KYBOY

That $15 piece of steel was $12 last week, forgot to mention that :D

I cant believe it and thats with a small discount. $8.25 for one stick of 3/8" 1018 :mad: My supplier told me in November he was paying .28 cents a pound for steel and right now they are paying .36 cents a pound for scrap in detroit:confused: He said the prices are leveling off on the west coast and should level off here in a month or so. He said it will take a couple years for steel to get back to Novembers prices. This is what I was told anyway. This is kill'n me :(

You know its funny but a lot of the old smiths around here fit the "sterotype"..Big burly,barrel chested with a beard that hung to his belt. My uncle grew up around one called "Big Eaf" My uncle said he could pick his anvil up over his head and it was no small anvil either. Smiths are far few and between here now. That just reinforces the sterotype. A few home taught farriers, thats about it.

When I hot cut I usaly go most of the way thru on all sides then snap it of. I cast a lot of sinkers and have a large electric smelting pot. I also have about 300 pounds of lead Ive planned on making a lead hammer for months. I just havent got around to it yet:rolleyes:

I really like that set up. With the right kind of material I can see where that "anvil" would have some advantages. Nice collection of hammers too :p

Thanks guys, very helpful :)

Does anyone know of a supplier who sells these steels in small blanks? Thanks

I rescued a old as of yet un-identified anvil from the scrap yard. Its well worn but very serviceable. Ive been a welder/fabricator for close to 18 years but until 5-6 years ago I didnt realize just how versatile a tool an anvil was. In the next year I plan on having a nice 300# in my shop. I know what its going to cost but I dont care.

I built mine from the bottom of a steel barrel. Lined the bottom with clay and made the box with fire brick. I made my own tuyere from threaded pipe and fabricated a counter weight ash dump onthe bottom. I have about $18 in it. I already had the stock for the stand, etc..

Buying the 20' sticks is much more afforadable but still its going up BIG TIME.. There was a 19% jump a couple weeks ago and my supplier told me lat week look for another 17% this week or next. Three years ago I was ordering 10K worth of steel a week on site. Looking at those invoices now it would cost over 20K for the same steel. :confused:

Call your local dept of mines and minerals. Its their job to keep tabs on things like that. I have a friend who works at ours and she says people call them all the time for info on buying house coal.

If your in the eastern half of the state your in. Just about any tipple will sell you some by the ton. Sometimes you can find folks who burn coal and clean around their piles. Call your local dept of mining and minerals office. they can put you in the right direction.

Thanks for the help guys. Its pretty good for a free "rescued" anvil. It would have been a shame for it to have ended up in a scrap smelter. Im putting it back to good use.

I dont live far at all from Maytown. I still get my hair cut there :D

Its a pretty good anvil though its sure seen its share of use. I tried chalk but it just dosnt seem to help.

I have had this anvil for a couple years. It passed thru a scrap yard and was picked up as a freebe. I dont have any recourse books to help I.D it with. Heres some pics. barely any of the lettering is readable. I can make out a Co after an intial word across the top. Another word on the bottom seems to start with a "W"...
First off these "square holes" are present on the front and back..

A previous owner had welded on a "baseplate" for attaching to a stand I figure its there so Ill use it..

I cleaned the face a little the other day I just havent taken a belt sander to it yet.

75/25 for steel
argon for aluminum
Tri_mix for stainless.
Thats what I was taught to use.

You really should learn the proper techniques and practice quite a bit. Then study befor you take the test. Most of what I have done has been 6010 root welds with 7018 cap welds. Its not really that hard after you have learned the proper way of doing it. Dont over look the little things like good dry rods and cleaning your root pass really well.

When I passed my first stress test it was a ground smooth weld. If your careful and the penetration is good grinding a weld shouldent hurt it. the most important part of a weld in the "inside"....;)

Popcans use to be the "big thing" at some of the local trade schools. Brazing them together. You didnt have bragging rights until you could do it. It takes a lot of practice but its not out of the question by any means. My torch is set up on propane and I dont have any propane brazing tips or id give it a go..:D

I live just north east of Harlan a bit in Floyd county.

Thanks guys. Yea coal is one thing we have plenty off. I can buy it by the truckload for around $50 a ton or so. usually though Ill go to friends and familys coal piles(who still use coal for heat) and get the "scag" coal from the bottom of the pile (small coal about dime sized). Looks like a great forum.:)

Howdy. New here. Ive been a welder/fabricator for a long time but just got into smithing the last couple years. Dont laugh to hard but heres a pic or two of my homemade forge. It works well. One thing about Eastern,Ky coal is vastly abundant,LOL
Pic of the couter weight balanced ash drop and air flow.

Topside...