MotoMike

This thread would be infinitely superior with hammer pics. 

this is a good thread.  I thank you all for the ideas.  I had just last week decided to re purpose a motor of an air compressor for a grinder, the tank has a hole in it, but I can patch that to hold water.  It is a horizontal tank, but I can stand it on end and fashion some feet to keep it that way.  Now I just need to find a re purpose for the compressor head. 

I have an ammo can I could use for oil.  I had thought I'd want something bigger, but as I think about it, it will be a long time before I'm up for quenching anything larger than that.  I aspire to make axes and kitchen knives some day.  an ammo can should do the trick.  thanks again.

IFI has been very helpful in helping me with my forge construction and diagnosing a few hiccups.  And a few years back when I got my family anvil the group was very helpful in identify it and care for it.  Many have helped, some more frequently.  To name a few Charles, Tim Gunn, Mikey, Frosty, Wayne, Binesman, Thomas Powers, Irondragon... come immediately to mind.  anyone who knows they've helped me, thanks very much. My omission is solely due to my 62 year old brain's lack of recall. 

Mike.  

I've only been hammering hot metal for a couple months now, but I see what you all mean by polishing the surface.  the bick is getting polished up  and a spot on the plate as well.  Hopefully, I'll get the whole thing polished in the coming year.  

I love those sculptures JV.  I wouldn't mind seeing a WIP if you have one .

I have trouble thinking how I would go about manipulating that much iron that much. 

Looks great.  can't wait

Wow.  great looking. Looking forward to seeing where you go from here and how it works 

On the back door, I put a porch on that I set bricks on against the opening as needed.  

I just saw one of those at Harbor Freight and wondered the same thing.  I can see them being slow.  

How bought using a log splitter as the heart?

Thanks guys.  the finished blunt point is about 1/2 inch.  I'll try it and see how it works.  

Thanks guys.  think a 1 inch hardy shank will meet my needs?

Now I have to look up acorn platen

Hi, I got this tool at a farm sale, it was octagonal and mushroomed at the hammer end, not sure its original purpose.  It was too large for my hardy, so I ground it square to fit.  the question is what size hardy should I get.  the finished tool is 1.1 inches across the squares it is just loose enough that it will not get stuck in the hole.  the upper end of the hardy seems to be work worn or radiused so that it is about 1.2 inches.  Will 1 inch hardy tools work fine?

also, I have a rail plate that I thought I'd use for chiseling and generally protecting the anvil face.  seems springy and not sure it is the best tool.  what else can be done with it?  are the spike holes useful to stake?  If so, how to secure it?

I have been having trouble keeping tabs on my hammers and tongs.  Today, I put a rail on my stump.  too soon to know if it was a good idea.  I can tune it a bit if needed.   

Ok, I filed the mushroom off and left the point blunt.  how's that look?

I didn't see your Blog Lorne so don't know if you are providing good info or not.  I've seen several guys post things that the experts found exception to and were none to gentle about dealing with it.  I think that if you'd gone to them before linking and publishing, it might have gone different.  

I too feel frustration with the site as it has probably more knowledge about blacksmithing and related topics than any other place I've found.  It is also extremely hard to zero in on a specific topic as there is no practical search feature.  Easy to search for something that you know must have been answered and not find it and be referred to a section containing thousands of posts to find it.  That and glitches that remain such as having to refresh each page.  But in balance the site is worth the effort and I find it extremely valuable.  

It is a handsome knife.  

It is visually striking.  does the billet shown on the anvil having been partially  forged, above the tack welded chain in prep for forging, have anything to do with the knife shown?

She looks like a work horse already to me.  Clydesdale!!   one thing I wish I'd done is make sure my arm can fit the mouse hole so that I can apply refractory all the way to the back of the forge.  Mine, turned out to be a bit tight fit for me.  seems I found slathering on the refractory by hand was easier than any of the other methods I tried.  gloved up of course.  that way any touch ups in the interior can be done without having to crack her open.  can't tell if that is an issue for you or not.  

when I get to needing a reline, that will be fixed in mine. 

also, on my next update, I will put another few bolts in the burner mount to hold the burner tube on two planes.  a circle of bolts on the same level, holds the burner somewhat feebly.  I leaned this while I let my propane bottle fall and it pulled on the hose and dislodged my burner and cracked my refractory setting me back a bit.  another three bolts an inch higher would have positively located the burner and also allowed burner alignment that is very secure. 

Thank you Charles.  you are the preacher and I am the choir.  I don't want it pointy, but wonder who in my family, since it has been a family anvil since give or take 1929 or so, abused the anvil in this way.  

where is that file

Glad you asked this questions.  I'm sure there is plenty of discussion on this topic here, but the glitch system makes it hard to search.  

Charles, my anvil has the very tip of the bick hammered in to a bit of a mushroom.  so if I drift out a hole that I intend to work on the horn, I have to make it at least 3/4 inch to get past the mushroom.  Do you think it acceptable to recontour the point?

I'd hate to have to swing that hammer

ben, they are really beautiful.  well done

I gave the drift a run yesterday on a couple bottle openers.  It worked great.  the result was just as the tutorials show.  From there it went caveman. 

my first bottle openers. actually the first I'll show.  I have a lot to learn, but I think I can get the hang of refining them. 

I don't know if that is 4 linear feet of 24 inch wide (8 square feet) or 4 square feet.  My portable air tank, which is 10 inches around and 18 long took about 9 square feet of one inch 8 pound wool.  I did insulate the front and back though, so maybe if open it would take less.