Jim Coke

Greetings Pat, If something falls from heaven on me I sure don't want it to be a Parker.... You must have moved just in time.... Your a very lucky boy Jim

Greetings Frank, Just think of the thousands and thousands of blacksmiths that proudly wear your TOUCHMARK... Congrats.. Jim

Greetings HS, Like Harold said it's possable between 2 2in angles to bend 1/16 stainless.... What I've done is weld a 1/2 in round on the top of the leg of one angle ... space the angles about 1/2 apart and proceed like Harold says.. Slow but it works.... Another thought is to make a 11 inch box and weld a 10 in round flange to it... lots of grunt work Good luck Jim

Greetings Ken / Chuck I have always known this Champion forge as to be a millitary unit... I dont know the year or when it was made. I think why I disliked them the most is that they are very short and you have to bend over to crank them... The gearing and blower operation does not build inertia... No flywheel... I have never seen to my knowlege a Empire forge ... Buffalo made a millitary of sheet metal with every thing in a box.. I had one and I know where one is for sale... Thats what I got, Jim Pictures of a Empire might refresh the old boys memory

Greetings guys, I still think it was named after Wiley E. Hardie...the Roadrunners buddy BEEEP BEEEEP

Greetings Ben, What worked for me and my Trenton with a 1 3/8 hardie is a 4 in square plate with a 3/4 square hole and the correct size stem for the hardie. just weld it up and grind.. It gives a better surface for the smaller tools with a 3/4 footprint... Less wobble... Happy grinding... Jim

Greetings Harold, Bring her home to Michigan ... Looks like fun... Jim

Greetings , Looks to me like you could afford a gas forge . Looks just like a BBQ . I guess a power hammer is out of the question... Good luck

100 pounder with lugs.... Annnnnd the orginal FN cast stand with lugs.... Looks like new or old stock.... Jim

Greetings Kenl What you have is a military forge.... It was made to take along for easy storage... I have had 2 of them and found them a pain... They are hard to use because of the way the blower drives and gear set up.. They girnd they snap and don't blow much air.... Now days it more of a collectors forge... Your could remove the blower and fab it up for a stand alone blower... Best to sell it .. I swaped one of mine for a 3 foot cone anvil... Good luck Jim

Greetings Rex. I don't know if you know it or not but you have what I feel is one of the best firepots ever made... Wirlwind... It alone is worth what you paid... You will find that the hood stinks but you can adapt a nice side draft to it.... I also would suggest to forget the reostat that you have and wire in a more modern on with a switch.... Complete as Brian said with the refractiory.. Forge on Jim

Greetings Dale, I';ll give you a trick from an old f.... . Heat your spring... Put it on a large enough pipe so that it wraps arround.... Clamp or vise grip on end....put it a pipe vise.... Use 3ft 3/4 ID pipe as a lever to pry the spring straight.... Carefull the pipe will get hot.... It's like threading the spring into the pipe... you can get about 15 inches staight without too much trouble... than a wood hammer and a stump.... Good Luck, JIm Forgot to say your torch works best for heat.... DAAAAA

Greetings 1911, Getting the taper key out is a challange sometimes... After some Gibs or WD 40 overnight...some heat from a weed torch on the sow and than I use an air chisel with a blunt end... I use a good long barrel not a muffler gun..... Take your time and go both ways its the vibration that causes the rust to compress and make room for the lubricant ... Remember the wedge is tapered 2 ways.. I hope this helps... Jim

Greetings Cody, The Arm and Hammer is the best deal... Just a guess but it looks like 120.. 150 ... One of the best anvils made. I have had that discussion with Richard Postman many times and thats his favorite.... I have 3 and use one daily.... 450 is a bit much and I would forget the other door stop... Jim

Greetings Windancer, Sounds like wet media.... I would try replacing the pickup tube with a short hose 10 in or so and stick it in dry sand and try it... That may show you something... Jim

Greetings Neil, I'll pass on what I do for very small forgings... Normally I form a stem like a leaf and use it as the handle while forging.. Later I cut it off... I do alot of treadle hammer work and this sure works for me... I have a whole series of small tools and backing media for the treadle hammer which also helps.... I also use my flypress to control debth on some parts... I guess it depends on what you have to forge ... Every situation is different... Jim

Greetings Perry, I have the same blower ... You could probably find this oiler from someone on ebay.. They are common with the Hit and Miss engine group.. Try Gas Engine Mag classifieds.... Good Luck Jim

Greetings ML, Nope no thanx yet... I made that mistake years ago when I made a slick welders positioning jig.. Invested alot only to find all welders wanted to buy was the basic component.... True smiths make there own... Go figure Jim

Greetings Pete, Welcome.... Now you get to look through what I call blacksmith glasses.... Before you looked at a chunk of iron and said how can I grind and weld it into something... Now you will look at it and say how can I forge and bend it.... Your hooked... Jim

Yep your right it's HARDIE Late night and I can't spell anyway WOOPS Jim

Greetings All, I read an artical in a 1895 publication on how to make a horshoe nail... Thin tapered nail with a diamond head all formed on the anvil without a header... I tried a few and found it very neet... Try some... Jim

Greetings Ridgeway, I think the main reason hardy holes were made 3/4 and bigger is that many of the tools used had side stress bricks tapers ect... Another is many farriers use the hardy hole for turning a shoe... As you know we all use it for small bends and straighting... My biggest question is how did it get its name... Must have been Mr. Hardy... I teach my students that blacksmiths tool names are usually the function... Flatters , fullers , hot cut, punch.. ect. ect. I still think its Mr. Hardy.. Go figure... Carry on and have fun.. Jim

Greetings Matto, All the post drills that I've seen came on a wood plank for shipping.... Designed so that you can remove it or just nail up the plank.. If you mount a motor on the unit you will find that if you bottom the drill or jam the drill there is no reverse... The self feed will lock up .. I have several post drills in my studios and find the very functional and fun the way they were intended to use.. By the way the make great babysitters for the young ones that visit your shop... Give them a board , show them how it works and that keep them busy for hours... Oh by the way ITS CORDLESS Have fun Jim

Larry, 1/8 spacers is all you need... If your post vise is super tight you can put 1 1/16 spacer in the end... Thin spacers go crunch.... Have fun and get busy making one.... Jim

Thanx Sam .. I think he has his 5.00 worth... Ahhhh kids and thier toys....