David Einhorn

You can also tack-weld a short length of pipe or a custom-sized ring to a mounting and then sink the bowl into the opening.

Around here a 6" vise at about 100 pounds tends to go for between $250 and $300. An 8 inch 200 pound vise just went on EBay for $600. So I figure $250 to $350 for a 7" vise would be a bargain. Prices have significantly gone up on blacksmithing tools with the presence of EBay and the dramatic increase in the number of people doing blacksmithing over the past 10 or so years. About 16 years ago tongs were going for about $4 each and a 5 or 6 inch vise in excellent condition was $40 to $50.

Looks great for just 3 weeks at blacksmithing, good job. A few minor improvements: - Spread the tines and flatten the little slit visible where the tines meet, as it is likely to eventually become a crack. Then return the tines to their finished position. - Remove the hammer marks - Look at how others have transitioned between the handle and the tines, that area will be the focus of people's attention and has the tendency to benefit from graceful shaping - Strive for symmetry and natural flow of the outside lines of the piece. Beauty in iron tends to imitate the grace and flow of nature.

Keep up the good work. Just be careful of the safety of the tourists, and it is also a good idea to learn about what other blacksmiths use a guidelines for when they demonstrate at museums. The Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland has a demonstrator guide that provides information to provide guidance for smiths demonstrating at local museums that you might find useful.

Places like Boulevard Sales, 7205 Washington Blvd, Elkridge, Md 21075 is where I have purchased "drops" from large pieces of pipe. Your other, possibly easier, option is to forge the 12-inch diameter band from a piece of 1/4-inch flat stock. It would take me less time to forge the bands than to acquire the pipe, cut pieces from it with a torch, and finish grind the edges.

Title: The Field Artillery Traveling Forge book No. 61 Author: Captain Albert Mordecai circa 1848 through 1850s Reprinted by Antique Ordnance Publishers This publisher sells a series of books that contain reprinted drawings originally commissioned by the US government for use by government contractors in the construction of army equipment. These books also include additional charts and information reprinted from the Ordnance Manual of 1863 that are of assistance in the construction and use of period Civil War carriage mounted equipment. This particular book is for the blacksmith that is seriously interested in investing the time necessary to build a reproduction Civil War Period Traveling Forge. I believe this book is a bargain for $26.00 plus shipping. I highly recommend acquiring a copy while it is still in print. An early edition of this book has been donated to the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland's guild library. This book is available for sale both directly from Antique Ordnance Publishers, and from some merchants catering to people who reenact Civil War period living history such as the Regimental Quartermaster. The Regimental Quartermaster Location: 49 Steinwehr Ave., Gettysburg, PA 17325 Phone Number: 717-338-1864 Web site address: The Regimental Quartermaster - Civil War Sutler

Thank you for the complement. I am sharing the setup in the hope that others may be able to save some money while having an easy way to change speeds on their sander-grinder. I would be interested in how others may have solved the problem of changing speeds without investing in a VFD device. I have found myself spending too much time over the years figuring out how to make tooling in order to keep blacksmithing affordable.

One important tip is predictability. Whenever possible, keep your work symmetric and straighten the piece before returning it to the fire. Doing this will: 1) speed up the learning process 2) speed up making your pieces 3) build good work habits that will, with time, make your life easier and safer.

Well, the term "pattern welding" may be of interest. My humble understanding is that the term evolved to encompass the modern development of creating visible patterns in steel/iron by different steel/iron materials together.... and to indicate that the process was not done in an area of the world that would properly allow it to be referred by the term Damascus.

I have never come across any books dedicated to the topic of forges. Mostly you are likely to find drawings and references on forges in books on the topics of technology, warfare and history of a period of time.

Well actually if a person moves the coal in from the sides, so that the coal has a chance to coke as it gradually moves towards the center of the forge, there will be very little if any smoke. It is only when a person throws raw coal onto the center of the pile that the volatiles put out a lot of smoke. This is why you need a coal forge that has a table that is at least 2 foot square, so that you can have enough area to control the fire with water, limiting the area that is burning, and gradually move the coal inwards as it cokes to replace the material in the center of the forge that has burned out.

You might try looking at some of these machetes with holes in the ends with handles that are not wood: Jungle Machete - Compare Prices, Reviews and Buy at NexTag - Price - Review

Thrust washer? If a bearing will fit there, then see if you can find a bearing that will fit the space. Otherwise, you might try buying or making a brass washer that could serve to hold the shaft in place and also act as a bearing surface. I am afraid that buffalo forge no longer is in business.

Well, Unicorn is the English translation of my last name. In English my first and last name translates to Beloved Unicorn. So I guess when people call me by my first name they are calling me .....

I built a stand that works well for quick changing the speed for 9 speeds on my KMG grinder. Just lift the motor and move the V-belt. There is a 3/4 inch bolt serving as the pivot in the back, and two springs in the front that reduce the amount of weight on the pulley belt. I sort of imitated the arrangement inside an old Rockwell 20" band-saw I have, and added some modifications of a motor mount arrangement shown in a book by Fine Woodworking Magazine. The multiple holes for the pivot points was recommended by Fine Woodworking Magazine, and was a good idea as it allowed me to find the pivot point that worked best with the rest of the parts. A piece of 3/4" pipe pivots on the bolt, and extra holes on the motor mount and stand allow for adjusting the position of the motor, as well as adding springs and stuff to adjust the tension on the belt. You will also notice the magnetic motor switch at hand level, the bottom shelf for parts, less clutter next to the sander, and a wheel arrangement that allows easy movement of the stand. So far, I am happy with the results.

Depends how many bands you need to make, and if you have an appropriately sized floor mandrel. If you only have a few rings to make, a floor mandrel works well. I recently used a floor mandrel to make 1/2" by 1.5" with 11" inside-diameter wheel hub bands.

Neat anvil. Did you make it?

Well, I've had the blacksmithing habit for over 35 years, but that does not mean that I am addicted to it. I can stop any time I want... but then the voices start coming out of the anvil drawing me back, and I guess my hand picks up a hammer without me knowing it, and the forge ignites itself, and the iron ... the iron keeps .... Ahhhhh!

I've taken a bunch of courses over the years that helped a great deal. If you are young and starting out, finish your art degree, take a bunch of courses and learn as much as you can, then apprentice in some of the premier shops in Europe for a few years.... if you are serious about artistic blacksmithing as a career. Just my opinion.

I have used a brick hammer for regular bricks, I am not sure if fire bricks are much different than regular bricks.

If I remember correctly there is a picture on the Library of Congress web site that shows several wheeled Traveling Forges being used within a building as a long-term blacksmithing military facility.

Very nice.

My Hofi hammers, definitely.

For welding in a coal forge you need a depth of coal that allows an area of the fire to be neutral. Anything less than a 2' by 2' forge with a good large cast-iron firepot just makes your life more difficult.... in my opinion.

The parallel lines strongly indicate it was a file.