JME1149

I was amazed at how much quieter my HB was with just a big magnet placed on the underside of the heel

Also the temperature at which you are working the steel, too hot, too cold, etc. Too many unknown variables in your question to provide specific answers.

That's a nice one Stan. I like the way you integrated the leaves & vines with the scrolls & spikes. Well done.

I would be afraid to use that, it's just too nice to take a chance of messing it up. Beautiful work.

A possible answer to the rebound on the face vs edge question could be that the edges were flame cut, thus affecting the heat treatment / hardness of the end surfaces. Of course this all depends upon the type of steel you have. Take a grinder or flap wheel and smooth the end face and one edge down and use whichever surface is more suited to the task at hand. While you're at it, round over some of the corners a bit for good working edges. Looks like a fine piece of steel to start with.

I really like the handle shape on this one, it has quite the Batman feel to it. I agree with Mitch on the copper liners, not sure that they would add that much to the appearance, but the copper pins do look very nice against the wood scales. Overall a very eye pleasing design. What are the dimensions on this one?

What you have there is a good quality anvil that looks to be in nice condition. Having the family history and the memory of your grandfather with it makes it priceless. Thanks for sharing your story with us. If I can make a couple suggestions, first off I would get a nice coat or two of linseed oil on her to protect from the weather. Second, if that stump is her permanent home (very cool by the way), protect her from the weather and also from the low lifes who would see her as scrap value to support their habits.

Joe, Thanks for the inspiration, I always enjoy seeing what you are going to do next with railroad spikes. This is now on my list of projects to try in the near future.

I agree with Turbo, a twist between the two sets of holes will fix it right up. Remember, it's not a screw up, it's a design feature and you can charge more for those. Also, it looks like the hole in the dogleg is too far out from the spine. I believe you want the spines from the upper and lower hooks to be parallel when hanging. One other thing you might want to consider is drifting the end hole bigger and making the top part from another horse shoe instead of that 1/4" rod.

I have a larger table model that the hand pump and blower mechanism looks identical. Check the sides of the blower fan casting, my guess is you'll find Champion Blower & Forge in raised letters.

If you want to make a bunch of the same bends(think production line for identical S-hooks), I've seen a piece of pipe welded to one of the jaws of a vise grip. Use the jaws clamped to hold the stock then wrap the steel around the pipe. Quick, easy, and portable, but good for only a fixed size of bend and probably for lighter stock.

That pesky remodeling takes away from forge time.

David, I'm in the same area and saw those ads too. They are way over my budget but anvil prices have been rising rapidly. My guess is there are too many collectors and not enough users so the prices reflect that of an antique rather than a tool. I just watched a 150 LB Hay Budden go for $500. My suggestion is to get connected with a local smithing group (PAABA in your case), go to a meeting and ask around if anyone has an anvil for sale. Those you see on CL will go quickly if they are a good bargain. The other method is to ask everyone you know if they know of any blacksmithing equipment for sale. Good luck with the search.

I really like the looks of this one, nicely photographed too. Is that a red spacer under the scales, or is that just the epoxy?

Shamus, Check your messages. I sent you info about connecting with local groups who are also an amazing source of where to buy/borrow tools or teach you how to make your own. The experienced smiths close to home are going to have the best knowledge of where to pick up things without paying collector prices. Also don't forget to have your junkyard contact keep his eyes open (show him pictures of what you're looking for helps). John

Also, don't forget to drill the tang section for the pins to hold the scales on before hardening.

Shamus, I sent you a PM with more info. Have that buddys/friends/father be on the lookout for you and put any other old iron aside for you. It's always nice to have a friend in the junkyard. John

I agree with the above posters, looks to be plenty usable as is. To me, it appears to be a Hay Budden which is generally a good brand if not previously abused. Please do not let anyone try to restore it until you have some experience using it as-is, and if you do, make sure they know what they are doing. I noticed you said you are a beginner, and if you don't mind I'd suggest coming to a PAABA meeting, next one is March 21st. Go to their site (paaba.net) to get the specifics. There are some other options for learning and support in the area, feel free to PM me to discuss further.

Thanks for sharing the pictures, I've never seen or heard of a two hander. By the looks of it, I'd guess that is easily a 30 to 40 pound sledge and would take two people to swing it. Talk about the original power hammer.

4140 + red hot + multiple water quenching = potential for cracking/failure Watch for the nut to come loose and fall off. I suppose the bolt threads could also wear the hole faster than a good fitting rivet. For the rivet, you make the head first, then install it, then peen over the second side. Lets say your tongs are 1" thick. You'd want a plate 1-1/4" thick with a hole to suit your rivet stock, in this poor example, 1/4" dia. Cut a piece of stock 1-1/2" long, heat it, drop it into the 1-1/4" plate and peen over the bit sticking out to make the head. Heat the rivet again, drop it into the tongs, flip tongs over, then peen over the little bit sticking out.

I believe most places that sell bagged blacksmith coal are selling 50 lb bags of bituminous. I see from Streats website that their blacksmith coal is twice as expensive as their house coal so that sounds about right. When you say you're almost out at home, we're not sure if "home" is in Michigan where you are for a week, or back in SE PA where you'll be going. If it's back in PA, I think you should be able to find something a whole lot closer to home rather than transporting 50 lb bags 15+/- hours through three states, but hey, whatever works for you.

Just to refine Jim's question a bit, assuming a burn chamber of approx 300 cu. in, how does adding a second burner affect performance both in heating capability and fuel consumption? Would it get to heat in half the time but use twice the fuel to get there?

Beautiful knife, nice shape and very elegant. If you don't mind me asking, why only one pin in the scales?

Thick waist, feet shape and mounting cutouts make me think early Fisher but the heel looks wrong, too short maybe. Looks to be in good condition and at $75 is probably a good bargain. More pics from different angles would definitely be helpful. While you're at it, update your profile to show location, maybe a good chance one of us are close by.

As far as the blower goes, if it turns smoothly and quietly, don't futz around with the internals. A couple squirts of oil occasionally is all it should ever need. If it's tough to turn or makes a horrible, gravely noise then you may need to do further repairs. Wire wheel the outside if you like and paint or oil won't hurt anything, or just leave that nice old patina on it. I agree with all above on lining the pan before use to prevent thermal shock cracking. Looks like a beautiful unit that should work well for another 50+ years with a little care and attention.