SilverDeck

​I think they were asking something like $150 for it. Needless to say, I decided to pass....

Here's my favorite that appeared on my local Craigslist awhile back:

OK, here we go: All of these images were taken on Memorial Day, (5/25/2015) at the Matthew Edel Blacksmith Shop in Haverhill, Iowa.

Thanks, Glenn. Is the best way to post these images by using the "insert image from URL" option?

​Unfortunately, the pic posted above was one of the better ones I got of that trip hammer. The hammer was in one of the darkest parts of the shop and getting a good image of it was tough. Here is another shot taken from further back of the whole trip hammer apparatus: As you can see, there is a leaf spring on top of the arm to store energy and return it with the downward stroke of the hammer. Feel free to look at the rest of the photos at the link listed above. It may show up in the background of some of the other images.

​So as not to bog down this thread with nearly sixty images, I have decided to post a link to my Photobucket album where all of the pictures that I took can be viewed. There is even a short (27 second) video of a portion of the shop. I wish there was a way for me to have captured the smell of the place in these pictures. It was unforgettable; sort of mixture of musty wood, earth, soot and old iron.Enjoy! Blacksmith Shop Haverhill IA 5-25-2015?sort=3&page=1&_suid=143273325492608367677414147294

While visiting family for the Memorial Day weekend, I had the good fortune of being able to visit the amazing Matthew Edel Blacksmith Shop in the small town of Haverhill, Iowa. The shop was started in 1883 and actively worked until the death of the proprietor in 1940. At that time the family closed the doors but left the shop and contents largely intact for many decades until they decided to donate the property to the Iowa Historical Society in 1986. It was absolutely amazing to be able to this place, and even more amazing that it was preserved (largely through benign neglect) to give this window into the past. I took nearly sixty photos inside the shop, but below are a few of the highlights. The anvil was a 146 lb Peter Wright. The largest post vise in the shop had 8 1/4" wide jaws. Much of the mechanized shop machinery was operated with a belt-drive system powered by a gasoline engine, including a homemade trip hammer. If you ever get a chance to stop and see this place, it is well worth your time. The property is operated by the Iowa Historical Society and futher information about it is available here: http://www.iowahistory.org/historic-sites/edel-blacksmith-shop/site-history.html Enjoy:

What did your rebound turn out to be, Eddie. I have a 1913 90 lb Arm & Hammer (marked for Belknap in Louisville, KY) and got results between 90-95% rebound when I did a ball bearing test on it (10" drop height).

Here are a few that I saved from Google docs (all were from old issues of Blacksmith and Wheelwright magazine: September 1916: April 1920: March 1921:

Looks like a Hay-Budden-built ACME.

Nice to see another person from Lincoln, Nebraska, here on the forum. This makes at least three that I know of ("postleg" being the other one).

What a beauty. Nice to see this one fall into your lap. Always love it when great pieces like this show up here in Nebraska!

Here's one to contribute that I saw listed for sale on my local Craigslist. I passed on it as the damage looked pretty catastrophic.

Same on mine. Step (table) and face are formed my milling. No hardened steel face plate.

The holde could have been used for bending some sort of round stock.