GNJC

Hello, have a look on the biggest search engine; if you enter 'cupola furnaces' & 'almohandes' in the same search you should be able to find all the info' you need. G

Hello, I had the same problem with the old-style utensils I have made; so, I have experimented with maybe a dozen different techniques & oils. The best - by that I mean longest lasting/easiest to do/ most palatable - way I have found is to: 1) Clean the metal very well with soap and water. 2) Heat it so that you can JUST hold it ungloved (oven, or Clean flame only). 3) Cover liberally with groundnut (peanut) oil & then heat again with increasing temperature until the oil is smoking. 4) Keep it hot until it looks dry, then allow to cool. 5) Wipe/rub with a clean rag, when no more residue comes off on the rag, it is ready for use. No rust on my utensils for over a year now!

Hello, I did my first real blacksmithing at Peat Oberon's school in the North of England. Peat had built his students' hearths with a bootom-blast type of set up; I remember that he used stainless steel grills in the bottom to cover the air conduit's entrance hole. From memory, these were about half an inch thick, five inches in diameter and had many holes across them, each of about a quarter of an inch in diameter. By the time I saw these thay had been in use for at least a couple of years; so, stainless can definitely withstand heat. I have also seen farriers here in the UK and in South Africa using stainless steel tongs. Hope that this info' is of use. G.

Title: 'Blacksmithing Basics for the Homestead

Hi, I can't say that the anvils are produced with a 'flattened' bick; but I can say that I looked at many secondhand Brooks anvils before I bought mine, and they ALL had a flattish bick. I've just looked at the Vaughn's catalogue (go to their website & download the pricelist, amusing reading if you are sitting down) & the anvils in it don't appear to have particularly flat OR round bicks. But, the Brooks style does have a less elongated and more 'throaty' bick anyway. In re' others' comments above, I haven't found the face to be under-hard & have found that it is just soft enough on the edges to make grinding a decent radius there possible. G.

Hello, I bought a Brooks 1.5cwt anvil last year and have no regrets, but - unlike Bruce (very respected professional) - I am a once or twice a week amateur. For general forging you will find no problems AFTER you make the bick properly round! I have not seen a second-hand Brooks with a good round bick, it took me a couple of days with a grinder to get mine spot on - little by very little is the way. Most hardie tools you find will fit it too, and you can sell it on easily when you want to move up a size. Go for it. G.

Hello all, I'm sure someone else has made something like this, but I’ve looked & haven't seen it (apologies to inventor if I've sub-consciously 'lifted' an idea). It is easy to make & very useful so I'm putting this on the net to help other short-handed & short-tooled smiths out there. All are welcome to use this. The photo's should explain how to make it, but I add 3 points to remember: 1) Using mild steel is alright, but it doesn’t last long; re-bar is better; old spring steel the best yet. 2) For bar thicker than 1/4 “(6mm) it pays to leave a longer vertical projection from the hardy hole – easier to remove quickly. 3) The temper on the two tight bends needs to be different, heavier on the hardy end. Hope it is of use to someone. Regards. G.

Hello, Here is the website - not so easy to find now; http://p1.countryside.gov.uk/LAR/archive/publications/craftpublications.asp download EVERYTHING while you can. I write that because there is a rumour here in the UK, that these currently free doc's will soon be withdrawn to be issued on a 'pay-for-view basis'. I hope that this will not happen but, in case it does, get them all now. Regards, G.

I wanted some tools for green-woodworking and also some old-style fireside cooking equipment; the availability of these things was not good and the prices for them, if they could be found, were crazy. I'd worked with precious metals as a hobby before, so had a feeling for metal. I'm now far more interested in ironwork than anything else.

Hello, I have seen rings similar (in size & shape) to this in use for a few different purposes, I have no idea which job your ring was for, but maybe one of the following: 1) As the retaining ring to hold a large stone 'wheel' on an old style cider mill - I mean for crushing the apples not pressing the juice from them. The ring goes on the outer part of the beam/axle and a wedge in the end stops it moving off. 2) In a Bulgarian wheelwright's workshop (seriously), a very rural place. When spokes were put into the hub, the hub was held in place by four vertical roundwood 'fingers', the big ring went over these and was hammered down to give a firm grip - a clever and simple idea. 3) On a mast below the rope lashing where the mast emerges throught the deck - although I do not know what purpose it serves at that point. Any thoughts?

I started metal working with gold and silver, I'm not bad at a small scale with a file but I'm no engraver. Can anyone commend a good touchmark stamp maker in the UK?

Thanks to all for all the of the ideas so far; some excellent tips for tools and methods. G.

Hello all, I've started making leaves... so far, so good. I have only been using my anvil, a hammer and a blunted chisel; the leaves made aren't too bad, but are not as special as I want them to be. So, I'll be grateful for any pictures of leaf-making tools that you think a competent amateur can make (with instructions for use!). Thanks in advance. G.

Title: 'The Artist Blacksmith: Design and Techniques' Author: Peter Parkinson ISBN: 978-1-86126-428-2 Pages: 160 Format: Hardback, colour. Price: UK

Hello, The best DVDs I have seen are by Peter Parkinson (he's a Brit who teaches smithing in the UK and the USA). They are titled 'Artist Blacksmithing: Techniques in Action.' They follow the same course as his excellent book and demonstrate everything clearly.