Smoggy

...a nest of anvils! now there's a thought.....

I'm looking forward to upgrades on the "Anvile Makeover", I can't help but wonder if removal of the straps will result in a spontanious parting of the halves! Will the ugly duck become a swan?

Put them rods away, you've just scored a perfectly usable anvil with "extra" features that who knows how many people have spent their working lives creating! and all for a misely 50$ If you have to weld anything, make some tools for that hardly hole and get some metal up to forging temps.....!

I thought Alec was Norwich area Stew, that'd be a couple hundred miles away.

Don't despair entirely Stew, there may be other options open to you to "improve" your anvils performance depending on it's current state, if you can get some pictures up I'm sure someone can provide you with addition suggestions. If you have the equipment and ability the "hard face" welding may be a route you could take but you really need to be sure you will be doing more good than harm. (we need the pictures)

Are there missing feet? Never seen one of these before, is it from a farriers field tool box for holding shoes? is it meant to have spikes to anchor it?

This forum has many threads on repairing anvils, the general concenus in most cases is that the anvil needs no repair and any work is likely to remove usefull life at best and at worst ruin it. In cases where there is a need to repair and anvil no fruitfull advice can be given without plenty of documentation for those who know to make an assesment. So lots of pictures from all round the anvil and be ready for a plethera of questions. Even sending an anvil to a machine shop/welders/heat treaters for work to be carried out is no guarantee that the anvil will be improved as most will have no experience of working on/repairing or treating an anvil. So we need pictures and info if you want sound advice.

I've made mine a side draught, but could easilly be converted if I wished to use coal or coke. One thing you should do, is let folk know what you are doing and that you are looking for equipment, surprising how many people may think on and happily offer you something for free rather than just binning it!

The car boot was in the field by the gate, so just had time for a quick look around before the show I was attending started, every other stand had a box of assorted old tools. I could have bought more but would have had to carry them, some I'll refurbish, others will be reforged into whatever I need, a couple of the cold chisels are big enough to take an eye to make a hot cut top tool, and yes I got a suitable piece for an eye drift too! Of the hammers, I got a smaller ball pien than the one I already have and a larger cross pien than my current one. Plus a small, very old looking square pien of unknown original use. Unsure of how exactly I'll use it yet.....a clean up and inspection are in order for that one. All in all well happy wiith my little haul. You may also want to keep an eye open on eblag too as there are a few regular sellers in the Malton area that usually stipulate "collection only" so tend not to make top prices. What forge are you using and what fuel? I have a home made forge and use charcoal which I usually make myself.

Welcome Zeroclick. I too am a novice and a tight Yorkshireman. I'm using a counter ballance weights for anvils, being cast they are not the best for rebound but work well. They originally came from the Newport Bridge across the Tees, a big sledge hammer head would work well. Keep the I beams for stands or other jobs, or for trade......your in a rural area, I'll guarantee some farmer will be on the lookout for decent length of I beam at some point and would rather trade than spend ££££! You never know whats at the back of a farmers barn hidden in his scrap pile! You're not far from Pickering, any car boot sales there? Also steam fairs, and they have a big one there, often have jumbles attached and attract those that deal in toolling. I was at Stratford Upon Avon racecourse for a show at the weekend and walk out of a carboot sale with a bag of goodies, chisels and hammers etc for next to no ££££'s

All but a year ago I joined this forum after being directed here by the Iron Dwarf and the Copper Elf. I would like to thank ID for introducing me to smithing, I've known him for some years and offered to help out on his stand 3 years ago, which is when I met CE. I would very much like to extend those thanks to all here at IFI, Glen, the admins and the contributing members. I have gleaned so much knowledge and enjoyed the online company more than I can express, and I still have still after a year only touched the surface of the site! I help organise and set up the show ID attends in the run up week but as that work is completed on the Friday prior to the show and I am therefore finished, I volunteered to help ID out on the Saturday as CE was busy elswhere. Lost count of how many nails ID had me resize........please buy the correct size in future Dwarf! As every year, a local couple looked after me in the run up week, ensuring a warm welcome, regular refreshments and evening entertainment. So when I found out the good lady wanted a toasting fork, I thought making her one by way of a thank you was appropriate. Having never made one I thought it prudent to ask CE to run me throught the steps for the pointy end, I did right, as due to the tutorial and ongoing advice I managed to make what I consider to be a more than reasonable product without having to achieve the countless failures learning to do it myself. The recipient was over the moon with the fork, appreciative of the gift and insisted our group all have midnight toast around the campfire fire that last night. So my thanks to you also CE. Sorry, I have no pictures of the fork .........or the nails.

Thoughts are with Douglas' family, I will very much miss him and his contributions here.

Looks like you got all the basic techniques covered, and you're going to have some fun developing your skills I'm sure. From what I can see from the pictures it looks it's been a successfull session. Well done. What alloy did you use to make the sinker moulds?

Oh um! the base of that forge was a tad nearer to none existant than I had envisaged from the initial pictures. At least it looks like there is enough to use as a template!

I think you realy need to get a grip...!

You could replace the corroded parts of the forge, or patch them, weld/pop rivet/bolt a section in or as mentioned above simply clay the forge and fire it up and get started, as for the anvil, if you can supply pictures of any areas you think may be damaged folks will be able to advise you on that but it's highly likely the advise will be to leave well alone. Add your location to your profile as it helps not only when answering location related questions, but you may find other members close by who you could visit for further help and instruction....you have a very nice starter kit, now do it's previous owner a favour, get forging....oh, and welcome to the forum.

As long as it supplies enough to feed the fire it's all good. just get it all up and running and then you can fiddle if needs be;

I've just installed a woodworking vice on a bench I've made that will live in the back garden, it's a vintage Parkinsons Perfect, I did consider painting it prior to instalation due to the rain fall the rest of the world holds us famous for. I didnt bother in the end, I've just coated the vise and bench in a liberal coat of 'teak oil substitute' that came free in a used gear box......If I recoat regularly as needed and maybe sheet it over during the worst months.....they'll certainly out live me!

Coleman the Kansas Co that makes the camping equipment, and made troop issue stoves during WWII started out making lamps.....have a good looksee over the torch itself as the guage may not be original, but I see no reason why the Coleman Lamp Co would not have made a foray into any presurised fuel equipment.....it's a bit of a monster of a torch thought init!

Regardless of the cause of the odour, the odour is accosiated with the various metals, be it steel copper. aliminium etc, this is also true for the taste which can sometimes be tasted "in the air".....it's akin to smelling approaching rain or snow fall. Yes we all have differing sensitivities to various odours and tastes and it often changes with age. I can smell a hedgehog that passed through the garden last night, but I've never managed to sniff out a good deal on an anvil yet!

What ever methods and equipment you use, if you can mount it on wheels for stowage in the smallest area possible, your working area need only be a heavy canvas tent, even with adequate ventilation it should be warm enough to work in with the forge going provided you don't make it too large. People live under canas at those temps with heating. A timber frame with a tin roof and roll up canvas sides would work fime and when you vacate it the kids get their play area back with an added bonus of a sun/rain shelter extending the time/seasons they can make use of it! I use a 8x6 aluminium green house with the glass replaced by tin sheet (held on with twisted wire) if I need more room I move outside, where I've just build a logstore come workbench including vice.

A very apt use of the engine, the public attending these shows likely never realise it was blacksmiths that made these marvelous machines......after they'd finished retreading the horses obviousy!

You never know what a learner is capable of before you start, if they can only manage half a planned lesson in a day there is little you can do, but if they can manage to cover it in half a day, be sure to have plenty more to offer. I spent years writing lesson plans to fulfill the paperwork requirements and I don't think I ever followed one of then in full! Be flexible to suite your learners skills. I would have suggested making tools that they will be able to use in thier own forge but also provide the learner with choices. If this is the learner I think it is Andy, then the bottle opener is an absolute must given his dayjob and the more wow factor the better!

....and that Robet is the Engineers method, marking out blue applied to scribe into, easy to see and likely as acurate as you can mark fo machine to. Just don't forget to adjust for the backlash!!!!!!

I too have a wood lathe in need of tooling (just built a pole lathe) and I also have coil springs waiting to be reborn.....so as soon as time permits. Yes Gergely I also spotted the clogs and am wondering if they are shopwear. I've been wondering if I should try a pair myself but had in mind the british type of wooden soul with a leather upper typically worn in many industries up to the mid 1900's and especially in the steel industry.