Elemental Metal Creations

You don't want the edges to sharp, that will cause problems with colt shuts. I found that out the hard way, You need at least a small radius on the edges, different radius on different parts of the anvil are handy.

congrats

5 minute epoxy works very well on phenolic. I used it many times repairing dropped equipment in the Navy, It doesn't bounce well after a 100' fall!

Welcome aboard, the mount looks good and very close in design/looks to the cast steel one for my indian chief vice. Good job

Is it lump charcoal? The pieces out of the bag are usually pretty big, they need to be broken up into smaller pieces. I like mine mostly around the size of a walnut.

Gay does this every year at Country days in Farmington Mo. near me. I have never been able to make it but I am going to try this year. I want to see it. From what I here he has shoot them up about 150 ft. Cant watch the vid.

My mother-in-law would love that house and the railings. Glad she lives a long way off.LOL The railings look good just not for me. I like them just for the workmanship and the work you put in them. If I just saw them in a house without knowing the work I wouldn't think much of them.

Pot is short for Potentiometer, they have 3 leads on them. This may be a rheostat which has 2 leads although I have never seen this symbol before but I have not worked in electronics/electrical since 2001.

I use a blowdryer all the time and it works great, more air than I need. I just cut a soda can up and duct taped it to the forge to make an adapter that the dryer will slide into. That way i can just take the blower in when I am done, the forge stays outside. I took a sewing machine pedel and made a speed control.

This is the best list of reading material that I have ever seen. :)
I decided on Civil War Blacksmithing, and got The Art of Blacksmithing as a bonus !

Another question. Why would I pay $59 for Marks book new when I can get a used copy on Amazon for ONLY $212 ;-)

My wife just told me she wanted to buy me a new book for my library! I already have,
1.The Blacksmiths Craft
2.Backyard Blacksmith
3.The Complete Modern Blacksmith
4.Blacksmith Basics for the Homestead
5.Blacksmith Projects
6.Basic Blacksmithing An Introduction To Toolmaking
Any suggestions for #7?

In Missouri it is legal to hunt with crossbows during FIREARMS season. It is NOT legal to use them during archery season. On the issue os safety if I were to make one I would buy the arms from a company that makes them for kits. The chances for errors are to great, if they aren't tempered evenly it wouldent shoot straight at the best not to mention the chance for a catastrophic failure. Worst I can think of is breaking while drawn and putting a limb through my face.

Daniel, that is the coolest bottle opener that I have seen. i wish I could think up something that neat. My wife fell in love with it, can I borrow your idea?

I found dimensions while looking at several different drifts for sale. I like the idea of getting a handle and making a drift to match. I will probably do that. I want to make my drift mainly for the practice, I am not in a big rush to get it done. If it dosen't work out then I can by one.

I want to make a hawk drift, been searching but can't find what I need. What should the dimensions be, length / width, round or oval.
What type of stock should I use, I have 3/4" med.carbon, 1" round mild steel, 1-1/4" stainless shaft, and jack hammer bits, not sure of the size of these.
I will be doing this by hand but I may be able to get some help with the hammering. I plan on starting with RR spikes, I have plenty of these and then moving to better steel.
Thanks Jerry

I found an old broad hatchet that had a piece of HC folded and welded to the blade and a piece welded to the poll, I will see if I can gey some pics and post them.

I have only been smithing for about 6 months. I have had 2 younger men interested in smithing,neither had ever looked at a forge except mine. One was not interested in "learning" he looked at a couple of my books, looked at a couple of forums and started to tell me how to forge things. He wanted to use my forge, anvil and hammer to make woodworking tools because he could forge better tools than he could buy! He did not want to learn the basics, he didn't need to. Some how I was always to busy for this.
The other one wants to learn from the beginning, He knows that I am a beginner my self but wants me to teach him what I can. I am looking forward to working with him this summer because I know that in helping him I will greatly improve my skills. Showing him what little I know will make me think more about what I do and how I do it. Also with an extra person to help I will be more likely to tacle larger, harder projects.
It is all about the attitude.
Jerry

The best I remember the blow torches used "white gas" for fuel. I don't know if that's available any more. I had a small Mercury outboard motor that was supposed to be run on white gas too--years ago <_<

Nick, as FF said you can weld a piece of pipe to your "anvil" or I use a cheap pipe clamp. By the clamp part for around $5 and if you don't have a piece of threaded pipe to fit it a 6" or 8" piece of pipe to fit. then you can clamp it tight and use it for a horn or leave a space between the pipe and anvil to fit your stock and use it for a bending jig.

I don't know about old ones but someone is selling new ductile iron ones on e-bay. I am in the process of making one with three diferent sizes my self. Will be posting pics when done.

Lookin good!

Any scrapyards in your area? I got a 100# piece of 2" plate at the scrapyard for $35. It works great.

Good for you, I am not sure if I would have the nerve to do that myself or not. Did you see this http://www.iforgeiro...e-napkin-rings/ ? I think they would be a good seller for a florist that does weddings.

I just wad up a couple of sheets of newspaper light it turn the blower on low and dump the charcoal on it. Lights real easy no smoke and the fleas aren't to bag as long as I don't run the blower to high which isn't needed any way. When I shut down I just cover the forge with a piech of plate or sheet metal. sometimes it will all burn up and sometimes it will go out. doesn't matter much because there isn't much left anyway.