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Great score. I move a ton of stuff in and out when I'm using it. I do have two building but as another said. The more buildings the more "stuff" ya get. I set a post vise up on a 2x6 and nailed that between two saw horses, my anvil? I have on a log and 6 inch deep 2x2 ft piece of concrete so I can move it around two. same with my Marvel forge and blower I can move it around by myself with two skateboards. This is a must for me since I live right down town and need to lock up certain tools or just move them out of the way every now and then. Not to mention I need the room in one building to get my transports in and out to work on and the old Roadrunner lives in one 1/2 of one building year round. Again great score. Rich

Was a log jam and he used tannerite. BUT he used more the the BATFE allows by law. YOu are only allowed to detonate 2 lbs at a time NOT 5 as that is in federal violation of explosives set by the BATFE. I like how he acts how everything is so secret when it comes to making things. LOL to funny. And with the money he's making ya figure he'd BUY SOME SAFETY EQUIPMENT. I find the show a joke and just another reason to watch tools go through the roof price wise. Thanks again history channel. I do respect him for being a very smart man yet living a simple life. not easy to do both today. Rich

Hello I'm in the Scranton area about 2 hours north up 476 turn pike. Rich

Thank s everyone for the tips Rich

Nope will go see now. Wasn't to make knives so I didn't even think to look there. Was for tool repairs that was commissioned to me. Hence the wanting nice new steel since my name is going on it. If any is left I'd keep it for either smaller knives or such. My knife making has turned to mostly PW stuff. and odd ball requests/commissions. Rich

I need to source some new 5160. Found this site and it seems to be the only one that is selling what I need. the stock is the right size but about a foot short since they only list it in 36 inch lengths. http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/product_info.php?products_id=353 Anyone order from them or have a better place? NJsteelbaron is out of it ( or I can't find it on the site) where I normally order from when I need known and new. Not interested in used springs I have enough of those leaf and coils, I need new stock for my next project. Rich

Yup get it hot straight through. In other words once it's hot let it soak a few more seconds. Use a bigger hammer too. Don't know what your using now but for big stuff drawn out, a 4 lbs cross peen does it for me. Once you hit that 1 inch or smaller Dia. it gets real easy and a lighter hammer works good then. Beat it like you are angry but with good hammer control. Also get a cadence worked out to prevent fatigue and when it does set in take a break it will also go faster if your not "working yourself to death" Rich

My 8 year old daughter helps me with the forge. she calls th spot I have her stand and hold things her "station" She's been helping with bodkins lately. holding a swage and turning the blower on and off. Helps with other things like putting new exhaust on our can. Didn't even ask if it was ok just crawled under nad held it up when asked. Told her she would be the one who got the roadrunner her reply was No daddy I like the jeep! # boys that I can't get to lift a finger. LOL she's a real learner that's for sure. Rich

And thank you "forged in fire" now everyone wants to make sharp pointy things and prices are through the roof even worse then a year ago today. Rich

WOW! now I have a headache ....... One thing I've found over the years. Anything that is combustible will melt steel with enough forced air. I've only had my forge since winter and I've used wood,charcoal,coal. Before that I used a webber SS grill and mostly wood or charcoal. this was able to melt brass and aluminum with a shop vac and wood. I would suggest that you find what you like to forge with and use it. Then use what you can get when out of what you normally use. I've been slowly burning a old back porch off of one of our tenants homes ( replaced porch last April) in the forge, wood to charcoal. saves the coal. I live in down town Scranton and coal is hard to get. We used to have 4 coal companies right here in town, but they are gone now. No one heats with coal anymore since they put in city NG 25+ years ago. That's food for thought right there, Scranton is known as coal country and even another poster mentioned 11 counties right here in NEPA are noted for the coal reserves. Yet it's not mined like it was even 20 years ago. Most of the local coal that is mined now days goes to Berwick Pa for the nuclear reactor. and a few coal fired steam plants that make electric . Berwick is were all of the power is made for this side of the state. The wind turbines all produce for Philly. SO if you can get coal for a good price, ANY coal use it. I live in a coal rich area and small quantities are no longer sold ( 1 ton and under) unless you are willing to haul it yourself from over a 1 1/12 hour ride one way. I'll continue to forge with what I have on hand so long as it comes up to temp and does what I need it to do. BTW: one of the better tech threads I've read on solid fuels with the data provided by all. While I may not have contributed to BTU, burn rate . I think I have stated just how hard it can be to get any coal in a area known for it. and that you should forge with what you have. I have for 20 + years. Some combustibles just take more forced air and are not as efficient as others. ( something to remember with a hand blower or bellows) PS: sorry for the long post. Rich

Sounds like a good deal. I have about the same forge as you. around here used without a blower they are 1200.00 on craigslist. Don't know if they sell or not at that price, that is the starting/asking price. Anvil is a good score to at that price. Over the winter I got a buffalo forge and blower from a board member here. We traded, I built him a office at his shop and got the forge and blower in return. SO, if you go by my price used in the area it was a 1200.00 blower. that means I made 75.00 hour to build the office. I would do like others mentioned and S hook it or straight round stock for a grate and be done with it. And yes fire brick it or use that smear on furnace cement. In other words at those prices I think ya done real good. Rich

No not really. I helped a great friend out. I still have 3 anvils one RR track and two name brands. I have a parts car in his yard for my roadrunner that I have been striping and putting into boxes. ( how many people let you part and strip a car in their yard?) Asked him what he needed, he said a anvil. I took two of the RR ones over and let him choose. He chose the smaller of the two. point being it served me a long time and now it is someplace that it's being used as a tool not a decoration, buy a fellow maker of things that is a true friend. Point I was trying to make to the original poster is Start with what you can. If your interest is held move up as you can. Took me 20 + years to get around to getting so called better equipment. And there was nothing wrong with what I had or it would have never taken so long to "upgrade" As another poster said Don't make practice pieces just to practice. Figure out what you need/want to make and go at it. the practice will be how many times did you try to make it until it past your "muster" as "good". Rich

Your right what I meant and should have stated was my forge looks like a forge, my anvil looks like a anvil now. before my forge looked like you could grill burgers on it and my anvil looked like it belonged at the CPS rail way. No mistaking my tools now LOL And yes the Webber SS grill melted alot of lead, mixed alot of brass, and heated alot of steel over the years with just a shop vac as a blower. I gave my RR avil to a friend, he just used it to do body work on a trailer of his that a lady plowed into drunk. I never though of using it for that. it was small enough to get up in where he needed it for a solid backer to straighten things out. . Rich

I just went at it about 20 years ago. I make things I need like a handle for my 450 lyman boolit sizer since the factory OEM was junk and broke. been on the sizer for 20 years now and still gets used every fall. I thought when I got around to getting a real forge ( used a webber grill for years) and a real anvil ( used a rr track for years) that I would want to make decorations. NOPE I like sharp things and that's what I enjoy making. I make the tools to make he sharp things, but DO NOT enjoy it. I'm just to cheap to buy a fuller when I can make one. Make a few things and see what you enjoy. In this hobby you will end up making things you don't enjoy making, to make the things that do please you. Rich

Got the willing wife but she's 110 lbs soaking wet. The HB anvil weighs more then her..... I'll look into the other alternatives .... thanks Rich

Thanks for the speedy response. I do have a "lacky" that I hire from time to time for grunt work. He can't read a tape measure but if you want it tore down he's your guy. In other words I wouldn't turn him loose in your bathroom with a caulk gun for finish work, but I'd have no problem letting him caulk your roof. I do have a few holders that work off of tension in the hardy hole but we are talking 3 + lbs axe heads here, and will need smacked with authority more then once in a row. In a certain fashion. I be forging historically correct viking axes in the traditional manner. ( if all goes well) I still have some tools to build to do it. Mandrels and such but figured I'l ask about a "dead man" while I get the tools made. I won't even be getting back on the forge until Sat or Sun. this week to heat treat some blades and possibly start making the tools I need for the axe forgings. Rich

WHat do you hammer slammers do when you need a striker but it's only you. In other words it's just me on the anvil. I DO NOT have a power hammer air hammer or anything other then ARMSTRONG. To get my work done. It's not a big deal until I need a second person for either a striker or tool holder. Any tips,tricks or secrets? I do mainly blades but I want to start some axes as well. I'm also pretty well equipped with a 115 hay budden and 3 other smaller anvils, along with a 6 inch post vice and buffalo forge and blower. Along with all kinds of other tools not worth mentioning here and now. SO what do you stand alone working smiths use for a 2nd person when needing a striker and don't have a power hammer or person to do it? Rich ETA: I do not have a power hammer

50 BUX??? You got robbed. I'll drive over from Scranton to Pittsburgh And you just pay my gas I'll take that off of your hands so you can get a "real" anvil....... LOL OK YA done great and yes, use it as is. even with free in chalk ya done great for 50 bux.. I got 35 lbs less and paid 100 more. Mine is in better shape but I'd have bought that for that price and quit looking. Rich

Cut it top to bottom remove both ends and use the sheet metal for whatever you need. Rich

Write your info and what you are looking for on a playing card, the red ones & use a sharpie. ( unless you have business cards) and hand them out to EVERYONE you talk to. Everyone knows someone. I do this with either the playing cards or my business cards. I get all kinds of stuff this way. But be WARNED...... you will get calls on things you don't want also. People just trying to sell stuff. Been doing it for 20+ years and it works. Rich

Will do njanvilman. I'll take a real good look at it this weekend. Haven't used it or taken a real close look at it other then when I bought it. then this morning when I took the pic. I wasn't even going to wire wheel it. My 115 Hay Budden shined up nice on the face just from using it. I figured this one would to. This makes number 4 in the family. two real nice RR anvils the HB now this. All I need now is a 300 lbs shop anvil and I'm done. ( ya right) Rich

Picked this up last Sunday While at Stuartthesmiths shop along with some other items. Figured I'd share the price was decent so I figured why not. 55 lbs fisher eagle anvil. Rich

Po's "I like cats" Con's " I can't eat a whole one" Ours is a indoor cat also.. The outside city feral cats do a decent job on keeping the place rodent free. I've never seen a cat get i the way much at any shop. My Dad lives in Ga and has a shop armadillo. Told me a few years ago on a visit " don't kill the one with silver spray paint" He and the critter had it out when it 1st moved in, seems the only thing the ole man was armed with was a rattle can of silver paint.. He has been feeding it dollar store cat food for a few years now. LOL And yes he is aware that they can transmit leprosy. Rich.

I like to make and fix things plain & simple. Rich

I don't have anything on wheels because if I'm not careful it will grow legs and walk off. So far we have had porch furniture stolen, a slingblade, & the tenants kids bike was taken/stolen last summer. Guy across the street is a repoman and he has been looted several times. ( probably by people trying to get even for the repo's) Right now I drag it out, use it, put it back on the back porch, then lock the porch. I'm putting up a Building this spring just for my welders, torches, forge/foundry, and anvil so I'll lock that too. Rich