Brian C.

Merry Christmas to you all!!

Good looking outfit Sam. PM coming your way.

Nice looking job. Keep us posted as to the durability down the road.

I dealt with several burns when I was an EMT. Picked up a toddler one sunday afternoon who had pulled a crock pot off of the counter, it shattered and scalded the top of one foot. I think the worst was an 18 yr. old boy who worked at a fast food joint. While cleaning up, he slipped and went arm first into a deep fryer, way up the arm & when he recoiled away he swept the grease out all-over his front. Luckily it had been turned off for about 15 min. or so & did no permanent damage. And, I too have picked up black parts that werent quite as cool as I thought. Here at the plant they call that "inattention to detail".

Hobart MIG and Harris oxy/acytel set.

Rome, Thanks for your posting. I was a member for one year and did not renew, being strictly a hobbiest I did not see any benefit to me. I would respectfully suggest that the group study SOFA's Quad State operation for ideas and pricing for a "convention". Also, the local groups newsletters seem to be more beneficial, "how to's" etc. than the ABANA periodicals. JMHO.

I dont know what the alloy was that I bought, 3/8 sq. stock. But, a friend and I just about beat our brains out trying to forge steak turners out of it. He told me that he would throw rocks at me if I brought any more into his shop. YMMV

I brazed a good bit of galvanized conduit doing custom work in Dad's orthopaedic shop as a young man. Always noticed the aforementioned "sweet smell" & a little lightheadedness then always compounded it by smoking an unfiltered cigarette right afterwards. Double dumb on my part. But, at the time we werent aware of the galvanize hazard, and I was too hard headed about the smoking thing.

I had always bought from a steel supplier in the next town, but recently I stopped in a local welding shop to see if he had something I needed quick. He told me that he had a contract with a big supplier and would sell to me cheaper than the other folks. Even if it was the same price, it saves me a 30 mile round trip.

Doc, it looks to me like a Vulcan or one very similar. Shape is the same, lack of ring, marking on front base (15 should equal a 150 lb. anvil), etc. Kind of puzzled over the lack of logo, although I had a 200 lb. one at one time that was unmarked with the same features.

I have several, my two favorites: "I will not work on, with or for jackasses". That is also on my card. "Shop Rates-$25 per hr $50 per hr if you worked on it first. $100 per hr if you want to help."

I set a good cotton duck apron on fire a couple of years ago with one of those rascals. Sparks are not your friend. :)

I am not in business, but I do have the occasional request for a paying job. So far they have all been people I knew well and they all paid on delivery. The last one did'nt even ask for a price up front, just said "do it, I know you won't rob me".

I only wear a glove on my tong hand when I have a very short work piece and the gasser cranked up producing a lot of the dragons breath-rarely. I agree with Hollis, never on my hammer hand for the same reason. Don't ask how I learned this the hard way. Getting a hot glove off is almost as much fun as trying to get a shoe off that caught a hot piece-no low quarter shoes either.

Mcmaster-Carr also makes custom stamps. Letters anyway, not sure if they will do designs or not.

I had to pass on a nice H-B 200 lb. anvil last week. I had just bought the new Grizzly belt grinder/sander and a new recumbent exercise bike, plus the new furnace and heat pump was coming this week. Sometimes discretion must prevail. :)

I didnt take your post as criticism Hollis. It was good info. We shall endeavor to persevere.

I knew that I would hear about that little bitty fire. I usually do it the way Hollis says, but that day was a test run of the new forge/blower set-up just to check things out. I do know better.

Here is my forge. Designed & 98% built by Loren Roper of Simply Smithing Blacksmith Shop. It has a homemade firepot of 1/2" steel plate.

Looks like Candidquality was posting while I was composing. Great minds. :)

Kevin- Don't bother with the little bitty torch sets (trust me on this) you spend more time trading out tanks than you do working. The only good feature is that they ARE portable. I sold mine and got the mid-size set, where the tanks are waist high or so. Much better, but even at that the welding supply house says not to run a rosebud torch on them due to size limitations. Most importantly, find someplace who can instruct you on the proper and SAFE usage of them. Oxy-acet. is nothing to be careless with. I keep my tanks chained to the cart and the cart chained to the wall. Kinda like wearing a belt and suspenders. :)

I have a most serious case of "anvil envy". If I had that one and you had a feather we would both be tickled. (LOL)

Bob- it should look familiar, I emailed you for directions on how you made the rack on yours at the time. That 3 burner is now on stand-by duty while I use the new mid-size single burner from Chile Forge, it is a dandy.

For a BIG buffer, you should have seen the one in Dad's orthopaedic shop. We used a 5 hp motor with a 1.5 in. shaft turning an 18 or 20 in. wheel. It would really cut the scratches out, but it was as dangerous as a cocked gun if you were'nt on your toes at all times (don't ask me how I know). I could have had it when he retired, but it was 3 phase & here I am in a suburb more or less with only regular service. :(

Pault17- I never really checked to be exact. When I had the NC whisper daddy it seemed to do quite well. The last 3 burner I had (in the photo) was a real gas hog, even just running 2 burners. At Quad State I bought a new single burner, mid-sized, forge from the nice folks at Chile Forge. I havent got to use it but once yet so I cant say, it can run on a much lower pressure so I expect it to be quite a bit better on fuel. I realize that was a long post & still didnt really answer the question, just my experience.