Charles R. Stevens

The clip goes on the lower flange to keep the track from creeping, one each side of the tie. The plate keeps the rail from moving side to side and up and down in relation to the tie. It's all for not without the ballast, or gravel between the ties.

Automotive shops, spring shops (most big cities have some one who makes custome springs for the off road peaple) machine and fabrication shops, local farmers...
Keep your eyes out for axles, sway bars, stearing linkage, coil and leaf springs, also, tillage equipment, any of the parts that work in the dirt.

Historical I can't say to much, exept that most reproductions are way to thick and heavy. As to the thickness, 1/4 is thick, the Fairborn/Syks and Aplegate/Syks daggers used by the British army have 3/16 blades, and at a bit hilt ecsentric, balancing on the quilions or just behind.

Don't over look automotive and truck axles as hardy and hammer stock. I also use "ag steel" never pass up a square shaft from a disk cultivator ;-)

As to the jack hammer bit, you have all the tooling you need, heat it, knock off the corners and draw it out a bit (depending on how warn and it's profile) grind or file to finished profile. Use a slightly rounded shape like Brian and others recomend (that's why you knock of the corners, hard to get a curve otherwise) normalize it and use it on your next project.

Most of us use black pipe, used for natural gas and propain installation. Your local hardware, building supply, plumming supply, or in my case my local welding shop has it with our the official plumming code markings. The plomming up to the twear can be flexible or rigid exaust pipe, sourced from an exast shop or auto parts store. But talking to the local mechanic and/or plumber and telling them what your up to might lead to free or almost free scrap that will work nicely.

The simplest set up would be to to mount it to a stump and use a hand truck to move it. Otherwise, a three legged stand like several of us have, modifies by adding two wheels, with the axle behind the rear legs, and the weale just touching the ground. So when setting in use the legs support the weight, but when tilted the wheels do. As anvils are so short you will have to add removable handles, eithe two out the front like a wheelbarrow or one, maybe threw the hardy hole as a hand truck.
The same works well for benches and forges, but the handles can be permenent, just think hand cart (two wheeled wheelbarrow).

Alwase go old school, cold set and a sledge. Can't say I'm that ambitious, myself. Thou I might try Tommas's hack saw. Chopsaws never cut strait.

Flip it upside down and install heavy legs like a saw horse and use it to chisel on.

Might try looking at some of the farrier blogs, as we are the only fools to throw our gas forges in the back of a truck. Might as well by a liner kit now, as they really don't hold up well to vibration. A dab of silicon or stove cement between the shell and liner helps as dose a dab of stove cement between the liner bits (very thin or the bits won't fit in the shell. I've mounted my Proforge on vibration dampers, and cemented it to gether and it has helped, but the truth is, it still wont last for ever do to vibration in the truck, or coming soon, the trailer. Actually I'm considering going old school and adding a side blast to the tung of the trailer.
And don't forget, paint on one of the reflective forge coatings, it will boost the efficiency and keep flux from eating up the liner and fire brick shelf.
And if you plan to forge in cold weather, or for extended lengths of time, forget about the barbecue cans, get a pair of 100# bottles, dunking a can in to a horse troff or your qwench bucket to get the presher up when it starts to ice up sucks.
And as a final not, when I asked pro forge for advice on extending the life of my forge liner, they said not to put it in a truck or trailer! So much for costumer support.

You might want to take pugs advice and read up on hoods and chimneys. First, the chimney needs to extend above the highest point of the roof for good draft, second, 18" between the hood and table will lead to stooping over, and cussing if you need to shift something big and heavy in to the fire. Trust me you will try and get something big in there, that fire pot just asked for it. Think of how much fun working in your kitchen if the uppers extended out to the edge of the counter. Hood up atleast as high as your head, or a foot smaller than the table all the way around. Higher is better.
All that said, the rest is coming along beautifully.

Metal roofing, like fabric really must be insulated. The sun beating down on it will heat it up and it will then radiate the heat down on you, as well as condisation problems. My fathers automotive shop is all steel, insulated and clad inside and out.

Looks like I have to add another book to my wish list, if David's book is anything like his advice here, it will be money well spent.

I have more links I your Google-foo isn't up to the task, just ask.

As to the covering, modern Mongolian gers use an inner covering of cotton, coverd by wool felt, coverd by a tent fabric like sunforger. One can use cheep cotton drop clothes for the inside, even going so far as to spray it with a mix of borax and boric acid (yep flux ingredients, 20 mule team and roach proff).
The manufactures of industrial felt can hook you up as to the insulation, some even make wool felt for insulation, you can even use fiberglass bat, (best if you use the 4x100' roles used for steel buildings) or carpet felt pad. Us yurt builders use that Mylar bubble rap but its expensive, and needs multiple layers, as is you need.two layers of carpet felt on the walls and 4 on the roof, or one layer of r11 on the walls and 2 on the roof. Tents get very hot in the summer sun if not insulated!
I would suggest covering your insulation with house wrap, if you use the DuPont stuff you really don't need to cover it, but a covering of a good tarp or sunforger will look better and last longer.

Yurt/ger its self, fre plans abound on the net. The ones used by SCA members are to light for our needs, but if you use 1/2" slats insted of 1/4" and use one 2x2 roof pole at every slat junction youl be good (basically what the Mongoles are building in "modern Mongolia" the kona, or wall lattice I looks and works like a baby gate, with 8' slats on a 8" grid. Supported by webbing or cable to keep the roof from spreading. One or more doors can be used, extras make good "windows" the center uses a weel like hub, leaving an opening you can run your stack out of.
A complete guide to making a Mongolian Ger
by P.R. King is about the best plan I have found, it's on his website, woodlandyurts.com.uk
If you scrounge or have access to a wood lot or dream bank you cam make the frame for next to nothing.

Ok, as to the floor/foundation. It can be simply set on well drained ground and trenched in, a gravel pad layer down, with the outside built up with sods removed from the middle, or a temporary deck built out of 2x lumber and plywood or OSB. Cut each panel diagonally so as to have two pie wedges, frame each wedge or if you will have help moving it, place tow wedges together and frame that. As two the frame, if you frame it with 2x4, 24" on center at the outer edge, you will need a block, stack of brick or two flat rocks in the center and at least every 48" around the outside. It is best to offset the decking so it overlaps the next panels frame so you can install a few screws to hold the panels together.

First, as to the power supply, I would suggest either a pole or better yet some kind of pedestal. It could be as simple as trenching over a 20 amp line and installing a weatherproof box on a post. Then setting up the yurt/ger so the box is inside close to a wall. Now comes the extension cord, ziptie it to the wall and roof to run it to a light fixture. I would cut of the ends and hard wire it, or if you plan to take it down often I'd hard wire the light and plug it in at the box. Same can be done for a few outlet boxes.
Ill get back with more about the structure of a yurt/ger

First, security in a yurt/ger. the lattis work wall structure is prety hard to breach, atleast compared to a shed.
Flores can be made up in pie slice wedges, and electrical isn't dificult with extension cords with multiplex outlets.
I've actually thought a lot about this, if your interested ill elaberate.

Might consider giving the winner an instruction manual. I wouldn't mind prevuing that manual my self.
I assume you used the aluminum shoe for better contrast.
I hope it helps some young farrier put his kids thrue college.

I think it is in reference to the illustrations.

Don't forget to give Jock Dempsey credit for the illustrations, don't want to make trouble for Glenn and co.

Too late, he already did.  Credit is not the issue, One should ask before taking others property.

Set another container beside your existing one and top it with a car port. Say 20x40 now you have a big shop and bullet proof storage.

Rebar isn't good nife or tool steel by any ones estimant, but it usualy has enugh carbon to make serviceable tools. As a lot of high carbon steal has entered the scrap stream, and code is demanding better materials for roads and buildings it's turning in to fair if inconsistent material. Just try making a shoe out of the stuff.

The closest thing I have to a power hammer is a 14# strait pein, and my family disappears when I bring it out. I drool over them too.

As you neither have a striker or a power hammer, I'd fabricate my first set of tools. After using them and modifying them to work for you, I would then forge replacements, say with forge welded shoulders on the shank and tool steel working surfaces ect.
I am a bit hard headed, and tend to not take my own advice and do things the hard way. My family gets very scarce when I'm forging anything larger than 5/8 square. I also have a lot of paper weights ;-)