gaylan veater

Very nice looking hammer, I would think that it would be really fun to be the striker and the student learning hands on is really fun!! I too hope to have Brian come and do a demo for the BFC. GREAT PICTURES!!!
Gaylan

That would be a good buy in Utah. Some go for more depending on the shape.If I were you I would buy it. You can always resell later if you happen to find a better anvil down the road.
Gaylan

Here is a picture of a demo I did at the West Jordan Historical Museum in July 2009. I have on my Mountain Man clothes. I do some of the Rendezvous around Utah with my friend Hyrum ( also a blacksmith)
Gaylan

Very Nice Brian, I like it alot.I like the stand. My anvil stand is also three legs and it works really well.
Gaylan

DonA,
I really like the hindges and latches! Thanks for showing us how you did it.
Gaylan

Just my 2 cents, I also have lots of scars cuts and burns to show people that I work with my hands. I personally would not have a tatoo.
Gaylan

Thomas,
The rattle sounds like a good idea do you have pics? Also what kind of price to you charge for your snakes in your part of the country? I think I am going to have to call a couple of the people I know that do farrier work to get more rasp files.
Gaylan

Hi Drak11,
I am a mechanic by trade 38yrs this year. I do all the trans work and other things too. I use alot a differnet car and truck parts. I use door pins,trans shafts, axle shafts,some solid push rods, coil springs, leaf springs. Newer ubolts are alot harder than the old ones.
Anyway there is alot of things that can be used. I have forged some head bolts into tools but most of them were older chevy ones can not say about all of them.
Gayaln

Svarttrost,
Very nice I like your design you do really good work!!!
Gaylan

I have made 2 hammers from it and they work really well.
Gaylan

Junksmith, I don't know the answer about the pickling but I use a heavy wire hand brush and clean things when they are still red hot it cleans really well also Smith Boone shows us once at a demo to clean the metal with heavy emery cloth then heat once more but not to the heat to make it scale again it really makes it looks nice and doesnt take much time.
Gaylan

Drakeo11,
yes you just forge into a cylinder shape if it starts to twist then put in a vise and straighten with tongs the tail is the handle end of the rasp and on the head end i forged a piece of 1/2" square bar to look like a head then forge a taper on the other end put it in the end and welded then forged out the weld.
Ted to answer your question I forged it at a high red to low yellow and the heavy rasp side is out it knocks it down some but makes a nice texture.
Thanks for all the nice comments!!
Gaylan

Nice work Lans Link,
I too am going to have to try it !!! Looks to be alot of fun too!
Gaylan

Danz409,
That could work as a anvil. what does the other side look like? Sometimes when you don't know the material you are forging it can be hard. Maybe try going to a fab shop and see if you can get some of there throw away. They can usually tell you the material.
Gaylan
Thanks for the comment on my snake!!

Here is a picture of my first rasp snake!!! Alot of fun. I have been waiting to make one for years I finally worn out a rasp to use as material.

Gaylan:)

Sounds like you had a friend in the right place that day!!! Good to have friends that look out for things when they find out you are a blacksmith. I made a hawk out a RR spike and showed it to a few friends the next thing I knew I was brought a bucket full of spikes. I need to make my friend one now.
Gaylan

Great work Tzonoqua!!! I like alot.

Gaylan

Hi Kash,
Welcome to I Forge Iron. I too make alot of my things from junk steel etc. I am an auto mechanic by trade so I find alot of useful steel to make tools etc with. I live in Utah so I can't help on the suppliers in PA.
Gaylan

Welder19,
The height is not adjustable my friend ask it to be this height because he uses a fire pot underneath with legs. You can adjust lower by digging the end legs into the ground some. And you could raise it by putting something under the legs like a log or so. Anyway it was mostly built to his specs.
Thanks again for all the replies.
Gaylan

Thanks for all the replies. I had alot of fun making this grill and fun making all the tools to to make the grill. It was a big learning experience. Has anyone else made a grill using traditional jointery?
Gaylan:)

This is my latest project I just finished for a Friend of mine that likes to go to the Rendezvous. Just took the pictures and thought you like to see.

Gaylan :)

Hi All,
Just wanted to let all know that Ward Brinegar is going to be the demostrator at our fall conference. It will be held Sept 11, 12, 13th at Paul DeFransico Shop in Salt Lake City Utah. All is welcome to come and have a great time.
Gaylan:)

Hi Billy,
I work as a auto mechanic so I have lots of old bolts so I use them up by forging things out of them my favorite is to forge a leave on the end and leave the bolt head stock sometimes people like to see what something started out in its first life as.
Gaylan

Paul,
Just wondering if our leaves got to you from The Bonneville Forge Council here Utah USA
We send them over 2 weeks ago. Hope all is going well with the project and we were grateful to be a part of it.Our hearts go out to those that lost family and friends and hope they feel comfort that all the blacksmiths in the world really to care about others.
Your Friend, Gaylan

Hi Bill,
I use one from the waist to the knee. I made it from elk hide sewed a belt onto it that buckles on the side. Has served me for several years and the one that Mark Aspery wears came from the same hide.
Gaylan