Avadon

I know you said you want to build one but you can buy a real bandsaw 14" for about $1,800 from MSC. They had them on sale for a while MSC Item Detail maybe they still do. I use starret blades on it and the saw is incredible. I cut everything from thin sheet to 3" billet stock on it. There is heavy duty fence you can get on amazon that works great with it. There are a lot of little things I add to it like the mobile base with raisable machine mounts. I also modified the doors a little by taking out these stops they had, this way I can run 3/4" blades no problem. Good saw, I use it daily! Before bandsaw everything was hacksaw and angle grinder, and that gets old quickl!

Anyone know what the specific differences between metal anvil stand vs wood anvil stand are? what are the physics involved? What is the sound difference? What are the advantages and disadvantages of both?

I have an 80Gallon 175PSI 25SCFM Porter Cable that is virtually brand new and really pushes a lot of air. Is even this compressor enough to run a power hammer? I was looking at the Striker STC-55. But this creates its own air. I figure I could get a lighter hammer(or one that is more hammer and less internal compressor/motor) without all that motor creating the air to run the hammer. Anyone work with the striker? Is it a good brand? What are the favoured "brand new" brands in the 55lb range?

Did you pound out that copper yourself? Looks great! Hell even without operating it looks like something steampunk ;P

I'm thinking of building something like this with three legs... I wish I could do 4 legs but since my shop floor isn't really level I have a bad feeling it would prollyl teeter-totter.

I don't get it, won't that area just get screwed up? When hammering the sides of something where the hammer might hit the anvil face is that when a cutting place is also used? Or do people tend to use a stake for hitting on the edge of something?

I was reading a blacksmithing book and they mentioned having a cutting plate you can lay over your anvil to protect it anytime there is a possibility that you may damage the anvil surface with a hammer. They mentioned 1/4 copper. Is "cutting plate" the correct term and does one use coppor or steel? I've dinged some ASO's by getting to close to the edge of the part I was forging but on my real anvil I want to have this never happen. Any thoughts or suggestions on how to build one?

I took a pair of vice grips and welded a nice long handle on it. They actually work very well for heating stuff up with a torch and they are rock solid! Problem is vice grips are only great for localized heat. You go and put them in a forge and the first thing to always go is the dinky little spring. Once the spring goes the never hold right. Now if you could figure out a clamping style without the spring that held as well as vice grips that would be something. I've used tong clips and though they hold really well I don't think they could ever hold as good as vice grips. Vice grips also have those sharp teeth though and that usually means marred work unless you tend on cutting that part off or hammering it. So in short vice grips have their time and place in hot localized work but not much use in forging.

okay lets just say for a standard setup what length should I cut the reigns and is .25 x .75 a good starting place for material thickness?

Check out grizzly tool I saw some decent ASO anvils in their catalog for a decent price. They're probably actually be better quality then your standard ebay ASO Here's a 100#'er for 129+76$ shipping.. you can't beat that... heck even if you demolish the thing by two years you'll have gotten your moneys worth. G8148 100 lb. Anvil and here is there 200# for $239.00+76$ shipping.. you could always round out the horn and do whatever other dressing you like. G8149 200 lb. Anvil Anyone got any other links to favorite ASO's to help him?

I really am an addict. So it's either this blacksmithing stuff which I love or I could always go back to drinking myself into the grave which was nearly what I did. Think I'll stick with my hammers and my forge they are far less dangerous Besides were all gonna die soon enough, might as well actually live while were alive. Blacksmithing gives me that adrenaline rush and feeling of being alive. I don't think i could give it up, metals in my blood (and I don't just mean the heavy metal toxins lol) :P

Lulz @ Asbestos underwear. hehe.. It's actually not to bad with a tinted face shield and long sleeve shirt or welder sleeves and gloves. But your right the radiant heat is really impressive as it's akin to a bon fire pointed at you. It really makes you realize that if you ever need a quick bon fire, start a fire and put a hair dryer next to it. You will have an insanely hot fire in no time. I agree with others.. it's great for driving off really bad rust on grills, pre-heating large stock prior to welding, annealing large plate, you name it. Although I might look into that asbestos underwear. I'm sure in the winter a higher wood content forge would be welcome to warm you up in the 30dg ambient temp.

That's actually not a bad idea! Problem is cast iron stoves are pricey new. I bet if you could find one that someone is getting rid of and you could weld onto it in a way such that most of the heat is going up (and the front is mostly shielded by plate or sheet) and there is a narrow section for you to put your tongs and work into then I think forging with wood could be a good alternative for some who don't have reliable or economical access to coal. But then again if you have lotsa wood an option is you can always make your own coal in drums.

Just curious is there anyone else who used wood fires to forge with or heat material. I suppose if your only using wood you almost need a different setup... longer tongs, better safety equipment, prolly a forge that is more like pit shape to keep the heat radiating towards the worker and maybe a little taller as well so your not actually working over the top of it.

I had a few questions about making tongs. There are great videos all over youtube about this so rather then trying to start from scratch I just need a few questions answered. #1. Is 1/4 x 3/4 the best material for your average tong? #2. About how long should handles be? Is it better to have some long and some short? #3. Does tubing on handles work better then drawing out all that material into points? Does it cool faster? I tried welding some tubing recently onto pre-made tongs and it seemed a lot easier then doing all that pounding into tapers. If i had a power hammer maybe i wouldn't mind so much. Would tubing disperse heat from the handles faster? #4. What are the first types of tongs I should make? I've looked at Hope Works' tongs and I thought i'd start with making some of those? Generally right now I work with small items that have to be held very securely while detail is done on them. I've come to realize that it doesnt take much to hold things very tightly when you have a good pair of tongs. I made a metal clip that slides up the tongs handles only to find out that a simple velcro strap works just as well and is easier to manage.

That's true.. and it might have a awful ring or thud to it. Might have to drill some holes in the plate and have to weld the center/middle. But by the time you get into all this why not just buy a real anvil. I mean there are real anvils 40-50#'ers on ebay for not to ridiculous of a price.

Nice Forge hammerkid. Very well done. Looks like you got the welding/fab and the blacksmith skills to be a serious threat. I wonder if you will raise the sides a little after you start using it. My sides almost make a little cubby for the forge.. but then again I build sorta big fires.. and low sides I think would make my neighbors (in this open area) a little too curious with the safety aspect. Plus i don't have to worry about a gust of high wind. But if you dont have any of those problems more power to yah.

The trick is being fast enough to drop the 2lb hammer and pick up a 5lb hammer and hold it over your head right before they take the picture then you can show that to the ladies :p

Frosty is right, i've recently figured this out. Burning wood, even small scraps seems to make a fairly volumous fire. Not bad if your outside and have a good size steel pan (1/4 minimum) and a nice fire pot in your forge. Your basically converting wood to charcoal fast. Or at least with my hair dryer on low it's quite fast, and it's super hot. I often do it because wood here in Massachusetts is free to me and charcoal is spendy. So I do a little charcoal and a lot of wood. I generally wear a shade 3 visor so I don't melt my face off while i'm working the fire. My visor also brings down the glare of the hot material so I like wearing it. But if you don't like wearing a face shield/flip visor then a larger fire is not for you. Here's me shade 3 visor from MSC industrial. It's a UVEX Visor.. they make good stuff.. comfortable too and very light. Can barely notice it's on. Of course when the neighbors see me they prolly think Darth Vador has landed. :D

I love advice provided it's from someone who knows more and is not just from an idiot. That sounds like good advice to me. Sometimes I end up fallng into the "use a bigger hammer routine" when really more heat is the answer. More heat/lighter hammer = less work it seems.

I got a denim apron from amazon it has tons of pockets and split leg. If you don't like the pockets that are down low because of the potential for hot falling into them you can always sew them up but xxxx they are handy, and i've never had a problem with anything falling into them yet as they are very close to you. The reason I like the rockland one is because it rests on your shoulders and is so comfortable to wear I don't know I have it on. Of course it's more of an all round apron it's not the apron of choice for foundry work or nothing lol..

I don't get it.. how does one forge a piece of tool steel from 1/2 Rod to 1/4" or 1/8" rod to make a pin punch. You can do this? and you can get a near perfect rod? I thought that could only be done on a lathe? Most of the punches i'm looking to make are under 3/8's and under. Please don't tell me I can't find that in H13 cause I just returned my Dasco pin punch set to Lowes today lol.. :(

can you find this stuff under 1/2" for making punches? Also do you have to make tongs out of this stuff to? or can tongs be made from simple A36 mild steel?