Rob Browne

You are right in that most use heavier anvils but they are not always necessary. If you are into BIG forging then a heavy anvil is a necessity but for hooks, etc a lighter one is more than enough. I forge on a 26kg anvil quite successfully but it has to be used within its limits. I don't get real strikers to work with me, but don't tell my boys that. The heaviest hammer I work with is about 4kg and that's not too often and is always in the middle of the anvil not on the bick or tail. The anvil is virtually locked down to a tree stump set in the ground so I am using the mass of the tree stump to increase the mass of the anvil so its basically the hard top to the stump.

One day I would like to get a heavy anvil but considering what I work on the little one works really well and I simply can't afford a heavier one at present.

Don't knock the computers. They support my hobbies........................

I've seen too many older fellas, and quite a few my age (am I getting old??), who suffer industrial deafness. Plugs or muffs is the only question. Not will I use anything.

Personally plugs are my option.

When you hold your beer in your non-hammer hand at the end of a day..........

You are so right about the share your parents days/nights. Trouble is that I think the days of me showing up at school with a fire and hot iron are over. I have to do a FULL risk assessment and submit it to the school before even turning up, not to mention the Child Safety course I have to complete. Its all in the insurance industry and the Australian habit of importing all the american hobbies, like suing each other. Still, the kids keep dropping in for an arvo of hammering but not through school.

Have a look at this thread, you couldn't want a better example of how to get them going.

Good luck and report back on your progress.

Looks like a great day. Now for you to work on your fire control, that's an awfully big fire for such a small job.........

Very clever thinking. Probably what the old timers did all the time but we have to reinvent the wheel for many operations that they took for granted.

One for the memory banks.

Have you opened it up yet and had a look at the gizzards? Then you can make some informed decisions and also take photos for posting here for more advice.

You have been well and truely bitten by the bug, haven't you

Even set yourself up with a striker, now that's thinking ahead.

You're right, they are ugly but they have taught you LOTS about smithing and will do good work for you while you make some pretty ones.

Great first effort.

Do they have any other markings than the weight? That small one looks exactly like my 28kg one but mine has nothing but the weight marked on it.

Looks like you are off and running. Welcome to IFI :)

My bit would be not to get too hung up on a "proper" anvil. I know quite a few people who have forged for years and never had a "proper" anvil. I would suggest that you look at this thread for some possible alternative ideas.

35lb is a bit on the light side for an anvil so I would be going for an alternative.

Cheers

P.S. Remember its the mass under your hammer that matters. You could set your rail road iron on its end in a bucket of concrete and have a functional anvil.

Really nice knife. I would love one like that in my kitchen.

I think its time for me to leave if that is your first go! Well done :)

Brian,

Thanks for that video. I have been "working" on tongs for a while and this arvo I knocked out the best set I've ever made in about 30 minutes thanks to your video that made it absolutely clear.

Thankyou

Dave,

Good video, really enjoyed it. BUT, I have to say I LOVE your trailer, now that is a nice setup.

Cheers

I often wonder if we ever have the skill set to achieve what we do. In the old days smiths worked day in and day out to get their skills but most of use do it on every second weekend for a couple of hours.

You should be very proud of those tongs BTW :)

You could put it in your table and build the fire up by stacking your coal around the fire. This would make the pipe the base of your fire and the depth achieved by the coking, green coal around your fire. Very adaptable set up.

My bit here would be. If the blower does not have bearings then be careful running it too fast and controlling the air blast with a gate. Much better to have the fan run slower and not wear out the bushes.

Cheers

Good luck with your search but you forged for about 4 hours on about $4 worth of charcoal? Not bad value in my books......

Well I have alot of wood stored atm (poplar and birch). So I am thinking about making my own charcoal and use that for fuel.

Why the question?

Thomas is probably looking at getting the depth in your fire you need. With coal its easy as it will not burn too fast around the "edge" of the fire, a bit of water and its contained. With charcoal, however, you need a deep fire but just staking the charcoal around the fire to build its depth will result in all your charcoal burning, it just burns and you can't really stop it. So I would say that is a nice setup for coal but not for charcoal. For charcoal you need deep sides to allow you to put in the minimum fuel to get your fire depth without burning excess fuel.

Cheers

Only one word - FANTASTIC!

To make pattern welded steel then weld it into a ring with no obvious change int the pattern is something I could not even contemplate.

Congrats.

After weeks of spending all my free time, and that is not much, on building my lean to I decided not to build today but to actually use the forge. The forecast was for possible showers and, you guessed it, I had a beautiful fire going, was banging away happily on a set of tongs then dark clouds, thunder, lightening and HEAVY rain. Tried to carry on to the end of the storm but it virtually put the fire out. Had to give up.

Suppose there is next weekend, or should I keep working on the lean to????

Wish I didn't have to work. It sure gets in the way of hobbies and drinking beer.

Now I feel better................