SmoothBore

I'm pretty sure "Smithers" is Mr. Burns personal assistant.

He sure did ! I call my shop "SmoothBore Forge", ... and while it's true that most folks don't really know the difference, ... they never ask me to shoe a horse. ( My family operated racing stables in 10 states, over a 30 year period, ... and I suppose it's confusing for them, when they see the dozens of horse racing photos on my office walls. )

The sort of deeply pitted, "red" rust, ... visible in the first pictures, ... is not something I would normally associate with "tool" steel. And the thing about "spark" tests, is they are subject to MANY variables. ( Wheel Composition, Speed, Pressure, Temperature, etc. ) When you do both tests side-by-side, a lot of those variables are eliminated, ... but comparing your results to an online IMAGE, raises more questions than it answers.

Just a side note, about prowling around old home sites. In many cases, those old houses had hand-dug wells, cisterns, and root cellars, somewhere nearby. When those houses were abandoned, ... or burned, ... the wells were often covered over with logs or other timbers, to prevent people and livestock from being injured. Time passes, and people forget, ... but those old wells and excavations are still there, ... often covered with vegetation and debris. The lesson being, ... fruit trees, flowers, stonework, and any other evidence of human habitation, ... should inspire a heightened sense of caution.

A little perspective on Graphic Design. In the days when Printers used "moveable type", ( individual letters ) they were taught to space the individual characters, so that the "white space" between each letter was fairly even. This makes for a more discernible presentation. In the case of "VAIL" a bit more space between the "V" and the "A", ... and also between the "I" and the "L" would be more pleasing to the eye. For what it's worth .......... .

Amen. If it contributes to the quality of the end product, ... then it's not really "insurance", ... it's more like a "necessity". In my opinion, ... it's the enhanced quality of custom made tools, that separates them from mass produced items.

This is true, ... but it's not a LAW or anything. Since you're already set up to do bottom blast, ... I'd recommend sticking a "mushroom" shaped diffuser in, ... or over, ... the 2" inlet pipe. Something like a 3" to 4" diameter disk, spaced up maybe an inch above the bottom of the firepot. Obviously, the intent would be to spread the airflow out over a larger area, rather than concentrating it in the center. Don't overthink this, ... just about anything that won't burn up, will probably work OK.

"Claying" the bottom of your Forge will resolve the heat issue there. And there's plenty of info on this site, on how to do that.

Unlike spring steel, your bearing rollers are most likely a "stainless" alloy, somewhat akin to a high-speed tool steel. Stainless steel is notoriously difficult to forge. I doubt there are any "safety" issues, ... but heat treating a finished blade could prove challenging.

Even though it's become a very common situation, ... I'll still point out, ... that allowing your children to drive the agenda in your home, ... denies them the opportunity of acquiring maturity in the proven fashion of previous generations. This seems to yield a populace whose attitudes are dictated by "social media", ... obsessed with electronic "toys", ... and unable to sustain adult relationships. Essentially, ... the army of mindless drones that Orwell predicted. Kids that are exposed to "real world" situations, learn how to solve "real world" problems, without being manipulated and exploited. If they burn their fingers, or stub their toes in the process, ... they learn from that too.

This is probably a dumb question, ... but how do you "lose" a stirrup, and still keep your foot ?

All I know FOR SURE, ... is that there's no one "right" answer to this question. I too like a Drilling Hammer, ( #4 ) for "general purpose" work. ( Yeah, yeah, yeah, ... I know that's not what you're "supposed" to use, ... but until the "Hammer Police" track me down, I'll keep doing it my way ..... )

Concur.

For what it's worth ...... I buy any size new HFS for $1 a pound.

I think the bend needs to be a 2 step process. The first step would be to make the bend by the process you are now using. The second step would be to fit the "socket" onto a hex pin mounted in the ram of a press, and "tighten" the bend by applying pressure, while the "handle" portion of the tool is supported in a simple female fixture. I envision the fixture as a simple "slot", that will accept the diameter of the rod at the bend point ... with perhaps a properly located block with a female "hole", sized to accept the "straight socket" at the other end of the tool. ( This "hole" serves only to prevent the part from "rotating" around the axis of the bend, while being pressed. ) By then pressing the ram straight down, ... while the other end of the part is trapped in the female "hole", the bend is effectively compressed, while maintaining the 90 degree orientation. A "center punch" point, ground into the end of the hex shaped ram, would create a centered "dimple" inside the socket, that will aid in drilling the clearance hole on center. Lacking an arbor press, the same process could be duplicated in a large vise, ... but would require a somewhat more sophisticated fixture, to insure a 90 degree orientation.

Yes, ... it will work for you. When coal is first lit, ... or placed into a burning fire, ... it's referred to as "green" coal. As it begins to burn, the oil and sulfur that's present in varying amounts in all coal, burns off first, ... and then, the coal begins to turn into "coke". Green coal gives off a gray/white/yellow smoke as the impurities burn away. The coke burns very clean and hot, ... creating the kind of fire necessary for Blacksmithing. All coal forms coke as it burns, ... we prefer Bituminous Coal, because it lights at a lower temperature, ... and remains lit, without need of a continuous air blast. This allows us to let the fire go "dormant" for short periods, ... and then heat right back up, when the blower is restarted. Anthracite has an annoying tendency to smother itself, if left unattended. ( That's why coal furnaces, ... designed for Anthracite coal, ... have "shaker grates" in the bottom of the firebox. )

Well sure, there are plenty of superior designs, ... but maybe the guy already had a lot of mud, ... needed a bottle opener, ... or a key chain fob, ... RIGHT NOW ......

If it were me, ... and history were "repeating itself" ( as it so often does ) ... I would shamelessly "over Engineer" the repair. Yes, ... TIG weld the break, ... and since the break occurred on the 90 degree bend, ... weld in a little gusset, diagonally, to reinforce that point, ... on BOTH sides of the masher. I too like lumps and skin in my mashed potatoes, ... and lots of roasted garlic. And not just because I'm too lazy to peel the potatoes.

While I'm sure that the US "DOT" ( Department of Transportation ) has specific specs for rebar used in projects like bridge construction, ... what I'll refer to as "common" rebar, is imported from various Oriental sources, and is of very questionable quality. I suspect the same is true in Australia. For all the reasons stated in all the above posts, ... "unknown" rebar, would be my last choice for making a hammer. Again, being unfamiliar with the realities of material available in your area, ... one very good source for material, for a "custom hammer", would be to rework an existing hammer. Here in the United States, good quality hammers are inexpensive and readily available, at flea markets and yard sales. "Brand-name" hammers, ... particularly with damaged handles, ... are routinely available for a buck or two. The same is true with punches, chisels, and all manner of "struck" tools. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Generally speaking, I find this to be a particularly practical approach to making "custom" tools. I like to start with something that's already "close", ... and then just modify it as needed, ... rather than creating it from "whole cloth.". The thing I've noticed about myself, is that age and experience, has modified my behavior. I'm less likely to do things just "because I can", ... and have more of a tendency to reserve my efforts, for those things that I "should do", ... rather than always trying to prove what I "can do".

I find the notion that "hot" steel might "damage" the face of a quality anvil, ... to be something of a stretch. But then again, ... I'm of an essentially pragmatic mindset, ... rarely troubled by cosmetic, or even esoteric issues.

Kiln drying is a very poor substitute for proper seasoning. The 3rd generation "Planing Mill" operator, who furnished the White Pine logs for my house, ( in 1989 ) has a massive "Dry Kiln". But still air drys the logs for log homes, an additional 2 years, after kiln drying. Logs are considered "kiln dried" when the moisture level gets down to 18%, ... but they still move around quite a bit, when exposed to sunlight. Whereas, logs that are air dried until they are below 15% moisture, tend to stay where you put them. The joints in my log walls are still tight, after 27 years of Mid-Atlantic seasonal changes. So, ... it seems like he knew what he was talking about.

For the sake of general information and enlightenment ..... The "1200w" rating of your hair dryer, is in reference to the heat it imparts into the air stream, ... and is only superficially related to the volume of air it provides. ( There is probably an advanced, and highly esoteric formula, that could inform us about the volume of ambient air, needed to dissipate the hair dryers heat output, without exceeding a temperature deemed "safe" by the insurance Underwriters Laboratory. But nobody really cares about that. ) What matters, is that the air volume produced by the fan in the hair dryer, is sufficient to adequately oxidize the fuel. I would GUESS that this is true, ... but for all I know, your Forge might accommodate 10 cubic feet of charcoal, ... rather than the more typical .25 cubic foot. A properly oxidized charcoal fire, will easily exceed 3000F It's also important to differentiate between "lump" charcoal, ... and Henry Fords pressed "briquettes". Lump charcoal tends to burn faster, and therefore hotter, than an equal amount of charcoal briquettes. It's my understanding, that among those who fire their Forges with charcoal, the lump variety is much preferred. .

What you've got there, MIGHT work, ... MAYBE. In my opinion, "might & maybe" is NOT a formula for success. To be SURE of the quality of the finished job, I'd want 4"x4" posts, ( with at least 1/4" wall thickness ) ... set a minimum of 3' deep, ... and "slush" the hollow posts full of concrete. ( Filling hollow posts with concrete has an amazing "stiffening" effect. ) Tying the posts together, underground, is also a great idea. While all the above might not be absolutely necessary, ... it doesn't add much material cost or labor, ... and it prevents that nicely constructed gate from becoming a potential disappointment. If the customer wanted a low-cost POS, they would have bought one at Lowes.

If you Google "slip-ring grapnel", you should get plenty of pictures of "Danforth" style anchors, designed to disengage when the anchor rode is pulled in the opposite direction of the original "set". This design would be easily applicable to your project.

Back when my eyes and reflexes were considerably younger, ... I spent a lot of time and money, on competitive shooting, and was fortunate enough to acquire a couple of first-class "mentors". One of them was a former World Champion at Live Birds, ... who took particular delight in "helping" guys who complained about their "defective" guns. He would readily offer to shoot your gun, while you shot his, ... and of course, he would invariably beat you with your own gun. Then he'd give it back, wink, and say ... "there, it's fixed now". Even the most obtuse youngster would eventually come to understand, that the "tools" are only a small part of the equation. .