wolfshieldrx

Kool!

16d. Got mine at the local big-box hardware store. Dont know about carbon content but they will harden. Had a guy tell me he had an old box that said they were 1095 but I cant confirm that. There was a guy on ebay selling some 20d nails from the old Wheeling Labelle plant. I bought a couple boxes of those and found them to have good edge holding when hardened/tempered in oil. However, I bought a box of really big (50d ?) nails from the same guy and could not get them to harden so maybe the larger ones are mild steel? Im not an expert but have played with the 16d and 20d ones quite a bit so let me know if you have any questions.

All the above, and if you do decide to demo a knife, you might want to try one of these: Its a little patch knife made from a masonry nail. I've made several of these and they always go over well...bart

Found in a pile of railroad refuse after a crossing replacement...old ties, spikes, chunks of asphalt, etc. About 5/8 square. Looks like some type of clamp or hold-down? Any idea what type of steel? Thanks in advance O Scribes of Smithing Knowlege...bart

Found this big...I mean BIG...flatter at a flea market in Dublin, Va yesterday. When the seller said "eight dollars" I reached for my wallet so fast it burned the hair off the back of my hand! It weighs seven pounds and the face is 3 x 3 inches.

I'm sure I'm not the first to make these, but I downsized the steak turners i've been making. I call them "bacon turners". People seem to like them. Thanks for looking...bart

Definetely NOT cast iron. Ground and polished a little then forged on it for a couple of hours. Nice rebound, no thuds, rings well. No denting even when refining a taper at black heat. I like it! A little more polishing, make proper stand and a couple hardy tools and I'll b set for demos. Thanks for all the input...bart

Indeed it does have a ring when struck with a small hammer. And the rebound seems ok too. When I was grinding the edges it didn't seem like cast iron but what do I know? This is just a hobby for me and I have a lot to learn. Think I'll use it a little and see how it performs. Thanks again for the collective knowledge and experience of the contributors to this site...bart

Thanx for your honesty.

Approximately 75 pounds, appears to be two piece welded body and separate welded table. No markings anywhere that I can find. The anvil appears unused, although rusty. My thoughts: factory second. Has a slight "hump" about 1/4 way from horn to heel. Also the horn lists ever so slightly to the right when viewed from the heel. Plus the fact that there are no markings anywhere. Whaddaya think? I bought it to use for my demo anvil. Thanks in advance...bart

I've got a similar one too. A friend of mine says its a "gunsmith's" vise..

Good catch! Edited post to "three" legs. Thanx...bart

Huh? Oh, for the ring? Used a swedge block.

Finished it! Didn't like the first ring so forged another. Below are the ring and three legs. And the completed stand: Thanks for looking...bart

Thanks for looking. Not tapered, not welded. This is my first one and I'm still trying to sort things out...dimensions, height, etc. I'm sure the next one will be better. :-)

I started a stand for a small (7 gallon) apple butter kettle we bought over the weekend. Yesterday I got the ring rolled and riveted. I rolled it cold from 1/8 by 1.5 flat bar wirh a rounding hammer on a swedge block. If there is interest, I will post more pictures as the project progresses. Thanks for looking...bart.

Thanks! Finally foud a used copy of the book on amazon. I dont do the medi/ren thing but ilooks like fun. I do like outdoor cooking whether a bbq or campfire. Made a trammel for my son today to use with the tripod I made him earlier. And I've made a bunch of weenie/marshmallow roasting forks for family and friends and even a couple squirrel cookers. Bart

Do you remember Irons in the Fire author? Cant seem to find it. Thanks. Bart

This spring/summer I have found a few pairs of small pliers/tongs(?), some hand forged. Most were only a dollar or two but I did pay five for the largest which are hand forged. To give a sense of scale they are laying on a 2x4 banister. Detail of largest pair: Bart

The scroll tongs on the top made about a year ago. They are about 14 inches long. I found the tiny ones at the bottom in an antique shop in Ohio for $1.00 My wife says they're "cute"...bart

Dont know if you have an "Ollie's" discount store near you but the one here had about 10 copies of ms simms book for less than $10 each. I bought em all and resold them to my smithin buddies at my cost. Worth checkin out...bart

Congrats! Thats a fine lookin boy. He dont look dirty 'nuff to be a smith tho... :-)

Maybe I misunderstood. I thought the question was what BOOKS you would save. If that is not the case then I would grab my family, my photos and my bug-out bag. Bart

bible...nuff said. bart

Start small. A couple tomato plants a couple cucumber plants and a small lettuce bed. Every little bit we grow ourselves (or buy from local growers) combats the grip big corporate growers have on us. I have been encouraging everyone that will listen to grow a garden. Happy growing! Bart