Steve McCarthy

Frosty I'm sure you are right. But the wonderful landscape has to make up for a lot. I got to visit a few places along the coast while in the Marine Corps and aboard ship. Went to the ice pack, made port at Dutch Harbor, Point Moler, Adack Island and had 5 days liberty in Jeanuo. It was early April in 1988. The weather wasn't bad and it was beautiful.

Well done sir. Congradulations!!!!!

Thomas, the PW is stamped 1 2 7. I think that converts to 175lbs but not sure. I'll have to drag out the bathroom scales. The guy I got it from said he thought it was 217lbs. Do you have any idea of the brand of the forge? I don't see a name anywhere but each piece has a number cast into it.

Please don't hate me Frosty. This is the one time I'm telling the story of the great find instead of reading about someone elses. How it all fell together was a stroke of luck. We have a local classified web page simular to Craigslist. I was on it at lunch and this had been posted the night before. I called the guy and someone else had also called and was trying to get off work just like me. My wife drives the Exploreer and I drive the rollerskake. Just so happened she didn't have school last Friday. So I took off work early, hooked up the trailer and made the 2 hour drive. It was well worth it.

Originally Posted by jrhd
Came across a pretty good buy.
Peter Wright anvil says 1 2 7 (175lbs?)
No name anvil 131lbs
pump handle forge
Columbian post vise
assorted tongs and tools
Craftsman Commercial band saw
2 buckets of coal
and a bucket of scrap metal
All for $525


Finally figured how to post pics.So here is my good find. Was I correct on the weight of the Peter Wrignt? Is the forge actually what is refered to asa rivet forge? There is no name on the forge but it all bolts together and each piece has a number cast into it.

Came across a pretty good buy.
Peter Wright anvil says 1 2 7 (175lbs?)
No name anvil 131lbs
pump handle forge
Columbian post vise
assorted tongs and tools
Craftsman Commercial band saw
2 buckets of coal
and a bucket of scrap metal
All for $525

I order a lot from them at my job and occasionally from home. Business or indivdual, if the order is in by 4pm it's never failed to be delivered the next day.

Tom do you pull a flatbed? We load a lot of trucks where I work. North Pacific lumber in Raymondville, Mo. I'm the foreman there.

Dodge, I have used Greenpatch quite a bit in the fireboxes of wood fired boilers. Max temps were only around 2400 deg. We used it as morter and also to skim over the top of cracks to keep ash out while the refractor walls expanded. It has served me well and is a tough product. If thinned down with water, or if applied more than about 1/2" in thick, it will crack as it dries. I know you got the greenpatch free, but Plastix 900F would work better for coating the insulation. 900F is not as tough but is much easier to apply.

Thanks Mr. Wooldrige. As soon as I read your post a light went off. I talked with a local gig maker today that just uses a torch to narrow down the shank and leaves the rest there to form the socket.

I got interested in blacksmithing because I wanted to forge my own fish gigs, and so far have had little success. I am using leaf spring cut 6" long and 2 1/2" wide. I make 2 cuts 3" long forming 3 prongs. I bend the outside prongs 90 degrees to the center one and then can draw out all 3 to about 5" long with sharp points and cut a beard on each about 1 1/2" back from the point then bend them back around so it looks like a 3 pronged pitch fork. The other end is what is giving me trouble. The oposite end from the prongs needs to be drawn down to about 3/8" (basicly forming a cross) and used to make the shank and socket. Here is my problem; as you draw down the end from the original 2 1/2" wide, the end result needs to stay aligned with the center prong. I can't keep it centered with the middle prong. It starts out fine then the metal on one side quits moving. I alternate between which edge is on the anvil and which side is struck but one side consistantly moves more than the other side. How do I draw down this end and keep it centered with the middle prong? Hope I haven't rambled to the point that nobody knows what I'm talking about.

$149 freq drive??? Where did you get it. That is about $500 less than I expected.

The freq drive was a expenseve option wasn't it?

Mark, I see you are to be a demonstrator at the B.A.M. conference in May. I can't wait to watch you work.

Over the week end not far from whereI live 60 head were rustled. All were branded but none have been found yet.

Having had some experience in hand to hand combat myself, I can say for a fact that is a very intemidating weapon. I pray for the safe return of all our fighting forces.

If it's shiny, leave it alone.

Lucky me. In the back room of a local junk store I found a perfect 4" Columbian leg vice. It didn't have a price on it and the girl running the store said she would have to call the owner. He asked her what it was and she said it was a dirty oily hunk of metal and that I called it a leg vise. With the phone to her ear she looked at me and said would $25 be ok. I couldn't get it out the door fast enough.

Tonight I finished building and fired up my first gas forge. Its blown and heats 1/2" rebar QUICK. One end has a 3"x4" opening and 4"x6" on the other end. I finally got the air and gas adjusted so no flames are jumping out the door. This is my first experience with gas and was supprised at the exhaust. I suspect that "Dragons Breath" refers to actual flames comming out because of improper air/fuel mix. Three feet from the door the exhaust is too hot to hold my hand. Is this normal? I tried turning down the air but then I loose the heat. I was just wondering what the normal backblast area was. How does this compare to yours?

Thanks for your thoughts. Is a gate valve in the air flow necessary as well as the needle valve in the gas line?

Because of the mess and availability of coal, I'm going to build a gas forge. I've read a lot and looked at a lot of forges. My question to people that know is, do you suggest forced air or venturi? From what I've read the advantage of forced air is a less picky set up and less fuel consumption. So far the only disadvantage I've heard of is the noise. I'ld really apperciate feedback from who ever has experience with both.

Do you remember the first piece you ever forged? I know that the vast majority of you on IFI are accomplished smiths. But, I just built my first fire in my first forge, and spent 3 hours making one half of a pair of tongs. I'm almost as proud of that as I am of my 4 month old son (don't tell my wife). I finished the brakedrum forge today and couldn't wait for the blower that is supposed to deliver next week, so I comendered my wife's hair dryer (she is gone for the week end). I couldn't wait for the coal that my wife is bringing back, so I burnt 15lbs of charcoal on that one half of a pair of tongs. It don't take long for the smoke to get in your blood does it? Some day I'll probably look at those tongs (assuming I can make another half to match) and laugh. But for now I thing they are a thing of beauty.

I am a former Marine. Marines are also called jarheads. My email address has always been jrhd1988. 1988 is the year I enlisted. The picture in the lefthand corner is also tattooed on my back. My name is Steve McCarthy. Semper Fi

WOW. I am really supprised at the amount of discussion generated by the question of a first time user. I REALLY appreciate all of the suggestions. I think the idea from Thomas will prove to be the simplest answer. Thanks again for everyones input.

Thanks for the ideas. For now I think using a vise is my best option.