HWooldridge

For pure skinning, a curved blade with not much point is best but that same design isn't good for general work around areas you want to cape out. My grandma's brother was a taxidermist and had only a couple of knives to do all his work - one was a "Green River" style skinner and the other was a common, small pen knife. With those two blades, he could peel anything from a sparrow to an elk. He kept a kitchen steel handy and kept the edges in good shape as he worked.

BTW, another uncle was a rancher and made whips as a sideline. He said kangaroo made a great whip although I believe he only ever worked with rawhide. I'd love to have some 'roo hide for a gunbelt but that's another project for a later date.

Don't transport in a closed car trunk and don't transport the acetylene tank in a horizontal position.

I once saw a Peter Wright (2.50 cwt/280 lbs) in a collector's stash, which was little used, if at all - a pristine face with no work marks on it anywhere. It had belonged to a farmer who didn't like smithing so he stowed it in the barn but I also expect he didn't dress it either, so the look was very likely from the factory. The face was flat along L&W and all edges uniformly rounded to maybe 1/8" radius or less. The hardy hole edges were also radiused to about 3/8" to 1/2"r.

I have also seen and used a Hay Budden (350 lbs), which was flat along the length but slightly domed across the face and the edges heavily dressed to a large radius. This anvil was purchased new by a large professional shop around the turn of the century. This local family had 4 boys who all went into the trade in the 1920's and they did a lot of plow work but the bulk was done on a smaller anvil (200 lbs) that eventually developed a sway back. The smaller anvil disappeared but the bigger one was donated to a local historical site along with some period photos and shop inventory records showing property listings for accounting or insurance purposes.

In years past, I think factories offered a service to dress a new anvil the way a smith desired for his particular work. It would be interesting to look at old records and see what different people ordered for their trades.

3/32" is not much over 10 inches but is quite noticeable over a 3 inch area. There is much merit in what both Finn and Thomas are saying but I have to say that I am particular about anvil surfaces and do not like any dip or sway along the length of the face. However, both of my anvils are very slightly crowned across the face and the corners are heavily radiused. In fact, the only place I have a sharp shoulder is back near the heel - the corners near the horn are probably 1" radius and gradually get sharper moving back. I dressed both of my anvils with a 9" grinder and sanding discs so was able to get a surface polished to about 220. They don't stay that way but develop a nice polished patina from use.

Just buy a black oxide, square headed machine bolt.

Quenchcrack,

Don't worry about it - I have a 5/8 thread die and I would have gone to the hardware store to buy a bolt. Too much work to do otherwise.

I have a bigger PW anvil (250) and the plate was about 3/8". It had a bunch of other problems so I replated with a piece of 3/4" spring steel and rehardened. I say this only for a relationship to size and plate thickness. I also have a 100 lb wrought "no-name" with a 5/16" top plate. It's a good anvil with a very hard face.

Anvils were typically plated with the equivalent of plow steel - about 60-85 points C so they should harden deeper than just the surface but they should also get softer as you get closer to the body because that area cooled slower than the material near the surface. I assume your anvil is nice and hard now because if the whole plate is gone (and that has happened more than once from a bad weld) then you are wasting time.

If you have access to a Blanchard and it won't cost much, if anything, then I'd say go for it but you can also do a good job with a big right angle grinder and a cup wheel. Use a straight edge and be patient with the material removal. It will probably take 2-3 hours to do but that might be time well spent.

Everything Irnsgn says but I'd go more on mileage due to gas prices ($.50/mile?) and I'd make sure to take plenty of pre-made products. This type of crowd will probably be impulse buyers so they'll likely never follow up if you don't get the sale right then.

I personally donate what I make during demos to the place where I am working - they can either use it or have an auction. I used to give away everything I made that day to the public but that can cause a couple of problems - one is that they figure the labor is cheap and the end product worth nothing; the other is that some little kid won't get his knick-knack and start complaining.

How much you demo is up to you - but it's very helpful to have a second person to run errands and spell you if need be. Re the stated times, I personally would arrive at 9 and be working by 10, then break for lunch at noon but eat there at the demo site so I can continue to talk to folks, then finish the meal and go until 5. Also bear in mind that you'll kill 2-4 hours just loading and unloading.

Gracias, mi amigo - those are exactly what I needed. Neat design for a traveling coal forge. It looks period and easy to move about. Thanks again.

It's doubtful you will find a law to either allow or condemn working with a forge. If asked, most fire marshals will say 'no' to everything - especially in a big city where there is less leeway to variations in policy. Some years ago, San Antonio banned charcoal BBQ grilles at apartment complexes because a couple of people left them unattended and started structure fires. Now personally, I have grilled meat for almost 40 years on a charcoal cooker and never started an accidental fire so how did these knuckleheads do it? No matter, it happened so the law was passed and would probably apply to forges. However, many of our club members live in San Antonio and work in their garages or yards with no incidents of the fire marshal showing up, so a lot of it boils down to what has already been said - make friends with the neighbors and don't be a nuisance with smoke or noise. It will never be an issue if no one complains but if the Law does show up, be polite and explain the situation because they may say the same thing - be careful and keep the noise to a minimum. The issue of not having an ordinance on the books that addresses forges might work in your favor because you may not be ticketed if no law was broken.

As a safety note, gas is pretty safe but coal sometimes will throw sparks depending on the type and charcoal will usually throw a big shower of embers. A good tall chimney insures they will burn out before getting outside plus it throws the smoke up to a level where it is less objectionable to people at ground level. This is something to consider if you use solid fuel plus making sure every time you work that nothing is around which will start burning if an errant spark lands where you aren't looking.

Be sensible and you should be fine.

Go to a commercial fastener company for black oxide bolts - not Lowe's or Home Depot. It will probably be a high strength bolt but that's OK in your application.

Strine,

You have a pic in the gallery of a smith with a little tricycle style portable forge. Can you tell me what the undercarriage consisted of and the approximate hearth diameter? I can see the wheel, the handles and the feet, but I can't see what the "X"'s are. Could you tell if this thing collapsed or was it a complete fixed assembly?

The reason I ask is that I am planning to design a fairly light, portable forge around a new Centaur 12" round firepot. I am looking for something that looks "old fashioned" since it will be for public demos but sized so I can handle it by myself and wheel it for a distance (like 50-100 yds to get to a site). I can handle more weight but I'd rather keep the whole thing (or components) to less than 50 lbs each. I already have a 100 lb anvil with stand, a 75 lb vise and barrel assembly and a good large blower but it all needs to fit in my truck and be portaged by 'moi' with no more than a two wheel dolly.

I'm looking for ideas so please chime in if you have a good portable design or have seen one.

Thanks,

Hollis

Send a letter to the DA and (without using profanity ) tell them what happened and that you feel this person is a menace and should be prosecuted to the full extent the law allows. Locking her up won't fix her meth problem but it might save someone else for a while.

Glad you are OK - take some "pain medicine" (for me, that's Glenlivet) and get a good nite's rest.

Nolano,

Bob Patrick is one of the best smiths I have seen at forge welding. He takes the two pieces and pushes the scarfs together before picking up the hammer. The parts have a tendency to stick a little and can then be gently hit until they are stuck properly. He also does this without letting them touch the anvil, which sucks the heat out pretty quickly.

You might also try a dot of MIG or stick weld on the side to hold the pieces together before finishing. If it's a good forge weld, the rest of the scarf will close up - if not, it will break apart. After you get used to seeing what a good two-piece weld looks like, you can go to putting separate pieces together.

IMHO, it is a very good firepot and I would not hesitate to buy the forge setup if it's a reasonable price.

A picture would help but if my memory is working properly, I think it was made by Champion. If it's the one I am recalling, it is very heavy wall and has three slots in the bottom with no movable breaker - made for coke. Is that the right description or does it have a clinker ball?

I read an article some years ago about adding glass to iron inside punched holes. The author just crushed beer or soda bottles and put the dust in the hole, then heated it with an O/A torch until it started melting. As it cooled, it would often flake a chip or two, which added to the look.

People have a real short attention span. Do things that are quick and show the end object. Many people make nails but I prefer S-hooks and J-hooks over anything else. I did a big Friedrich cross one time and it took about an hour to make but there was no one around from start to finish. If your buddy is the main demonstrator, watch him and follow his lead. You can also work the fire, get coal, cut stock, etc.

Whether forge welding or not, I am a fanatic about roping off the area because I've had lots of kids come charging up and put their little noses right in the way. If the rope is there, the parents will usually work to keep them behind it - if not, they'll complain that you should have protected little Willie from the mean old hot metal. :?:

In regard to dress, wear whatever is period correct and comfortable. I almost always wear blue jeans, a black T-shirt or blue chambray work shirt, leather work boots, red suspenders and a cap. I have a pair of safety lenses with no correction in an old wire glasses frame so it makes me look the part but is eye-safe at the same time. However, it's funny what people think a smith should look like - I have a friend that works with me at folk craft fairs and he dresses in 18th century clothes with a wide brimmed floppy hat. People invariably go up and start talking to him as the "blacksmith".

Have fun but don't BS anyone - it's amazing who might be in the audience. At the same folk festival where I made the cross, I looked up to see a nationally known smith watching me. Needless to say, my knees started knocking but he graciously stepped up and made a few leaves for the crowd then quietly left. We joked that the recipients never knew what those leaves were really worth... :lol:

The nice thing about welding a guide bar to a grooving tool is that you can quickly and very accurately set the distance between the two, i.e., if the border needs to be 3/8, set the bar to the creaser accordingly and weld it - maybe not pretty but done. I like Ed's version but it probably took longer to make than simply flattening a spike and welding a bar on the side - course, Ed's a pretty fair smith and quick to boot so it'd be a good race...

BTW, I have many pairs of tongs shaped like what Ed shows for holding. All my set tools are approximately the same length and fit in one of three different size tongs - depending on what tool is used. I much prefer this over either punching a hole for a handle or wrapping wire or fullering a groove, etc., etc.

Mesquite is near Dallas (about 4 hours from Houston). I am 3 hours away near San Antonio

HABA's (Houston Artist-Blacksmith Assoc) website would be a good place to start for places and people to go and see.

MD Anderson is an outstanding cancer center - you will be in good hands - best of luck and God bless.

I "think" I remember seeing some reference on Anvilfire to a home made design that everyone liked. I'm sure Jock D. can provide the details.

Thanks to all for the kind words.

I'm nothing if not open minded and was also studying on a collar since there has been some good discussion on fastening methods. I think it would be much more work than a simple rivet because the frame is 1-1/4 and the scroll is 5/16 square (forged from 3/8 round). If I had to do a collar, I believe I'd punch two rectangular holes in the frame and push a separate "U" over the scroll and thru the holes, then fold down the ears in back. Would have to relieve a depression so it would sit against the wall but that would not be too tough.

I'd like to hear other ideas on collaring methods.

No, they are not hardened since all I hit is hot steel. However, they are WC/HC spikes so higher carbon than mild steel and resist deformation a little better.

If you want to harden a spike, try heating to a dark, pulsing, cherry red (sounds like one of those Internet spam sites, doesn't it?) and quench in water. It should almost slide a file at that point and you can draw back to whatever hardness you want. It must be a WC or HC spike - mild steel spikes won't get hard enough.

I don't have an adjustable creaser but there are several ways if I was gonna make one. The first one that comes to mind is to drill a hole in the chisel, insert a bolt and stack washers between chisel and material stop, then tighten with a nut. I'm sure there are other ways to skin that cat...

Ralph,

I started another thread on the tools.