Ethersin

I know nothing about anvils but have a good eye for detail, and would say that that anvil say's IIL and below it it say's something like ARMING--- can't read anymore.. I might be seeing thing's but that's what i see on it anyway, It look's like a nice anvil though. Edit: Also looks like there could be an I above the L might be wear and tear but look's like an I.. NOS's link is perfect Hope this helps

So I'm thinking of adding a hood, to my forge over the next couple of day's so i don't die ! It can have alot of nasty effects such as: Burning the skin, eyes, nose, mouth and lungs. In a concentration of 10 to 50 parts per million for 5 to 15 minutes. It can also give you a headache, general discomfort and anxiety. People with lung, heart or astma, are more likely to suffer effects. Repeated moderate exposure can cause imflamation of the respiratory tract, wheezing and lung damage. Also in animal tests it has proved to be harmful to the reproductive systems, causing changes in the newborns development. This is from the site NPI: Sulfur dioxide fact sheet Now I know there isn't a great deal of sulfur dioxide in coal.. but still it's a very prolonged time that i am at the forge, and i currenty don't have a hood... Along with S02 there is also C02 and probably C0 (carbon monoxide - which is toxic - comes from incomplete combustion aka general burning). So it's not something good to sit there and breath in.. I don't yet have a hood and was wandering if you think my idea for a hood is any good. Basicly i am thinking of a bbq lid with a hole cut in the top that will fit a 4' to 5' tube about 6"+ coming out of it ( nice snug fit.) then i will lower this nice and low next to the fire, will a general bbq lid take the heat enough? Thank's

Ah i see thank's. Well it' currently sharp enough to peel an apple/my finger.. that was an accident, (dropped my ciggerette on to a wool top and went to grab it with the knife through my finger..) Well here is a picture of so far, it's not been fully cleaned.. the blade is quite rough, and i cant de-mark it with a hammer i just keep adding more.. (hopefully i'll be able to get rid of hammer marks soon, or stop putting them in at least) Im going to wrap the handle with leather and probably make a leather scabbard type thing for it. It's going to be a general fishing/gutting knife for fishing. Also the blade is about 6-7 inch's long can't find a ruler in this house grr. Cheer's

Right on, i see thank's, just a few questions on it.. When you say skid, you mean just sort of slide across the top and not do anything to the blade? And is this under a decent amount of pressure or just a light "scrape". Cheer's

Okay, since it'll be doable in a water quench i'll do it that way. Also in my book it say's use a "clean fire" and get the metal to a "cherry red" sort of colour. Or would i need a higher temperature to quench in water? Also repeat quenching does this make the blade harder again, to an extent, or first quench is all it need's? And another question, best time for sharpening the blade? im cleaning it up at the moment, and am making the edge more blade-like, should i fully sharpen it now.. or wait till it's been hardened? Cheer's guy's

Thank's for the post's guy's. Tallow? so is this what i would be using to quench my steal? Will this be okay, for what seems to be a mild steel? I Don't think it's already a high carbon tool steel, it's a scrap 1.2cm square bar. And thank's for clearing that up josh. I'll post up pictures for my knife soon, i gotta clean it up and harden it up.

Wow... The difference in heat given off between charcoal and coal is very different... So is the horrible sulfate (i guess) smoke.. sheesh. I need to get me a hood. Well today I tried some old coal we had lying about in the garage.. To a very pleasing degree, yet rather coughing-ly. So why use charcoal exept it's cleaner than coal, I also good the book "The Complete Modern Blacksmith by Alexander Weygers" Which I am going to have a good look through in a minute before bed. I read a little earlier and it say's to use a clean fuel when tempering steal, so it does not oxidise, so no yellow flame or green-tinged smoke. Ah well, anyway. I'm starting my second sort of project now, it's the basics of a knife, and then i'll harden it when I have read up on it. Also what is rendered lamb fat? :S Also, i cut my bar in half and one bit that i started working on snapped and started cracking... and the metal inside seemed.. almost bubbly in texture.. Is this a cast piece of metal or something? Anyway to test? ^ ^ ^ Also what you guys' think of my set-up Cheer's

Sheesh.. Im gonna end up wearing a set of medievil armour at this rate.. Gonna have to make it first i guess... Glenn did you recieve the PM i sent you? Rich

Ow, xxxx man how you manage to get a chip though all that? Both eye's closed... Pretty sparkles... Sorry goatman. That sounds nasty.. Buuut it still brought a smile to my face.. I know it shouldn't of buuut it did. Rich

Wow, good job on the good message guy's! I think we have some goggles somewhere.. We also have a welding mask.. and a big plastic (see-through) face shield.. But i'd preffer to have the glassess (if you know what i mean) they're much more comfortable... Well i guess any of them are more comfortable than a burnt face Cheer's for the info Ironrosefarms

Yeah, It's not a smart thing to do! Xxxx, I wanna go back out and start forging again.. But I am not going to untill I get some goggles! Just not worth it. I guess you've seen the worst of what can happen.. Sheesh. Rich

I'd just check your aloud, to set up where your going to go, check with the owner etc. And it could be rather heavy to take on a bike ride.. Guess it'll do you some good though I think the biggest jewler's anvil i've seen on ebay is about 3 lb's, so depending on the size of what you want to make, is it going to be big enough? and is it going to bounce around? should you plant it into a log or something to keep it steady? I'm new to this as well.. But they were just some of the concerns i had when starting my forge up. Good luck mate, Rich

Well today I nearly lost an eye. A red-hot chunk of lumpwood charcoal, was spat out of the fire today, and caught me just next to my eye, it got stuck between the side of my nose and the very corner of my eye. I'm lucky! All im gonna get is a blister and have a sore eye for a while, if it was 1/2 a cm to to the left I would of probably lost the eye, or alot of vision. So, I won't be lightning the forge back up untill I have me some safety gear. I really do suggest you use safety gear... Take it from my experience, and don't wait til' it's your experience. Safety First There is also another link somewhere I can't find it at the moment. I just wanted to say this, to all of you (mainly the new guy's like me).. Is it worth not spending out that little bit extra? Money can be replaced.. Body part's can't. Thank's Rich

Ah I see, that's a very kind thing for you guy's to do. Rich

Ah awsome mate, So are they similar price's? I mean, I'll have a chat round and see who what and when, and hopefully get something together, else i'll just come on my own, and enjoy myself anyway Thank's you been a great help. Also hope this thread can help anyone else, If anyone want's to go to one of these or are sorting something else drop me a pm be awsome to meet some of you guy's Cheer's Rich

Thank's again mate, I'll see what I can do, I have some friends who may be intrested in doing it, So i'll have to sort out a time when we can, so I'll keep watch on the date's if not next weekend, Do you know when next year's date's will be or is that still to be arranged? Thank's alot. Rich

Looking very good mate! I'd like to see the pictures of how it was done, seem's real intresting! Rich

Thank's mate, Ha, can't read properly, I thought the cheque arrival, was an arrival date for me... Ah well, dunce. I'd like to do both the October 25th, and the Novemeber the 8th and 9th but it's finding somewhere to stay, and travel expenses.. I'm sure you'll have them up again, but I'd like to try get up there for them, I'll see what I can get together. One more question.. Do you run the courses, It's just looking through the old site I'm guessing it was your name that was mentioned, to similar to not notice Thank's alot Rich

Hey John, Are the courses at west point still availible? And are they still

Right got some pictures here now, see what you think. These are my "shop", forge and other bit's. Picture of my "knife" aswell. Cheer's Rich

Well today I made a Knife..ish I used a bit of scrap sheet steel my brother nabbed out the metal bin in technology at his school. Im guessing it is a mild steel, it was bend-able by hand. It's a wonky mess.. But a knife. I couldn't get a hilt on it properly and half of it snapped off while trying to attatch it to a even more terrible handle.. Soo I ended up masking-taping it together.. To a rather good end i'd say. I know you guy's say it's a more advanced end of blacksmithing, but I thought it's what I'd like to do when i get good, so I gave it ago. Mainly to just try shaping with the hammer. My hilt was real brittle (Reaaaallly thin) But i was folding it over from the exess i had and i wanted it thinner, guessing this is sort of a forge-weld well mine didn't stick.. But oh well. I'll post a picture up when along with a pic of my forge, when i find and dig out the camera. Rich

I use lump would charcoal, I'd prefer not to but it's all I can get at the moment. I've just set up my forge a few day's ago, but i seem to use a cave. My foge is based on the lively forge, but much rounder.

Yeah, no excuses there... I don't have a phone? Not gonna buy that hey? I'll get it sorted. I'm gonna put some photo's up over the next couple of day's, because my mate want's to take it up aswell. So hopefully, you'll give us some tip's on what would work better than what I have already. When i get my back shed sorted out were gonna wack them in there. It's rather large so should be enough room for two to work at once, with space to spare. I really do like the forge that Arbalist made, and I wish I put the hole's on mine in a more confined place. Thank's again. Rich

Yeah, I know there are about 4 smiths' in a 15 mile radius of my house, it's just getting there and knowing they're there aswell, with time to have a chat. Excuse's excuse's, I know. Well i'll get it sorted out some time or another. Thank's again, Rich

Wow man that look's real nice, I'll post some pic's up in a bit of mine, mine look's horrible, but im playing about at the moment, and i'm getting the charcoal rather hot it sort of goes past red and orange to a sort of white and then spits sparks at me, got an old file in at the moment, it's getting pretty hot i think, a few taps with the hammer and i can change the shape a fair bit. I wish you good luck with your forge mate, i'll check up on it later to see how it goes Rich