hoosier32

Thank you so much Daniel! I'll look into it! 

My 100# Trenton.  I just got it this week.  It was my grandpa's anvil, who passed it down to my dad, and now I have it.  This will be the first time it has been used for it's intended purpose. I still haven't used it, but plan on it this Saturday. I still haven't mounted it to a stand.  

I have 11 different stakes.  Checked shimmery pricing online today. I saw anywhere from $30 to $380. I might take them  to a festival we have here in Indiana called the Covered Bridge Festival  and see what kind of bartering I can do.  Or I may just put them online and see what I can get for them. 

A few pics of my tinsmith stakes. Just found out what they were today.  

Thank you Ronin! That's fantastic. I drive through Loogootee every now and then on my way down to French Lick.

From what I remember, he only used it to knock out old rivets on an old sickle bar mower he had. He would heat them up with a torch and knock them out through the hardy hole. I don't remember seeing him ever smith anything on it at all. It still has pretty crisp sharp edges on the face. I went ahead and gave them a bit of a radius yesterday with the grinder. Much smoother now.

Great idea Dave!! I just may have to do that.

I just looked up some tinmans' stakes. That is indeed what they are. I have around 10-15 different stakes. I was going to turn them into hardy hole tools for my anvil. But after seeing some of the prices they are going for, I might just sell them. We will see. Thanks for your input.

Thanks Alan. I'll check that out! 

Thank you DSW!  I was thinking that drill would be a cool addition to my shop.  I'm sure it wouldn't get much use if any. But if it were fixed up would be a neat show piece. The vice is operational, but needs cleaned up a bit.  I currently only have a 6" bench vise.  So I was thinking it might be useful.  Thanks again!

On another note,  the guy I got the forge from has a working post vice and a wall mount Buffalo Forge hand crank drill press  for $50 a piece. The drill needs some TLC, but operates. Is it worth it? 

Thank you for all of your help!  It is greatly appreciated! 

Also, I aquire a whole lot of huge "tools" that look easy to big for hardy hole tools, but seem like they could be made into hardy hole tools. The "shank" on the tools is really long and tapered.  I'm not sure,  but it almost looks like they were made to be driven into a stump to be used or something.  I can send pics tomorrow.

Thank you very much! 

I appreciate all of the help here.  WOW! 

My son and I are both fired up about this new adventure! 

I've been reading up and watching videos for a while now.  I'm so anxious to get started!  Any suggestions on a first project? I was thinking spoon or bottle opener. But then again,  I have a ton of hardy hole tools that are all too big for my hardy hole.  I was thinking a good first project might also be, shaping up and making all of the hardy hole tools useful on my anvil?

Fantastic! Thank you!  

Ha. .. awesome!  Thank you!  I've been looking at cross draft flues. I'm pretty sure I have enough scrap sheet metal laying around to make one.  But. .... my whole point of putting  my forge on wheels was to be able to roll it outside. I kind of like the idea of being outside. But,  maybe make a permanent  flue that I can roll it under during the cold months. Hmmmm now you've got me thinking about more design ideas fir my shop.  I like it! 

That's great !! Thank you very much!  I'm like a kid on Christmas  morning! waiting to fire my first fire. I have about 75# of good coal right now.  But yes,  plenty of coal around these parts. Thanks again!  

Near Cory, Indiana. I picked up a cast Buffalo Forge with a hand crank silent 200 blower today. That's all I know about the forge. I have my grandfather's  anvil. It's a Trenton anvil. Haven't cleaned it up completely yet.  But it feels like it's anywhere between  75 &100 #.

I mounted the forge on a contractor lumber cart so that I can wheel it in and out of my little shop.  

Hi all,  

I just joined this forum a few minutes ago, which  is exactly 3 hours after purchasing my first "old" forge. I have always loved metalworking, but have no experience at all with forging or blacksmithing.  My son went to an exhibition casting show a few weeks ago and showed great interest in  making "things" out of fire and metal. This conversation rekindled my own inner child and desire to create things.  I want to create  useful everyday things.  My son wants to make huge swords. Haha. But, I just wanted to introduce myself and say hello.  I already have so many questions before I even turn coal to coke for the first time.