unkle spike

Tennessee is a big state, please be a little more specific and I may be able to help you.

I have a Harbor Freight 4 1/2" bandsaw that I have had for 6 years with no problems. You either love them or hate them, take time to adjust the tracking wheels and the top blade pulley angle and they run pretty good. Also buy GOOD blades for them, I buy the olson brand at Tractor Supply. I just bought one of these saws off craigslist for $50, the owner said the blade came off all the time, I adjusted it and it runs like a champ. Attached is a pic of the table I made for freehand cutting, it clamps in the vice, and uses one of the existing screws to attach it.

I am just glad Frosty is here to make fun of.... :D

Thinking he can go cut down trees willy nilly and they won't fight back at some point?

Being a curmudgeon starts with being cantankerous. I can't be a curmudgeon because I just ignore questions of the above type. I know that you craftsman of the knife persuasion can't help but cringe at some of the stuff posted by "newbieblademasters"....

I have a charcoal grill thermometer in my overhead hood at eye level, I see it around 400F sometimes, most times it is around 300 degrees during active forging.

The "men's room" for my shop is out back. The other day I was out back and I noticed a rusted spot, which poked right through when I poked it with my finger..... I have an over head hood, with about a 3 foot horizontal leg, a 90 degree elbow and a 15 foot up leg, with a cap. The whole chimney is 12 inch heat and air duct. It has been up around 5 or 6 years. I bought a new elbow at Home Depot, which was $8.95 and when I pulled the old one out I found that the elbow was half full of soot that had settled in it. I scraped it all out and it really draws now.

I have a Hobart 180 220v that works really, really well, they replaced it with the 187 which has 7 power settings versus 4 that mine has. It is made by Illinois Tool Works, which is Miller's parent company. Good welder without the blue price. I bought mine on Ebay from a local seller for $500, the gas tank is the killer. I bought mine at Tractor Supply, for a "number 3" which is about 3' high it was $215 but I own it, and they are open 7 days a week, a tank lasts me nearly a year. Most gas suppliers are only open M-F and some on Saturday. My welding is mostly short beads on 1/8" material, which this machine is suited well for. In my opinion, if you are a full time welder buy the Miller, if you are a hobbyist like me, the Hobart is an economical option. Seeing as it uses Miller's common consumables, getting parts for the guns and other parts are readily available.

I have concrete, the bags are expensive. I poured mine in thirds, so on the last 2 thirds I used Portland Cement + Gravel, much cheaper and for a floor you are not going to drive heavy vehicles on it is fine. I believe the ratio is 5 to 1 for gravel and portland, just be sure and get what we call "crush run" here, it has enough fine stuff so you don't need to add sand.

I got 12" at Home Depot when I did mine a few years back....and I have an overhead hood, and if I had it to do again I would build a side draft, I have used them, and they work much better.

30 cents a pound at the local reseller of metal. Not really a scrap yard, more a surplus steel place. I took my scrap in last time, was small pieces of what not. They gave me 2 cents a pound on that. Well at least it is out of my way.

Adver Bot is pretty non invasive to some I have seen. Some sites have those annoying flyout ads, and such. I am fine with it. When something bad happens we can blame it on Adbot. Let's give him a "real" name, Lector, or something else?

May your family find peace in this time of grief. Take care

http://www.tractorsupply.com/home-improvement/heating/fireplace-accessories/firebrick-9-in--3112783 Price seems high, may only be online, check at the local store.

See if Tractor Supply has any firebrick, I got mine there, they are the ones they use in wood stoves, 1" X 4" X 9" I think, I put them on mine, and they are holding up fine.

I do a few a year, and don't sell a whole lot, but it is fun from a demo point of view. I try to engage the crowd, and do small projects that can be finished in under 10 minutes. It amazes me how people will stand for an hour just to watch a blacksmith work. At craft shows it gives the husbands a manly thing to do if you are doing a live demo. I occasionally pick up a custom on site hook or thing to make. As far as business cards, keep them out of reach, here they will grab them just to grab them. I went through a BUNCH at one demo, with no calls of course. If the need one, they will ask, and then you can engage them in conversation about what they had in mind.

I have made them from various sized stock mostly small stuff. When you do the point, don't draw it out very far, it should be a pretty blunt point but a point none the less. When you do your fullering behind the point, the closer you keep it to the point, the shorter and wider the leaf will be. If your leaves are too narrow, you can upset the stock first so you have more to work with.

Very nice work as usual Jeremy, I really like the spiral handles. The finished piece almost looks surreal....

Pick up tongs are general purpose for removing things from the fire, or believe it or not picking things up from the floor. "Working" tongs are generally used for a specific type of stock, round, square, flatbar etc. As you progress you will find that some parts need special tongs, and you can make them as needed. Best of luck to you, jump in here any time. I am originally from Appleton, so say hi to all my friends for me.

I too am a hobbyist, and can always find a project floating around in my head to work on. If all else fails make tools, you can always use more tools.

Doors closed is kind of a misnomer in my shop, the door has 1/2" gaps or better between the boards, and I have a forced air fan bringing in huge amounts of air. I know each shop is different, and what works for me may not be suitable or safe for someone else's shop.

Show us some pics of the anvil to be repaired, we can help more from what kind of damage is there.

Custom Leather Drive Belts-Single-ply (11/64''), up to 4'' wide I got one from here, great place to deal with and very affordable. He even gives a lifetime lenghtening/shortening with them. Tell Joe that you heard about him from Iforgeiron.

Jessie, What decision did you come to on a hammer?

I use a standup kerosene heater, not one of the jet engine types. It heats the shop from 30 to 70 in about a half hour, then I can turn it on low. I use around 1/2 gallon to a gallon a day. Last Saturday I had to run it all day on low, and it used 3/4 of a tank. Once I start the coal forge of course I don't need it. I like it because with Kerosene, you know what you get, but at $3.49 per gallon it isn't cheap. Costs around $20 per month for weekend forging. My shop leaks air pretty well so Co2 isn't too big of a concern, I am in and out enough for a good air exchange.