George Geist

Hey guys,

When and where is the next PABA deal at? I'd really like to re-join but those guys are terrible about communications.

George

Okay farriers, here's one I've always wondered...

 

We've all seen plenty of anvils in horrid shape, and been told it's from farriers working on shoes cold. Why is this done? And how common of a practice is this?   

 

It seems counter intuitive, to me, to damage such an expensive piece of your required tool kit (your anvil), when heating them up a bit seems so easy to do.

 

Cheers,

Neil

Is more common than it should be unfortunately. It SHOULDN'T wreck an anvil though. Damage to anvils comes from ham handed workmen regardless of the trade they pursue.

 

Cold shoeing is oftentimes the only way to get it done depending on where one finds himself. Some of the xxxx holes horseshoers serve are very un friendly to trucks. Horses can be stabled out on the north forty in a pasture and is no way to get the truck near enough to them to use the forge. In places like that they get done cold or they don't get done.

 

Aside of that legitimate excuse there are also the guys who are too lazy or lacking in skill to do them hot. Ready made keg shoes of high quality such as are available now tend to make high skill levels unnecessary and overrated I'm ashamed to say.

George

Ok so where's this going? What is it you guys want to talk about?

George

I always quench north and south. Never thought it worth taking the chance.

George

Lol really? 8 or 9 dollars a pound? I've never heard of someone willing to pay that for a used working anvil. Why do that when you can buy a brand new full tool steel anvil for less than that!!? A collector I can see. But your average joe? No way.

 200# @ $750 is $8 or $9 a pound? What's that the new math? According to my old math it comes out to $3.75 a pound.
Anyway, I could say that most new contemporary stuff out there right now sucks. I could also say that a classic Trenton is one of the best the likes of which will never be made again. Main reason being that it would be far too expensive to produce something like that today.
Problem is if I explained it to you you wouldn't understand.
George

Is a good anvil. As for price that's what anvils cost. Go ahead and buy it. At the rate prices of this stuff rises you'll at least make somebody a happy widow someday ;)

George

Kohlswa is one of the best. Buy it! You'll be glad you did :)

George

Is dangerous to assume, but it sounds like you're a young guy? For horseshoeing you really don't want to be over 35 or so if just starting out. Some do ok at it. Most don't stay with it. The unregulated nature of it along with the mental instability of most horse owners causes a high turnover of people making it a tough way to make a living.

 

It is a good way to learn blacksmithing though. Plenty of overlap in the jobs, more so than any of the other metalworking trades. Is plenty of general smiths out there who started their lives as horseshoers.

George

That's really a separate trade unto itself. You'd probably be best served by having that done for you at one of the firms that offer that service.

I had mine done by an outfit in California. Universal Metal Marking. Nice work, fast turnaround. Recommend them highly.

George

thanks for the clip george :) that was pretty amusing to watch!  i wish it was so easy to make a knife, just cast the blank and hammer it a few times, brief quench to knock the heat off and straight to the grinder!  i did like the bit about the brass insert/liner on the spine to prevent incoming blades from sliding, is that actually practical?

 

 

Is it practical!?! You saw it didn't you?

 

SHEESH!

 

Thanks for the link George, fun show, I'll have to catch more.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

Well guys they needed to get it all into a half hour show so I guess a few steps needed to be edited out ;)

Legend has it that Bowie's knife was made from a meteorite. Supposedly they found six dead mexicans around his deathbed at the Alamo that he got before they got him.

 

Not sure as to the truth of many of the tales of Col Bowie but it does make for interesting talk B)

George

If you rent the movie Rodeo Girl there is a scene with noted actor and horseshoer Wilford Brimley shoeing a horse. Is not just a scripted scene he's actually doing it.

 

This one might not be what you guys are talking about but is pretty entertaining anyway

Enjoy guys :)

George

Apparently the asking price is 60 euros.

I've sent an email that I'd like to buy it.

We'll see how it goes.

 

Btw, I just told my wife yesterday, and she understood why I'd like to have it, even though I have a perfectly good anvil already.

Good for you! :)

The design of it with the church windows made it suitable to make armor. Looks old enough to have been used for that. If the thing could only talk B)

George

Originally posted by Yves:

I feel I am highjacking this thread. I do not know how to start a new one with these quotes. Can the highly skilled and dedicated moderators do that? The topic would be "When is it appropriate to forge weld?" or "Do I have to forge weld?"

 

There you go Yves, have at it

 

For good draw the height is much more important than the diameter. Make good and sure the top of your stack is at least 2' higher than the highest part of your roof. That formula will ensure a good draft.

George

Looks like a nice one, good score!!! ;)

I'll second that about size. The bigger and heavier the better for shop use.

Aside of it being obviously of British manufacture, from this vantage point I cant make out any writing on it. It helps a lot to rub some talk or baby powder on any inscriptions you see as it makes it easier to read.

George

Meader Supply in Rochester NH has good blacksmith coal.

1-800-4HORSES.

Real good people and no sales tax in NH.

Buy enough of it and pay no shipping.

In order for your smokestack to draw properly make sure it's at least 2' higher than the highest part of your roof if indoors. Outside like you are try to funnel it up as high as you can anyway in order not to get cinders all over your neck and down your shirt :)

Chuckles, I know where you are.....I used to live in Macungie and that little town off the main road there before you hit fogelsville.

Trexlertown???

How's Washington treated you?

Interesting piece. Is the return spring missing too or did the chain type not have a spring? Any of you guys know?

 

I am new to smithing and have some concerns about coal. First what are the chances of my coal store self igniting? Secound what is the best way to store coal to prevent this?

I've had coal sitting around for years in various places. Never had a problem. You may want to keep it stored in some kind of container, buckets, whatever. If you have it in a pile at least throw a tarp over it.

 

Is perfectly safe to store and transport. I'd say about 10x safer than propane.

 

No,  but I've also heard that if you melt copper in your fire pot you will never be able to forge weld in it again!  Or was that Aluminum?

Yes and No.

Forge welding requires a clean fire. No impurities, no clinkers etc. This is why you copper braze either as last thing that day or whenever not planning on welding anything. Back in the days when horseshoers had to pass tests to get racetrack licenses and/or gain admittance to the Union, a dirty trick used to be to throw a penny in somebody's fire ensuring he wouldn't be able to weld that day.

 

It does ruin that particular fire but it doesn't ruin the forge for the rest of your life. After cleaning out and building a new fire you're good to go again.

George

I'm in the florida artist blacksmith ass. And attend the meets when I can but I don't have transportation. I'm not opposed to moving our even working without pay so long ai can eat and sleep. Self employment isn't a important to me as a secure job but I would like for it to be smithing

I'm sure the railroad employs guys in their shops in Jacksonville. Keep an eye on the CSX website. That'd be a great place to get experience. Problem is getting a railroad job is something that isn't easy. Their HR people are tougher to impress than a potential mother in law.

 

If you're a good businessman that will get you far. With that as an advantage being good can often be overrated. You may want to take a look at this thread: http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/31808-big-shops/ You might find it interesting.