George Geist

Nice work Charles

Found this vid of some guy in Ukraine or Russia or someplace that made a forge in a teepee. Looks like it works for him. What a cool idea? It's cheap and portable. I like it.

Hay Budden made anvils for many other companies. Sears and Roebuck (Acme) Montgomery Ward, and many other hardware chains. Oftentimes they printed those other firms names on them but not necessarily always. Is a pretty safe bet that anything that looks like a HB probably is.

Manufacturing process was forging. Most of which was done by hand. 5 or 6 guys swinging sledge hammers. Good at it as they were it was impossible to get them all the same as in machine tooling thus most of them will have imperfections and not be perfect matches.

George

On 6/30/2016 at 4:32 PM, Kozzy said:

It'd be interesting to know how the pay scales for the various trades compared--Were the smiths paid more or less than the foundry men or final assemblers or machinists?  Often, pay was not about skill but perception and dirty jobs received lower pay even if they took specialized skills.

In railroad work, at least here in the 21st century US, it's pretty easy to find out.

All railroad work is Union. The various crafts are all under national contracts. Blacksmiths are represented by the Boilermakers Union www.boilermakers.org

I believe most Boilermakers for class 1 railroads right now are at about $30 hr plus good benefits including railroad retirement. Electricians are at about the same scale and are both deservedly about the highest paid people on the railroad. I can't speak for what they were paid in GB all those years ago but I'd imagine comparable for the time and place?

I'm sure some of our British friends know more about it than I do.

On 6/30/2016 at 4:32 PM, Kozzy said:

I chuckled at the casting supervisor in his fancy suit and hat coming out to supervise the pour.  I wonder if that was for the cameras or he showed up for that 5 minutes of over-seeing every pour.  

Yeah very British of him of course but I think in those days there was a very clearly defined line between labor and management and the social status of both.

Some really neat stuff here:

Might we have any railroad men on the site? Looks like a satisfying job

https://hoofcare.blogspot.com/2016/06/pennsylvania-court-racetrack-farrier-license-test.html#more

Just FYI.

Until further notice I'll not be discussing it though.

George

Try these guys:

http://www.penncoal.com/default.php

They'll ship anywhere

Only 2 things a blacksmith can go to hell for.........Hitting cold iron and not charging enough.

Also plenty of other bad luck things like hats on beds and so forth. Best not mess with such things

Thanks much guys

Looking to make a few cold chisels. Any of you guys know the best steel to use for that? I'd assume something oil hardening but anybody know an exact tool steel number?

Thanks,

George

First thing you need to learn is to order BLACKSMITH coal.

Nut, rice, pea etc are indicative of the size of the pieces not the type.

Two main types are anthracite (hard coal) and bituminous (soft coal) TSC and every other feed or hardware store will inevitably sell you anthracite as that's what is used for home heating. It is a very poor choice for forging. Ask for blacksmith coal

you'll get bituminous. They'll know what you're talking about and what you need.

George

Well.........

Do yourself and everybody else a favor and be ever vigilant and uber paranoid about fire.

Your photos alone look like a big bonfire just waiting for the match

George

For the most part is usually pretty good steel. I've seen guys make punches and pritchels from the better pieces.

3/8" makes great standardbred shoes for those that still like to swage and hand make.

George

Nice one! Appears to have been one of those combination use anvils that were popular around that era. It is a nice product of what you get when you mate a horseshoers anvil to a general smithing anvil. 2 pritchel holes and a big horn from the shoeing side of the family but no cliphorn and a flat cutting table from general smithing.

Very nice. Wish they were still being made like that. Enjoy it. It's a good one.

George

Anthony San Miguel is correct.

It's a horseshoers anvil. They usually have two pritchel holes and a cliphorn. The cliphorn on this one has been cut or ground off.

Nothing unusual about it except that Hay Budden Horseshoers models can be a little hard to find. Nice score

George

Centaur and Anvil Brand are both excellent businesses. You shouldn't go wrong dealing with either.

I'd be inclined to agree that JHM's are better in the bigger models. Keep away from their horseshoers models as they leave a bit to be desired. Emerson's are excellent. One of the best contemporary made anvils you can get out there right now.

George

Good score,

That anvil is as good as it gets. I'm inclined to agree about no grinding. Let's hear no more talk of that.

George

Use whatever method necessary to get it into your car or truck. Drive it over a truck scale. Go home and offload it. Go back to the scale without the anvil. Difference between heavy and light tickets will be your weight.

George

Nice work ;) B)

Sounds like a good idea. You think there'd be much interest amongst vets?

George

Only half of the year here.

Beard in winter as especially how last year was I need every hair I can grow. :)

George

One other interesting thing you guys might like, In the French Foreign Legion it's traditional that the Pioneers (Engineers) all have beards. They also wear Blacksmith aprons when in full dress. This tradition goes back to when most of those guys worked in that trade. Check it out here:

It also worked real good for the Red Sox so any of you guys who have no beard go ahead and grow one like the cool guys do :D

If this project actually happens keep us all posted. Not only will I show up for that but I'll add some muscle to it if you guys can find a use for me ;)

George

Correct Josh,

It gets one much less tired that way as well by not fighting your hammer. Is a more natural way of working by keeping the hammer moving.

George

Not familiar with mexican anvils. Didn't know any were made there but nonetheless that looks like a real nice horseshoers anvil. Good shape to it.

Great finds both of them. Good job ;)

George

Same to you DK and everybody else too