Marc1

Sure could be a dodgy ball bearing. However, if it is the anvil that has low bounce, don't worry. Bounce is overrated. You can use a 'low bounce' anvil just as well.

Nee ... no mention of any overseas festivities from Mexico or any other country ... however if google is to be trusted, the 5th of May is the day of the Cryptographer in Russia ... the Day of struggle for the person with disability (international) ... and also in Russia the day of the diver ... I wonder what the 5th of may is in China?

129 lb is farrier anvil size. Some new farrier anvils will be very close to that price. Check NC brand and JHM

Had to google it. Never heard of the fifth of may before. There you are, learn a new thing everyday. Cinco de Mayo is an annual celebration held on May 5. The date is observed to commemorate the Mexican Army's difficult victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla, on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza.

The point of an ad is to sell. In order to sell it has to convey a message in the local lingo. It is expected that an ad for a vice in the US would be written in American English and use therefore the local spelling. Having said that, spelling and grammar in ads are but a vague suggestion of sort and vice vs vise is the least of your problems. The only thing that makes this an issue is that a vice in English has two meaning, and honestly they can not be mistaken nor confused since the said meanings are worlds apart. I can not think of a case of confusion ... the blacksmith's vice is to turn the vice's handle around and around in vicious circles ... In order to obtain a bargain when responding to a vise ad, it is recommended to have a meeting vis a vis ... The blacksmith was a vicionary ...

i believe the say is "don't argue with fools since they beat you with experience" ...

I only now realise that Ryan's avatar is the picture of two lads. Until now I saw a face with a large nose and a moustache. Strange ... Yes, life is not the internet, real life that is. The internet is for communication, real life is what you can touch and see and not on a screen. Making things, building, inventing, creating, are all part of real life. one can chose to share those things on the internet sometimes. Or not. I say, find you niche and enjoy it. You can share it afterwards or not, does not matter. The only thing that matters is what you do, not what you say.

Love the story ... without wanting to embarrass you ... how much did it actually weight?

Jennifer ... I only now get that you are doing Ninja tree climbing?

Lots of good points, but what is the point in the original post? It's a struggle to start without capital? It is wrong to start without capital? You can not start or there is no point in starting without capital? Starting a business without capital is a misnomer anyway. You must have something to start or you don't have a business, just an idea. And it all depends what business we are talking about. Assuming it is a blacksmithing business, you have to have a shop to start. All the tools to make something to sell and permission to make all the noise you need to all day long. From there onwards, no capital means limited gains and also limited risk. Could be a blessing in disguise. if you just started, it is safe to assume you know very little about most things, so take small risk, lose little and you can keep in business. Splash large with the advise from an accountant of financial expert and lose big and go bankrupt. The 'experts' don't care, they will charge you either way. Blacksmithing is not real estate, building or agriculture, it is more akin to painting a landscape and trying to sell it, and hoping that uncle buck's golf partner also needs a new balustrade for his balcony. Mass production with artistic value is a fantasy and if anyone can get that bird to fly it will fly for as long as it takes the Chinese to copy it and make it for 1/10 of it's value. Start small without capital and work on building experience in recognising what can be sold, not what can be made. Ask lots of questions and trust no one. If anyone claims expertise, ask them how much money they make and how do they make it.

Make a tripod stand with RHS filled with sand and oil, and a one inch plate, bolt the anvil down and say good by to noise. You get an upsetting table as a bonus.

Yikes ... Wonder Woman?

Must say it does look a bit like a Kohlswa, big step, thick tapered heel, vertical cast mark in the centre of the body ... it's your money. If it was a 250+ lb I would say go for it. At 185, not too sure. The base would be nice if it is free. They don't look all like this, some have a long thin heel, but here is one close to that one.

The right tool to make that flue work is an in line, belt driven fan. Something like in this picture. This is a big industrial one but they make them much smaller built the same way.

Paul ... Love the anvil but hate the price. Swedish?

Say all you want ... I like the idea of quenching a blade whilst moving it fast side to side and produce a Kriss due to the earth magnetic field ... mm ... come to think of it you would need to move it side to side real fast when it is still hot ? I'll ring the producers of forged in fire, they would know for sure

i think it must be true ... that is why the Japanese Katana is bent as it is, the magnetic field pulls the tip back North as they keep it vertical with the edge facing south. Of course it needs de-magnetising afterwards to stop it from turning straight again when facing the other way. PS The Kriss on the other hand can be achieved with rapid movements during quenching .... ok ok that is too much

Here is an image of a proud dad! Congratulations Das, I wish you and your family all the best in life. I was blessed with 4 of this bundles of joy, yes, all daughters that gave me 9 grandkids. Enjoy every minute mate!!

If it is new, just return it

Magnetism comes from the dipoles in the metal being organised all in one direction. You can desorganise them using an alternate current or by ... striking it with a hammer. In other words, use it as intended and all should be fine after a bit of pounding

Political content deleted. Overcooked pasta? eew

Nice! ... is that the cast version?

Twisted ... $1000 a ton delivered (if a ton is 1000 kg) is just what we pay here. Well actually more considering our dollar is worth 0.77 US. Surely for the bladesmiths, LPG is the way to go. More controlled and no problems with twisted large pieces. For me since I make mostly larger stuff, it is a bit of an issue up to a point. I've seen a gas forge open all 4 sides for this very purpose. I wonder how hot it gets around that sort of forge ... You are paying a lot for LPG, our barbecue bottles are 9kg that is 20 lb at $18 seems cheap unless you made a mistake. 10 lb bottle is a rather small bottle. Slag ... most of the Australian economy is based on one form or another of monopoly or at best oligopoly. However the coal/coke market is as large as the amount of sand you can balance on a matchstick, so I doubt anyone would be interested. I had some thoughts of contacting a politician to lean on our local steel supplier to sell us a truck load to resell at the blacksmith association. But honestly I have long lost the appetite for plinking at windmills My best form of rebellion may be to run an LPG forge on Autogas

I am curious to know what you guys pay for solid fuel. I buy mainly Coke. Used to buy Coal and mix it but lately burn just straight Coke. The price of Coke has been going up and up. Ironic because we are one of the biggest exporters of Coal and Bluescope Steel is the largest producer of coke from coal yet refuses to sell to blacksmith associations. The result is that we have some retailers who import the coke back from China and others who buy wholesale from steel manufacturers. At the moment there are two suppliers in Sydney, one is a blacksmith association and the other is an independent retailer that has one mobile phone and does not return calls for weeks ... both sell at about $1 a kilo. That means that a box trailer with half a ton of coke is about $500. I am wondering is this is the end of solid fuel forging. i prefer a coke fire to a gas fire anyday. Quieter and hotter, but for the first time ever I am looking at the price of coke and thinking why do I bother with the inconvenience.

Links, pictures, videos of people in appalling conditions squatting over a rudimentary fire and a rock or some other form of makeshift anvil are posted from time to time and not only by new people. So it is not about you Ken, and no, I am not offended at all. My point is not you, or whoever else posts this images, but my inability to understand why they are posted. Clearly they are not situations, places or work conditions anyone in his right mind would like to copy, and a bit of research in the history of so many of this places would tell you what they do with the product of their labour and how this products go to feed the hate they have against each other. There are other very interesting smiths, like the gunsmiths in the Philippines who have the remarkable ability to reproduce Glocks, Colts and Ak47 from scrap metal to feed the black market, the smiths in africa making spears and machete to kill each other etc etc. I worked in a smithy and learned to blacksmith from european smith who in turn learned from other smith in europe for centuries, in germany, france, spain and italy. Their work among thousands of other smiths is on public display on churches, parks and private houses. When i bend a flat bar into a scroll I invariably remember how I learned and who I learned from and in my mind, I hope to make them proud. [Political content deleted.] We are each one of us, the makers of our own destiny. Let's follow all that is good and noble and make it into something that others will admire and attempt to reproduce. The art of blacksmithing is one that can be used for good or evil. i would love to see videos posted that I can admire and that teach me something and prompt me to go in the workshop and make something my kids or grandkids would be proud of. Today is Anzac day in Australia. Today we remember those who fought in different wars defending our values, freedom and way of life. I want to build on that freedom that cost so many lives.