Blacksmith Jim

How much weight can these hold. It seems like copper grounding wire wouldn't really hold a hanging plant?

I've heard of a few smiths selling clinker at demos as dragon droppings...

I started playing around with this a few weeks back. I'm wondering.. What are people using to size the hole? I started making an oval shaped drift to run through. But it is a long slot to punch. Are you guys forming them by eye? Drifting them round then shaping them? Inquiring minds want to know.

Frosty, sometimes folks cut off a few millimeters of the flat side to even out the balance.

The hammer looks real nice :)

If they go the cap and trade route I want to start a coal fired power plant. Then not produce any power and just sell my allocated carbon credits. Doesn't it seem fundamentally wrong to create a commodity out of not producing something? What are you encouraging at that point? Stopping all production?

Some of the European organizations publish some really fine magazines.

Kudos. I tried a similar piece the last time I was forging. Couldn't get the open end to the right size / shape. I started making a drift to get just the shape I wanted. Yours looks nice. Glad it worked out :)

Looks good Larry!

Jeff, I think these tend to be a makers mark or an inspectors mark. Not so much serial numbers. But of course I could be wrong. Anvils in America has the most info I know of about it.

An interesting idea for sure. I wonder if you have looked at a side blast forge however. In a side blast forge you will often form your own fire pot out of coal and fines, and I tend to make oblong pots that are perpendicular to the blast. You may be able to easily shape the pot to your needs. It's always worth trying an interesting idea though

Also, if you are heating an 8x8 sheet, have you thought about using a gas forge?

Please post updates on your progress. I am very interested in this. I have had semi success with just quarters. I've done it in both coal and gas forges, using stainless bolts to clamp through a bar. Once I got to welding heat, I let soak a bit, then brought it out of the forge and squeezed it under an arbor press. I hear a kiln is really the way to go, and I'm looking into seeing if I can get access to one.

If the vise is cast, which is likely, it may chip on the edges. Wear eye protection. You might not need to go to a junkyard to find a suitable hunk of iron. Maybe try looking for local machine shops, or welding shops, or a metal supplier. Most of these places would have a hunk you could use I bet. Many people do set pieces of steel into a bucket of concrete like you suggest, I think that can be a reasonable approach.

Get your hands on a copy of the book. It's worth it. Based on my memory, it became a law around 1915 for items exported out of England to say England on them. So I think it would have been made prior to then. I got a copy through Inter Library Loan. Ask your local library about it. Postman is the expert on the subject.

This is an easy problem if you don't have any time or money. Then you don't have to worry about it.

Jimbob, got a link? I'd love to take a gander, but google isn't helping me find it this time...

Wow, they have a lot of their newsletters on line. Looks like a good resource that could take me quite a while to digest! Thanks for pointing me towards this.

Thanks guys for the feed back. Some really great ideas here.

Thomas, I watched a video from UMBA's library where Clay Spencer uses a tool like you describe. The two rollers and the scribe in the middle. Made a lot of sense. I filled that one away.

I hadn't thought about the second tool you describe. It sounds like it might be closest to fitting my needs. And likely easier to make then what I had been envisioning in my head. I don't have a mill to use, but I'm guessing I could get away with a grinder for it I think it most closely matches what I would like to do with it. I need to find several feet of square tool steel to work with. In the past I have used coil spring, and 5/8 round h13 for making my hand tools from. Both of which have worked fine, but probably not for this application.

I think I need to make a few different anvil hold downs, and see what will work for me. That will definitely free up a hand, and get give me one less thing to worry about. What I had been thinking about was a jig that would align the stock and hold the tool. So I could position the stock with one hand, and hammer down on the tool with the other.

I recently made an OK frame for a guillotine, but I still need to make dies for it. I was given a section of leaf spring that fits my frame dimensions well. Just need to cut it up and shape it.


Thanks again for helping me kick around ideas. Your suggestions have been very helpful for me.

I've been brainstorming on better ways to cut, mark, punch, slit, etc.. Mainly on bar stock, and mainly when working by myself. When I forge with others I have been lucky enough to have friends around to hold stock for me, but I can't always guarantee that. Some of the things I'd like to accomplish are straight lines and accurate measurements for things like centering a mark in a bar, etc. I've started doing a lot more layout cold, center punching marks, laying in lines with cold chisels, etc., and it seems to be helping. But I keep kicking around plans for an adjustable jig in my head. Has anyone else made jigs for this? I know I've seen Hofi's jig for punching/slitting hammer heads. What I'm thinking about would be similar to that, but would work for hand hammering, as opposed to a press..

Anvil Fire has a list of touchmarks. I don't know how current it is. I do know a local smith that has his up on anvil fire. You could put it up in the gallery here for starters. Maybe Glenn would consider a touchmarks page.

Haha Frosty, You've always got good advice, but in this case, I'd be 5$ that Steve has been shocked more times!

It's feet are similar to a mouse hole. I ain't no expert though... Postman's book, Anvils in America is pretty darn good for looking stuff up. But obviously it focuses more on US anvils then OZ anvils...

Indeed! He does a good turtle too.

Frosty, he's a Brit, and quite a character. I'm sure you guys would have a very entertaining time!

Hmm, wonder if I can link to this:

I'll have to see if I can dig up a pic of a frog.. I think Jack has an etsy page...

I just heard that Stumptown forge is holding a class with Jack Frost on making some really great frogs. Kudos! If anyone is around for it I would love to hear how it goes. Jack is a great smith and his frogs and turtles are really amazing. One of those things you look at and realize is innovative and *gasp* unique! Now that he is showing people how its done though I 'spose there will be more out there. He did a demo at the last NWBA conference I believe. I suspect he is going to the next conference as well.

Stumptown is located in Portland Oregon. I haven't been there but would love to hear from anyone that has!