Elemental Metal Creations

What part of southern Mo.? I am in Iron county. The July meeting of BAM is in Reynolds county. PM me if your close.

Looks nice, post pics when done.
Thanks for the pics of the blower mounting hardware, I have a #40 blower like yours and have been trying to figure out how it was mounted.

I'll give you $40, and pay shipping.!

Thank you all,
Jerry White - USN 1977-1987

Welcome aboard Ken, I must warn you this place is addictive!

Do you turn off the blower when you don't have metal in the fire? this will help save a lot of fuel although it can be aggravating at times. I have a foot pedal from an old sewing machine on mine to control the blower. It is a cheap blowdryer set on low. I rarely use full power on the low setting even with coal and it puts out way more air than needed with charcoal.
Back to your question, I don't know where you are but YES, coal is worth the money if you can get it. I can get 50# of coal for about 15$ through Blacksmith Association of Missouri. A 50# bag of lump charcoal is about 20$ and the coal lasts me about 4x longer in my brake drum forge. If I was good at fire management it would last even longer.

Lump charcoal will definatly help. I make my own. Are you a BAM member? They have coal locations through out the state, around $15 for 50lb, you do not have to be a member to buy coal. The closest to you is probably Ken Jansen in Moscow Mill. Look up BAM on the net for more info and locations.

Nice tongs, glad to see you heating & beating, I know you have been waiting awhile. I have yet to make tongs, I have been lucky enough to find several sets for cheap. When I do get around to making some I hope they turn out half as nice as yours.

I like the lamp, and the hammer. Did you forge the head of the spike into the ball on the hammer?

I rescued a bobtailed mousehole from the local scrapyard a couple of weeks ago! When I no longer need it I will pass it on to someone who does. It will NOT be going to China!

Nice, the one edge looks pretty good. I wish 1 of my anvils looked that good.

Made it home from the conference. Brought home a 40lb swedge block, a 3.75 lb rounding hammer I made in a class given by Nathen Robertson, and a few other things. I will post some pic's after the wife gets them off her camera. Had a lot of fun and learned a lot.

I really liked that hammer and engine. It started very easy and like the sign says there was no smoke!

Just from watching youtube and reading on this site and other sites I would have to vote for Brian B. His vidios are very informative and easy to follow.

I have never heard of a scrap yard charging less for sheet metal, only paying less.
Good find!

I've got a surprise I'm bringing with me. It's not somrthing to eat . Something I've been wanting to do for years.

Brian, i wish that you could be there.
I will be staying at the super 8 also, hope to meet you all at the conference. I know of 1 other member that will be there.
There will be pic's here when I can get them up.

I will be at the BAM conference at the Missouri State Fair Grounds My 3 - 6. Who else is going?

I have burnt a lot of charcoal in my brakedrum forge. I use a blowdryer on low, it gives more air than I need with charcoal or coal. I found an old junk sewing machine and took the foot pedal speed control and use it to control how much air I get. I make my charcoal in a pit and don't have much trouble with fire fleas unless I use to much air.

Cool idea Glen. I need to do this anyway, it will help me figure out how long it takes me to make things.

$3 a pound, not a great deal but I would pay it if I had the cash. Nice looking anvil.
Where are you?

I use a brake drum off of a truck for my forge. The drum is set into part of a 55 gal. oil drum, It works well but I am going to build me a new forge with a firepot similar to the one at blacksmith depot when I can find some cheap steel plate.

Cleaned it some more and it definatly says armitage mouse hole forge.I can't make out all the letters but enough to be sure of the maker. What I thought was a date was the word forge.
Any idea idea on am age for this?

Hauled a small load of scrap to the yard today and left with less money than I had when I got there! He had an Armitage Mouse Hole anvil with the tail broke off at the hardy hole for $110. It came home with me.I can make out the name and the weight1.0.26 (138lb) and it looks like a date is stamped on it above the weight stamp (1886?). Did they stamp the date on the anvil also? None of the pic's I have seen show this.
I will try to get better pic's after I clean it up more.

I have several hammers but my favorite is one I modified. After watching some of Brian Brazeal's videos I wanted to try a rounding hammer but didn't have the cash to buy one. I took a 3# engineers hammer and reground the faces. Instant favorite, my second is a 2.25# diagonal peen with a square face that bigfootnampa and I reforged from a ballpeen.