Smoggy

I would be worried that those cinder blocks could crumble and drop your makeshift anvil on your foot. Good advice in the replies above, spend your time learning and progress to making some of the smaller tools you'll be needing long before you need to upgrade your anvil. Who knows, in the meantime an "real" anvil may find you.

If you can get it for free it has got to be worth a try, grab a trial load and compare it to whatever other fuel you have handy. Let us know how it goes.

Well it's fairly obvious to me Steve and I've never made a knife! The first line together with the pictures is all the explanation required, " ... getting the bevel to the choil line up straight and matching up on both sides..." Unless one does not understand what the choil is, which I admit I had to lookup, not being a bladesmith. Sometimes rephrashing can make a difference, so..... The guide is a filing stop, ensuring that the choil terminates at the same point on both sides of the blade. Keeps it all nice and symmetrical like ....does that help at all Nebular?

They are not damaged areas, they are "additional features" you just need to learn how to use them

....."under loading" there's an interesting concept! I have known of some item being carried below a motor, (spare wheel, fuel cans, fire extinguishers etc) but always with a dedicated mounting, not sure of the legality here in the UK!

JHCC, Get a roof rack, next time there may not be power available and one long length is more useful than a few short ones anyway......

I'm not overly familiar with old wagons, but a stab in the dark.....the odd shaped gubbins......it wouldn't be a brake mechanism would it? I'm thinking pivot in the middle, foot plate on the end with the eye possibly acting with a latch as a parking brake....no?????

That's as fine a looking pair of tongs as I've ever seen.

Looks like it should work fine, I like the fact that it's about as simply made as one could imagine. Does it open when unscrewed? i.e. are both jaws registered to the thread negating the need for a spring.

I wanted to make sure I was the perceived offender before I replied, I did not want to commit the error of shooting half cocked! I now no longer need include much in my reply as Ian has kindly covered it. My thanks Ian. I will however add that I was "terse" in my reply and deliberately so, which had the desired effect of reminding the OP of his promise. Now for the axe, maybe, just maybe, someone in the local of the OP with the skills and equipment may offer to repair or instruct the OP in the repair of the axe at their forge....Hell maybe even Grandad could be taken along to witness the rebirth.........now that folks know where the axe is!

.......and that would be who and in what way?

Next time I drop a tool under the workbench I'll hook it out with a length of scrap, for some reason I don't fancy reaching into the dark...!

....read Frosty's post and scrolled down to this.....that is the first time I've ever encountered comedic timing in a thread! for the sake of inclusivity, I think we should include bladesmiths and farriers too. Keep em coming....

Spurred by a post tittle in the book section of a similar name: Does anyone know what the collective noun is for a group of Blacksmiths? Often what a group is involved in dictates what noun is used i.e. flying over it's a flock of geese, where as at the ponds edge it's a gaggle, as I'm sure you are all aware. So real or manufactured, what nouns do you use to describe Blacksmiths engaged in group activities ( puns, most enthusiastically encouraged ) So for a bit of fun, fire away folks........

SS wrote: " ...When I first took my basic one day intro class we had to sign a waiver first thing, before the class even started, absolving the teacher and the shop and even the folks at the college who organized the class of any and all responsibility, acknowledging that we knew blacksmithing carried inherent risks, ..." Unfortunately signing the waiver on it's own means squat, if anyone injured can show negligence on any ones part. Classes need to start with a safety lecture covering all aspects of the activities involved, PPI etc and need to be recorded, printouts, ticky boxes, waiver at the bottom, signatures and filed. Now they have a harder task to show negligence on your part ....but still not iron clad.....!

Didn't Irvin Berlin pen a song about gas cylinders on the curb, sung by Fred Astaire I think....... " ,, where the bottles sits, putting on the ritz ..."

Welcome EJ, a refreshing change to find a newcomer that puts a location in their profile. You'll find plenty of help and advice here and I'm sure you'll be developing those skills in short order.

If they have carbide teeth they make good lathe parting tools. If no, then they'll still be good for other cutting tools scrapers etc. Artistically.....sky's the limit!

Welcome to the forum, I'm sure you'll get plenty of help over there to source your gear and otherwise.

I have to say, Ian is providing sound advice here for anyone re-purposing items old or new, before you give it another life, find out what it's worth as it is. For all we know that item may make enough to buy you a whole heap of tooling! A quick word with a plant fitter or welder from, or dealing with, a local construction firm should give you an idea if it has any value and may even produce a source of free worn out or broken parts you could make good use of!

Most folks have an angle grinder, just be aware you don't have to have a circular opening, a square hole will do.

They are horrific, a complete lack of PPI running through the post like a theme......what are these people thinking!

Nicely executed. Immediate thought was how that design could be "adapted" to make an attractive coat hanger for the right setting, nautical themed pub or sea food restaurant maybe!

My Great Uncle Tommy, had chest problems since birth so didn't follow the rest of his brother into the steel industry but became a watchsmith. He never married or had children and spent his retirement with his beloved racing pigeons. He had to pass our house in his way to the pigeon loft twice a day and when he discovered I was entering Engineering, he periodically brought a few of his tools to gift to me. He bequeathed his pigeons to his friend who often looked after them for him when he was too ill to attend to them himself, quite a valuable loft by all accounts. I've always been of the opinion that he trusted his friend with the birds and me with the tools, and had the pleasure of my face and my thanks and seeing the work I achieved using them. I've used and looked after those tools my whole working life and can't help but remember Tommy when I use them. A grand old Gent. You may wish to take a leaf out of Great Uncle Tommy's book and pass them on to someone who will cherish them if you can, while you can have the pleasure of doing so.

I have 5 coils in my stock pile the cleanest is destined for punches but I don't know what I'll be making from the rest. So I'm eagerly waiting to see what Ivan makes from his stock.