arkie

Frost free hydrant....

The blade is beautiful and and the handle as well; rather unique pattern and iridescence.

All of the above....LOL

Jennifer, I think the pictures you have already posted are sufficient, thanks. You posted the pertinent parts. I followed your video on the "weldless" circle trivet and made one. Turned out pretty good. Folks look at that and ask, "How'd you do that?" I tell them it's a blacksmith secret and I'd have to kill you if I told, LOL!!!

Jennifer, thanks for posting pictures of the forging progression on the double heart trivet. With permission, I might try one after the weather warms up a bit more. Looks challenging, but would be fun to make one.

CGL, If nothing else, just post pictures of your goats. We love pictures and Frosty loves goats!!! Stay well and safe.

Most folks making the Bob Patrick firepot use 1/2" plate, welded. If you can't find 1/2" plate, 3/8" might work, but is a bit lightweight. (Bob's a founder of our BOA organization here in the Ozarks).

Jennifer, your work is amazing, all the pieces you pictured, but the double heart trivet is a particularly special piece the way the two trivets are nested together. At first, it looked like one trivet until the other pictures appeared showing them separated. Beautiful design.....

You had better be smiling REALLY big when you call her that!!!! Brave man???

Very nice hanger! Now, cut out a silhouette of an anvil from heavy sheet metal and hang it from the hanger and you're done!

I hate refilling slack tubs, that's why I use a heater.....plus, I have to carry my water about 90 feet to the shop...that would get old fast and my old back wouldn't appreciate it!

"Slightly" off topic, but your trade reminded me of one I made once. Way back when I was in the USAF, I was stationed near a large air force medical/dental center. My wife had to have her wisdom teeth removed. Dependents at that time weren't eligible for dental coverage. My NCOIC, who was a medic, told me to get him a bottle of Johnny Walker Red and he would be back in touch. Next day, he called and said my wife had an appointment at the dental clinic for her oral surgery at no charge. I asked how that happened so quick and simple? His reply was that he and the doc were old friends and the doc liked scotch......

Wow, Justin. Very nice hammer. You are really turning out some beautiful work...looking back on your beginnings in this thread shows how far in smithing you really have come.

C-1, I agree with Kexel...you are looking at the wrong place(s). There are probably half a dozen vendors with quality tongs for the price range Kexel mentioned. Same goes for store-bought hammers: retail, flea markets and yard sales. Fortunately, store-bought smithing tools have not seen the price runups like with anvils.

I have a 10 gal. galv. metal slack tub (trash can). I use a 0.8 amp (approx. 90 watt) birdbath/small container type heater. Temps down to zero and the tub has never frozen.

Wow, beautiful, congratulations. First one of the Holland anvils I have seen. Have fun with it...I'm sure you will.

I really like the idea of the support rods for the top shelf for your welder. Overall, a really classy cart. You should be proud of it.

As for filling the 20# tanks, there is a difference between having them filled at a propane suppler/dealer vs. a gas station, big box store, convenience store, etc. The dealer will fill the 20# tank to 80%, or 16# (assuming it is empty). The exchange places are usually only filled to 75%, or 15# (that's part of their profit margin). That extra one pound might make a difference if you are running low and need to finish something right away. Also, if you continue to use the big box exchange method, the difference (loss) becomes cumulative each time you swap out if you aren't taking in a completely empty cylinder.

George, I like that story.

It seems to me that this whole thread got off on the wrong foot. Just my personal opinion, correct me if I'm wrong (won't be the first time...), but this is a blacksmithing forum, not a metal melting or smelting forum. I believe the posters looking for information on those topics picked the wrong forum and should have posed those questions on those related forums, not on a blacksmithing forum. Blacksmiths work metal, not melt or smelt it, as their primary occupation or hobby. Next thing you know, we'll have folks asking about brain surgery here and getting irritated because we can't or won't answer their questions like they would prefer! LOL

Josh, you might look into chapters/meetings of BAM, Blacksmiths Association of Missouri. They have meetings at several locations across the state. Look up "bamsite.org" on the entrynet.

Shims would be much easier than enlarging the hole. Make shims for two sides instead of just one, to keep the hardy tools from wobbling side to side on the un-shimed side. You mentioned that you didn't have a welder, but maybe you could find someone with one to just run beads down two sides of an undersized hardy shank, then use an angle grinder to grind down the beads to flatten; sized to fit snugly. I have a hardy hole on my HB which is 1", but not perfectly square. I make my hardy tools with 1" bar stock shanks and then add a welded bead or two, ground down to make it fit the un-squareness (like that word?). It's a lot easier to grind down an oversized shank that to broach or chisel the hardy hole down to size.

UPDATE: I will no longer be posting info on BOA meetings until the COVID-19 pandemic subsides to "safe" levels (whatever THAT is) and the meetings are held in compliance with CDC guidelines.

I can relate to your situation. When I visited a blacksmith friend for the first time in his shop, he was also an accomplished woodworker. His smithty was in an area about 8'x8' in one corner of the shop; the rest was woodworking in an area about 12'x12'....but he had a LOT of wood chips, shavings and sawdust in that part...really made me nervous for him! You are doing the right thing. Shop safety is paramount, wood or steel.

Kexel, one problem with your smithing area.....it's too clean!!!!! LOL