Fe-Wood

In answer to your question about materials aquisition, go to any of your weld fab/machine shops and ask if you can go through the drop or scrap pile. Most will be happy to let you. One piece of advice, go after hours so you don't disrupt production. Tell them what your up to and what your looking for and they may just say take it! I like to give trinkets I make as thank you's to the nicer shops... If you have lots in your area, hit them all and then frequent the nicer ones. This ahs worked nicely for me...

sounds like more peer presure is needed... BUY IT, BUY IT,BUY IT, BUY IT,BUY IT, BUY IT,BUY IT, BUY IT,BUY IT, BUY IT,BUY IT, BUY IT, If you have to think about it this long....you need it, need it, need it, Just my .02 cents:)

From my understanding- natural gas does not contain the same amount of BTU's propane does. Thats why they run a bigger orifice. What I have seen done effectivly is increase the volume (bigger pipe) of the natural gas and add a blower. I have worked in foundries with 2 1/2"

Looking Good Dave!!! I was thinking about your vice delema and wanted to suggest something I'm not sure has been suggested. All the ideas and concurns around a tong mounted vice made me go back and look at the structure for the tung. My suggestion is: If you cut a sqaure hole as far forward on the tung structure as possible and mount a piece of square stock running perilel with the front of the trailer you could use it for the vice mount on one side and the tung jack on the other. They could be interchangable. You could face the croud for demo's or have it closer when you are working at home. This would also and hopefully make the shin smaker out of reach. As telented and cleaver as you seem to be, don't bother with a premade wiring harness. You can fastion one fairly easily with a good diagram. I have included a link for one that seems to be pretty good. Check with your DMV on requirements! Be sure to fermly secure the wires so they dont rub anywhere. How to Wire your Car or Truck for Trailer Lights PS. I have to add, be carefull with your pants tucked in your boots. A lump of hot coal or steel could be very painful if caught in there...

Stories like these break my heart:(. I have found several "collecters" over the years... All of them just like to look at what they have:mad: I want to use it:) My Great Grandfather was a patturn maker before and during WWII. When he died my father and his brother and sister split up the hand tools and stored them for years. I was a begining wood worker in those days and pleaded with them to not sell the shop or many of his tools as I would be needing them as I proceed in wood working. Long story short, Most all the tools are gone now. I did manage to rescue a Cherry wood chest full of his hand tools (there were 3) and a box full of pattern makers chisels. I just make me sad that people don't understand once these tools are gone, thats it...They don't make them like that any more....

Silk purse... sow's ear, you know what I'm driving at. Glen, Frosty and Thomas said it best. Another option, look in the phone book or google a large fab shop, call them and see if they have a big chunk of steel they will sell for scrap price. I have found a few 4X4 about a foot long over the years... for free, they would make a nice starter anvil. I picked up a chunk of 4140 round for about $80.00. It waighed about 180 pounds! I don't want to jip harbor frieght out of a sale, but I think you can do far better elsewhere.

If you have the $$$, buy it, you wont regret it!! If you travel for shows or seminars, that mouse hole, forge and tongs could be a nice traveling setup...Nothing worse than taking your smithy apart....

I like that design!! Nice small foot print! would you be willing to share the linkage design as well? I've been looking at building one to use as a striker

martensite- love that hammer, so glad you will restore it! Looking forward to progress pics.

I made a nice find today! a piece of 4140, 5' long x 3 3/4"

Steve- Thats what I thought when I heard it! It is a technique explaned to a friend of mine by Joseph Habbermin. I have used it on several tools (Hot cutters and chisels) with great result. I don't profess to know a great deal about steel types and hardening techniques but for what I have used these tools for they have been exceptional and hard.

BE CAREFULL WHAT EVER MEATHOD YOU USE!!!! Personally, I like a fork lift and chain. If you don't have that, take your time and think it through, when 1700#s starts to move on its own, well, lets just say, it can be nasty! If you do use a wood "A" frame, be sure the wood has knots no bigger than 1/3 of the total valume in that section and put the biggest knots facing up or out as this is the strongest orientation. Wood is crap these days....

Have you tried getting them up to temp (non magnetic) and then leaving them in the forge when you shut it down for the day and plugging the door? This slow cool may do the Trick. If you finish your tools before you are ready to shut the forge down, set them on top in a nice worm place to keep them worm until you do shut down. Hope that works!

Ahh, mother nature at her finest!! Hope nothing got the xxxx knocked out of it with those little golf balls. One thing I don't like about Ca. is we dont get hail like that.... or the stoms that produce them...

The gods are smiling on you J Anderson R:) As Finnr said give Sid a call, here is a link= Little Giant Hammer- Nebraska City, NE Phone: 402-873-6603 Little Giant Power Hammer Attn. Harlan "Sid" Suedmeier 420 4th Corso Nebraska City, NE 68410 If I were as close as you to Sid's shop, I know its still far... but closer than Ca. I'd go to his shop! I've been rebiulding a 100#er for the last little while and its getting ready to fire up very soon:D:D. Just welded up a motor mount and clutch fork and linkage for the clutch/foot pedal. Now all I have to do is turn a pulley and make new dies and I'm on my way... Hope your rebuild takes less time than mine, please show pics!!!!

Don't look to bad to me!

Abenakis- From reading the post that went with the pics, as I understand it, the torch moved over buy the flame and shut off when not in use (note the arm by the gas saver lever) and when the foot pedal was activated the lever lifted, lighting the torch and then the torch was swung out and up I presume. Yes, thats what got me ask'n about the differance between the two. I was kinda hope'n the guy who built that stand was on this forum... Update: I spent the day fabricating parts for my LG Hammer and I don't know how I ever got along without a time ah, I mean gas saver!!! I only turned the torch off manually a few time outa habbit. Whata great device!!! Anybody who read this thread who is thinking about one of these, buy all means go out and get one!!! No more fidle farten around with the adjustments or black hanger when its fired to rich

Go as big as you can afford, you won't regret it!!! If your handy and the building codes won't eat you alive, build it yourself. Remebmer, those kits are just trading your labor for $ and you still have to assemble the kit.

10" framing members are going to bounce, no dought. Putting modified dirt/concrete will crack unless it is prohibitively thick and has metal mesh (rebar). Are you on post and pier or do you have a perimiter footing? My suggestion goes with the others in setting your anvil on a poured concrete base, set on the ground. If you dont want to do that until you have a lifetime possition for the anvil, leave access to the crawl space so you can place material under the current anvil location, as a simple footing. So, that would be from the top, anvil, stand, flooring, random bits of steel or wood to fill space, dirt ground. Hope thats understandable. As far as fire safety, seal the joint crack between the walls and floor as this a perfect place for sparks to smolder. Good luck and show more pics!!

archiphile- I'm sure you know this but you can also work copper cold. Heat until you see the shadows flash around the surface (dull red, in low ambiant light) and quench in water. For thin stuff, this is far safer. When I do alot of copper work, I ware gloves (one of the only times). Also, don't breath the fumes coming out of the forge. I beleive they contain copper oxide, similar to the product used in pressure treated lumber. When you first put the copper in the forge watch the fire, it turns a wonderful green!

Welcome countryforge! This is a great place for info and ideas... and yes a little addictive

I will be there in my thoughs!!! I would love one of his anvils!!!

I started smithing in collage around '92, had to stop in '94. :mad: I've been a furniture / cabinet maker most of my life, put me through collage etc. What is it... 17 years later- I am finally set up in my own shop, that I own! I can do what ever I want in it. I've been collecting tools for woodworking, smithing, and machining for so long now it seems strange to not need anything desperatly. I guess its time to go to work!:o

I'd use it for a hat rack after it has put in a hard days work! Nice trade!!

sfDuck- I don't think I've ever seen a jet/orifice made out of black iron (unless it was a hole drilled in the wall). Have you? So, to go from your portable propane tank to your forge, you use black iron? wow!!!