Smoggy

Had a moustache all my adult life, except for when I met the wife and she wanted me to shave it, then decided she didn't like it! I gave up on shaving, despite how good a shave I had in the morning, by noon I'd look like I forgot to have one,,,,,so I just trim it down to designer stubble when the critters start nesting in it......!

Firstly....good topic James..... Rather than the extended tome I could deliver, I'll keep this reply succinct ........ 1. My forge extends my capability in my machining and welding and fabrication hobbies. 2. I'm a life long repurposer. 4, I enjoy persuading metal to conform to my will.

There's nowt like a little hammer session to get you back into gear sorting your own forge out.....I take it that would be a the forge and anvil I'm familiar with Dwarf.....

No...MAKE a center punch.....and some punches .......and some hardy tools.....and some bolt tongs....and............

I was wondering if it was a vacuum motor as there are similarities to the one I have.....plenty windy at full toss! As for extension cables in poor weather, 16amp (32amp are also available) type hook ups as used for camping would be fine provided the connectors are not stood in water. (and as the camping season is effectively over for the year you may even pick up an aquaroll for toting the water to the forge, now is the time to find them cheap on ebay.....!)

Angiolino, can I ask what you need this A frame crane to do? Why are you building it? Why do you need it to be made to the specifications you have supplied? Given some relevant information, it's not unlikely that the abundance of experience on this site may be able to provide you with a SAFE solution!

They look like a functional set of tongs, pleasing on the eye and likely in the hand......not a bad effort by any standard for an initial forging!

,,,,,the only other items that come to mind are the glaringly obvious PPE, goggles, gloves, footware, ear protection and an apron if you can lay your hands on one.

At the moment I'll be more than happy for this cordless drill to hurry up and charge so I can get the holes drilled to get the door back on the forge.....

Once a lettered billet is made and forged out to a suitable size it can then be cut into short sections, as they did with the candy in the video, they can then be re forge welded together end on end to form a ribbon with the lettering across it's length. If you have a bit of plastercene (coloured modelling clay) at hand you can try it out with that....it then becomes obvious! lol ( there may well be other methods of a more elegant nature that other could describe )

Looks like it comes with a free shop storage cabinet too.......Henry Ford would approve!

I have an old imperial string I've had since childhood which I inherited it from my grandfather and a metric one I got as an apprentice.......at least you didn't ask how long it was!

It may be a good idea to ask for a list of what tools they will have you making over the coming lessons,,,,,, then you can omit them from the list you are compiling, I should imagine they will be made in the order you'll be needing them. On more than one occasion I've used a piece of string to take and transfer a measurement when I've no tape or rule to hand! .......( I just know someone is going to ask the inevitable question now,,,)

I've used the bottom of a cup (ceramics/pottery) the unglazed ring to final sharpen a knife and the ground edge of car window to strop it before now. However I generally sharpen my knives with the common twin grade wet/oil stone (I prefer oil). To the subsiquent "oily dust" created I add more oil and use it applied to a slither of copper for polishing blades (similar to the technique employed by Japanese sword sharpeners). It's a long laborious process which I find particularly satisfying!

I do apologies Rob, these old eyes have seen better days! A bit too far for me to drop in for the day, but there is surely someone more local who would enjoy displaying their skills!

I'm sure that "brightness" will very soon gain a forge patina and be somewhat less aggressive on the eye.... And I agree Yaughn, if James let's that forge go he'll regret it in no short order.

Nice vid Nazar, I'm sure the swordsmiths on these boards will find that particularly interesting and relevant. I too enjoy hard work, I can watch it all day!

I'm getting there now James, it's all part of the fun. Odd though that closer you get to completion the more there seems to be that needs completing, reminds me of the Woody Allen quote "...Infinity is an awful long time, especially as you get near the end..." I'm doing some work on the door today, so I can install a lock, then I can move some kit in there perminently.

I was going to refer to a stick of Blackpool Rock in reply to JimsShip.....but realised it may not be a helpful analogy for anyone outside the UK!

My forge is unpowered, previously I used a water bellows as a stop gap until I completed my Box Bellows (these can be made very easily and very crudely and still be very effective), Your forge could still be used as is, as a simple hearth forge, and you could then update with a power supply later. I know it can be frustrating not meeting the deadlines you set yourself, I've been in much the same predicament myself for many years, but it looks like you are almost there.....keep pushing! I'd also add, that for the learner, there is much to be said for a manual bellows......specifically, not burning half of your steel away through a temporary lack of concentration....you'd be surprised how quickly a good blower can ruin a decent piece of work!!!!! As Iron Dwarf has offered, I suggest you take him up on it if at all possible.

Thanks for that link Wayne, fascinating! I couldn't help notice the footwear.....clogs. It may just have been the traditional footwear in that area or it may have been an industrial preference. I know here in the North of England many industries employed clogs for durability and safety although they would have been a wooden sole with a leather upper and pondered if I would find a pair beneficial in the forge. I've more than one pair of rubber soled boot with bolt head sizing facilities!!!!!

Be it word of mouth, interweb or indeed print, any information can be flawed.........it's the truly enquiring mind that filters out the innacurate by 'extensive' research, rather than taking the first reference as absolute. It's not the media per say that's at fault it's the researcher!

I concur with both Thomas and Frosty and would add, if I was new to smithing and wanted a "new" hammer.......I'd aspire to make one!

"...Leaf springs don't move very much, where they bolt to something, in the middle..." You may want to quantify that Swede, I've seen elliptical leaf springs flex past the plane of the end mounting points......so it was the ends that didn't move much!

I got my mig for a song as it wasn't working, replaced the liner, fiddled with the settings, job was a good one! As a life long Gas and Stick man ...... All I need to do now is learn to use it!