fat pete

I got the same anvil....looks like you did a good job...I am at the same place in his book...lol

when i do the final assembly i add some glue along the pins ....and i may take another piece of brass and make it like a rivit set and give it a little tap...so it leaves a rounded head or a flat head it.

I would think a guy named Sam Thompson would know something about whisky....Sam Thompson is an old rye whisky i used to hang with....mmmmm

Be there for a couple of days

hi Demid welcome to the site.... you do very nice work....great patterns....it will be fun to watch the elements you come up with....when i read your posts i can see your excitement in them!!!!

good to hear that glenn...glad to hear some good news

Traditional is a strange word. The only traditional things I see in blacksmithing is lighting the fir, having an anvil shaped like it is, and using a hammer...you could almost open your shop in the morn with a tradition of lighting the forge. working with out electric is a cool novel thing..however, if you wanna make a living and you are good enuff to do it, then you need tools! i did an order for a guy a while ago for 200 hooks, wont sell that order again unless I have access to a pwr hmmr..the old guys arent any different than you...I think that thought that we are different now than we were then is foolish...we are people. True new techniques and tools have been developed but I am sure if there was availability of these tools in the old day they would have used them...no doubt! I just read an article about how autos are almost completely recyclable and the recycled stuff is as good as the original product...it used to be recycled didnt have the reliability and consistancy that it does now...so metal is better. PA Dutch country offers a real visable difference....the amish dont use electric...they do in their shops. If they can get it thru their elders that this is not overdevelopement and determined not to be the devils work... there will be progress and they use the new stuff. Wanting to reproduce old iron work using old tech is fine but it isnt any better than if u used a angle grinder or piece of stone or another piece of metal or whatever to accomplish the same thing, save for finishes and the like. Thomas' statement of "we shouldnt share our knowledge" is true. The old timers I used to work in the mill wouldnt tell ya nothing about how to do a piece. Used to annoy me. They figured out little tricks to put them on top of the pile when piecework was how they got paid, so if they could do something a little quicker for them this was worth something. You used to have to show up early for work to learn what the guy was doing to get your production up with the guy who has been doing it for years. You couldnt tell management of these shortcuts cause they would change the rate. You would have to work harder to get the same pay..Then there was the union sitting there saying you didnt get paid for this time and you are doing this for your own benefit, really?? I thought i was working for the company and should know these "shortcuts" or efficiencies after all it is their product. Well in that lies the rub. Guilds were different. They were way more secretive. Some of the things they did and what we do would scare people. The operations would resemble some of their myths and relate to their religions. Also if you were in a guild thats all you did. You didnt have the social organization we have today..good or bad So simpler times only seem simpler...it just looks that way from your standpoint. Some of us have old bridgeport milling machines...in a hundred years ..do you think that a bridgeport will be commonly found anywhere? Do you think you will be able to read these files in a hundred years?? Now think ....do you think they willstill be machining? If so will they be machinists?

Make a plan and work that plan. I dont care what your buisness is its like anyhting else you need a map ....you need to know where you are going ..... i believe with the right networking and lottsa time you could sneak a reasonable living at blacksmithing...tools hardware...some art...and the right places to sell it...why not I havent worked for anyone for a long time...made my own way...not easy but you can make it work

yea u need tongs...propane is way cleaner than coal...propane makes more scale too...but as far as hot goes BTU = BTU....you can weld in a propane , u can weld in coal.... my pieces will get glowing yellow hot and not burn in propane so you arent chasing yourself with more than 1 piece in the fire....coal you gotta watch or you will burn the metal...tongs can be made pretty simply or you can buy them from a couple of guys on here or they come up on ebay form time to time...you can always rework old tongs to the size and shape you want....you definately need them....cleaning up your vice grips will stop marring your work....

both look in better shape than mine...the columbian looks fine....the trenton looks like i was refaced may be alright...that seller gets his price tho....monstermetal is a good idea (member here)....just keep lookin cause after you buy it every anvil sold will be way cheaper than what you spend

I am not sure what a jump weld is... I am aware of all the scarfs that you must make and this sounds like one I have done to put a square and a round together...the joint kinda looks like you fit your two thumbs together....kinda a lump with a divot ..... i have used his with drop the tongs welds

vinigar is great...if you wanna remove mill scale or just regular scale from the forge it rocks... I keep a 5 gal pail and I put a plastic plant pot ( cheap ones from a green house) and I tie nylon cord to lift the "basket" out of the vinegar...i tried wire but it deteriorates...duh

thanks for your service and welcome to the forum!! I am sure anyone would help you gather the tools of the trade..

on the list jr...hope the best

I took a piece od I Beam ..cleaned it up and welded a 3"x 3' tube to it...good luck tipping it...very sturdy...plus a nice lid it works great...i would like to make me a little basketnow i just tie a wire around a rr spike heat it up and drop it in the oil to heat up the oil a little...vice grips to hold the piece and swoosh it around...

Sorry buddy ....you have my best

hate to say but i pay way less for coal.... standing up wind is the best for me...50# lasts prolly2-3 days...I have a hand crank...my last fire in the coal forge was back in october and there is enuff for me to fire it up and make a couple of hooks on the old coal...I guess all coal is old...lol

I use JD hydrostatic oil..lol..I got it for free and it doesnt smell as bad as used motor oil....then i heat up a rr spke to bright red...I have a wire tied around the spike and I dip it in the 3"x 3' pipe welded to a small I beam ...nice and firm standing.. I leave the spike in and then I heat up the piece and dip it in the hot oil...when I put the spike iin, there is no flame but when I put the piece in it will flame... it does get hard...I wonder how deep??? Question I have is does the temp of the oil really matter? I have some old store bought steel that comes in a paper wrap that says the oil should be 145-165 for so many mins...the steel is a specific grade...but with a spring how critical is that oil temp... I made a lid for when it flames...

Nice job Steve...looks sharp...no pun intended

let me tell you about rose oil...first its expensive as all get out...20 bucks for a small sample type parfume vile full..1 drop is all you need..you put much more on it I guarrentee you will clear out the room...evidently it takes a 100 pounds of petals to make 1 lb of oil...I am not sure how much a pound of oil is...It is ver, very powerful stuff...so a soaked cotton ball would cost way too much and be so overwhelming...and if someone is allergic to roses they r in trouble...so you use 1 drop...and just smear it on the metal inside the flower...

I agree i wanna see the thongs...lol ....i have a hard enough time making tongs, i could see me making a thong....ha but as to you question...if you search around the site you will find tons of pics of different configurations of all kinds of forges some are simple some are not...some guys have made them outta bar b que grills...some guys use a dirt pit...55 gal drums make nice ones...as far as the mortor goes I think it will not be durable enough...if you would get a couple of bricks you may be able to fashion something to get you a good fire...remember with a little air you can run 18-2200 degrees F plus, so I am not sure 1100c degree stuff (2050 degrees) will hold up since you are at your limit...where there is a will there is a way..

there are guys on the forum from all the places you mention...so I think you are in the right place...I would also google b;lacksmiths in europe or some combination of that....Sounds like fun...

its a bugger..progress...as i have improved and learned little tricks my work is different now than it was...so I have things hanging all over the place. I walk past a coat hanger I made right in the begining...HA everytime I walk past it I cringe and promise myself I will make a newer one...with improvements...maybe today...ha

maybe a little off the point but related...I got a tip from Rich Hale saying to use windex ( the good stuff) to stop the etch...works way better than baking soda...way easier to work with, and the spray thing is a weird luxury...baking soda always ends up crystalizing and gets all funky...