Tom Allyn

That was quite a haul, Farmall. I'd like to see the adz.

The 7-hole thingy is a head scratcher. I've never seen a die that didn't have a place for the chips to go. The handles say 'die', but man, I don't know. And I'll be curious to learn what those tapered plugs are if someone can identify them.

Try to find your local steel recycler or junk yard. That's your best source. Aside from that watch Craigslist. A couple weeks ago I spotted an ad by a couple who had just taken down an old 'wrought iron' fence around their yard. Scrap was free for the taking. Of course it was mild steel not real wrought iron. But I saved what I wanted and scrapped the rest.

.....storage cabinet for chainsaws, yard and garden paraphernalia, and safety equipment.....

I like that old cabinet.

Nice looking forge, Arcc. Well designed cleanout. Simple and effective.

Something about the cup brush mounted on the bench grinder bothers me. I can't quite put my finger on it.

lol

And you wouldn't want to put your finger in it.

Leather gloves, a Carhartt jacket and a face shield and you're good to go.

Wow, that's a big coil spring.

So Thomas, whatcha gonna do with the wrecking ball?

Lumber is lumber. Good score.

Seems like it wouldn't be too hard to make an adapter for 1/4 hex bits. Maybe use a short extension and turn the shank down to fit the Yankee.

Now you got me thinking.

Yeah, Yankees are cool. We used to see them out on construction sites all the time but they pretty much disappeared by the mid-1980's. Makita started selling cordless drills in 1978. By the mid-80's they were everywhere and the Yankees were gone. Well, almost gone. Once in a while I still see an old sparky (electrician) using one to install cover plates.

I like this one because it's pre-Stanley (pre-1946). After a little Tri-Flow this one snaps back lickity split.

Thanks for the info, Thomas. I'm a sucker for any old tool that says "Made in U.S.A."

A couple months back I picked up a real nice Dunlap gasoline blow torch - excellent shape and in the original shipping box. The only thing it was missing was a soldering iron.

I was surprised by the asking price on the internet for the Stanley #60 spoke shave and the Goodell Pratt drill. Those 2 items alone more than covered my purchase price.

The oiler has been on my 'wanted list' for a while now. It'll get filled with kerosene and accompany my old cross cut saw. Normally I wouldn't have picked up a plastic hacksaw but yesterday I was holding a hacksaw blade in my hand and wishing I had one of these. And the 50¢ price tag was right.

I picked up a few things at an estate sale this morning. $40 for the lot.

Top to bottom, left to right:

Wooden tackle box
Stanley #60 double-blade spoke shave
Marshall Wells 'Zenith' Trail Mark square
Golden Rod 1 qt. Oiler
Unger razor scraper
Plastic Stanley hacksaw (made in U.S.A.)
Goodell Pratt drill U.S.A. works great (note brazing at 8:30 and 12:00 on the main gear)
2 lb unknown ball peen hammer
Hardwood roller (ironwood? teak?)
Craftsman brace shank reamer 5513 USA
Stanley mason's hammer (might get re-purposed as a slitter)
Stanley No 21 nickel plated
Box of tripoli compound
Nicholson file card w/ replaceable bristles
Moore-Ford 9" adjustable wrench
Heller NuCut file (Have you used one of these NuCut/Multi-Kut files? They rock!)
Unknown 9" adjustable wrench
GTD 82° countersink w/brace shank
Soldering iron by The Electric Material Co., North East PA (handle appears to be hand forged)
Yankee No 135 by North Bros Mfg Co
Turner #4 soldering iron, Sycamore ILL. USA

.....for 89 dollars, then traded the set to Jim Keiffer for this swage block yesterday

Nice deal on a swage block!

The orientation is set by the square guide.

..... if you need to use a hammer go to the rack a choose one just don't touch mine.....

I can relate. As a carpenter I'd sooner loan you my toothbrush than my 16 oz. Vaughan straight-claw.

The cement encased anvil has been laying out in the field for a few years now but has finally made it into the shop. Now to drill some holes before cold weather hits and freeze the cement off.

No need to go to all that trouble. A couple whacks with a 16 lb sledge will blow that concrete right off.

I paid $100 for my 6". It's not all original but it's in decent shape and perfectly serviceable. No way I'd give $300 for 4".

It's seriously cool! 8)

At the moment I have a few 6x timbers from a skid that I think I may strap together.

Sounds like a good plan. I strapped together a couple of pieces of a 6x14 DougFir beam I had laying around. The local lumber yard has plenty of steel strap in their scrap bins - probably free if you ask politely (it was for me).

3 Baldor 2 horsepower single phase 120/240 volt 1725 rpm farm duty electric motors for $100.

They were out of a carwash that upgraded pumps and required larger motors. I know the guy that did the changeout and he told me the motors are in good shape.

That's a nice score! 2 horsepower motors in 120v aren't easy to find on the used market. And Baldor is a good name in motors. I've been looking for a while for a 2hp 3450 rpm motor to upgrade an old table saw. A couple of tub skids full of old motors have passed thru the junkyard in last couple months, but no 2hp 120v motors.

CurlyGeorge, you are very welcome.  The book is no longer under copyright and can be read in its entirety at:  
http://www.kancoll.o...cy/mar5_14b.htm    It is also available as a paperback reprint.

Fantastic link. Thank you very much.

If it's in the form of cookware then season it up and use it. Nothing better.

What could I use as a rudimentary set of tongs to get me started?

I'll second Anvilflower. How about a pair of Vise-Grips* or other locking pliers? Once you get some other tongs the Vise-Grips will still be useful.

Pictures! Pictures!

The grocery stores, hardware stores, and home furnishing stores come alive with possibility when you look at them through the "cheap skate, what can I make this into, blacksmithing" prism.

Do it. Do it now and make lots of mistakes.

Estate sales can be a bonanza, too. You might not find a forge, anvil or vise, but there's plenty of useful blacksmithing stuff to be had for a bargain price.

SWEET deal!