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Does anyone know about the dust from soft firebrick? I have a one brick forge that I use on the back porch and I noticed some sparkling dust in the air. I have never heard about needing to cover the brick in ITC or such but I did not stop smoking to risk my heath with brick dust. Any information would be great. thanks Ernest What does this have to do with Inswool? We will separate it out to its own place.

Tell me about it. If you could get that pattern welded together you would have some kind of knife. This yard had one ready made mail box post, a crank shaft that still had a large gear on one end.

I picked up this PTO/drive shaft at the scrap yard today. I figure it will be good for a number of things. 1.5" solid square by 36". My first thought is to make tools for a guillotine tool.

I have indicated objects in each photo that provides a scale.

Eric, Take a look at these 2 photos, this is the chain I was talking about.

I had not thought of that, good observation.

I had a question about the Japanese forging hammer, is there a physics reason that most of the mass of the hammer is off center of the eye? I would think this would take advantage of leverage or some such. If that is the case I wonder if this type of hammer was used in western blacksmith hammers. I watched a video on YouTube of a hand forged sword that went from Japanese black iron sand to the hand polishing of a master craftsman and when the 2 strikers were forge welding the tamahagane (ie beating it like it owed money and missed the last two payments of the vig) and I figured there must be very few things in this master sword smith's shop that is not the result of hundreds of years worth of refinement. I like the hammer BTW, looks very nice. Ernest

Homeshow, take a look at this blog http://weaponcollector.blogspot.com/2011/05/how-to-make-carbine-crossbow-templates.html. The blogger has templates for making some different crossbows along with more knuckle dusters then you can shake a stick at.

Eric, One other problem I have been having with hot cutting is since I lack a hardy in my rail anvil I have not been able to rig a good enough hot cut setup. We are doing smithing magicians at the Athens Forge meeting this month so once I make some cutoff dies for the smithing magician and I have it bolted down to something heavy that should be a bit easier. I plan to take some rail plate I got at the yard and make a poor man's hardy out of it and a big stump.

Because they are tangled up in a pile with (I kid you not) tons of steel. I saw them at the scrap yard, I did not see a way to get them out of the scrap yard with out an Oxy cutting rig. Also, I think I am giving you the wrong idea about the size of the chain, think Terminator 2 in the steel mill where he gets his arm trapped in the convener chain. The pitch between each link had to be 10". If you could get some out each plate would be many knives. Think the type of roller chain in escalators. That having been said hot cutting would be an option if you had a short (one or two) sections.

Thomas makes a VERY good point since in Alabama you can not use buckshot in a shotgun, only slug.

Well since you already gave me some flat bar I will give you some spikes. See you in at the meeting one way or the other. In one of the parts marked for structural steel is a drive chain where the links must be 10" apart. I wish I had the saw to cut them up but I do not.

The local SCA group here uses pre-made prods from Alchem Incorporated alcheminc DOT com. They make (just about) a prod for any occasion. The Alchem Incorporated site also has a large section on plans and specs. http://www.alcheminc.com/crossbow.html

Thomas, I agree 100%/ This guy had a fill set (2) forklift times in great shape he would have taken $50,00 for. Since 2 tines would easily equal 2+ plate anvils and I do not know how many tools that is a good deal. Some things you can find on Craigslist but they are just not worth what they want on Craigslist. Good to be known as a guy that is good to see and not a guy they only want around so he can buy stuff.

I have some spikes for you if you want them/.

Any one near Fayetteville, TN if you have not been to Park City recycling you should. I just came back with a bag of RR spikes, one track tie plate, two things that look like REALLY big pins like you would have to hitch up a equipment trailer and what I think is some part of a forklift tine. 98lbs $29.00. They had a bunch more of the tie down plates and more spikes as well. Park City Recycling 19 Airport Road Fayetteville, TN 37334 (931) 433-9300 One more thing, stop at "The Junque Yard" the guy there is starting out as a hobby smith and he turned me on to the scrap yard so show them some IFI love. 1627 Huntsville Hwy Fayetteville, Tennessee 37334

I think I need to make me one of these, thanks for posting the video.

I have seen the ball nose tongs in use on a line of cows that my Grandpa was giving pills to back in my misspent youth. They are very effective.

Ausfire, I have seen people using cylinder heads for dishing out frying pans, I would think you could do the same with the actual cylinders. Like someone has already said they can be customized to meet your needs. How heavy is that block? E

On one 4th of July here in North Alabama one person had his scale replica of a gun from Fort McHenry and he used small steel juice cans filled with concrete and grass clippings for the wad. they were shooting at the 25 yard berm and I shudder to think how far that can-o-concrete was going in to that mound of red dirt.

Tubbe, that is some good stuff, I think I might have to try that out. When you heat treated the tool, what kind of temper were you going for. I can see a tool like this being very useful in making rivets if you did not have the right size on hand. thanks for the post.

Aaron, that is one good looking hammer. I really like the look of it.