Exo313

Thinking about trying this as a protective coating. Available at my local hardware store. Thoughts? If anyone with some experience thinks it might work, I may experiment with it and see how it performs. HI-Temp Stove and Furnace Cement They also list a castable refractory, but they only rate it for 2000 degrees F

Thanks Frosty. Although that post doesn't look like the forges on their website?? Edit -- found it. Nevermind.

Might consider purchasing this one, anybody had any experience?

Dang. 16" chef's knife? They must have big cucumbers in NY

I had considered that, yes. Comes to mind, old anvils were pretty much chunks of wrought, work hardened over their lifetime, no? Before they started with forge welding on harder faceplates and such?

Hm. I may have access to a pond and a pond pump?? Have to ask.

Well, that's entertaining... just after saying I couldn't find a local yard open to the public, I found one. May pop by there as well, see what's kicking around.

My other challenge has been trying to find a scrapyard around here that will sell to the public, not too many around by first appearances. (They'll accept from you, just don't want people poking around for insurance reasons, etc) Also, the part I'm trying to wrap my head around, should I need to harden, is not so much the heat aspect (really big fire, no big problem. I have a place I can go do that...) but the quench. I'm assuming it's going to be nearly as difficult as quenching an anvil, in that I need fast-flowing water?

Thinking about purchasing some 6" round bar that I can get my hands on for a dollar-ish a pound. 12" lengths. I'm thinking it could make a decent anvil. I've sourced it at two different places, each one has a different type of steel. Prices are pretty close. One is offering 1045, the other 1018. Thoughts? Comments? Will the round profile give me too much trouble? I was planning on standing it up on end.

Hello! So I've not got myself started smithing yet, regrettably. But I've been to a few demos, been doing some reading, talked to a few people and the bug has definitely bitten me. It's a matter of time. Can't do coal where I am now, too messy/smoky (at least while learning how to manage the fire right, heh...) And the way they build subdivisions now, my neighbours are right on top of me. So there's that, which has me looking into propane. Not much to tell, really. Hope to meet up with some people in my area. --Stephen