LITTLEJOHN

Thanks for the help! I have tried getting into the BP0232 and 0101 sites and for some reason couldnt get in so I appreciate the help! I think with some work I can have a good second anvil .Thanks again!

I have a chance to buy a 124 lb mouse hole anvil that is in great shape body wise except for the fact that the face is broken and pieces are missing.It looks as if it was a poor weld when it was made.I am needing to find out what kind of steel to use to weld on a new face.I have a mig and can weld one on and think for the money it will be worth it to have a good anvil in the end. the asking price is $80. Is it worth it and how hard is it with the exception of time and some instruction on how?

Glad to hear you are able to go back to work.Our prayers will still be with you on a complete recovery,sounds like you are close.You know what they say Jimmy is hard to keep a good man down.Good luck !

Thanks for a wonderful site Glenn ,and all those who respond and contribute! Thanks also for the prayer list it humbles us and unites us by enabling us to take some time to thank God for our blessings and help others in praying for help with their needs.

Phillip are prayers are with you and you are a reminder to us of how inportant a smith can be when power it out and things are needed the smith being the most basic still gets things done.God bless your skills and you in your efforts.

Your anvil is a Solid Wrought Iron anvil and the numbers are english stone weight which if I am not mistaken should weigh about 120 lbs.The number one is number of hundred weight which is actually 112lbs the second number is quarters of one hundred weight or 112lbs divided by 4 and the third is lbs.So by one you have 112lbs 0 no quarter weight and 8 actual lbs totaling 120lbs.Maybe some other fellow members can tell for sure because I think the hundred weight is actually 112lbs but might be wrong on that.As for taking it to a machine shop to have it milled I personally wouldnt bother since it doesnt sound as if it is to bad considering the anvil is 80 yrs old most of the nicks wont hurt anything and add character to it .To keep it perfect probably means you arent using it.The rounded edges are ok to me since I don't want them square and sharp. Most anvils I have seen go for $2 to $3 per pound so anything better is a bonus.Hope this helps you out and maybe other members can tell you on the 108 numbers since I'm not sure on the exact hundred weight.Good luck sounds like a good deal on a good anvil if the price is right.

I had an incident are accident while welding on a slag pot at a steel mill two of us were fixing cracks in the pots which were 6 inches thick and as much as 10 feet long .They had to be beveled out to be welded back up so for time sake two of us would weld one from each end and meet in the middle wait for the other to be done the use a needle scaler to remove the slag.We were using 18 inch flux core wire in a mig running 280 amps.As we all know from working with hot metal if it burns for a few seconds ok if more look for fire.My partner was finished and waiting for me to finish my bead when I felt a burn in my side that lasted and kept getting hotter at which time I had thought I was on fire so I stopped welding and yelled fire running out of the pot.As I ran out I felt something pull out of my side and heard my partner say O man I got you.Not knowing what he meant I looked around to find out when he finished he threw he gun over his leg and pierced me in the side with the red hot wire portruding out of his gun.It burnt its way in not bleeding a bit but still required a trip to the hospital in which I became the poster boy for stupid welding accidents.So I guess would be the mouse in Irnsrgn's experience.

An old CO2 cylinder end works great if cut off.Just make sure the prior contents are not flamable.Always think safety if you are not sure dont use it.

Yes this craft of blacksmithing definitely bites you hard and gets to be an obsession.I am with Rondo I live in Illinois and can't wait for the weather to break and get to work. There is nothing like the ring of an anvil to take you back in time,as my father would say to the good old days.He has altzheimers but when I told him I was taking up blacksmithing it sparked up an hours worth of memories he had as a kid and seemed to take me back in time as much as the anvil ring.Truly this is a great site for us beginners as well as those long into the trade to keep a craft alive and continue the trade.Thanks to all who share the stories,the skills,and the advice.

Welcome ! Being a new member I agree a great site,a great group of people,great to have the amazing resources that are available here!

Hi,and having just jioned on myself this is a great place to learn and gather information from a great group of people and no question is a stupid one.We all started out wanting to learn or we wouldn't be here.Welcome aboard! Live life so that when you die even the undertaker feels sorry! Mark Twain

Thanks for the advice!

Since I am new to the art my question is what is the best way to put out my fire at the end of the day after I am done forging.Sounds like a crazy question since most of the time we are interested in starting the fire.I have a small forge with a champion blower and want to save as much of the coke and coal as I can since good coal in Illiois is hard to find.Thank for any advice!

I have used a Milwaukee and liked it, was a bit heavy but the weight helped keep just enough pressure to help in cutting. They are great to cut short stock if steel is kept in a rack or pile and you don't want to wrestle it out of the pile or are where you don't want to use a torch.

Thanks for the welcome guys ! I am lookingforward to sharing the experiences and learn ing all you have to offer to keep the craft alive. What an amazing craft it is to take scrap and making something useful from it ! Thanks again !

Hi everyone I am new to the craft but enjoy all the information you all share on this site! Thanks for all of the shared experience and knowledge !