brian.pierson

Grant,

I took Brian's class at Yesteryear a couple of weeks ago so I have a small suggestion for your design. A couple of longer slide in plate so you can cover up the dove tails not in use. The blacksmith can put the hardy holder or fuller in the middle and not worry about the top getting dinged by a striker. After the class and seeing my accuracy, I was thinking about how to cover my anvil face so no one messed it up. Just a couple more pieces of kaboodle for the kit.

How were you thinking of attaching the upright plate to the base plate? Another slide in dovetail with welds to secure? Or would the welds hold? Sorry not a welder.


Brian

The socket may be like you made or it may be open at the top, so more like a long eye. I saw a old goose wing axe from Germany the had a long eye like that but open at the end. The long eye seemed almost handle like where a person could use both hands to shave the wood with. Interesting picture though. I will see if I can find the picture of the goose wing.


Brian

All,

That is great picture of what I have seen. I guess I didn't explain myself well enough. You can see the ash catch tray at the bottom. Then the box that holds the coals with the hinged lid grate. I have not seen as much with handles on the box but on the tray.

Brian

It looks like it has the flat step on the foot for a hold down like a peter wright. I would suspect it is an American anvil though. Which one of the American manufacturers had the step? It also looks like it has a plate welded on for the face.

Brian

Wayne,

From what I have seen the braziers are in two pieces. The tray that acts as an ash catch and the box that holds the hot coals. I have seen these in museums as well as reproductions. I hope this helps.

A side note on the handles for the catch, most of the ones I have seen are fairly light weight. Use of them for moving while hot is NOT advised.

Brian

Bigcity,

Look up "mokume gane" on the web. It is a Japanese form of non-ferrous pattern welding. THAT is the simplest answer and not 100%. I have never attempted it but the guy who got me into beating iron turned out some beautiful stuff. There is a lot out there on it and items in this forum also. A search here should turn up a start for you.

Brian

RA,

Take a look at Centaur Forge.

Firepots-Centaur Forge

Brian

THANK-YOU for sharing. That is great

I have never worked in a tent so this is more FYI than advice. If I remember correctly, Jack Andrew, Author of the New Edge of the Anvil, works in a Tipi. I don't remember where he is/was located but it might be worth seeing if you can track the book down for advice about it. Don't you get a lot of snow in Loveland? I am curious on what you find so thanks for asking.

Brian

I believe ductile iron is one type of cast iron so they may be made from the same stuff.

brian

All,

thanks for the replies. What type of oil do you use to treat them. WD-40 is a water displacement but very light oil. I don't know if it will hold up over the winter or not. If you store the tools, with handles, in the oil, I would think a vegetable oil like linseed or canola makes sense.

Thanks again.

All,

I am going through a bucket of misc hammers and top tools heads that I collected over the years. I am going to clean them up and handle the. I already have a box of handle seconds from a local flea market. Once I get all the rust off the heads, I was wondering what would be the best way to keep the rust off? I could see paint, wax, or just oiling them up. I only have outdoor space so the forge work is slowing down until the spring. So i want to take care of these until I can get back to them.

Hope this makes sense.

Brian

Here is one from Centaur Forge

Centaur Vulcan Firepot with Dumping Ashgate-Centaur Forge

I am putting one together now so can't offer any reviews.

Brian

kashmire,

Here are 4 threads that should give you an idea where to start.

http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f92/tools-spring-13317/
http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f92/punch-procedures-making-punch-13098/
http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f92/how-make-eye-punch-13565/
http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f63/animal-heads-10586/

Brian

Don,

Nice shop and thanks for the pictures. How large is it?

Brian

Frosty and Deb,

I hope God holds you in his hands until you are ready to return to us.

James and John,

First thank you for the advice. I agree that I am lucky to have had it happen before I took possession of it. I am sorry if the post made it sound like Anyang was any thing but a fine hammer. The pictures off of Ebay showed the hammer had not seen the best of care. The gentleman had been striping the paint loose and removing rust from the hammer. My feeling was that he hadn't been running the hammer at all for some time. When James first sent me email on Sunday, he offered some great advice on how to treat the hammer before operating the first time. I believe if the owner had checked out the hammer before turning it on or if he had run the hammer for even a short time regularly, as John suggested, he would not have a heavy paperweight right now.

If I lived closer than 12 hours from the gentleman, I would have offered to buy it for less and try to rebuild it. I have learned a huge lesson here and am sorry it is at someone's else expense. I am positive about this. James, you will have me as a customer probably next year. I have a smithy to build between now and then. I will focus on that first, instead of hijacking my old roommate's garage for the hammer.

Thanks again all,

Brian

Okay so here is my luck. I asked the seller for some more pictures. He went out to take them. He turned on the hammer and puttered around the shop. he heard a loud bang and smelled smoke from the belts. He hadn't checked the oiler and it had clogged up from sitting so long unused. Bent rod.. So he is now asking how I want my money refunded....


So close

Marty,

First off congrats on getting an anvil. Second, don't sweat the marks. leave the anvil intact. It doesn't have to be pristine. Use it and find out if they should be removed. You can work around a lot.



Brian

James,

Sent it to you in PM.

James,

I was looking for a manual on the web so feel free to send me anything you think would be usefeul. I am sure I will be talking to you more in the future about the hammer. Especially, once I get it in my hands.

Thanks in advance,

Brian

I won the bid on it this morning. Now to go get the thing.
I was thinking the same thing about the price not going down anymore.

I will have to see about finishing the paint stripping and repaint in the spring.

Brian

Irontwister,

take a look at this IFI blueprint

BP0133 55 Forge | Blueprints 100-200

It is a design for an easy to build forge. Glenn designed it and added the blueprint. it will explain.

brian

All,

I recently got my hands on an 8lb cross peen hammer that I intend to use for a striker hammer. I put it on a new handle but it is full length. I was wondering what the group has found to be a usable length on striker handle? I figured it was easier to ask that chop too much off.

Thanks

brian

Kendrick.

I don't remember the exact mileage but Brazil Indiana is east of you on I70. Depending on your situation, that might be the first place to look.

City Coal Yard
116 North Depot Street
Brazil, IN 47834
812-448-8128
Excellent blacksmith coal. Pocahantas #3 washed from West Virginia.
Contact David Wise

I got this from the artmetal website so I don't know how up to date this is. This is the coal I use but always have gotten it second hand from friends that went there.

Brian