Ridgewayforge

If you take this and make a nice charcoal fire in it, it should work. Also, metal pipe is a definate must. On top of the forge you could put a large half-stump, which would give extra heat and reflect it down. All in all, good design though! a 22 pound anvil will work, but is not ideal. If it costs less and helps you though, I say go for it. You can always save up for the heavier one later!

That cleaned up really nicely! That's a good piece and you'll loook with pride on that for many years to come!

Here's what I did with the hardy hole. It's only draped about 1 1/2 " off the log, so its fairly sturdy. And if it breaks, I won't sweat it. I've always got a few more baseplates that I can use.


And here it is, all come together and rather useful! I really appreciate all of the advice that you all gave me, I always enjoy learning more about this craft!

That's a solid build! I like the creativity!

I don't know if this piece was ever used, I think it may have been cut off of new rail when they put it in. I tried it out yesterday, worked like a charm! It had considerable advantage to just the baseplate, which I was previously using.

As to the hardy-hole, I figure it'll work well enough- if it breaks I've got two more baseplates I can use!

And Ciladog, I respectfully disagree! :) I put minimal amount of effort into this, and already I'm reaping some great benefits!

Here is what I've got, pre-spiked down.


And some more detail on the plate.



Now, do you think it would work if I left one of the holes hang over the edge of the log to serve as a Hardy Hole?

With a waterbucket full of charcoal, watch that it doesn't turn the water into Lye. It burns really bad! (don't ask me how I know that! <_< )

Well, so far I've only tried noodles. (a manu of ramen and spaghetti on a recent camping trip). They are a tad bit far apart for meatballs, but they work well as my first pair. If I do it again I'm going to work on making the tines symetrical, the shaft shorter and the gap smaller. I tried the steel block on these, but it was an experiment as I didn't know how far apart I wanted them. Thanks for the constructive criticism!

My first substantial blacksmithing project, a forged fork!

I flattened out one end and cut it with a hacksaw, then I formed the tines and finished the tail end with the twist.

Also a hook I made, I'm rather pleased with them both. Please let me know how I can make these better!

~Ridgeway Forge

Well, brand new they're about $4 or more per pound. So for a used one, depending on the condition, $2 is a steal. $3 is a bit pricey. So, check out the anvil, make sure the face is smooth. Just browse the anvil section for more info.

Nice! I'll probably get around to making one of these once I get the gumption (and a pair of bigger tongs).
That looks swell!

Thanks Glenn, I'd stick it in the ground, but its only 7 inches long. :unsure:
Right now I think I'm going to clamp it to a railroad baseplate 1/2" thick. That should give it a bit more mass.

Thanks! I'll use it right away then! The face is in remarkably good shape- all brown but no pitting!

Before I put my little 35 pound railroad track anvil through its paces, I wanted to know whether it would be adventageous to harden it first. Its an old piece with a fair amount of rust on it.
Should I get it cherry red and quench before use? Thanks!
~Ridgewayforge

That's a nice piece of work! That'll serve you well for as long as you need it.
I really like how well it was shaped- good design!

Its a little hard to see from the picture. Can you give us a few more? But if its free and metal I say it can be good for SOMEthing.

I don't know who made it, but its a beauty, that's for sure! Good score!

That's a good looking forge! Is there a firepot to it, or did you skip that altogether?
Whoever said bigger is better....heh! Good work!

Rider, are you using an electric or opting for a hand-crank blower? personally I would go with the hand-crank. It gives better control. But as for electric, a 115 Volt or a 1/2 horsepower blower would work. OR you could do what I'm doing and trying to build your own hand-crank blower. Just a few options. And yes, my appologies. I should have done the conversions. My figures are in inches.

That's about how big the commercially produced firepots are. Plate steel no less than 1/4 " thick would work, although if you're doing lots of forging or using coke I would go with a miniumum thickness of 1/2". The thicker it is, the longer it will hold up under intense heat.

Welcome! That stuff doesn't make ME bored! Where in Ohio are you?
your tongs don't need to look like a model as long as they work- that's what makes them beautiful. I really like that you're not just into bladesmithing, too. I like the fork! All of your work is really well done! I can't wait to hear more about your smithing! keep us posted!

Thanks for all the replies. I'll get a fire going and try it out once it drys up out there.

That'll work fine for starter work. Anything hard to hit on. Now, it won't be ideal once you get into doing more intricate and larger pieces, but for now just make do with what you've got. Get a feel for the metalworking, then invest more money into it if you can.

Forgive this if it was already answered somewhere, I looked but could not find it.

The other day I got roughly 60 lbs of coal for free. I was ecstatic, especially becuase it is in pea sized pieces. However, I was pondering whether this would be good smithing coal or not. It came from an old townhouse basement, originally used in a coal furnace. I'm guessing that since it was in the city it is low sulfur and generally clean burning. Does anyone know whether this would be good or not?

Hey, that ain't a bad looking knife, or cheese for that matter!