notownkid

I had some tongs arrive at my home this morning so they didn't follow me home they found a home anyways. A former School buddy 1st through 12 grade 1952-1964 saw these being thrown out at the HS in town and grabbed them stuffed them in his truck and told the people "I know someone who can use these". Cost me a cup of coffee and we had a half hr. chat catching up. I'll bet 2/3s of what I have in the shop came to me from other people seeing them or finding them or having them they didn't know what to do with. Tell everyone you know your looking for blacksmith or anything for that matter tools. Best to have 25 sets of eyes looking for them than just yours. I have 2 pictures but one will not up load tonight.

I know this subject was over a yr. ago BUT when moving this past fall I ran across a bucket of "horse stuff" so I dumped it on a table and got these pictures just to show random styles and sizes the top one is leather rapped and of course the hackamore on the right. They just surfaced today while downloading other pictures. like many things I just can not throw out a bit goes against my grain presume that is why it took 18 months to move all my stuff other than household items.

Here are a couple pictures of "Portable Hardy Hole" unit that JHCC mentioned on here, that I won at a New England Blacksmith meet last fall. The second picture shows the attaching unit but it is not 100% in place but I think you can figure it out. It was 0 f when I went to the show to take the pictures and I didn't linger long. These are for sale through NEBs don't know the price but PM me if interested and I'll give you a name & number of someone who can, these are shippable. I don't think they have made the web sight yet of New England Blacksmiths.

my deepest condolences to Lisa and the boys on their lose of Roger on the prayer list for sure. Will go to the shop and ring the anvil.

They do a heck of a job offering for FREE this site and for Nothing as do a number of other administrators around the world. this is the only site I look at any longer, can't stand FB and it's allowed language or stupidity. Youtube gives as much bad info as good and no one to point out the difference. I have had no trouble learning to get around this site. I X it a number of times a day because of the world wide members in different time zones and have for 3 1/2 yrs. I'm not a Techy but have been dealing with computers since college in 1964. Not a site for instant gratification as it might take a while to find what you want to see, but you just might learn something else along the way. As said 100s of times here looking for something or new to the site get a comfy chair, pack a lunch and a drink and settle down for some good reading.

My personation of my tools comes by blood getting on them eventually. I had a mechanic work for me once that when someone asked to borrow a tool he would pass them a rag and say be sure to wipe it off good as I got blood on it today. They got over wanting it right then. He would smile at me and say "works better than saying no. they don't ask a second time." I'm proud of my tools but they will not win a contest in looks. If I made them too good looking someone would want to steal them.

Poor Rat! Isn't that cruelty to an animal? If you fed something a million P & Js long enough it would get something besides a stomach ache. One of the biggest mistruths in the world, "we are from the federal government and we here to help." Lord Help Us.

Be careful using family names, as said above you just might get successful and want to sell. Your entire family will have their name hung on a business that may upon sale become a disaster. Happened in my home town a few yrs. ago the sons are still suffering under it through no fault of theirs or their dad who had sold out. The new owner finally changed the name after the agreed 5 yrs but damage done. Also as said let your idea simmer, know you need something now but haste makes waste. Have to have something today stick your initials on it. I used E5 on some items many yrs. ago and if a veteran you'll know what it means. Good luck on the name and the shop.

Well Now I know why I can't play the Piano weigh more than 200 lbs. That is a load off my mind or butt. As far as finding a decent post vise keep Thomas's strategy in mind, ask everyone, look everywhere leave no leaf unturned. I have 4 now and 2 came from old Wood Workers shops closing down because of age, retirement or death. Didn't pay much as most of the other people looking (mostly young woodworkers) had no idea what it was, I certainly didn't tell, till after I bought.

"Dixie Gun Works" is a super source for muzzle loader parts pieces and ideas, should be available on line. Even if you just look. Used it a lot in the past.

as we all know Plans are cheap and are easy to make, now follow through can be a lot more difficult and costly to accomplish. Reality is another entirely different ballgame,

a lot of us have experienced the start stop start again thing, Life has a terrible way of getting the way of our desires, dreams etc.

My Dad always told us "Look with your eyes not your hands"

Best advise you will get you just did from Glenn and Frosty, esp adding your location and reading what is here amazing amount of shared info. Enjoy the site and Blacksmithing in general.

I'll bet the Oxford bunch never have used nor owned an anvil that would be "Vil" My anvil is "Tinker" no not Bell, Named for the guy who owned it before I got it in an auction, his father had bought it new in about 1890 something it is still in the same town as then. I learned swage as rage as well, Really doesn't make a lot of difference in the end. This what I like about IFI all the input from far and wide Thanks folks!

We have been having a warmer winter than usual in Vermont so far, have had -15f a couple times and 12 days not above freezing but my shop is closed for the winter anyways. Busy building a shop in the basement for this time of yr. It was +30f this morning a heat wave! We always pay in the end for good weather as much rain as snow this yr. so everywhere you try to walk is ice. I was snowmobiling in Yellowstone in '93 and one morning it was "cold" the thermometer had NO Red showing out of the bulb at the bottom at all. We were told it was -92F wind chill at the south gate (we were at the north gate) we decided to ride anyways and did 157 miles. Nice day not a lot of traffic.

Ask not what the value is to us but what the value is to you! If you are looking to sell then the buyer will decide regardless what you ask for it, if it is for you, what does your wife say it is worth? I've never seen a Used Anvil Value Blue Book like a vehicle. Where oh Where are you in the world today? that effects value as stated above.

Sometimes you are just better off without a client. I found over the years the more demands a client has, the more extra work they want from you, the more changes they want the less likely they will buy from you. It is apparent the "client" has decided you are not being "fair" to him he has lost sight of reality in the job, wish him well with another contractor and let them loose their shirts. Better to lose a "client" than your shirt.

where did you start your Math education? Same thing with your Blacksmithing education have to take classes. Learn a lot right here but takes time to look.

I have some really nice up close pic's of the shop I took 3 yrs ago. I had to cut short my visit as there was a hurricane headed our way and I had to get back south to our CT farm for the storm. It ended up destroying a great deal of Vermont but not the museum area. Seems to be a problem getting the "attach files section here" to talk with my entire collection of pictures. I'm sure it's my malfunction and my set up here. Always wanted to put out a book on old shops but getting more unlikely every day with the cost of publishing vs chances of selling enough to repay the expense. Maybe I'll do one in draft to leave for the next generation to do deal with. I have noted that a lot of the new generation have little to no interest in history. They don't know what they are missing. I'll keep looking.

Great Story. Any chance of Pictures of the shop, love pic's of old farm shops and how they were set up. Good Hunting, don't upset her with $ offers most likely it is worth more to her to have it stay in the family would be to me.

I feel the same way when I see Pictures from your side of the pond. I'm trying to scrounge pictures from Historical societies, museums where ever I can. If I can find them I have some from Shelburne Mus. in Vermont of an original shop moved to the Museum's grounds yrs. ago in working condition. Can't find them today but look up Shelburne Mus. Vermont USA should pop up. Good luck with restoration wish I was closer.

picture #1 is from the restoration of Sanborn Mill farm in New Hampshire, Chimney replaced during restoration for safety and or insurance as it is open to the public at times. there is a new blacksmith training shop on the property as well 5 forges if I remember right. pictures #2-4 are from Brown's Forge in Connecticut ( also open to the public Sundays in Aug.)which was from about 1880?(operated into the 1950s) or so built for 2 brothers and these forges are back to back but one chimney has been taken down for safety reasons. Every blacksmith had their own ideas about chimney/forge designs I'm sure and it reflects in what we see in the old shops. I like these as they are all native materials , field stone and brinks made locally. Have wanted to do a stone forge but it takes more stone laying experience than I have, all I can do barely is make a pile of stone in no useful design.

we have an American word spelt like that but nothing to do with clamping anything. Vice Squad!

don't let your wife see that you'll soon have a ring in your nose. Worked good on teenagers till they got their rights.