JaredM

This is my first post and I haven't made an introduction at all. I'm not a troll or looking to sell anything. However, I spotted a Peter Wright anvil in a junk store in Boerne, TX on Saturday and I thought that y'all would like to know about it. The man said that it weighed 158 lb. It did have 119 stamped on it(I think), but I don't remember how to read the weights. He wanted 400 for it, but he might be able to be talked down a little bit. I'm green to smithing and I didn't speak much to him about it. He probably thought I was going to make it some kind of decoration. I don't have that kind of cash right now so I can't purchase. But I wanted y'all to know about it. The anvil was in pretty good shape, the edges may have been chipped a little. The man may have a great past with the anvil, but I didn't have time to talk with him. Jared

Hello, I'm a complete rookie to all of this, so I know that I need to do a lot of research before I start anything. But I did have a question. Is there any blueprints on tang handles? I'm interested in trying one out, only after I do a whole lot more research on knife making. I just haven't seen much on tang handles. Thanks, Jared

Thanks for the help folks, getting time to scrounge up the materials is going to be the key. I do travel into San Antonio quite a bit, and I found that the Northern in San Antonio carries the fire brick that Candid was talking about. I may go with that and build a steel frame to hold the brick. Thanks for all the help. By the way, one of the first projects I make after my hangers is a cold chisel. I don't have one, and I have really needed one. I hate having to drag out the oxy/ace to make a small cut, when a cold chisel and a couple of good hits would take care of it. Or grinding it apart. To loud with a new baby that has a hard enough time sleeping when it is quiet.

No, everyone here is very helpful in their responses, I apologize for coming across so blunt. I have a 7 week old daughter, so I'm tired. I noticed that alot of first posts have started with "how do I get started", or "I need to know everything right now". I don't expect to learn how to forge by asking questions on the internet, without some form of prior knowledge. I read alot, so I will search through the blueprints again to see if I can find the ammo can forge. The problem is I don't have a way of getting any kind of refractory, so I wanted to try the clay. I did find a place to get some, but it is on the far side of San Antonio, and I don't have the time to chase the parts down. I can't even find fireplace mortar, or fire bricks within a 50 mile radius, much less kao wool. I'll keep looking. Thanks for your help!

Hello Everyone, Before ya'll ask, I have read through most of the blue prints, my first project isn't going to be a knife, and I'm not anywhere close to getting started. I am pretty experienced in welding with SMAW and GMAW and I feel like I'm pretty handy in woodworking and carpentry. I'm a shop teacher by profession, so I feel pretty comfortable in shop settings. I do have one question though, can I use the same clay mixture that Tim Lively uses in his charcoal forge for a propane forge? Maybe even one of those ammunition can forges. I think the problem might be getting the clay to stick to the top. I'm not looking for a real big forge at all. I know once I do get started, I will get ambitious and try something I can't handle and get frustrated. So I really want to start small. I really like the beam hooks and would like to make them for gifts, also the coat hangers that can be screwed into the wall. I'm not going to ask a million different questions right now. I'm reading everything I can get my hands on, and I'm going to read all that again. Sorry to be so chatty, really like being on here and learning.