GobblerForge

A photo would most certainly help with the identification. Hay Budden anvils have a serial number under the horn end on the leading edge of the feet. Wire brush as much as you can and then wipe down with some oil. Cast a light at the end to intensify the shadows. This helps letters stand out a little better some times. Thomas. How do you even propose that someone "wore out" the bottom of an anvil? Gobbler

I would think that the first reaction would be that the quenching would start but then as the heat rises inside the potato or apple that the quench stops. There is nowhere for the heat to be rapidly dissipated as in a slack tub. this is the reason for keeping the steel moving in the tub. Gobbler

If available, a miter saw helps in that scrap pieces if wood can be cut to any angle and transferred for tracing. Gobbler

Well now it's been done, and I'm darned proud to know the folks that did it. I just got back from the Southern Ohio Forge and Anvil [sOFA] annual Quad State Roundup. This an annual Blacksmiths conference that posted nearly a thousand registrants. You can read all about it at Southern Ohio Forge and Anvil (SOFA) Blacksmith Association. Well Friday nights have gotten, over the years, to have some great demonstrations. This year topped them all. These boys decided to forge weld a faceplate on a wrought iron anvil. They said that their research revealed that three times in recent years this was attempted but never achieved. They did a test run a week ago and had near perfect weld. This was verified with an end mill and some hours of fact finding. So Friday afternoon they got the fires going and by 8:00 they had the anvil up to over 2000 degrees. The short version of this process is to bring both the anvil's weld area [the top] and the steel plate to be welded to it, simultaneously up to over 2300 degrees. Now folks, there's a lot of btu's there, so don't touch. Then the anvil is brought out of the fire, wire brushed, fluxed, and set on a large metal block. As the anvil is getting to the block, the face plate is brought out of the fire and brushed and fluxed and placed on the top of the anvil, and if all is right in the world, it will stick together with welding blows from two or more strikers with sledges. Three times the attempt failed and with all tired and sweating they decided to try it a fourth and that was the ticket. A successful weld. Then a finish welding heat, then several shaping and flattening heats. And there it was, a welded anvil. The crowd cheered, handshakes were given and photos were taken and I'm proud to say that those folks that did that are friends of mine. Here's to ya boys. Well done. They did something that hasn't been done in a century or so. You probably won't hear about this on national news but I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up on the youtube. Gobbler

shop - Blacksmith Photo Gallery My forge has the bellows under the forge and I have never had a single incident so blaiming it on location may not be the answer. My guess would be to look to your valve between the two bellows. This is where the draw needs to be sealed against. Gobbler

Is Pittsburgh #8 good? Gobbler

This is a picture of my hot hardy after tempering. The cold hardy is made the same but with a more obtuse angle. Gobbler

My tire rim doesn't have the inside face out. What is the problem your thinking will occur? My entire hammer is inside of 2 feet deep. As far as reinventing the wheel, when using scrounged parts to make anything, reinventing is common place. When researching for info before my built my hammer I learned that there is a hundred different ways to build the arm assembly. Or we could all just give our money to Clay and buy all his stuff and do everything the way he thinks it should be done and stop thinking for ourselves. Gobbler

Hammerkid. The motor shaft is 1" or so only because that is what I had. Any size will work. The motor itself is 1/3HP. If your friend is making the pulley, then he can make it to what ever size you want. That's handy. My pulley is 2 3/4". Then it just needs the key slot cut. Yes there is a set screw in mine in line with the key. The spring is 8 inches long with 1/2" coil stock and is compressed to 7 1/2" I'm sure your 5/8" coil will work fine. The vertical arms don't come together very far as the hammer is working. Only a quarter or half inch or so. It's impressive as to how little everything actually moves in relation to how much the hammer does. Gobbler

Time has proven that lead is a wonderful way to seal the railings back in. It doesn't degrade or need maintained at all. Perhaps getting the upward pressure and heat will be difficult if more than one post needs to be freed at the same time. If the stones need to be reset anyway, then maybe you could pull the rail with the stones attached, support the post, then heat each post until the stone falls off. Gobbler

If getting the parts hot is not an option but getting them warm is then get the parts as warm as possible and melt some wax on it. The wax wicks into the seam and lubricates well. If it's a tight screw or something small, a soldering gun works great to spot heat. Gobbler

Thanks Guys. I love you too,l,, Gobbler

This is just a thought for the forum operators. Would you consider leaving threads in the general forum for a while and maybe move them after they slow down?. I for one, and there may be many more, don't read all of the forums and I tend to miss out on some interesting ones because of this, I'm sure. I like the general discussions the best but when a general question comes up about a tire hammer or an anvil or some such, it gets moved somewhere else and we the general reader miss out. I would bet that if you checked the counts, on average, thread replys drop once they get moved. Gobbler

I would be hard pressed to believe that a pile of wet coal would spontaniously ignite. I would have to see it to believe it, and then, maybe. Gobbler

In my opinion, coal is by far, cheaper than propane. However for storage, propane wins. Gobbler

Charlotte. Could you explain more on the valve tools you speek of? Have you actually done this? Pictures? Gobbler

Dracko11. Nice post. It sounds to me like you all ready have some of the basic blacksmithing skills understood. It would be interesting if you were to read the list in another year or three. Your view may change on a number of your listings. You would do well to listen to what Glenn had to say about the glove issue. You will get burned worse with rather than without a glove. There are times to wear gloves but not for general forging. Gobbler

All right, let's call it a sway bar. That sounds right. It's about 11/4' in dia. and about 3 plus feet long. A lot of metal stock there. The list only says "steering arms". Are these one and the same? And what about tie rods? Are these the same also? Gobbler

Great idea. After all, blacksmithing bling is all heavy and wheels are wonderful. All that it needs now is a detachable seat so you could sit using the cart or remove and sit away from the cart, and a drink holder. Gobbler

I know somewhere I have a list of what steels are used in what auto parts but I haven't been able to find it. Does anyone have a list? Specificly, I was given a steering stabilizer for a dodge pickup. It's quite a large piece of stock. I'm thinking I remember this as 4140 but not sure. Gobbler

And yet from another angle, being considerate of others posts. Many times I have felt stepped on and corrected. As I made my first posts, the questions were genuine. I didn't make them to be sent somewhere else or be trivialized. They were important to me at that time because that is all I knew. Then as I progressed a little, and wanting to help give some back, I'm sure I gave some incorrect advice at some point that I truly felt was correct. I'm sure I didn't do it so that some more experienced person could belittle my answer with his. This rarely encouraged me to answer more. Now as an advanced blacksmith, I am more able to recognize when a younger reply is not quite correct and I try to be encouraging while corrective and not be insulting in my replies. Gobbler

As far as indexing, there is no rotating by the hammer. It stays in line. Remember, it is under a little preasure from the spring perpendicular to the axis of the offset axil. It wants to stay strait. My bottom dies are oriented to the hammer and nothing moves. And about Emert's, I miss the cannon and the teepees. Gobbler

After rereading posts, I think I have to clear some stuff that maybe some of you folks don't know. Thomas used to live here in Ohio and we have met and talked on many occasions at quad state back to probably early 90's. I think first time we met was at Emert's and he was making a billet out of band saw blades and introduced me to the concept of damascus. Can you remember back that far Thomas? Any way, I was not offended by him and don't feel he was being offencive. The "trivializing" statement was directed at the statement that this is nothing new. Fact is I have been to Europe 7 times and have been in many shops and have seen many hammers. Nary a one was round. And yes I know that not all anvils are one horned. Gobbler

Thanks for trivializing my idea. By the way, I looked up tupping. Frankly I think we would be better served to continue using the terms hammer and anvil. Gobbler

I'm not claiming to be the first but frankly I have to say that I have never seen a power hammer with a round hammer. Nor have I seen a tire hammer with a round hammer. So yes, I will say it is my idea because I didn't get the idea from looking at someone else's hammer. Thomas, you use the word "tup", I've not heard that before. Could you give some history to it. Gobbler