FreedomForge

Hi guys, I just bought a Columbian and the horn has a flat tip. The guy said it must have broke but it looks like an intentional modification to me. I remember reading in a post some time ago someone giving an explanation for why this was done but can't find it. If anyone has the answer I'd appreciate it. Also there is a P on the one side any idea what that indicates? I'll work on better pictures. Tony

Freedom Forge is something I came up with on the spot. Freedom has always been the most important thing to me. It is what makes everything else possible. Just watch Braveheart. It is so important that it is tattooed on the inside of my arm. (Something I did while serving in Japan) I always thought there was a lot of power in that one word.

Arm and Hammer has a Caplet depression for sure because I have one. Trenton also I believe had them. Not 100% on that. Look close on the front foot for numbers. Wire brush and flour help with reading sometimes. I just looked at your pictures again and I think I can see the Arm and Hammer logo in the first picture. (right in the wet area). In the picture look just to the right of the 4th and 5th white mark down.

I agree. But at the same time it sure is nice to have one you made. For me it is all part of the fun. Here is a picture of one I built not to long ago. There are things I would do different now but over all it has worked well. Most of my changes would raise the investment total. Total cost was about 35 bucks. Its a 20# propane tank. The cut off top became the foot and I opened a back door for passing long stock. I sort of came up with it on the fly with what I had. The burner is homemade as well. If that is what troubles you just buy the burner. It is a pretty simple setup. I would also look into a brick setup. Even easier.

Not bad at all. I also have been on the hunt for the last year or so in Montana. They come up at auctions here and sell for cheap but not cheap enough for me. It does pay to be Patient. Just this week I finally found a Victor set-up with two full 80CF tanks. He said another guy would give $150 but wasn't able to make it until the weekend. Just so happened that I was off work that day and picked them up for $125! Cash. He dropped the price since I showed up within the hour cash in hand. Only thing It needed was a new hose.( The one he was using was very questionable). Boy I love getting a deal.

Thanks for the info. I'm sure changing the tip would help. I would feel better anyways.

I've been making some different things lately that i don't want to leave raw or cover in paint so I have been heating different colors in. I have been using a propane torch with mixed reviews. I have an OA torch with only a cutting tip and that was a fail. I only covered it in soot. What am I doing wrong? My first guess is that I need a rosebud tip. Is it worth burning the torch or should I stick with the propane and stop fighting the learning curve? Any other tips would be helpful. I have seen other guys get some great colors up that are very bright mine are there but dont stand out like I would like. Would it help to polish it up first? Most of the art is with old horseshoes. They are clean but not shining. Also if anyone has pictures that would be great. I would love to get some ideas. Thanks, Tony

Only a goatee these days. In a past life I was a forester in Idaho and Montana and a beard was part of the job. I would stop trimming at the start of hunting season and not start again until after Easter.

When I was about 10 my dad brought home an old golf cart from a job he was working on. It was my little project to work on. One day the shift lever broke on it. He didn't weld but my grandfather had worked briefly as a welder in Cleveland after WWII and had an old buzz box. He showed me how it all worked then tacked the shifter lever on. Flipped his hood up and said here you can do the rest. I learned the rest on my own. I bought a MIG after I got out of the Marines and started messing around with it. My grandfather is gone now but that buzz box is still in my shop. It followed me from Ohio to Montana. (A side note) That day I also learned about vise grips. My grandfather was showing me how to line up the two parts for the weld and accidently pinched that part of your hand between your thumb and index finger. he pulled his hand back and ripped all of that skin off. Without saying a word he wrapped a rag on it, put it in a glove and went on with his talk. That was when I learned about what makes a man a man.

I don't hear much about Arm and Hammers. But I love it. It didn't look as nice when I got it. My dad didn't know what he was looking at so he went to look at it and took a few pictures for me. The next day I sent him back with the 250 bucks the guy wanted. Worth every penny to me. I cleaned the old blue paint off and rubbed a bit of oil on it. Here is what it did looked like when I got it.

Thanks.

My dad found this anvil for me a month ago in Ohio. By luck I got it delivered to Montana for free. I cleaned it up and it's an Arm and Hammer. I know only what I was able to Google about it. Any help would be great. If someone with a book could date it for me that would be super. The numbers on the foot are; 48041 and 262. It feels every bit of 262 lbs. Also there was a plate riveted onto the side. Any idea what it said? I know that sometimes it was the tag of the distributor. Here are a few pictures.