larrynjr

Welcome to the IFI, glad to have you here.

I'd like to see pictures of some of the mounts that people have made for their saws.

Very nice! Now is this the shop where you work or in your own shop?

It takes lots of practice to get consistant results for making tongs, making anything for that matter. My instructor's take on it, was to make 50 copies of whatever you are making, throw away the first 45 and make 50 more based on the best 5 of the first batch. Repeat. Once you've done this about 5000 times you can consider that item mastered. Repeat the process for everything you want make in a consistant manner.

About 30 more and I'll have my first 50 tongs made!

It is quite possibly that it is forged steel or at least cast. One of the items I picked up at the scrap yard last visit was a large hook, it has the words; Forged in USA, right on the side of the hook.

I think your 1000# + crane hook would make a great anvil substitute.

propane forges do not have to be very fancy to get up to a welding heat. All the forges at Jerry Culberson's shop are built on this style and he does a lot of forge welding. Here is a picture of the forge I used while I was there and he used that forge in this picture of him welding a collar for a chisel handle.

Inside are one or more fire bricks and a refractory blanket, outside is just firebricks. Gas supply a simple copper tube and a hair dryer for air supply. My forge is based on this design also. It can be used for multiple smiths to heat stock front and back or pass a long piece through to heat the middle.

It's called a blood groove. It's not so much to allow the blood to pour out but to keep the sword from getting stuck inside the body. (i.e. quick removal so you can stick the next guy!)

Thanks everyone, that's what I was wanting to hear. I check on the blade size and make sure I can get them readily before commiting to the N.T. brand saw. I liked the Milwaukee brand one but it cost as much as a table type band saw.

Not that I'm any help in IDing an anvil but it's harder to tell given the size of the image. Got one that is larger?

Sorry, just went to your gallery page and saw the larger size picture.

Again I'm no kind of expert but to me it looks almost cast iron and not cast steel.

Does anyone use this type of band saw? What are some of the drawbacks to a hand held type compared to any other type? I was considering buying this one from Northern Tool
Northern Industrial Portable Band Saw
but wanted some second opinions.

Thanks Larry

Jimmy, I'm glad you found the tong progression picture useful. It's been invaluable to me.

I've have also experienced the wrist tiredness that you mention, I think part of it is not being used to the weight but a larger part is overgripping the handle. Hofi recommends in his BP BP1002 Hofi Hammer Technique*-*I Forge Iron - Blacksmithing and Metalworking to hold the hammer very loosely, to the point it's almost going to fly out of your hand as you swing it. As I'm still nursing my neck back to heath, I haven't been able to try that technique but plan to as soon as I can hammer again.

Sorry Colleen, I didn't mean to hijack your post and turn it to one about kilts. If I do end up getting one of the kilt variations it won't bother me if it's hemmed. No one but a true Scot would know the difference anyhow!

Returning your post to topic though, I'll have to pass on trying to forge a thistle till after my neck gets better. I'm thinking even when that happens any attempt I make will be pretty ugly creation indeed. For now I'll leave it to better smiths than I to show their craft.

Can't wait to see the pictures! Are you taking pictures as you go?

If making them into smaller hand hammers doesn't work out, you might be able to turn them into hardie tools.

I like the price of Amerikilts much better than what Utilikilts wants for theirs. Seems like a lot of money for something to wear. I've big bucks for cold weather gear but not for something that is mostly a fashion statement. I like the additional pockets that utilkilt offers but not for $250 +. $98 for Amerikilts is much more reasonable.

An 8# hand hammer seems very heavy to me. But with my shoulder / neck problems, my 2# seems heavy at times!

Are any of you familiar with these?

UTILIKILTS : American Made Utility Kilts for Everyday Wear

I don't have one but they look very interesting. Humorous opening video too!

great looking whale, Sam. Keep it up.

Happy Birthday, keep on hammering!

Those are some great shots of the weekend build Chris, thanks for sharing those!

My wife calls this the blacksmith porn site. Why look at naked people when there is some much bare steel in the world?

Got the results back from my MRI today. There is definately some bulging in the C4 area and some inflammation in the nerve roots of C5. The doc thinks that PT would be the way to start. I thought that going to get an opinion from a neuro-surgeon would be a good thing as well. So tomorrow I start PT and I should get a call from the NS hopefully by next week.

Overall the pain is down from last week but still taking it's time and I really want to get this taken care of once and for all.

Thank you all, I feel like I should know something now........................... nope! Still learning!

On to the next thing.

I know it's lame but I wanted to celebrate my 100th post and first entry as a "senior member"

Talk about your Senior Moments!

...............,Asylum Street Spankers,

Do you listen to the Bob and Tom show? I used to but the local station changed formats and now have no way to listen locally. Haven't shelled out the $$ to download directly from them.