Smoggy

Does a nicely proportioned waist rest well on the eye? I think it does, and that goes for hammers too, especially expensive well made ones! If you take a look at a variety of hammers of different sizes and types......for a given weight the waist provides improved balance, reach, and clearance as appropriate for the task the hammer is designed for.

I wonder how many smiths that has worn out!

...but it does tend to dissuade the punters if it's cold, wet and windy.........

That should not prove too difficult to drill, good sharp HSS drill, very slow speed and good pressure, no coolant due to the slow speed and no lubricant as cast is self lubricating, all that carbon you know.....If it does prove stubbourn, you could try a masonary bit, the type with the carbide insert. But do ensure good support on the back and stay away from the edges as you don't want to cause more cracks or promote them later, which would be my only concern.

I believe the double bick is a European style and that's about my limit as far as identifying it goes, Interesting stand, does is quieten the ring as a plain stump does? It's a design I could maybe find a use for, if it does.

I would have liked to attended ID, but current transport prohibits, I'll pencil it in for next year........Hope you get decent weather and enjoy.

Good job, I would think anyone would be more than happy to have a first knife turn out so well, I know I would.

Possibly another strap underneath between the legs to offer a little more support may be in order, and consider a clay based lining to help it out and I suspect it's perfectly usable. Certainly good enough to forge a replacement steel pan if you wanted or had too!

Nice score, only fair you make him a bbq grille using it......

No need John, you've shown me some of the tools I intend to make, what I can make them from, what treatment I will need or not to apply and as an added bonus.....you've amused me. My thanks to you for your post.

John, you've had me scratching my head trying to work out what it is, as I've never heard of it before.....I even started to google it, that's when I realised it was a typo..... "new and" recycled materials not "newand" DOH!!!!! LOL

It may well be the choice of angle iron is a big factor causing the vibrations to resonate, but as it's already made from angle iron and it wasn't a problem on soft ground, then damping the effect of the hard standing is surely the solution unless one intends a completely rebuild.

The difference between it's original use when it didn't ring and it's current use when it does ring is the floor it's standing on, hard floor = ringing, ergo soften the floor. A plywood foot or similar will likely suffice, it's no great effort to try it out. My personal preference is for stumps if you can find them big enough or if not composite wooden. (my forge is only a few meters from my neighbours homes so noise is a BIG issue!)

Welcome A.S. I'm sure there some here from Canada, possibly even local to you. Cost to set up can be zero which you'll soon realise when you peruse the other "starter posts". I'm sure you'll find plenty of useful info here....I do!

I've never done any cutlery forging, but if you are intending making sets, I should imagine suitable swages for each piece would be an advantage. That would enable you to make each item with the consistancy required for a set. If you are making knives already then it would only be a small step to producing a set of swages (top and bottom sets). If you add your location to your profile, other members may be in your area and able to help you more.

Did you grind it at a wheel or with a hand grinder holding it in a vice? If the later, there is a good chance the vice would have soaked a deal of heat up. The only way to know is to use it and see how it goes.

I would, any clay you can source should work.

I would say, probably when you are at the point where you would not have asked the questions.

...and we learn something new again....... Dolomite lime would be Calcium Magnesium Carbonate, I believe.....I'm now wondering if the magnesium is a crucial part of the fluxing, I think it is (or can be) used to de-sulphur steel,.

Did you check out the big end caps while you were rummaging in the bottom of those engines? Where they the 'wrong' size?

Flux for iron smelting is I believe Limestone.....which is what Calcium Carbonate? While Lime as used agriculturally is Calcium Oxide I think. I know that Lime (slaked?) can be made from limestone or seashells and is also used for lime mortar. I think you may be confused with the smelting of iron ores, I'm not aware of any lime used as a forging flux.

The tool holder does look the part now, did it require any "fettling" or was it a straight fit?

I think I would simply clean up one good face with a grind and use as is. Maybe in the future when you're capabilities in terms of skill and equipment permit, reshape it.

Could he not make a ring type opener from the little end? Looks like it took to persuasion well......I recon you could make railroad spikes out of them!!!!

I'm on the beginners road myself AB and with less capital to spare, I've made a forge from an old disc brake rotor from a Land Rover, using homemade charcoal for fuel, I've build a box bellows from old packing crates (they came from land rover too!) I've made my anvils from counterbalance weights, that once belonged to the Newport Lift Bridge across the River Tees........I had to buy my cross pein hammer (a £7 second hand bargain at ,,,,er a Land Rover Show You may have spotted a coincidental theme here!) after misplacing the one I found many years ago at, you guessed it, a Land Rover Off Road event. I already have a ball pein..... I have loads of scrap auto parts to beat on.....yes they are mainly from Land Rovers...other makes may be available! As you can see, for little or even no outlay, you can get started by using what is available. What is your occupation? Do you live in a rural or urban area? These things will determine what you can 'muster' that you can utilise and where you are likely to find them, the rural farm or the urban scrap yard. Google 'homemade XXXXX' including images and vids to see what others have done. Your biggest asset isn't the £400 pound you have in your pocket.....it's your imagination! Suppliers are running a buisiness and hoping to make a profit, they will all be expensive to some degree and as you learn you'll identify where you need to improve equipment and where to buy it from. I suggest you see what you can 'come up with' and keep that cash for when a particularly good deal crops up! Especially as people realise you are into smithing you'll likely get offers on things.