JHCC

I'd lean towards stonecutter's hammer, of which Atha was a major manufacturer. In that case, it would be swung solo, and not be a struck top tool.

Depends on the material. I'm told Kastolite 30 (which I used for my own forge) is very resistant to flux and reasonably resistant to the inevitable knocks and bumps of forging. Some people here use sections of kiln shelf, but that's outside my own experience and expertise.

No advice to give, but checking in to say that looks like a great find (especially with no cracks). Keep posting photos as restoration progresses!

“Cynic, n. A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be.“ Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary

And let’s not forget the Mars Climate Orbiter that burned up in the Martian atmosphere because NASA engineers didn’t convert pounds of force to newtons for the software controlling the thrusters.

If it didn't, it would be arrant nonsense! Welcome to IFI! If you haven't yet, please READ THIS FIRST!!!

This, 100%. When I switched from wedging my Mousehole (aka The Undisputed King of Anvils) into its metal stand to bedding it down on about 1/4" of silicone caulk (found a tube sitting around the place), I was shocked at how much less noise it made. While wrought iron body/steel face anvils aren't as notoriously loud as cast steel, they're still pretty loud!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Jennifer should do one of these videos with the nails on one hand painted with the color range from cherry red to welding heat and on the other with the oxidation colors of the tempering spectrum.

Welcome to IFI! If you haven't yet, please READ THIS FIRST!!! Not quite. Rebound is rebound, and you're not going to change it based on the mass of the stand or how tightly the anvil is attached to the stand. The best way to increase your rebound with a railroad track anvil is to stand it on end, so that you are putting more of the anvil's mass below the hammer. Builder's silicone is a GREAT way to attach an anvil to a stand. Whatever minuscule amounts of energy may be lost to its softness are more than compensated for by its tenacity in holding the anvil to the stand. This may not increase the rebound, but it will help the entire anvil/stand system resist the force of your hammer blows, and thus redirect all the force of those blows into the workpiece.

Do we have a thread on cigarette butts as a forge fuel?

Possibly a calcite-rich species of hardwood?

#2a: make such brackets from flat stock and attach to post with U-bolts. This can also hold the spring. (NB: This was in-progress, before the bracket got trimmed back and its sharp corners rounded. Another bracket got added to engage the lower U-bolt.)

Science!

Welcome to IFI! If you haven't yet, please READ THIS FIRST!!! Truck tire rim forges have been discussed here at length, and the general consensus seems to be that they are more trouble than they're worth. Take a look at the threads about JABOD forges and the 55 gallon drum forge.

You can also get a decibel meter app for your smartphone, if you have such a device.

The one chunk I have is flat bar, so drawing out the handle is more likely.

A successful trip to the library.

Regarding blowback, I've been getting backfiring once the block heats up, which is generally reduced if I set the pressure above about 5psi. I'm wondering if my holes are too big? I had to drill out the crayons, and I think that may have reamed the holes out a bit larger than originally intended. It was mentioned a few comments back that one might make a block with holes that are tapered with the narrow end towards the forge. Might I conceivably fix my problem by adding about 1/4" of Kastolite to the face of my burner block (well buttered, of course) and poking a skewer or something down the holes to make new, smaller ones?

Very nice, Das. I keep thinking I should make one from a piece of stainless I picked up a while back, so that I can put it in the dishwasher.

Thanks, but I'm not completely happy with them. The bosses and the rivet are nice, but the jaws came out a little thin and the reins aren't particularly comfortable (I didn't deburr them before rounding off, and it shows). They're functional, but I may make another pair and reforge the jaws on these to make them into pickup tongs. Apart from the propane bottle, of course!

Nice work, everybody! I did a significant cleaning of my work area, tweaked the vise stand, and moved the drill press. Later, after dealing with an ASD meltdown with my son, I went out to the forge to blow off some steam. Finished the chainmaker’s tongs: And forged a couple of links: Neither of which survived destructive testing: I can see I need to get my scarves better shaped and aligned. At least the second one (L) survived a bit better than the first. When I was in college, I took a basic drawing class where the first homework assignments was for us to draw something that we really cared about, a drawing that we were to really pour our heart and soul into. The next class, the instructor had us all take those drawings out, show them to each other and explain what they were, and then tear them into shreds. "Don't get precious with your work!" he said. "If you can destroy what you've made, you're free to make something better!" He was right. I learned a lot from busting those links apart, and I'm looking forward to trying again.

Get it as clean and square as you can, but pleeeaaaassse make sure you don’t make the top wider than the bottom. You do NOT want to get a hardy tool wedged in place!

It’s long enough to hold in the hand, but short enough to use under the treadle hammer with tongs. About that. I can’t remember if I’ve ever actually weighed it. As for the energy, it’s just a commitment to make every moment count. That, and a lot of caffeine.

No forging, but ground a square hand fuller from a jackhammer bit preform.

An arrangement like the retractable wheels on an old-fashioned typewriter table (remember those?) might be interesting.