David Einhorn

There are almost always several post vises for sale on EBay. These vises also show up at yearly blacksmithing events as well as periodically at blacksmithing guild monthly meetings.

I would be really nice if someone was to post the ultimate detailed explanation, with photos, of how to properly manage a coal fire so that smoke is minimized. I am pretty sure that my brief explanation is not sufficient. For years I knew the theory, but it all did not come together until I was working a coal fire at a Damascus/paternwelding knifemaking course, and I started maintaining a proper fire by moving the coke walls inwards as the center burned out, moved the coal inwards from the sides, added new coal only at the outer edges, and used water to control the burn outside the forge welding area. To survive the course this was the only way to keep the fire at forge-welding quality and temperature all day. On one hand I felt stupid for doing it the wrong way for so long, on the other hand I was glad that I finally understood how to maintain a forge-welding fire that allowed me to do in about an hour that would have, in the past, taken me days to accomplish with a coal fire.

My Avatar next to my forum name is a Civil War era military Traveling Forge that I am currently working on the wheels for. I appreciate the input, but military forges of military units did not make the rounds to help farmers. The question focuses on civilian smiths during the mid 1800s. Can we find documentation that smiths during the mid-1800s in the U.S. traveled around to farms or did farmers always and/or normally take their business to their local blacksmith shop? Personally I can not imagine a smith tapping out secret messages, especially a military smith. Those that forget the lessons of history are destined to repeat it.... or something like that.

Thank you for posting the information.

You can reduce the smoke by adding coal on the sides of the fire, and gradually moving the coal inwards so that it burns off the volatiles and cokes as it moves inwards. Massive amounts of smoke result by not properly maintaining the fire, letting the fire burn uncontrolled and then dumping green coal into the center of the fire.

Yes, no other options, you must have a regulator and pressure-gauge.

The above people have provided excellent information. A first step is to look around at what various people are doing and decide what area of blacksmithing you are aiming to do. Then you can find out how other smiths gained the skills and business understanding to become a professional in that area of blacksmithing.

Thank you guys, I appreciate all input about 1860s era smiths on the topic as described above. Yes, I realize that with the invention of the automobile, the decreased need for smiths forced farriers to travel from farm to farm. However, the question is about the *1860s*, which was before that happened. By presenting the question to the knowledge base represented by this forum, I feel that if any valid documents exist someone here would have come across them. I just hope that enough people read and ponder the question so that if any document does exist, that that document would be brought to our attention.

One local tour guide is now telling people that blacksmiths during the War Between the States (in the U.S.A) would regularly travel from farm to farm. The story goes that some of these blacksmiths would, as part of the underground railroad, tap out secret messages while working to let escaped slaves know where to go safely for assistance, in case any escaped slaves happened to be listening. In my life I have never read about blacksmiths making rounds of farms. My understanding has been that blacksmith shops were plentiful and that people usually took their business to those shops. Giving the tour guide the benefit of the doubt, perhaps she can not distinguish tinkers from smiths. Even then, the idea of a secret code that escaped slaves and smiths could have memorized in case an escaped slave comes across a roving smith who is one of those that knows the tap tap code sounds silly. Years ago I passed a Morse Code exam for a Technician Class FCC license, and I had to study hard for months for that. Personally I can not imagine memorizing something that difficult on the unlikely coincidence of coming across someone who also knows the code. Has anyone come across documentation of smiths taking traveling forges from farm to farm, making regular rounds, during the Civil War? I am not asking for word of mouth references, but documents that have some authority to them.

It depends what you are trying to accomplish. Some smiths, when they want to forge hooks with lag bolts on the other end, purchase unplated lag bolts and re-forge the end that is not pointy into a hook. Hardware without plating/heavy metal can be acquired from fastener makers such as Fastenal.com. A photograph or description of the finished product would make providing appropriate information much easier.

It looks great! At the bottom of your spring you might want to put little bends in the two corners, towards the vise, so that there are little ears to help keep the bottom of the spring in place.

I agree with Neal. A good way to start is to join your local blacksmithing guild and take a weekend course or seminar if possible.

I would say that whether a hammer is sufficiently finished for use depends on the opinion of the smith. At one guild meeting about 10 years ago, a vendor selling Peddinghaus Swedish Pattern Hammers showed up on the same day as a knifemaker. After the demonstration lines formed. First smiths would buy a Peddinghous hammer, then they would go over to one of the knifemaker's sander/grinders and reshape the heads. Nol Putnam used to give demonstrations on reshaping the heads of hammers. He would take off the handle and reforge the hammer to be more domed at the ends, and would ease and round the edges of each end, thus giving them a few of the features now found in Hofi hammers. Often a hammer, that is not a Hofi hammer, can benefit from at least having the edges and corners refinished so that the hammer is less likely to leave marks in the surface that is being forged. Corners should be removed, and the face of the hammer should transition into the sides without angles and flat surfaces. The corners look very sharp and unfinished to me also! For the few extra dollar I would purchase a Hofi hammer instead. The Habermann hammer looks unusable to me, and looks difficult to fix it so it will not leave marks. But that is just my opinion and forging preference. I hope that helps, but seeing is the best way to get the idea.

I suggest going to: [ABANA] The Suppliers Search Type the word Anvil in the search box and be prepared for a sizable list of anvil suppliers. If you go to enough blacksmith guild meetings and yearly conferences, anvils tend to show up for sale at these events also. Or find a relative that is into blacksmithing. I gave one of my nephews a beginners kit a few years ago that included, a 100lb anvil with a hardie, two pairs of tongs, the book "Edge of the Anvil", a sizable notebook full of information including how to build forges, and a one year membership in his local guild. No, I will not adopt any of you guys.

One guild member made a long spoon. If I remember correctly it was for applying flux to forge welds. It would be interesting to make: a back-scratcher, book-mark, ;-)

With minimal tools as your criteria, --- your choices with full rectangular tang are to use nails or short pieces of soft iron, brass or copper to rivet them on, or to glue the two slab pieces on --- you choices with hidden tapered tang is to friction fit and/or glue --- your choices with full-length long thin tang is to thread and screw on an end nut, or to rivet on an end nut by hammering/fullering the end of the tang over the nut.

One method is a tapered tang driven into a hole drilled partway into the handle from one end. If necessary you can forge a drill bit type point on the end of a metal rod and use that to drill the hole in the handle.

I found some plans for a cider press at Mother Earth News web site by Googling on cider press: How to Build a Cider Press Their plans call for a threaded rod at least 22" long.

All Thread Rod is available at least up to 2 inches diameter. Can that be used as a screw for a cider press? We have apple trees and a press would be very handy. All Thread Rod | Portland Bolt

As a first hammer I recommend a cross-peen or "blacksmith" hammer from Sears. A decent American style hammer that is very functional and durable.

There is a compromise between the two. A couple of web sites sell complete burners that you can insert into a shell that you made. For example, if you can weld feet onto a piece of pipe, and weld short pieces of smaller pipe to the top for the burners to insert into, and line the inside with insulation (also sold on those sites) you could consider making the forge's shell and purchase the other stuff from sites that cater to people making their own gas forges. So this is another option to consider.

coal and propane

I agree with Joseph about multiple fuels. Propane in the shop and coal when demonstrating.

Here is an old "semi-portable" Buffalo forge with its original fire pot. I humbly feel that it is a good example of a basic forge. The forge surface is about 24" square allowing coal to be moved in from the sides as the coal cokes. Note that both the firepot and the sides of the forge have indentations that allow iron to pass through the forge and over the firepot. The Civil War era Traveling Forge above also has that cutout in the side to poke iron into the hot spot while having sides that reduce how much coal falls on the ground. Coal has a tendency to fall out of these cut-outs. Flat tables are great, I have seen a couple of very nice ones at museums. However, they had surfaces large enough to enable the coal to stay on the forge. Still with this forge as with other forges with firepots, the hot area is in practicality limited to the length of the firepot. If you want long heated areas, then you will likely need multiple air sources such as a pipe along the bottom with multiple openings. The sides of the forge are there to simply reduce how much coal falls onto the floor. I hope that answers your question.

That is interesting. The "Mythbusters" did an episode on television where they looked at the layers of Aluminum paint and the layers of Iron based paint that was applied to the Hindenburg to see if together they could have formed into Thermite and been part of the cause of the Hindenburg burning so quickly. If I remember correctly, the answer was... possibly. I wonder how aluminum paint would interact with rust-dust in a shop environment. Hopefully better minds than mine could enlighten me.