowest you can and it will be somewhat soft as it wants to get to 1850 F to harden. The idea is to heat past tempering temp. but below hardening temp. It would be better of course to properly aneal the steel but without a heat treating oven might be impractical.

I useally make them about 26 inches long but a selection of lengths some times helps sales.

Very nice Richard I always was a little jealous of your neat frog. Soon you will be a franchise. ;)

I make mine normally from hickory I used to use hockey sticks and whatever else I came across, but now I think that it pays to buy the right stuff. I like to use what I think is called bastard cut these handles take a lot of abuse far more that the handles that I used to buy ready made and of course are much less expensive than anything I can buy here. I saw them to size and then rasp off the corners with an old hoof rasp.

I have taken tools in both duffel bags and suit cases I would think about useing blueboard to keep sharp points from comeing out. Don't take anything of so much value that you can't afford to lose it. Security seems to always look at the tools since 9/11 so don't put something really tempting with them. Hope you have a good trip.

I agree with Bentiron on 23 it is a hippo sandal a horse shoe that was tied on with a strap between the metal loops. The Roman or maybe earlier version of an Easy Boot.;)

Hi Jymm I didn't realize that they used H-13 back then.:rolleyes:Nice looking hammers.

John they look very nice, I hope you get enough to want to make more if not you didn't get enough.

Around here someone would put a hole in the center of each one.