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$9200.00 sounds about right if it was a Dutch auction. To rich for my blood.

Yoshindo Yoshihara is a coauthor of the definitive book in sword making: The Craft of the Japanese Sword by By Leon Kapp, Hiroko Kapp, Yoshindo Yoshihara. Below is a decent review of the book: Well over a thousand years old, the tradition of swordmaking in Japan is one of the most highly regarded metal crafts in the world. When all sword manufacture was prohibited in Japan for seven years after World War II, the age-old techniques were in danger of being lost forever. Today, in the hands of a new generation of practitioners, the craft is making a startling comeback. Connoisseurs say that the swords being produced now are the equal of anything made in Japan in the past few hundred years. This book takes the reader into the workshops of four of Japan's leading sword craftsmen. Each craftsman has a different role in the manufacture of a blade. Yoshindo Yoshihara, the swordsmith, begins with raw steel made in a traditional charcoal-fueled smelter and refines it by folding and forging,gradually shaping it into a sword with a hardened edge. Okisato Fujishiro then sharpens and polishes the sword with fine stones to reveal the color and texture of the steel. Metalworker Hiroshi Miyajima makes the small copper-and-gold habaki collar that fits between the blade and the scabbard.Finally, Kazuyuki Takayama carves the hilt and the scabbard out of a single piece of wood. Black-and-white photographs show every stage of the manufacture, while important information on history, metallurgy, and modern-day appraisal is presented in an extensive introduction. The swords made in Japan today are not, of course, intended for actual use. But their design, the quality of their steel, and the techniques used to create them still derive from the sword's historical function as a lethal hand-held weapon. A sword must be razor sharp, light, well balanced, andstrong, but not so brittle it will break. In the perfect resolution of these qualities lie the beauty of the blade and the challenge of the craft. This book demonstrates how brilliantly Japan's sword craftsmen today have met this technological challenge. The impulse of the craft now is to preserve the utilitarian object and yet create an enduring art for the modern age. While many fine books on sword appreciation exist, these deal primarily with older blades or problems of appraisal. The Craft of the Japanese Sword is the first book in English devoted entirely to contemporary sword manufacture, and will thus be of enormous value to metal artists everywhere, as well as to collectors and students of weaponry. ........ I met him in the early eighties along with other artisans when a Japanese sword exhibit visited my town. I only learned of his book a month or so ago and ordered it through my library system. Good clear text, and excellent photography - I recommend it highly, and believe everyone who reads it will have a better understanding of what goes into these magnificent works of art.

Ten Hammers approach works for me, but if you want to crunch the numbers try this site: Sheetmetalworld.com News - TUTORIAL: Learn how to layout a cone Sheetmetalworld.com - Sheet metal tutorials supplied by The Sheet Metal Shop.

I've given your idea considerable thought and realize there are a lot of directions one could take such a simple concept. Slot (or even keyhole) instead of a hole would allow a larger bar through... a series of slots to allow adjustments... Forked end for three point grasp Your idea may revolutionize the smithing world the same way the spork did to the epicurean realm . :)

I suspect your mud is way to wet. The surface inside your chimney may appear dry, but there is moist clay just below the surface that is heating to a boil (steam) and pushing (spalling) the face. These fallen chunks are clogging your chimney at the firebox, the bits closest to the fire are actually being fired into a ceramic material, like a brick. Try again with sticky (drier) clay and let it dry for a few days to further reduce the moisture. Start with a small fire (wood kindling) to help cure and dry the clay, then work up to the bigger ones. Any cracks that appear (expect cracks) during this time are easily repaired with more clay. Give some though to identifying the difference between soil and clay. Clay is good, while soil, with organic material in it, is not as good. Second time is charm! Good luck.

I think square stock lends itself better to the design. I wonder if Chris Friedrich's proportions (ratio) should be maintained on the larger ones? I'm scratching my head, but I'm guessing the overlap of the two cuts should equal half the thickness of the stock.

That's really neat, and clever, too. Chris Friedrich also makes cemetery crosses out of two and a half inch square stock. That would be something to see! Thanks for the link.

Ian Lowe's World Tour Index is found on IforgeIron home page menu. It took me hours to go through the Europe (continent) blacksmith shops. I'm saving UK shops for later. Bruce, It's well worth the time to visit it. Ian's World Tour - I Forge Iron

Water heaters tanks are raw iron outside (under the insulation and outer skin) and glass lined (enamel) on the inside. Keykeeper suggests using the bottom of the heater, but I like the top because there are four nice 3/4 inch nipples to attach legs. I made this little forge from a water heater twenty years ago. It's kinda small but it gets the job done.

I can't believe a dinner triangle hasn't been suggested yet. Heck, the first triangle I saw made was made on a campfire without a hammer or anvil. I was just a kid at the time but I was hooked on smithing when I saw that red hot bar drawn out of the fire and bent around a pipe driven into the ground. You can call me anything... just don't call me late for dinner!

Zax. A slater's hatchet, with a sharp point on the pole, for perforating the slate to receive the pin. Sax ; saixe. The zax is about 16 inches long and 2 in width it is somewhat bent at one end, and the spur is 3 inches long. Knight's Mechanical Dictionary (1880 edition)

That's a slate hammer, without question. That slate ripper/nail cutter functions the same as the one my grandfather made out of a leaf spring and used on cedar roofs. We struck the curled end of the leaf to cut the nails. I always assumed he invented it - wrong! Now, all you need is a zax to complete your collection.

Notice the thumb position of the young man wielding the hammer ;)

Assuming you're talking water heater tanks, those tanks have nice 3/4 inch nipples welded into the top and might be incorporated into 3/4 inch pipe support struts if you simple turn the heater upside-down, leaving the top, now the bottom, on. I believe it would work real well for a side draft exhaust. Just an idea.

While you plan your first pair of tongs, you might benefit by having a pair of tongs to work with. Before I fabricated my first pair of tongs, I made a pair from an old rusty horse hoof trimming/pincher/nipper, or whatever farrier call the tool. I just threw it into the heat and fashioned it into a nice pair of flat tongs. I did the same for a quick pair of bolt tongs. I've made three pairs from the old nippers over twenty years ago, yet I always have an eye open for another rusty/busted up pair that can be had for a dollar or three. The resulting tongs might be on the short side (14" to 16" or so) but they will serve you well until you make something better. Just an idea.

And my idea of a twelve step plan would only lead to another promising dumpster.

Ashcroft MFG Co No.1 Pipe Tong Wrench circa 1873 I have a No.2 (14" from bolt) 20" overall, and I guess a No.3 (16" from bolt) 24" overall. I've never used them and they just rest in a nail keg with the other odd sets of tongs waiting for the right job to come along.

Why not vent directly into your sewer line? All structures have gas traps so there won't be any problem there, the smoke will just vent up to the roof. It would be kinda like a Charles Dickens' theatrical set to see smoke drifting out of all the roof vents in your neighborhood. Quick way to defuse the smoke, too, by spreading it around the neighborhood. I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one on television.

Just about every hardware store carries it in little tubes with a nozzle for dispensing into key slots. Larger volumes can be obtained from Marine supply houses.