Nobody Special

For ID, you might hit up technicus joe/ joey van der steeg. He hangs out here occasionally, as well as the book of faces on the blacksmithing forums, and he kind of has a passion for german anvils.

Aren't most commercial welding fluxes anhydrous borax and iron filings? I use twenty mule a lot, sometimes it seems to seep from the weld long after the initial weld is done if it's not dried first. Another traditional one I used with success was dirt dauber nests, although I imagine they work better in sandy areas... When I was casting a lot, I tried ground shell (originally to provide calcium to chickens) and even charcoal, but I don't think they'd work so well in forging, never tried them.

I LOVE my 1816 Foster. If you can find them, you can often get them for next to nothing because the forge weld breaks on the horn or heel. Paid $75 for mine, and it has a ridiculously wide face. Junkyard anvils are definitely a great alternative. If you are truly interested in casting iron or steel, you want to look for a hobby group that does it specifically. Melting steel can be done in a forge in small amounts. Ask anyone here that's burnt up a bar. Casting steel or iron though, not something to do at home safely or well without a lot of expensive specialized equipment and knowledge. Finding a group helps with the learning curve, and I'd recommend it for most casting anyways, including aluminum. Casting injuries...hurt. You also would probably want to build a furnace for casting. Heat sources for casting tend to make poor forges, and vice versa. Mr. Powers also tends to be a great source of knowledge regarding almost all esoteric metallurgy. If he doesn't provide the info directly, he'll point you at a book and show you how to do an interlibrary loan.

The precious metals look to mainly be silver inlay. It's tedious, but I wouldn't think the material would be expensive. Labor on the other hand...What are the stones, garnets?

So...file a sword, geese eat filings, collect poo, roast poo, smelt poo, refine? How the heck do you get that job? And how the heck did they find this out originally? Even if you just randomly happened to notice that your goose was eating your filings...as geese are wont to do, of course, how did it ever occur to someone to save enough to smelt, then make a bloom? Starving the geese I at least see, as if I were a goose, I'd turn up my nose at iron filings for breakfast too. And if they had to recreate it, why a duck? Why not go the full distance...aside from the fact that geese are mean? And I thought that the first person to try an oyster must have been desperate...what the heck was exactly wrong with Wayland? What other crazy alchemical stuff did he try to figure this out? Almost makes quenching in the urine of redheaded boys seem practically ordinary.

I was going to mention the exothermic properties, but someone already mentioned it. I might also add that purchasing the stronger varieties of Hydrogen Peroxide will get the attention of three letter agencies, as it has certain umm...ilicit uses, which is as much as I will say on the matter.

A goat chariot? Like Odin's Wain? For awhile I played around with friction folders from half horseshoes. Very popular with horsey people. Cut in half and forge the cut end to look rounded like the other. You have to grind or file down the insides before bending though, or they end up way too clunky. Lot of fun, no wooden scales or such, so very little fit and finish.

Good evening, In Missouri, typically around $3 to $4 a lb if in good shape. I have enough anvils that I can afford to wait for the bargains to appear. Hay Buddens seem to me to perform slightly better, (i.e. slightly more rebound and move the metal a tiny bit faster) but ring louder, and the PW anvils I've had/played on have done just fine. Peter Wrights used to be one of the most common imported English anvils. If as you say, it's ringing like a bell, you may want to fasten it down, wrap some chain around it, and maybe put a cow magnet under the heel. A loose anvil makes my tinnitus ring like Quasimodo swinging around Notre Dame.

Out of curiosity, what are you attempting to make? If this had been thinner sheet, I would have said use a wooden stump, but not at 3/8".

I've found that it works well on most rust, but it's not magic. Anything I can't get off in a full day of soaking or less, I hit with the wire brush or try another method. Works pretty well with the addition of that. Also, don't you just love that sulphurous smell that you get with iron and vinegar? Heavier stuff you can also try molasses. Get the cheap, industrial stuff from the Feed Store or some such. I thought my leg was being pulled the first time I heard it. For files, I like muriatic, but much shorter times, and you have to give a rinse after with some baking soda.

I'm with Marc, wire brush with a non-knotted brush, although I prefer to rub the side with baby powder or corn starch instead of chalk. It fills any depressions rather than highlighting them, but it seems to work better to me. Are you sure that's a weld plug? Fairly common for some India Delta 10 Tango to drop scrap in and get it wedged, or break something off in one. They can get wedged in good, and even rust in place. Sometimes you can knock whatever it is back out. Be judicious, no point breaking a heel.

Evening, looks like a load of fun. Was wondering though, most of the ones I've seen have had the handles mounted evenly, either center of the hammer, or towards the rear like a dogface. Why did ya'll offset the handles one slightly in front of the other, and does it affect the use? Feels like it would make it more difficult to swing in unison, but I haven't tried it. Either way, you've made something cool. Also, almost every video or pick I've seen of these has been for forging large chain. Aside from being huge and heavy, anyone know why this would work better for that application?

And then I say that and find some just like on Google. Dang it.

Yah, would think they wouldn't have been made for hot work with those teeth, no idea what it's for. The nail clinchers I had had one flat jaw with teeth and one that curved up in a "C".

Dang it, missed the post, but I may be down there again at some point. We don't have anybody working the area. If I do, I will absolutely throw a pm your way...BEFORE I travel. Thank you, and sorry I missed it.