Daswulf

Chad, through some more recent interest in learning about flint knapping one of the guys I watch on yt mentioned landscaping supply places as a potential place for find bull rock or bull gravel. I haven't had the need to check into that more but that might be a cheap source other than buying a grab bag of unknown but possible decent stuff on ebay which i have done. Id say that most of the stuff I got in a 40# box wasnt very good for knapping but certainly should be good for flint and steel, which was a secondary or firstly reason I bought it. That was before i heard about the bull rock. It might be worth checking out and if you examine some chipped rocks you might find some decent chert or flint rock. At that point I would nicely explain your intentions with it and nicely ask if you could purchase a small quantety at they probably mostly sell by the yard or large weights.

Give the jabod a try and to from there.

Look up JABOD (just a box of dirt) if you are looking to use charcoal. It is an absolutely simple and easy side blast forge design that is very well suited to use charcoal efficiently. The basic idea of it has been around thousands of years. The box just gets it up off the ground. A bottom blast using that old coal stove would eat through charcoal fast and be way harder to make than a jabod side blast forge. Pretty simple to make, will get you forging fast instead of tinkering around with something that won't be efficient. Just because you have something doesn't mean it is the right thing to make something out of. Another point on a jabod, if it doesn't suit your needs or work as well as expected it is easily adjusted, where and something hard built is not. Here is the pinned thread. There are others to read into as well.

Hi AnimaVetus, Sounds like you are going for a bottom blast forge? What will the fuel be, coal, coke or charcoal? My first thoughts are that you might have to make more work out of that thing than is necessary, and also it wouldn't have any "table" for extra fuel around the fire to rake in as needed. If that is what you'd like to use we could help out with info Have you looked at any more proven designs in this sections?

That is a pretty amazing find. Thanks for sharing.

If the file handle were loose then they could fall. Most likely would not break but could chip if they fell on a hard surface like concrete. A good tight fitted handle shouldn't come loose easily just from hanging it from the handle. If you were worried you could add a dab of epoxy to secure the handle to the file better.

Weird enough it makes me think of the old wooden honeycomb dipper for getting honey out of the jar to drizzel on toast or whatever. I have no idea truely. Maybe a deburring tool? Being mostly wood or leather connections... maybe for holding snaps to pein on? The slits could be to expand to clip onto a snap or something to hold it in place for the other half to pein it? Just grasping at straws.

I have a large copper pot with an iron bale that I wonder about. It is from my ancestors and I still don't know its intended use. Often i ponder it and think maybe for doing laundry. Maybe it was for rendering animal whatever. I dont know but it isnt caked in anything. Just darkened with age. Has to be somewhere around a 30# capacity.

Not a bad price in my area really. It is in good shape. I asked about the rebound because i am interested. Mine has a bit less rebound and ring than my other shop anvils. Probably around 70%. No big deal as it functions great and seems like a quiet thud mounted to a metal tripod stand with a chunk of rubber mat beneath. No matter what it is a good usable anvil. You didn't pay too much vs. What you could make and sell with it. My 4 anvils are paid off on what i have made and sold using them.

Looks like you did good. How is the rebound? I have a pre-1830 mousehole anvil as well. It is a good solid anvil. Mine in in the 90# range and I use it with my travel demo setup.

That is a pretty awesome bottle opener. Nice work.

That's what happens when I don't have a "specific" spot and try to use random space. Been there done that. This new box will have specific space for specific tools. Sure it will get cluttered on top like the other one but in the drawers the tools will return. I tried other ways and having been a body man for years, I need a toolbox for stuff. Funny enough I've only lost one 10mm socket in 24 years of doing body work daily. That was also early off in my career. I have found more tools than lost.

I've been reorganizing my shop as well, kind of in a hurry, to accept a new toolbox I am purchasing and will take delivery of this week. My other one is full and when tools have no home they end up wherever and hard to find or keep track of. So I am giving all my important misfit tools a home of their own so they can rest easy and I can find them when needed. The amount of stuff in my shop is intimidating. Much needs not be in there but most I don't want to be out in the elements. At the moment I have my forge and welding table blocked off And I have a vending event this weekend and then a forge demo next weekend to prepare for.

What an interesting anvil. Sorry I have no information to add on it but it looks like a good usable anvil.

Jim, I haven't weighed it but it certainly felt that heavy. Nice scores John.

It happens. Nothing wrong with a late start. I know lol As far as anymore info, I can't tell. Wire wheel it and maybe try the flour trick to get more detail. Thought i might have an idea but it isnt ringing a bell. As far as good anvil or not, how is the ring and rebound? Obviously repaired but looks in good usable condition. I tend to think in the good usable vs. Less good usable as far as anvils. Didn't know what make mine were till after using them for a couple years.

Went to the fleamarket with my brother today. Picked up some hammers and small wrenches, auger bits, a couple larger auger bits, a big wide jaw pair of tongs that need some love and a pretty large pipe wrench. Largest I've seen. The pipe wrench hat $25. On it. I was just looking at it thinking i might offer them $20 but also debating if I really needed it. Well they saw me looking at it and said you can have it for $10. There was no debate at that point lol. As it sits it is 45" long. For now it will just get cleaned up, painted and added to my big tool collection. Oh, and also picked up a jack sparrow pirate hat cheap and a taxidermy bullfrog purse. Because who wouldn't need a taxidermy bullfrog to put stuff in? The lady said she took it to a wedding and had it sitting on the table with her lol. (Same couple that sold me the big pipe wrench.)

If you take a wire wheel to it you might see more detail. Can you get a good picture of the front foot with the numbers? One side might have the serial # and the other side of that might have a weight stamp. Also a better picture of the side you see the words. Do you plan to use it? We love to hear when someone new joins the craft.

On this one I would suggest getting out the playdough or clay, recreate the barrel shape and slide shape in that and work out the how. Not needing the original look maybe the slide could be cut in half lengthwise for material length and forgability due to the shape. As far as the barrel and slide I would lean towards what Frosty said and maybe someone will come along knowing more on the type of steel.

Thats a beauty. I really like the look of the hold downs too. First thought was it looks like vines holding it. Then it got me thinking of like octopus tentacles. 4 more and they could hold hammers or something. Sorry my imagination gets going some times. Must be a full moon lol.

Good idea, or a door knocker.

Nice work on the mini anvil. Seeing it with the stem just gave me an idea that one a little larger,longer would make a good cane handle. Or drill and tap the bottom, add a handle and use it as a tack hammer. It is great as is tho.

To be safe in the food industry use stainless steel.other than cleanup and neutralization after forging it is as safe and neutral as can get. Just to say, I made a couple spatula flippers out of rr spike steel. I have used each of them after giving them a coating of first walnut oil then after a few washes, olive oil. They get used on pancakes/french toast or on the grill with burgers. Since I have used them and only washed, dried and put away and they do just fine. Only the occasional light stain of rust that wipes off with my finger or paper towel. A light wipe with olive oil on rare occasion. If treated right steel works just fine as long as it is clean and cleaned and dried after use. Oil as necessary.

Nice work David. There is a lot to be proud of on that one. Most of all is that it will be used, cherished and a talking point and inspiration to others. Well done!

Welcome from southwestern Pennsylvania USA. Glad you like me and many others found this site well worth joining. Like Iron Dragon said, probably in the anvil section, tho we love photos wherever. It is a great hobby to dig up some used steel to make useful items out of. That is my favorite part too.