JHCC

Put a handle on the 16 lb. Atha stonecutter' sledge. (That's my three-pound cross peen, for scale.)

Always good to know what your available resources are. We had a big ash tree taken down last year, and I saved some of the trunk to split into hammer handle blanks.

Nope. Thanks, Jerry!

In addition to the above (which is all excellent information), there is the general rule that you want a minimum of one gallon of oil for each pound of steel, multiplied by the thickness in inches (rounded up). Thus, a three-pound workpiece in 1-1/2" steel would require a minimum of six gallons of oil.

I have a similar pair, but have yet to actually use them:

The opener on top was a gift for the outgoing president of the college where I work. It's made from a piece of rebar from the construction of our new hotel, the last big project of his tenure. He was thrilled.

Then it was time well-spent.

Getting back to your forge, these can be very nice if you get them running smoothly. I had one for several years a few decades ago, and used another for a while when I restarted blacksmithing a couple of years back. In the end, I found the pump lever on mine to be finicky and inefficient, so I first went with an electric blower jammed up the tuyere and later shifted to a JABOD. That said, these can be great little forges, and you should definitely go ahead with what Frosty and CMS3900 said above. My only addition would be to check out what kind of wheelbarrow replacement handles your local hardware store sells. They are already pretty close to the right shape for the pump handle. Regarding anvils, there are some great threads here on IFI about improvising one out of a piece of railroad track, a block of scrap steel, or even a chunk of granite. Take some time to read over those threads and see what inspires you. I don't have any TBI myself, but there are those who have suggested it might be an improvement....

Must be wedged in place.

The slot could be for a wedge to lock it in place.

I have an old Tyzack dovetail saw around here somewhere.

Anyone who wants to be a shiv-er should just chill.

Not forging per se, but got to visit @njanvilman's Fisher & Norris anvil museum yesterday (along with Little Z from the office).

Good job. Now, go get started blacksmithing!

I use the back of my hand to test heat all the time, but not by touching. Precisely because the skin is thinner and more sensitive to heat, you can feel differences in radiated heat without actually having to touch the metal. If it's hot enough to burn you, you'll feel it while the back of your hand is still half an inch away.

Only after the smiths were mustard out. (I thought you'd relish that one.)

Would tinning the inside (as one does with copper cookware) be an option?

Worst case scenario, you can always temporarily replace the rivet with a bolt and locking nuts. Just remember that there's nothing half so permanent as a temporary fix.

AAAAHHHH!!! NOOOOO!!!!! That's when you temper the blade that you made from comet dust and lava! Quenched in the blood of a pure white horse!

JPH, I will never be anywhere near your skills in blademaking, but if I could offer one little pointer on photography: that one blown-out highlight is from having your flash pointed directly at the piece, so it reflects right back into your lens. If you can illuminate your blade with diffuse light from several angles (so that everything is lit and there are no hard-edged shadows), that would be a big improvement. Think work lights shining through t-shirts, dress shirts, bed sheets, translucent plastic (e.g., Tupperware containers), etc. Just make sure that anything flammable isn't getting too hot.

Definitely go with less air: too much air in a charcoal fire (which is what you have, even if the fuel starts out as wood chunks before it carbonizes and burns) basically blows the heat right out of the forge. If you're looking for a low-to-no-cost option for an air supply valve, check out the thread on my homemade gate valve.

There was a glitch in the forum software some years back, and a lot of photos got lost. However, if you do that same Google search and click on Images, you can sometimes find the original photos, even if you can't see them in context.

That's what the hook is for.

Don't bother with salt, except on your steak. It's bad in all the ways ThomasPowers enumerates, plus it's unnecessary. Just mow it down as close to the ground as possible, and then smother it with a thick layer of gravel or sand. I would not recommend black plastic, as you're just creating a giant birdbath the first time it rains. The gravel will let any rainwater drain away. The 2x6 border is a good idea, though.

I've got so little brain that I can't waste any on tanning leather.