BT

Andreas I agree with Woody, you can take a heat on the flat stock and lightly break the sharp edges with a hammer to give a piece that hand forged look. I have never been a fan of using a ball pien or other method of just abusing metal to give it a fake texture. Or if time is not a factor, forge it from round stock as mike mentioned. Just my opinion though. :-) BT

Welcome Blessed Silence Whereabouts in Mid Mo are you located. Osage Bluff here. BT

My grandson wanted to forge a rose for his mother for her wedding anniversary. Here are the results.

I know I'm late posting this, but my entry anyway. A batch of tomahawk heads, the bits are from car spring, the eyes are from material salvaged from a grain truck bed. BT

DocDrew Yeah, actually I was one of the original members of BAM. I am just about 10 miles south of Jeff City. Bernie

DocDrew I saw your reference to BAM. Are you located in Missouri? Bernie

Wow Chef, I must have lived. Thanks for the trip back.

That looks like a good show Steve. Do you demo there too?

You are right again Jr. :-) I remember now the guy I saw using the mini canthook affair was putting fellows on a wheel. Now that I think about it, I don't think I have ever seen a live demo of a tire being installed.

I thought that is what it might be Jr. but the roller end had me wondering. The tire wrenches that I have seen prior to this one were all smith made affairs that looked like a mini canthook. Here are a couple from the COSIRA book on wheelmaking.

I got this in a box of miscellaneous blacksmith tools at an auction. Anybody have any idea of what it is?

Richard It is for cleaning up all the old oily greasy blacksmith equipment that follows you home. :-)

Leah That is my philosophy, it is always easier to beg forgiveness than to ask permission. :-)

check out Ebay item 110006309005 Looks like the one I mentioned in the earlier post has come up for auction again.

There was a Hay Budden like this on Ebay a few months back. The seller had it listed as a "bench anvil". I don't know, but to me it just looked like an anvil top that had never been welded to a base.

If you don't already know about these, the COSIRA books are an excellent reference, and most importantly, FREE for the download. go to http://www.countryside.gov.uk/NewEnterprise/Economies/craftpublications.asp These are in .pdf format.

I have used Easy Off oven cleaner on some stuff that had layers of caked on grease and dirt. Spray it on and let sit for a while. Then use a power washer on it. Before I had my own power washer, I used to load stuff on the back of the pickup and head for the nearest car wash. NOTE: observe safety precautions when using the Easy Off. Read the caution on the can.

Hard to tell from your picture, but it looks like the later style of Peter Wright. According to Postman, if it has the word "England" stamped below the word "Patent" it is after 1910. The Peter Wrights made circa 1885 - 1910 were a little thicker waisted and "squattier" looking and stamped Peter Wright Patent, without the England designation. Prior to 1885, the faceplate was applied in several pieces, and you can sometimes see the weld lines in the face. This info is all from Postman.

Here is a pic of another style that I make, one piece forged from car spring. This one hasn't been "finished" yet, still as forged.

Here is a pic of the style of gig that I make for the fish giggers around here. I start with an old four or five prong pitchfork, reshape the tines to about an inch between the tines, cut the tines to length, weld on the barbs and a shaft, roll a socket out of 16 guage sheet and weld. The I harden just the tips of the tines in oil and draw back to a purple. The giggers around here gig in gravel bottom streams, so the points have to be pretty hard to stand up. BT

My 300 lb German hornless anvil. Not as unique as the French anvil, but different anyway. . . BT

Nice find ladysmith. I'm sure you will like the electric blower. I picked up an old Buffalo electric blower 20 years ago or so, and haven't missed my old hand crank blowers a bit :-) . The stake is a very nice addition to any shop also. The tongs - I think the first pair (needing adjustment) is for flat iron, like picking up a wagon tire for installation, etc. I have several similar pairs. The second pair could be used to hold any piece with a head, like a bolt, or like Jr says a socket type tool, or as someone else said, like a railroad spike. The third pair is probably like Jr said, brazing tongs. The last pair, I have no clue. Probably not originally designed for blacksmith use, but you never know . . . But all in all, a very nice find. BT

I like to use a length of plumber's solder to trace the full size drawings. It forms and holds the shape easily and then can be restraightened for a measurement. BT

Header details

Some bolt headers in a box of "stuff" from and auction.