tophand

I soap stoned the sides and came up with 465lbs. I thought Peter Wright myself. It has a tool steel top. the face is 23 1/2 X 6 1/2 Matt

Give me an idea of a maker. Matt

I am Matt Wheaton, I live in NE Oklahoma. What does my age have to do with anything. I am 31. The guy wants to sell and I told him I would post on this site for interest. I do not know what it is worth. Nor do I know if it is rare or super-fantastic. Matt

I have access to a 465lb anvil. The owner worked at a salvage yard in his younger days and this anvil was "kicked" around for several years. The scrapyard owner claimed that if anyone could pick it up, they could have it. You know the rest of the story. He is interested in selling it. Does anyone have any interest in this anvil. I will get pics in the next day or two. He wants around $5.00/lb but money talks. it could probably be picked up for around $2000. Matt

Uotstanding work sir. What is this aquafortis? Matt

I am an ergonomics professional. Send it to me and I will give it a good run through. Three or four months this summer should be fine. very nice design. Matt

I was in between paying gigs and thought these up. This is my interpretation of a 40's era spur set. I built a form for doming the conchos and spur swingers. the rowel's are heat blued. Matt

Double Y, the spurs will blue, I have just not done it. I do weld inside the band from top to bottom. the half inch of steel left between the shank and band is the initial bend area. I just weld to keep them from seperating. The bands are not forged together. Look at pics in previous posts. Buttons without swingers are not very popular around here. They are faster to make however, they tend to make to spur tip up in front. Matt

Double Y, I used to make my own buttons but it was really labor intensive. Now I get them from Bill Adamson in Colorado. I got these swingers from Jeremiah Watt just to try out. They are hell for stout, but I do usually make my own. I am working on forging some shanks, but I just got to where I can make these very quick this way. I usually pull a pattern out of the air and draw it on vulcanized paper to trace out. What I like about these is there are very few creative limits. here is a pair I am finishing that went to ebay. I am providing the customer with four different rowel options. We will see how it plays out. I also included some nickel silver ladies that I just cut out. Matt

Frosty, it took me a while just figuring proportions and ways of cutting. In another post you mentioned cutting steel with a cheap skill saw. That is exactly what I do. I clamp it in my vise upside down and wheel it outside. I built a guard from salvaged material. The skill has alot of torque and eats the rasps up.

Thanks again for the comments. The shank is stock removal. I plan to forge sahnks in the future. Here is the quick and dirty: Usuable length on a rasp is about 14" long. Cut the rasp in half. You now have 2 pieces 7" long. Split the rasp lengthwise 4" from the smooth end. make another slit 2 1/2" from the other end leaving 1/2" of material. heat the 1/2 spot and fold the rasp. Spread the bands to 90` and then curve with heat around your mold. length and width of band is determined by boot size. 4" works well for most men. I will do a few pair in a couple of days and getr more in-depth if there is enough interest.

I do sell these. It is starting to get crazy around here. Someone sees them, they want a pair and so on and so on. I am 2 pairs behind right now. I am out of legitimate work, so I have alot of time to devote to the craft.

These are a custom order. The pair is made from one rasp. each spur is one piece. This is my 6th pair and I think I am gaining on it. My next pair will have a forged shank. The rowel is blued with heat. It is a nice touch when new, but will wear off. Matt

I have a Hobart 180 weld pack with a 40cf bottle. In my shop a bottle will last just about as long as a 10lb spool of wire @ 20-25cfm. That is a little subjective, I know. Matt

I was just thinking of some kind of disposal method. That is a really neat idea. Thanks for sharing.

I sppreciate the pics. I really like that adjustable support you have. Thanks again, Matt

I was considering some sort of support on each side. the wing idea sounds good. Thanks for the responses. irnsrgn, I fought with the idea of spreading the legs out a bit more, but it is surprisingly stable. Thanks, Matt

I just wanted to post my new chop saw stand. Nobody likes to bend down to cut things. The saw table is the same height as my welding table. The cast wheels were salvaged from an old cherry picker. This idea maynot be new, but it is new to me. The only thing I need is tee handle, but it works nicely by grabbing the saw handle. Matt

Hello, Greatlakeswaterjet Co. made several last year over on Bladeforums. I believe he used S7. There is quite a bit of time rapped up in these. Price was around $350. David is really good to talk with. I missed one on an auction site by $3.00. It went for $78.00. What a deal! Hrer is his site: Great Lakes Waterjet, Inc. Matt

It helps to have shim stock. I use shim stock wedged in between the blade and handle, usually bone which moves a little with humidity. When done hammering, remove the shim and that is the space you have. Shim size is dependent on material used. When I use bone, I like the joint tight because the handle will most likely shrink or swell. I have to agree with LDW on getting the slot straight. I hope I provided some insight. Here is a pic of my first folder: a Shepherds Cross.

I have done this once, but lets start over. I am Matt Wheaton and I live in Ft. Gibson I like making knives and spurs, more spurs tan knives. I am currently working on a one piece spur design and whatever else tickles my fancy. My Mentor has been Jim Carothers in Perry. He has worked with me countless times in his shop and on-line. I have really enjoyed this site regardless of my lack of participation. It seems as though, when I have a question to ask; it has already been answered. I will work on becoming a more active member. Anyway; here arew some pics of my shop. ( Wife calls it a garage). Talk about following me home; The table is 1" plate. The vise base a roof-top A/C unit blower shaft assembly all scrounged. My shop is not messy, I know where everything is.

I have the 70# big face and really like it. I have hamered a ton of steel, it hlds up real well. It sits on a 200lb steel base though. It is a great starter anvil and for most any project. Matt

I am fairly new here and have some questions. I have my anvil and froge setup and need some ideas on a tool tray. I have included pics of my forge and my anvil. Any help is appreciated. matt

Mr. Mankel is not making anvils anymore. A foundry near him was casting the anvil and then he heat treated and finished them in his shop. I talked to him a few weeks ago. He said some were 4140 and some were 8630, but I could be wrong on that last number. You can still buy them new for around $4/lb U.S.. They are nice working anvils. Do a search on yahoo, I think you have to go to the second page of search results for contact info. Be careful, Mr. Mankel told me that some of the castings were stolen from the foundry before finishing. He is a really nice fellow to visit with. His number is (616)-874-6955. matt

Hello, I bought A Tiger Blower with a broken fan blade. As you can imagine, it is out of balance. Can anyone tell me where I might find a fan assembly for this blower?