eric sprado

Uhhh-Anything wrong with nails on the wall? Up and down the wall they shouldn't take up that much space. What in the world do you DO with 40 spring fullers?

I see some of you mention things in passing about splitting out handles etc..Is there a thread or tutorial somewhere on making tomahawk,axe,and hammer handles? Sure would like to learn more.

Just answered my own question and looked again at your last picture.... Sorry-should have been paying closer attention....

That is a BEAUTIFUL job!!!!!! How deep is the weld?? I've been wanting a double horn anvil but don't want to pay new price. Guess I'll look for another broken anvil to convert..... Thanks, Eric S.

You have mine!!!

I made a number of froes in the 70's in Kodiak for folks in the "back to earth" times up there. I used auto springs with the eye still in. Flat side away from user and beveled side toward user. That's what they asked for ,but I don't think anybody had an old one to go from. They worked fine.The older ones I've seen since then were sort of double beveled... the edges were quite flat from back of blade to the edge so they probably worked same way for either right or left hander...

Holy Smokes! $400 bucks for a blower! Snoop around St. Vinnys,Goodwill,or yard salesand find one for five bucks with at least 100cfm.

BEAUTIFUL WORK!!!! Best hand grinding job I've ever seen. Wondering about the use of hard face rod at the end?? Won't that chip? Or is it a specialized rod?

fciron: You're right. Sorry. I slipped and fell right in middle of my Senior Citizen back this week and have been mostly in bed growling at everybody and NOT being in my shop.... Back to blacksmithing.....

Move over here. I'll sell you 25#LG that needs a motor for $2,000 on payment plan...

Dragon's Lair: A bit confused at your really angry sounding reaction to my reply.I was trying to help as best as I could like most folks here do. I guess I'm not the hot shot welder you are,but I did keep Kodiak Coast Guard Base pretty well maintained while I was there as a pipe welder. Admittedly it was 200 years ago in the 70's and,as I said,I haven't kept up with new technology... Maybe I misinterpreted your reply.......

"Fossilised Farrier"!!! I love it Frank-Hit me dead on with that one. That vise attached to my steel work table is a leg vice too!! Eric Sprado

Hay Budden for sure. Interesting-My shop anvil is a 200# Hay Budden.Same amount of BR from Brooklyn and NY showing.Had it for years and didn't know what it was until I bought "Anvils in America" this year. What a gem of a book!!Somebody put the same zillion pock marks in a couple of my old anvils as though they made a lot of the same sort of tool and were testing the points on the side of the Anvil?

I'm an old pipe welder that hasn't gone to wire welding yet.Though I should and will soon. But- When I have that situation I use 6010(or6011 depending on your machine) at a really high setting and lay in a good deep root pass.You need it hot to get down in there..

Where is the "top right corner of the screen" blueprint spot?? I can't see it anywhere. Thanks, Eric.
Thanks so much for the pictures Brian!!!!!!!!!

It is a US Cavalry pack forge. I got one unused when I served my horseshoeing apprenticeship at Fort Riley Kansas a hundred years or so ago. The blower and a TINY anvil and the legs all went inside the forge box and went on one side of a pack mule or in a wagon.They were meant to be support forges for troops on maneuvers. I was looking at mine under the bench the other day and occurred to me that I am the one who wore it out!!! Feels strange.A surplus outfit in Southern Calif. bought all the remaining ones from the government in the early fifties. They sawed off a few inches of the tuyere that bolted to the blower and sold blower and section of pipe (fraudulently) to unsuspecting dumb dumbs to supply air to their bomb shelters during the bomb shelter craze of that era!!!
There you have it... Eric Sprado

I really had a belly laugh when I saw the title of your post! I'm old enough to remember the REALLY common remark when I was a kid: "he doesn't know whether he's punched or bored"!Nowadays only we blacksmiths know what that means!!!! Eric Sprado

Had to try my hand at a railroad spike 'hawk... Seems to be the thing these days:

Hey KYboy" Thanks so much for the pictures.They REALLY are worth a thousand words!!!!

Actually-Even thought I'm not an "artist blacksmith" and haven't made tomahawks before, I can forge weld in my sleep from making forge welded bar horseshoes for 25 years. I hope I can get this other stuff down too!! Being a darn horseshoer doesn't make one a blacksmith... Been twenty tears since I quit and I'm just getting my shop going. Have a nice shop-just need to get my butt in gear and DO SOMETHING!!! Thanks for the great picture!! Gives me something to work toward....

Yes you can anneal it. Also-If you look Alexander Weygers Recycling/Blacksmithing (I think that's the right one of his three) he has a section on haw to heat treat your homemade railroad anvil. I could scan and send to you if you need it.....

Uh-I don't see anything on the bottom of your tee to keep air from going DOWN? You need a piece of plate on bottom that you can swing open to clean out the ash. ...Or did I miss your mention of that?

The eye of your "hawk" looks like you inserted a piece clear up to the eye? Or did you double up the rasp? Thanks. GREAT looking. Hope mine turns out half that good..... Eric

I see lots of already made rasp tomahawks. Question: Do you smooth off the teeth on the part that is going to be the INSIDE of the eye?? I know the inside is file side of the rasp,but still wondering if it is ground off or left on?

Try This site: http://www.beautifuliron.com/chimneys.htm . It has a pretty complete discussion of chimneys and hoods.