L Smith

an old watch repair method of repair/ straitening hair springs or coils was start in the center and work outwards.

I always used a line of tape or a strip of feeler gage taped down for hand stamping.

Use it in good health, Fine looking anvil!

Use it in good health, Fine looking anvil!

 Just don't kiss their feet because they really stink!  My method before asking for help was to  TRY  every technique I could imagine then take those miserable samples for show and tell.

This proved I had tried and it meant a lot for the answers I needed. Remember they are only human beings and they respect honest effort. Always worked for me!

We put an offer on one late in the afternoon only to find out another offer beat ours by 4 hours. Now she wants new --- no more remodeling (and I AM HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!)

We have been remodeling our home to sell. My wife went out to get the mail one afternoon and a woman drove up and asked her if she knew of any homes for sale. "we are getting ours ready but it is a long way off. We have the dining room and living room (18x16 and ceiling to finish)" we are removing the old texture and wallpaper. She wanted to see it never mind the dust. Long story short she offered us cash with no more work on our part. We took the deal. Close march 31.  TPAAAT 1.

 Wife wants to move closer to her son in Phoenix. While I was making arrangements for motel in Mesa Arizona she was telling  a man what happened and we needed to find a realtor. He told her his wife's niece was married to one. Wife and niece made a phone connection and we had a realtor. Will be moving later this spring.

TPAAAT means JUST ASK.

Please start going to every trade days on weekends within 100 miles( 2 hour drive) and ask every one selling old tools and don't forget the "old ladies" selling old stuff they are a gold mine those old women are probably better recourses!

I retired When the last company went the intensity lower quality route. And thanks for writing these articles I enjoy them and have learned a lot

 worked great I was very happy with the forge. If there was one thing I would do different would be is to cut a door in the back to pass longer pieces of stock. So far never found a need to do!   ENJOY

Unfortunately I have worked for more than two of those companies.  No enjoyment there.

Hey! I I have a forge just like yours. I bought it when I lived in an apartment so I could work anywhere I could set up. Is yours a 12volt DC also? Just pull the coals away from you air source and all is good.  Your forge is the only other one like mine I have seen.

Back in the 60's I went to a hammerin and the smith left his hardie in place and started working over the far edge (horn left). Didn't look safe to me. Since I did not have a hardie yet I made a hot cut and a cutting plate. Some day I will make a hardie but I can see my cut line better with a top cut

I tried cow chips for making coffee once. My advice Keep the Meadow Muffins to your self. They are not for me!! 

I have no artistic training. However I do enjoy 4x5 photography and reforming iron. Will I ever win a contest in either medium, I doubt it. But they are both outlets of expression for me. My father told me something very valuable. "If you can see it in your mind you can build it."

Spanky was right in her assessment of the craft give me a sandwich and tell me when to go to bed. 

 I think you already have a grasp on the subject from all those posts before mine.

I agree with what Glen said . We are refinishing the wall and ceiling of our home. I taped a 20x20 filter to the back of a box fan works great

Tulsvaw Is there such a thing as a "good" hackberry tree? Yes I remember sitting under the hackberry trees and throwing Frisbees to the dog when I got home from work! It helped unwind both of us.

Where is Mr. Poweres when we need him?

Time is always on your side of the equation. Most rushed repairs end in failure. Experience after the fact says I coulda done better if only..........

I would try a small wood or charcoal fire with the coal piled up around it there is still water in it watch for the steam boiling off. Don't throw it away the rain water has soaked some of the dirt and other stuff out of it. Just need a longer heat to get it started. I have put a lot of WET coal on my fire.

I have bought coal in Conroe also, just not recently.

Did a lot of free work for a "gentleman" farmer (his wife was the breadwinner) One day I welded up the cracks on his old planter and charged him  $20 for over an hours work. He thru a fit and never came back. Best $20 dollar lesson I ever had!

An old blacksmith told me on leaves an appropriate file is your friend. And he was right when I did my next set of leaves.

Francis Whitiker was his name

That anvil is a winner!! 

Every child loves a hammer! Happy to hear about your child and the name.