EricS

I haven't welded the barrel yet but I will be using my mig

I have been wanting to build a retort for some time.So today I stopped by the scrap yard and picked up some pieces of 4" and 6" pipe and I bought a 4x6 concentric sch 40 reducer from a supplier. I cut my interior barrel and welded up the pipe. I'm following Ian's design. Don't laugh at my rookie welds. So far I have a total of $56.00 into it and I don't think I need to buy anything else. Thanks for looking, EricS

Daniel I also live in the piedmont area and would love to attend a smelt . Can you send me some contact info to attend If they are on the area? Thanks, Eric

We'll I'm cleaning up the shop and heading to the scrap yard. Not a huge haul about 700-800 lbs. It was neat to see all the years mistakes (read learning experiences) in the bottom of the pile. Another year gone by and looking forward to seeing the progress found on next years scrap pile, hopefully not as much as this past years. I hope your mistake piles are smaller and everyone has a great new year! Eric S

Inter Library Loan

There is a meeting this Sunday at Steve Barringers shop give him a call his # is on the NCABANA site

My wife brought home a book from work that a older customer had brought in to give to me. It's a small illustrated paperback back called A Museum of Early American Tools by Eric Sloan. It has some great examples for those of you who like to forge hand tools. Just figure I'd pass it along. Eric S

@ Yahoo2 I was looking through a book I had and seen a tool that resbles your root cutter. It's not Austrailan but early American

I personally would make hardies to fit the anvil and if and when you sell it, sell the hardies along with it make some extra money and have fun making more tools!

Vaughn, I thought our relationship was stronger than these material things. LOL ! I can't wait to get her to work.

Here are some pics my uncle sent me.

NJ Did Fisher keep production records as to the quantity of anvils produced?

This anvil will definaly be the center piece of my shop. I passed up a Fisher 200# not to long ago for $650 it was a little more than i wanted to pay. Then this anvil came along at $550, not the $1 per pound we all want but a fair price at that. Im pretty excited to get it to my place asap. Do you guys think that its just a casting flaw in the horn, where the steel meet the casting? I have not personally seen the anvil yet.

I just bought this 250 pounder. its not in my possesion yet, its coming from NW PA. via my uncle this holiday season. It looks to be in good shape. I just have to clean up the rust a bit. Ill be meeting him in VA at my cousins house and dropping off a loner anvil I have from Mike Tanner.

Columbian

He is my first go at a Brazeal style crane. This will be part of a framed piece with some cattails and reeds. I definately need work on my forged finish.

Harris, I just forged a hammer eye drigt this morning from a 1 1/4" hex jack hammer bit. It took about 3 hrs on a 100# anvil and a 3lb hammer over the horn on a very. Solid tripod stand. The drift taper is 14" long and 3/8" x 3/16 at the tip 1 1/4 x 7/8 at the top. Its pretty ruff on the arm but I didn't want to swing a 6# hammer on the horn of my anvil. Good luck Eric S

Just give them a call they are glad to help.

This is local for me but there main business is online PPC Specialty Metals Inc. www.toolsteel-specialtymetals.com They will sell any size you want with no cut charge Hope this helps Eric

Thanks for the comments.I ended up forging it round as Alec suggested and it worked great.I was able to get the depth I wanted.Here are a few pics. My striking anvil I built a couple of months back is now on a 42" x 42" x 6" pad. I have to have it outside because my shop is only 8' x 16' with 8' cielings.The anvil is only about 6' from the forge. The only trouble is seeing the color at the end of the heat.

Dave, thanks for the tutorial and mostly the lessons learned. I see a flatter or 2 in my future along with a custom upsetting anvil.

Chris, they came out really nice. What size material did you start with?

Alec, this is for a rounding hammer I am making the tools needed(slowly). Thanks for the advice.

I made this rounding hammer cupping tool this AM. It took about 2hours by myself. It was made from 1 1/2 scrap yard axle. It upset a little off center and is not as deep of a cup as I was wanting I'm thinking of forging to square then octagon then round again to maybe deepen the cup. Right now its about 5/16 deep.I used a 1 7/8 ball hitch to form the cup it was a little small for the shape I was shooting for. If any thing it will get me to make a cupping tool top swage that can be ground to the profile I want and then I can make a new cupping tool.let me know what you think good or bad. Eric

Thanks for the comments. I see plenty of room for improvement. My next top tool will be a hammer eye punch made from some 1" 4140 I just received from Dave Custer. I can see where centering the struck end with the cheeks will reduce the amount of work and produce a crisper(if that's a word) looking tool.