JHCC

Dude, "octagonally" is spelled with two "L"s. Nice punch!

I dare you to build a 2x72 around the boat motor!

I've been using a practically identical Mousehole anvil off and on (mostly off, alas) for 30 years. Really terrific tool that you will not regret using. (The only regret I have with mine is that I didn't know when I got it (ah, those innocent days pre-Internet) that you shouldn't grind the face, and so did do some cleanup with an angle grinder. Do not repeat my mistake, lest you suffer the same grief from the IFI curmudgeons!)

Okay, let's take this back a step further -- you posted this in the "Induction Heating, Oil forges, etc" section, but that looks a lot like you're planning on using a solid fuel? Maybe? What fuel DO you plan to use? If you're looking to do charcoal or coal, look up the 55 forge or the JABOD forge in the solid fuel forge sections. Those can be built for practically nothing; my own JABOD cost me about five bucks, but that was only because I had to buy some drywall screws.

Will you be forging the grapes? John Bennett has some good YouTube videos on forging vines, leaves, and grapes.

Well, "huile" and "feu" are in French, so either manufactured in a Francophone country or for a Francophone market.

Or pull the three clips and then curl them (either out or under) to make little feet.

Welcome aboard! Don't get too hung up on having a classic London-pattern or other traditional anvil. A big chunk of steel will serve you well, and there are lots of threads on IFI about improvised and non-standard anvils. Read, and learn!

The shop where I worked in the Brooklyn Navy Yard had floors made from end-grain wood blocks (pressure-treated with creosote) bedded in sand. Durable, comfortable to stand on, didn't damage tools that got dropped; hard to keep clean, though.

Good way to get more iron in your diet.

One non-forge related comment: whether or not to wear a glove on your non-hammer hand is hotly debated here on IFI, but most folks agree that a glove on your hammer hand is not a good idea. You have to grip the hammer tighter to keep it from flying out of your hand (so your hand gets more tired faster), and you lose a lot of fine control over where your hammer blow is going.

Sssssso they ssssssay.

Or an Alaskan mosquito swatter!

Want me to send these to you?

Another good reason to put your location in your profile settings!

I have a pair of tongs I picked up a while back, thinking they'd be more useful than they are. I have yet to make anything that requires a 2" jaw.

IForgeIron.com: Come for the blacksmithing information. Stay for the random puns and tangential digressions.

When does a blacksmith retire? When he loses his second eye.

Please read the gas forges section of the forum. It really will answer a lot of your questions. For now, here's one key thing: there is a difference between refractory and insulation. Insulation (such as ceramic fiber/kaowool) prevents thermal transfer -- in other words, it keeps the heat inside the forge -- but usually isn't very strong. Refractory (such as Kast-O-Lite) tends to be a lot stronger and maintains its structural integrity at high temperatures, but doesn't insulate very well. Thus, a lot of folks here will build a forge with multiple layers: an inner layer of refractory (to withstand the heat of the forge and the inevitable knocks and bangs of workpieces being moved in and out) and an outer layer of insulation (to keep the heat in the forge), all contained within some kind of rigid shell. I'm not a gas forge guy, but there are lots of folks here who are. Ask the right questions, and you'll get great information. If reading over the gas forges section doesn't answer your question (and I mean really reading it -- there is a TON of information scattered through the various question-and-comment threads), at least you'll know enough to ask much better questions.

If you need dirt and the ground is frozen solid, just build a fire where you plan to dig. It will thaw out enough to shovel out what you need.

Hi, Cyrilak; welcome to IFI. Couple of things: first, please put your location in your profile settings. There may be other forum members near you from whom you can learn in person, and sometimes answers to questions are locale-specific. Second, your questions are way too vague. Please read the sections on building gas forges, bladesmithing, and choosing an anvil. There is a ton of really good information there; almost every basic question (especially for beginners) has been asked and answered dozens of times. If you don't find the answers you need, at least you'll be able to ask much better questions.

After having to deal with some pretty monumental crap going on at my daughter's college and putting a full day for commencement/reunion weekend at the college where I work, I really needed to get into the forge and clear my head. This trivet was the result (about 5" across).

Very nice work.

Lord, have mercy.

I thought we were talking about the OP.