rthibeau

this link might help.... http://www.tennesseehickory.com/handles.shtml

the wheel base is wide enough that it isn't tippy at all and the anvil is bolted to the tine so that isn't loose either. very safe.

It's very rigid...can't tell in use that it is mobile...solid and sturdy. One of the better Dancing Frog innovations. :D

A better pic when it was new and clean. CAUTION!! Dale Russell and other colors sensitive folk should not look. My link

Guess I need to add my anvil stand to the list. Made from a fork lift tine, it's adjustable for height with the 3 screw jacks and on wheels for ease of moving around the shop.

No, but I drank all Dale had and that was almost enough

Check out Alro Steel on Freeman Street, Grand Rapids. http://www.alro.com/SECLocations/locations_gr.cfm

Ask 6 blacksmiths a question...get 8 responses.... :P

If the wedge(s) can be removed, then tap the handle out and you're ready to rehandle. If the wedge(s) can't be removed easily enough, or if the handle has been glued as well, I use a piece of round bar slightly smaller than the eye, place the hammer in the post vise, and use the round bar and a 6 lb hammer to drive the handle out by punching it out. Sometimes the handle can be reused as is, most times you have to reshape the eye end for a proper fit. I do that on the belt sander. Usually the handle will be loose already and that is why you would be reusing it, so it's easy to knock it out of the hammer head. When replacing the handle, a wood wedge in line with the hammer head and a metal wedge 45º to that should suffice if all fits properly.

IMHO, if a hammer mushrooms over time, it is too soft. Any hammer will ding an anvil if hit hard enough and off hot steel, soft anvils obviously get worse than hard anvils. At best, it's a compromise between hammer and anvil unless you can get both to the exact same hardness. The best one can do is not hit the anvil bare but have hot steel in between the hammer and anvil = perfect hammer control. Absent that, refacing a hammer is cheaper and easier than refacing an anvil, so I guess that puts everyone back at square one. Temper your hammer to match your anvil?? All will be different.

yeah...kinda like this one....

too bad it's not painted purple and red...I'd go for it then.

$4,200 for a 100 lb Little Giant sounds about right for an operational one, so you didn't get hurt, and yes you should be able to make it pay for itself so that's all good. As scrap it's about $300 - $400.

Keith, we need to go to stan's and remove all them big toys so he don't get any ideas of overexerting himself too soon. You know, it's only the right thing for friends to do to keep him on the mend....... ;)

you can replace the screws easy enough...it's them gears that are hard to come by.

use a flap disk on an angle grinder and you'll have a pretty hammer....no forging necessary

I do purple in various shades.....I've done pink only a few times..............

Wrought iron can be found at old farm sites where a silo was.....5/8" round rod was used as the bands to hold them together. Old wagons with wood wheels had wrought iron bands as the "tire". Ships had anchors and anchor chain of wrought iron. Over 110 years old and it's probably wrought iron. Bridges, structural iron in buildings, etc.....it was everywhere.