David Einhorn

Captain, so far this is what I have found in my recent searches for suppliers.  Please let us know if you find other sources for materials:

....<sigh> At least the curators of museums were receptive to having someone with a little experience correct things. Frosty The Lucky.

 

Most museums around here are receptive, but one is the exception.  I have stoped periodically at the Thadius Stevens Blacksmith Shop over the past 25 or more years, and they have been totally unreceptive to even the rearrangement of the equipment so as to be a functional work space.  The last time that I talked to a member of the Thadius Stevens Society I was told that they might be interested in a smith setting up with his/her own equipment outside the shop, demonstrating, and then packing it all up again, but they were not interested in arranging and repairing the shop's equipment so as to be a functional shop.  My counter offer was that if they gathered a small group of volunteers, I would be willing to go up there for two weekends and teach the volunteers the basics of blacksmithing,.... for free.  Again, they were not interested.  

The local farm-supply store is likely to have unplated chain.  It just doesn't seem safe or cost effective to spend the time removing plating and then dealing with the waste products.  Also the local antique/junk stores have chain so old and rusty that there is very likely no zinc left on it, but still if you are selling the end product to someone, just purchase unplated chain.

My reaction to the "call for comment on an 'interpretive strategy'" is one of being extremely uncomfortable.  Instead of just setting up a blacksmith shop where visitors can come and talk to a smith, and instead of talking to other museum blacksmith shops and seeing what they are doing and what works for them.....  I get the impression of very rich folks in very expensive suits sitting around a board room hiring expensive consultants to do studies on public opinions so that they can put together (from looking at the examples presented) immaculate dust free sterile displays of someone's idealized blacksmith shop. 

Around here, setting up and operating a historic shop isn't rocket science, just doing what the other historic shops tend to do, which is to decide the time period presented, set up a shop with equipment to reflect that, fence off a visitor area, keep presentations and projects to 15 minutes or less, and if possible have one smith working while the other smith talks to the public.  A smith presenting in one historic shop, around here, is likely to feel comfortable walking into another historic shop, picking up a hammer and presenting to the public.  Safety concerns for the public are the number one concern, and how things are presented are pretty much the same.

My humble recommendation is to visit some historic museum shops with a live presenter, and to acquire one or more guide books written for presenters at historic museum blacksmith shops by the folks in the blacksmith guild that support the musuem shop(s).

Or am I totally misinterpreting what I am looking at here?

Sheffield knifemakers anvils.

First for ease of use, make use of good quality Bituminus shop coal, not Anthracite coal.  If crumpled newspaper or charcoal is not starting your coal, could it be the coal?

Then there is a "coal chimney".  Basically about 12 to 14 inche lenght of iron pipe or tubing, about 6 or 7 inches in diameter, with 3/4" to 1" holes about 1 to 2 inches from the bottom.  At the bottom of the chimney place crumpled up newspaper, then a layer of charcoal, then fill to top with Bituminus coal.  You can make your own "Ye Oldy" coal chimney with hand forged pipe, and forged handle, or purchase one at the local big box store in the barbeque isle. If this method does not work, then I humbly suggest trying different source of coal.    I realize using a coal chimney might be considered sacrilegious, depending on the situation, but this is a good way to see whether the coal is the problem.   

Newsletter with upcoming events:

I cannot remember the exact title  but there is a book printed in the states  - ''spruce forge? book on locksmithing'' available on making simple locks.

My humble opinion:  Old leg vise with replacement of the screwbox.

My humble understanding is that each 90 degree bend decreases air flow by 50%.  I would suggest either changing it to a gentle curve or changing the pipe to two 45 degree bends.

Ooops: Looked again, with two 90 degree bends that would result in a 75% reduction in air flow.

.....It's not about the certificate for the trainer or the trainee, its about the standardization of training skills. 

Sorry, I still don't see the need. 

Years ago a woman called up to find out if the non-profit Karate group, that I was helping in an administrative role, provided certification of students.  I responded that a certification would not do much for her son if he were in the position where he needed to defend himself.

If I had saved all the "certificates" that I received from various seminars, continuing education, non-credit courses, etc. I would have been able to wall paper the walls of my bedroom.   I have never been asked for a certificate when assauted while working in Baltimore, and no one has ever asked me for a blacksmithing certificate. 

Sorry, but I am one of those people that don't "get it". 

In two weeks the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland is holding their yearly blacksmithing conference http://www.bgcmonline.org         If you attend the conference you have the option to participate in "tailgating" where folks sell equipment off the back of their vehicles. The event is held at the Carroll County Farm Museum in Westminster Maryland.

Note: apparently clicking on the link I provided is not working for me, but typing the url into the navigation bar does work. So if you have difficulty, try typing the link in the navigation bar.

..... with a steel sleeve sticking up then put the bricks back. Do you guys think that would work?

Find a short piece of pipe that can act as a cup for the bottom of the leg to sit in.  Then mount that pipe stub to a piece of angle iron or wood if you don't have angle iron.  And then attach the other end of the angle iron or wood to the led of the bench.  The cup/extension from the bench's leg supports the leg of the vise.  The width of the angle iron or block of hard wood determines how much the force is distributed across the floor thus protecting it.  And atttaching it to your bench allows both the attachment points at the top and bottom of the vise to float together, rather than possibly move in opposite directions.  A wooden block is more likely to compress over time and reduce how much it is supporting the vise.

If the vise is a leg vise, ie a vise with an iron leg, then that vise is mounted to something such as a bench or a post set into the ground, or some other method. The iron leg on a vise is not stuck into the ground. If you provide a picture then folks can provide their suggestions on ways to mount it. An iron leg on a vise helps support the vise, but is not by itself the way the vise is mounted.

Todd, you are very welcome. I am sure that we are all glad that you are feeling better.  Best wishes, and prayers for the health of both you and your lady.

Todd, thank you for your service to our country.  Your service was a great gift to all of us.  It is us that wish to thank you for your much greater gift.  Again, thank *you*.

Todd, there is no need for you to order my book, because the book that I am sending you is the book that I wrote.  So it is the same book, I doubt that you would need two copies. 

Todd, my gift to you should be arriving tomorrow, Wednesday, May 1st. 

The package will contain two hammers, one cross-peen and one straight-peen.  It also contains a book that I feel will be useful to you in your new role as a smith at the museum. 

Todd,

If you provide me with a name and a snail-mail address, using the Private Mail (PM) feature of this forum, I will send you this hammer as a gift.

It does not need to be your name and address if that is not convienient, I can also send it to either your director or your case manager, if that works better for you.

Dave E.

OCMULGEE BLACKSMITH GUILD

Website: www.ocmulgeeblacksmiths.org/

President
Jim Archambault
1093 Country Road 229
Social Circle , GA 30025 USA
eliteironworksinc@gmail.com
678-409-0668

Secretary
Ed Ferguson
102 Quigley Lane
Meansville , GA 30256 USA
eferguson706windstream.net
 

Brian, I used to know which diagram is from which reference book, but I have not used that information for a while and it fell out of the other ear.  The French forges are interesting, it all depends on which army your equipment is to identify with.  

A colonial wheeled army forge looks to be a lot simpler to construct compaired to one from the American Civil War.  My plan is to have my U.S. mid-1800s Traveling Forge at the Civil War living history event taking place at the Carroll County Farm Musuem in Westminster Maryland on the weeked of May 4th. https://www.facebook.com/groups/140809319247/

http://www.bgcmonline.org/

This drawing might help.  Different countries and time periods had different flavors of wheeled army forges.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=511722385541509&set=a.150648381648913.25347.146477635399321&type=3&theater

So if I understand correctly, a person without a VIP membership might be prevented from posting images and/or PMs that help answer people's questions.  :lol:

Video of smith standing in a hole, so as to work at a forge and stake anvil at the same level as the floor.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=611265745569845&set=o.95321780758&type=2&theater