Gergely

That's real nice work, 58er! You achieved some renaissance style scrolls, cool! Bests: Gergely

Hi Mark, I couldn't say more than Frosty, Aus and Jim said. I feel your surprise and hurt but just let it go and nevermind. There are enough people who like and are going to like your work, that's what counts. Bests to you! Gergely

I'm sorry, Charles, but: what?

Yeah, you do. But if any comfort Finland is not the easiest territory to find a good anvil. try to find a scrapyard that sells scrap steel. (Finland related info: do not try to contact them on phone, wear your worst cloths when you go there, just ask them casually) Hunt for a big industrial looking chunk of steel. 100 mm dia axel and you're golden for a couple of years while you find your actual anvil. And nevermind. Steel goes to you any minute it realizes that you're a magnetic personality. Bests: Gergely

Hello Jim, Real nice looking cone. And I love that table you have the drill on! I finished this flower. Its base was the most fun to forge: it's made of 60mm / 2 3/8" x 20mm / 3/4" flat stock. Last couple of weeks I mostly forged small stuff so I really enjoyed banging heavy metal.

Hi, Well if you consider that some Finnish blacksmith-hobbyists travel to the Czech Republic to buy a normal quality anvil, and they do it because it's worth it - I'd be happy to drive and buy that Lokomo. I've also heard that Lokomos are good anvils. The chipping on the side is not that bad problem. With my limited experience about the anvil situation of Finland I can say you can have a nice deal on the anvil. Maybe the owner even lets the price down a tiny bit. Worth a try. Bests: Gergely

Hi Mark, First: Happy birthday to you! Nice to hear about the birthday-scrapping I'm really sorry for the hammer and feel your pain, but nevermind - these sorts of things happen. You are able to make even better hammers and then those are gonna be the best looking hammers you ever made. (BTW I consider "bigger" stock as >4" dia, but that's just my personal taste.) Bests: Gergely

Tervetuloa porukkaan! It's always nice to have more Europeans on board! Shoot your questions, don't worry you'll have the answers. Bests: Gergely

It's gonna be one real nice hammer, Mark. I have to pull up my socks to keep up, or apron actually Also take it easy, man! Don't hurt yourself if it's in pain don't strain it more, you have time - you don't want it to be bad times. Bests: Gergely

Hi Kevin, I have some (~1000 pcs) of these 30mm / 1 1/4" dia, 3mm/ 1/8" thick circles. I took them, and made the cuts you see in the second picture. Originally I used these blanks for making flowerheads. But when I was asked to make these sorts of medals I figured it will work just as fine. The only trick is to hammer the radius direction edges of the "petals" to get the circumference line straight-ish. I use a small ball peen for the job. Tried to achieve some rib at the right one above. I punch the hole after the shaping is done, because that way I can see which one is the most weakly shaped of the four - that's the one getting the hole in it. I put a small copper ring in the hole, that way they can put any sort of cord through it.

No fair this weekend, so I have to catch up a bit with the comission stuff. Two medals for reanactors, made of 30m dia circle. 9" long decorative nail, made of 3/4 / 20mm square: Prototype of plum shaped keyfob for a motel. Same 30mm dia circle plate stock used for it. Made two half round hot chisel for this job. 1045 did not work, I can tell Good old coil spring does the job well. Bests: Gergely

I really don't know what to say, Mark. Can't say I'll do the same for you Although I do appreciate you giving blood to my hammer-to-be... I hope you're okay. Bests: Gergely

Cool, cool, cool, Mark! Among many other things that I totally forgot to take pictures of, grr, I made this for a friend. Starting stock was an octagonal punching tool, so very quick little project. Also made 80 lucky horseshoes to pay the bills Bests: Gergely

Nice work, VaughnT! Very beautiful dishes. - Unfortunately here in Hungary iron anniversary is the 60th, not too many costumers to sell

I'm with Frosty on this: better chance that it's MS. It must be nice and old MS though, I like to forge old mild much more than new stock.

Hi Jildert, Welcome to IFI, always good to see Europeans here. IRRC around here jackhammer bits are supposed to be made of 36CrNiMo16 but often they are plain C45. That means those are good for striking tools, like hammers, axes, tomahawks and stuff. But with all honesty it isn't worth the pain you'll go through with all those chisels. I can help you though, send them all to me, I even pay for the shipping, that way you'll have more space and can buy nice n good steel while I sacrifice myself to the recycling of this bad-bad stock. Bests: Gergely

Really good looking table! And one happy looking Reynolds Bests: Gergely

You might need it even more than you think I only have a small belt grinder but it's worth its own weight in gold - it's fast and smooth. Most used tool after the power hammer. Bests: Gergely

Thanks, Frosty! It was a yurt built for children to play in by day. So no choice for me - I only could decide whether I sleep in it or somewhere under a bush, so I chose the "civilisation" And also I could drag my shop in it for cover - it was just 15 meters far from my shop place. Yesterday went silently - no rush, no pain. I actually talked more than forged. Still worked for me well. I'm very glad to hear that, Mark! Go and rock 'em!

Way to go, Mark! Bests of luck with the Etsy store! Bests: Gergely I do demoing at festivals all weekend - so mobil shop time for me. Friday went with it till midnight. Then no sleep at all (I "slept" in yurt near one of the bars, nice and loud drunken people. I had a yurtmate who kept bringing empty beer cans and throwing them on the ground from 2 to 5 o'clock a.m. Then at 6 two heavily drunk guys came in for a nice long chat. I was even too tired to use my spear. ) Saturday 10 am to 10 pm. Quite heavy traffic. Now I'm leaving for another demo. Hopefully not too hard day ahead. I slept a bit but I'm still pretty tired, we'll see how things go... Bests: Gergely

True dat!

I use a 9" 2200 W Milwaukee for cutting everything in the shop (small or big). It has the slow-start feature (don't know the actual word for it), so it's pretty nice to use. Also not that big of a pig like the old big ones. It works nice and feels safe when using it properly. I say that knowing big angle grinders are the most dangerous tools in the shop! I chose the 9" because around here it's easier to find discs for it than 7"-ers. Also - I think - that 2"+ makes huge difference when eating out the material. Sometimes I use it with thick disc, and that works miracles in seconds: grinds off big surfaces very fast. Bests: Gergely

Real nice work, David! That tree is amazing with its thorough texturing. But the whole thing is, too. I especially like the picture where you have the tree on your shoulder while hammering a branch Looks very comfy! Bests: Gergely

Minimalist shelf-brackets for a cabinetmaker. Not very much my thing as no forge work involved in it. But I wanted to help, plus no finishing was needed, so it was a good excercise at welding more exactly as I usually do There are gonna be 1" thick wooden shelves on these. Bests: Gergely

Hehe! I lived 5 years in Jyväskylä! Greetings from Hungary! Bests: Gergely