Marc1

Interesting you say that Anvil ... Because I started in the 60ties, to me blacksmithing was always a trade, metalwork, nothing more. Sure, there was always that artistic component that is mainly in the drawings if we are talking architectural work, or free spirit if we are talking a sculpture of sorts. But still trade. I make a point of going back to Michelangelo's times and think back, how this workers that today we would undoubtedly call artist, were considered tradesman by their employers, mainly the church or the state. They worked to decorate buildings be it painting or adding sculptures, for the sake of their employers ego and status, and for a usually meager pay. I read Rocky's post with interest but they seem much more suited to the bidding war and the dirty tricks of the mega construction industry and transposing that to a metalwork business of the size of most blacksmith today when all parameters are certainly very valid, applying it to a small workshop is not easy task. As for your comment on the emotional component when making something, from the creator's standpoint, such is relevant only to him. It will help or hinder the worker, but it does not necessarily flow into the workpiece and translate into an emotion for the viewer. I have seen very talented artist produce sublime work with boredom and in a repetitive manner, and guys who put their soul into their work and produce mediocre results. All very interesting as always and most importantly, there is no right or wrong answer since all this is very subjective.

Fantastic photo. Very clear ... and that makes me think that it is a staged photo ... meaning, they are all waiting for the photo to be taken and not doing any real work at that point in time. That will probably explain the one arm swinging sledge on the far right, even when it is not that big of a hammer. The two dudes on the left seem to be noodling around. The guy in the hat waiting his turn to go to the loo and the big guy in the center is swinging a 20 oz ball peen hammer to a steel brace that is most likely 70 lb Very cool.

Hi Bean! Welcome ... SA? we will not hold it against you only because of your concrete stand ... oh and that Triumph bike What make is your anvil ... and what are you using for a forge?

I don't know what that stuff in the photo is without more info from the OP. Plumbago is an old name for graphite. it was called that way because it looks like lead. Ergo the name lead pencil. No real lead in it. Graphite is pure carbon and a product of millenia underground https://umeshmadan.wordpress.com/tag/plumbago/

Well, that pic was not there before Seems way too rough to be plumbago, but you never know. Is it soft to crush? Can you rub it on paper and write like with a pencil?

i was thinking in a more radical method. Would work better if you can remove the pulley or flywheel. Find a large nut that fits on the end of the shaft and weld it with a stick welder, inside and outside all around. Let the heat sink in and then start working it with an impact driver like the one used in the tyre shop, 3/4" drive. You may break the weld, not a problem, grind flat and weld again. A chamfer on the outside will help. And additions of penetrating oil ... transmission fluid and acetone? Sounds good, never used it. Best of luck!

i thought all PW have a flat base.

Yep ... we used to finish work like lamps or small sculptures with it. Paint with matt black paint and when still tacky rubb plumbago with a rug dipped in the powder. it gives the piece a metallic finish and it will never rust. If you like it to seem to be rusting a bit. paint with oil based paint that is the colour of rust. When still tacky apply plumbago with a rag, but sparingly this time letting streaks of red show here and there. Also good for rubbing your cast iron woodfire heater or kitchen, and if you are a railway enthusiast, it was the product of choice to rub all over steam locomotives. Depending of procedure it may not be any good as a lubricant. Originally plumbago was mined and it was pure, Today it is expensive relatively speaking so for rust prevention and to mix with paint it is produced by recycling electric motor brushes. The glue that keeps the graphite together in a brush is abrasive so the resulting powder is not particularly good as a lubricant, so don't add it to your chainsaw oil ... and don't ask me how I know

Is it fine and slippery between your fingers? It is called Plumbago. An old name for not very fine graphite. If my guess is correct. i surely hope it is not black powder

Aleander ... you are great ... pun intended ... ha ha Love your work, keep on posting photos, love that yellow rose ... is it copper? Only kidding. Happy new year and keep the fire hot. Marc

Interesting question Frosty. The reply from IFC seems duable, anneal with friction heat rather than annealing the whole blade. it is still annealing isn't it? You can also heat the tongue with an oxy and keep the blade cool with a heat sink or keeping it in water or being just careful. Not my thing. It's called conversation. i don't see this forum as a podium to lecture, rather a place to pass a few minutes chatting with others of similar interest. If I go over a topic more than once is because it interest me, and those that answer make sense ... or sometime do not ... Frosty, why do you think cutting oil is not a lubricant? I quoted one of the suppliers I buy from, and there are a few more that supply industry, from automatic robots to old fascion fitters and turners workshops. They all list the requirements for a cutting lubricant according to what they are used for. If cutting oil for industry is a lubricant among other things, it is a lubricant for my home pedestal drill any day every day. To say cutting oil is only a coolant is denying the obvious. We could go into how lubricants work and why, but I think it would go beyond the scope. The fact that you can get away with home made cutting compound, or that you can get away with not using anything is irrelevant. You can run an engine without oil in the sump if you first apply a solid lubricant like Molybdenum bisulphate or graphite and the engine is worn enough, and you don't push it past just above idle. That does not mean the sump oil is not a lubricant. Sure sharpness is very important. A Drill Doctor a good investment. Water is better than nothing ... and cutting oil is a lubricant ... oh ... yes and also a coolant. By the by ... I have yet to meet an oil that is not a lubricant.

i am confused. You say "how to make a gate without welding".

Illegal dumping ... mm ... may be a shotgun ? A 4m gate can be built without welding, using rivets. You still need to drill the holes. You could punch the holes hot of course. No electricity does not mean you can not weld. You can hire a small petrol or diesel generator/welder. Or if you have the patience, an oxy/acetylene set. The welder usually has a 220v outlet that you can use for the drill and the grinder. Farmers usually have welders driven by the tractor's PTO. The easiest way to make a gate is making a frame with flat bar, or T or angle section and add a couple of diagonals. You can forge the vertical section next to the post down to round to make it hinge. What sort of materials do you have to build this gate? Can you buy new steel? Can you hire a diesel or petrol welder?

Sure, but each case on it's merits. If I make a window grill on commission and sell the work and design, I am morally if not legally obliged to keep that design exclusive for the customer. if I fix the mishaps and failed attempts, and sell them at the trash and treasure market for cheap, I am a fool. The scenario i seem to interpret from previous post is that an artist that sells high end work, can not lower himself to make trinkets and sell them for what they are, at risk of losing his high end clientele. That one is a bit of a stretch and will depend of personalities and also very much of which sort of market we are talking about. Certainly not a market I would like to be involved with. Then again ... each to his own. Some people do like the limelight and tuxedos. I am proud of my callous hands and square shoulders

When I can see the theory behind the above concept, I don't think that personality types can be constrained into one sentence. i have seen famous chefs work in soup kitchen anonymously, and work at their fish and chip take away kitchen. That did not diminish their percieved "fame"

Hum ... at risk of being contentious Frosty, the answer is not easy. It may sound easy if you read the multiplicity of answers from people who have been drilling steel for decades, and each having a different answer and swearing that each one work the best, from candle wax to water. Cutting fluids can be classified in 4 kinds, Mineral oil, Soluble oils, Synthetic oils and Semi Synthetic oils according to Houghton International. I use their Synthetic oil for my Cold cutting saw and for the broche cutters hole saw and twist drill bits. The reason I chose synthetic oil is that it does not decompose and my intermittent use of the machines will not mean flushing the sump and clean out bacterial growth every month. Also ... Synthetic oil has a better cooling property then mineral oil. Cutting fluids have a few different purposes, one of them clearly cooling, but that does not mean they do not act as a lubricant. If all it is required from the cutting fluid is cooling, the same result could be achieved with a hose delivering compressed air directly to the cutting tool. The drill would not last long even cool for ... well, lack of lubrication. Of course one can improvise and use different lubricants, motor oil for once works OK, if mixed with a bit of kero even better. Candle wax works good for cast iron, and water works for a little while for your bandsaw providing you cut just little bits here and there. Do some real work and destroy your bandsaw or circular saw with just water. The viscosity of your cutting fluid is a product of the material to cut or drill and the geometry of the cutting tool. Cutting lubricants can be paste or solid, to very fluid like kero or diesel, and everything in between. There is a mountain of information on the types and purposes of cutting fluids on the web, from the commercial suppliers to the YouTube tips and tricks. Cutting tools need to stay cool and lubricated to keep their edge and integrity for longer. Yes, Cutting Oil is a coolant and a lubricant at the same time. Cutting tools are in general very forgiving if you use them within the parameters they are made for, meaning ... speed, feeding rate (or pressure) ... yes, the monkey hanging from the pedestal drill handle comes to mind Frosty, ha ha ... and material to be cut or bored. if you care for your drill bits or some very expensive broche cutters, you are well advised to use a proprietary synthetic oil (my choice) Will light motor oil work too? Sure, for a while, and may be for a long while depending on use. Synthetic cutting oil is cheap. I bought 5L a year ago I believe for $40 or so. Mix is 10:1 with water. I am down to the last litre. Not a big expense, when you compare with the cost of cutting tools.

Interesting set of replies. However they seem to show some misconceptions. Cutting lubricant is not an oxymoron but it does sound like it. Lubricant is to reduce friction and a cutter, be it a milling bit or a drilling bit or a lathe tool needs to cut. A cutting tool has a sharp edge, or several, and a body that is designed to keep the cutting edge steady and channel the chips away from the cut ... generally speaking. Cutting generates heat, and the non cutting parts of the cutting tool body rub without cutting on the material generating even more heat. There are two obvious ways to dissipate this unwanted heat. Lubricating the cutting tool will diminish the heat generated from friction whilst the cutting is only marginally affected since the high pressure of the sharp edge will displace any lubricant and keep on cutting. Refrigerating the cutting tool is another way to make cutting metal a long term proposition, ergo the invention of emulsions of oil and water. Water will cool due to it's high specific heat that will take the heat away from the business end and the bit of oil aid with the friction. The shape and angle of the cutting tool, and the material to be cut, determines the lubricant that is more adequate. The lubricant for an automatic milling machine cutting brass gears for example is a mixture of oil diluted with kero. if you are drilling Stainless, cooling is your main concern. So there is no one answer and the best is the one that works for you and what you are drilling or shaping ... but in general terms, to cut or drill you need ... a lubricant. Best way to visualise the need for lubrication in a cut is when you try to cut rubber with a knife. Do it dry and struggle. Use water as a lubricant and cut like butter.

I must align with Glenn's approach to the ubiquitous anvil identity infatuation. When it is natural for someone to want to know what he has purchased, clearly ... unless you have vast experience and own a few different brands and can compare them, the make and the year of manufacture of your anvil is and will remain irrelevant to what you produce as a blacksmith. The first 10 or so years of my blacksmith experience, were spent in the boss workshop using his anvils. "Mine" was an (eastern europe ?) no brand and the boss had a Swedish anvil 80 Kg if memory serves me right. I can assure you it did not matter to me one bit and in fact I had no interest whatsoever in what was written on the side of this anvils, or any other anvil. I liked the boss anvil better because the face was polished mirror like from work. Mine not so much ... I wonder why The only thing that matters when it comes to anvils is what one can do on them. I prefer larger anvils because the smaller one tend to walk away from me due to the nature of my work. If I made mainly gate locks or smaller stuff, I would love my smaller anvils better. That is all that matters really, the rest is ... "Carton pintado" ... like the Spanish like to say ... or if you prefer French ... "Pour la Galerie"

As much as it may be tempting to turn your fire pit into a forge, I would keep the fire pit to roast marshmallows and build a coal forge using the old methods described here many times. If I can add to the list, without mentioning truck rotors or brake drums, I would suggest a build that was in use when I was 15 and you could go to the local hardware store and buy a brand new hand cranked blower and tuyere together with 1/2 kilo of 3mm welding rods and not go through the aggravation of the seller describing it as an antique with museum value. The build is for a bottom blower, and is a simple as making a table out of angle iron say 2" x2" and 3/16" thick or 1/4" if you want. Dimensions vary, but more or less 4' x 3' ... but it can be smaller. 4 legs, 4 sides, and the 'top' is a sheet that fits inside the top opening but is too long and so is bent to form a shallow cavity that is 6" below the top edge of your table. Use a sheet that is thin enough for you to bend by hand but not too thin for it to rust away in a few years. May be 18 or 16 gauge? Weld tack rivet in place, cut a hole for the tuyere, improvise something to cover the sides, make some brackets for the blower and then fill the cavity with clay. You can find clay in the ground, at the bottom of rivers or water streams, and many other places I trust you can figure out. As you fill the table cavity with clay, you have to mold a fire pit according to what you want. I prefer 8"x7"x4", but you can have it smaller, or round, up to you. It will cost nothing to do again over and over until you get it to work for you. Yes, there is the question of the blower. Hair dryer is too weak, Garden blower is too much, jumping castle fan is absurd ... short of some imported hand cranked blowers from India, and the ubiquitous museum piece, I would spend about $100 on a proper electric blower by Dayton. let us know what you do

Nice !

Wow, would like to see the forge anvil and vice Michael. Post some pictures. What do you like to forge?

Hum ... that is not entirely correct. You have an anvil and hammer substitute, so you don't count ...

Excellent attention to detail ... and that brings me to ask why does the fuller continue inside the handle?

A cheaper anvil aka ASO is better than a railroad track, particularly if horizontal. That PW is a good anvil that will serve you well. The price is what it is in your area. Offer $500 and see how you go. It is a good size anvil for what you want to do. There should be a legal limit to forging knives ... like there is for fishing or hunting ... say only 3 knives to each chandelier or gate.