Jim Coke

Greetings Rhett, Great build... ML covered the clinker breaker thing.... Only suggestion that I could make is to put a split rubber hose over the re-bar hammer hold.. That stuff is hard on handles... In the words of Jeremiah Johnson..... IT WILL SERVE YOU WELL PILGRIM... Continue the great work Jim

Greetings John, Pictures from my I phone poor But..... Jim

Greetings Mac, You ask for it.. Make this with only 1 piece of 1/2 x1/2 stock 24 in long without any forge welding of any kind or welding . No breaks and only one rivet.. Except for 1 small copper drip pan and a match. You ask for a challenge Jim

Frosty Sounds like you also are well versed in door stops and book ends Do you think it's our age and wisdom ?

Greetings Metal, Those guys have it all wrong it's a ( EL-DOOR STOP } I have many and am considered an expert... Jim

Greetings White, Price per pound don't mean squat... Its condition.. If I were you I would take a straight edge and check the sway back first.... It's an early English anvil probably pre 1820 s with no pritchel hole... Early English anvils are fun but if you are paying 2/3 the cost of a great anvil it's up to you... Be picky it's something that you will be working on for a long time and making dedicated tools to fit the hardie hole. Why go to all that trouble for something that you wll probably upgrade in the future.. I have several early English that I use a beeters for the kids.. Good Luck Jimj

Greetings Black Frog I prefer the hoop and wedge lockdown style I posted them before with a Mcbruce reply On the I phone or I would have pictures I like a Brick as they are called with a 1/8 radius on one side Jim

WD/Knots, Another on just like it in one of my other shops... I have been T hammering for quit a few years.. Knots you already seen the flicks of my Bumblebee. Jim

Greetings again Justin, I put a picture of ( UNDER THE SPREADING CHESTNUT TREE ) Its a classic , visitors can quote at least one verse of Longfellow. Carry on Jim

Greetings again WD, I have several top plates , Some much larger with hardie holes 6in offset for sping tools ... #32 Richard Shepard I also own #41 and a Clay Spenser design like yours... When you finish I will try to get some pictures up of some custom tooling that I have made... Treadle hammers a blast .. so to speak. Jim

Greetings WD, Did you weld the top plate with the hardie yet? If not it's wise to put a plate about 3in down the tube at an angle with a hole cut out of the side.. This will serve as an exit skid for punchouts and things dropped down the hardie hole. To answer your question.. I have 3 treadle hammers and the anvil tubes are filled with cement... It looks like your build is going well.... I wish you continued progress.. Jim

Greetings 01, It's fun to see the dates on this post and note your progress. By now you must have been to J C. It shows in your work... I wish you well and continue the great work... Jim

Greetings Pete, I'm not a big blade guy but that piece is over the top gorgeous.... That's something that belongs in a sealed case at Fort Knox... Jim

Greetings Justin, I made copies from the Blacksmith Cookbook and A Blacksmith Craft... Helpful information like temper colors, steel gage, steel information. slit sizes for pass through .. ECT ECT.. This is wonderful information for reference and it looks good on the wall... When putting on a demo you can show students many things right from the wall.. And my all time favorite that I came up with a few years ago. Jim OK frosty have at it...LOL

Greetings George, Jims general rule for new students.. Keep trying after the third failure.. ITS MILLER TIME Not the beer.... Every forge welding situation is different and preparation is the key... Proper scarf ..... heat.... flux.....and timing... I teach my students to do all the moves cold first before the attempt.. The hardest thing about forge welding is that after you have mastered it is explaining it to a new smith.... Keep forging Jim

Greetings WD, Nice build... If you need some chain visit your local motorcycle shop. Normally the guys have some used chain and sprockets available. Keep your paddle in the water Jim

On the way from Michigan, Jim

Greetings Truma, Thank you for posting your neet candle holder.. Consider it put in my memory bank of things I want to make... Best overall design I have seen in a long time.. Forge on Jim

Greetings again Daniel, By filling a grove with sholder on the shaft your tongs will fit in the grove and will not slip up or down.. You may have to reshape your tongs a little but I think it would be worth it.. I have had a few misses with my touchmark and use a different system.. Jim

Greetings Daniel, Very nice design.. I'm sure you are proud of you work . 100 years from now your work will still carry you name.... I might suggest if your tongs are dedicated to your touchmark you could put a small flat on the shaft so that it does not slip down the shaft.. Great stuff Keep forging Jim

M..I...C...K...E....Y M....O....U...S...E Thought it was a mousehole...... Enjoy your day Jim

Greetings CD, I posted this before but here is another picture. They are simple to make and replace all of those spacers you can never find.. Previous posting in solving problems... They work well have fun Jim

Greetings all, I showed a friend of mine the vise jaw spacer that I posted on this forum. He thought it was slick and said he was going to make a set.... Yupp he took it over the top.. Jim

Greetings again Merlin. Frosty is right we need more ladies in our craft... I have lady friends that are some of the best smiths I have ever seen... I once took a friend ( non blacksmith) to a meet where some of the lady smiths were there... My friend was worried and ask me about their safety with all the rough looking guys that were there.. I laughed and told him that when you become one of us we all have hammers and protect our own.. I think lady blacksmiths are protected better than Fort Knox.. I suggest you find a local blacksmith group and give it a test drive ... In PA you have a super school. Touchtone Center For the Crafts. Log on an take a look... All that and it did not come from the bottom of your new anvil.. Jim Frosty, I set up the earlier statement for this one.....

Greetings Fiery, This may sound silly but .. Depending on design of your knocker you may try stainless...Many times after forging stainless it takes on a whole new patina. I found by brush sanding and some surface brighting you can fake the nickel look.. To dull you can use German nickel guilders paste.. Depends on the customers budget what they get... You can also try nickel metal transfer on the stainless much like brass brushing.. Depends on design your design. Keep forging Jim