Dan C

Nice design! What size drift did you use on the jaws? If you haven't seen this thread you might enjoy reading it. '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>> If you did do a hook as Frosty suggests, I'd attach a lanyard to the opener and sell them to bartenders.

You're right, I should've normalized as you would a blade. I didn't think about it until afterwards but it was a good learning experience. I did get the springs HT'd and useable, but they were too stiff even with more tempering and didn't stretch as much as I wanted so I cheesed out and bought some springs from home depot. Here's the hold down that I needed them for. I haven't yet tried it out but it should be handy. When my son saw it's function he seemed a bit disheartened, asked if that meant he wasn't needed for holding stuff down anymore. Told him no, he wasn't getting off that easy.

You do nice work! I hope your elbow continues to heal, I hate being held back by joint pain.

Matt, if you haven't recently checked out Bigred's link that's above I would recommend it. He just uploaded photos that show the dimensions of his side draft. My forge which I roll from my garage onto the driveway needs one for the same reasons as yours and I plan on making one in the next 2-3 weeks.

Wow! Thanks Bigred that was more information than I had hoped for, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!

Thank Ian! He & my 16 yo daughter are somewhat interested in my antics in the garage, smithing, welding and working on the old truck that's in the background so they're pretty responsive to helping out. Indirectly maybe I do bribe them, help me then I'll help you, otherwise there's convenient excuses why I can't when they need something. I do have to bribe my 6 yo son, 50 cents or a dollar to sweep the garage floor or driveway. It's more about teaching him to help out vs. it really needing to be done. Dan

My forge is made entirely outta scrap n probably the ugliest n the world except to me! That side draft would look great on it. What r the dimensions?

Thank Francis. Maybe I should've though...I was experimenting with some brake drum springs for a hold down tool and realized they'd become normalized so I heated to reddish orange, quenched and the dropped them in the tank. One of them came out straight, the other was curved big time. Bigfootnampa's advice seems like good advice for something that could curve. I've usually done for blades straight back'n forth, I know to not go side to side. I got my 13 yo son out this weekend to strike for me for the first time last Saturday. We had a great time and made a much needed hot cut from a jack hammer bit. It incorporates Brian Brazeal's innovative ideas of a tapered fit vs. shoulders and a curved cutting edge. Works great so far! Later my son forged a fire rake with my supervision and has been hanging out more with me in the garage than upstairs on the computer or watching TV. A very good weekend indeed! Thomas - yes, metal is good and I like being able to quickly shut the lid. My slack tub full of water is plastic and near the forge. At least on one occasion a hot coal and been knocked into it, but worst case would be needing a new bucket.

I cleaned up my mushroomed edges last night with a stone and then flap discs. When I get home from work I'll take some after pictures that you can compare to the previous pics I posted after grinding the overhangs.

there's an echo in here...Hey Frosty you disappoint me! A true jedi would just use the FORGE to move it. This must've been the only type of remaining anvil for the last (or actually 1st) 3 movies as they only had heavy light sabres. Called and talked to the guy, it was interesting. He has no idea how much he wants for it and was trying to find out what it was worth. He did believe it was cast iron, the old farmer he got it from said it came from a railroad shop and that it came up to his knees. I'm guessing something like this would then have been used for smithing train parts and worked with a sledge? He didn't think originally it was put on a stand at all, but just used it on the ground. Maybe a google search is in order to find out more, though I'm sure several on this forum know how it was used. Oh when will I learn...here's the 1st google hit. '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>>

I like the idea of putting a saddle on it :) I might just for fun call & find out the price. I kinda assumed it's one of those things that if you have to ask how much it is you can't afford it.

I saw this on craigslist, whatta beast! They didn't list a price but I thought the design was interesting and would probably be very useful, assuming you had a fork lift. Just goes to show you don't have to go with a traditional London anvil. Guess you'd still need to fabricate a stand, which you'd better be very certain of your ability to weld if going that route. And no, I'm not considering buying or know the owner. Just found it interesting and wondered what people would think of the design & style.

Thanks for making me see the LIGHT...I could never understand why in the first movies everyone had to use two hands on their "light" sabre and then in the prequels everyone is wielding them single handedly, one in each hand, dual bladed. They must've lost the technology to make "light" hammers & anvils when they killed off all the jedi.

Though a good thread to be resurrected on how to search the forum, I feel so violated.

It'd be nice if you could forge something for her to show your appreciation though probably no way to contact the widow. Take good of that anvil and put her to work, that's a real beauty, rusty or not.

My vote would be to use it as is until you learn what you need (assuming it's safe to do so) What about mushroomed edges, should these be cleaned up by grinding some of the overhang? I've been reluctant to do so as I wanted to use it as is and I've found the large radius very helpful. When I need a sharp edge I go to the RR track anvil in the background. If I could fill some of the divots in the face & heel w/o affecting rebound I would do so, though the depression on the front right corner is very useful for making spoons. There is a C-shaped area on the face that looks like someone did a repair, but it didn't affect the rebound that I can tell.

Very nice, I love reusing scrap metal on projects like this and need to do something similar. Thanks for posting!

There u go, you're on your way w that. The more people u talk to that know u smith the better. FYI while forging today went back to the vertical track anvil, better edges

Power hammer...we don't need no stinking power hammer! Today for the first time my son joined me in the garage as a striker and we forged our version of a Brian Brazeal hot cut, at least it's slightly tapered on the shank and curved on top, from a jack hammer bit. And it passed the functionality test with flying colors! Then checking the mail, the Brazeal style hot cut forged by Dave Custer arrived and we realized a big difference b/t the two. Pretty sure that one will work 10x's better, but my son & I are very pleased nonetheless and had a great time. We're already putting on the agenda to forge an edge hardy and bickerns.

At your age time is on your side and you've got determination. Join the local ABANA group, get a suitable chunk of steel for an anvil. RR track mounted vertically works well and is how I got started, then earned enough selling what I made to buy a decent used anvil. Here's a thread that has pictures of what I did w/ mine. '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>>

I have a metal gallon paint can for knives and move the blade as you describe, but RR spikes turned into bottle openers, gardening tools or other stuff that which I want the darkened finish & rust protection I use this.

I got the idea from this thread, where Knots made a quench tank from a 40 lb propane container. I hadn't been using mine too often though since I didn't have a good way to fish stuff out.

I finally got around to making a couple tools I've been needing. The first was a laddle or dipper for the quench tank. I'd been thinking about making a basket of sorts, but then thought of using the top of the scuba tank with a piece of 3/8" sq rolled into a circle after passing it thru the hole. I decided not to be as boring as usual and spend a few minutes making the handle a little decorative. Then I made a hardy fuller from a jack hammer bit and this cultivator for gardening. Next time working with these bits I'm going to get one of my teenagers to give me a hand as a striker, pita doing it solo.

"a vibrator on a bee hive" that's a real good one. I know at a farm we have permission to hunt at, how much fun it is to back into the hot wire that's there for the cattle. Pretty good wake up call. Was thinking about the situation, whoever did it is someone who likely knew exactly what you had and had a specific need as they only took the OA rig and left the book & notepad by accident behind. I'd keep an eye on craig's list and any new hobbies anyone in the neighborhood might have. People like that eventually trip up somewhere along the way.

I like the game camera idea, but how about an electric hot wire on the fence? That could be fun.