Smoggy

I generally divide into two catagories.....perminent ie welded, or removeable, ie bolted. (machined joints should also be included if it's not been previously) What method is chosen depends on, requirements, materials, ability, equipment and sometimes cost and time.

You are not the only one who's penny didn't drop with SAK! For some reason I have been seeing quite a few of this model of multi-vice turning up on various forums and faceache pages......must be the season!

A couple of sticks work well enough in the abscence of a decent set of tongs, I suppose a set of cast bronze tongs could have been used but I've no eidence for such. It seems that when folks ponder on the design of a blade such as the seax, they tend to look at it primaraly as a weapon. While this may be true of the more elaborate, expensive examples, the majority where everyday tools and therefore part at least of it's design would be dictaded by the tasks it was expected to undertake. skinning game and fish, butchering meat, whitling a spoon, cutting ones hair or shaving the beard, levering shelfish open, and the list goes on, but popping the rivets on chainmail would have been one of those things it rarely if ever was expected to do. What a dayly working tool like a knife does require is regular sharpening. Not by a skilled bladesmith but by the user, there is merit in a usefull point to a knife, if this is produced via a broken back, then the resulting reasonably straight cutting edge is a far simpler sharpening affair on what ever smooth stone was at hand. I know I find sharpening of upcurved knife tips more problematic than the main straight section.

I'm with others on this, hold the money in waiting for a deal and you may well be able to afford a number of usefull purchases, and in the meantime you can work out what you really need the most. Often very good condition machinery can be had second hand for less than half the price of new, I eventually managed to find a shaper for £40 (of which paypall paid half as a promotion) which normally fetch nearer £200! ......but I did have to wait a couple of years.

I use an old galvanised diesel fuel tank with the top cut off for my quench tank......don't worry, it's perfectly safe, it's been full of water for the last ten years. I've made a mesh tray for it so I can drop smaller parts in and lift them out later with out having to go fishing. I've not thus far had the need for an oil quench.

Can't tell you how many times I've had exactly the same story related to me Joe.....I start wondering if the mechanic forgot anything else, like replacing the oil or fitting the brake pads!!!!! I have a little magnetic 12v light, connects to the cigarette lighter sockrt, very handy except the magnets do tend to collect any magnetic flotsome and jetsome which then doesn't want to be parted from it's new home, so I slip a plastic bag over the magnetic end before use then just turn out out when finished complete with the crud.

If you have a morse taper shaft, the options are just about endless as you can use adapters. You can get all manner of bits with morse shafts, morse reducers, chucks and collets with morse mounting shafts. Depending on where you are in the world sourcing things may be simple or difficult. If you have access to a lathe you may be able to make your own attachments. The slot, by the way, is to facilitate of removal of what ever tool is inserted, inserting a metal wedge drives it out.

Just make sure you get the clay based litter. it's clay, just wet it and let it soak, once it starts to get mushy, you'll want to work it and you also want to mix some sand into it You could mix the sand dry before wetting the clay if you wish)......best way to do it is put it all in your box put your wellington boots on and stamp about in it. Once it's all mixed, shape it. As regards the deeper fire, use any clay mix you don't need to make some bricks ( cardbord boxes for molds) these can be positioned around your fire to regulate the size as needed.

If that hole is in, or near, the middle (assuming it goes striaght through or has a corresponding hole on the far side) I'd be tempted to mount it on an axle pin and turn it into a rotatable swage block with the hole near the edge serving for a locking pin location. You can fashion sections into different shapes as you find a need for them. There is a fine example of such posted somewhere on these threads.

It would be helpfull if you added a location to your profile as then we would know if we have a potential language difficulty, I'm assuming you are from Russia and if so your English seems to be very good. I don't now what the material is but I suspect due to the surface pitting it may be chrome plated and if so it is not advised to heat to welding/forging temps. Hope that helps.

I've got fibromyalgia, which could easily produce the symptoms you describe, but I'm not a medical expert so I suggest you consult one as whatever aills you could be any number of things and taking incorrect steps could exasperate the problem.

I would not advise underslung loading in the UK Charles......unless it is completely out of view of the local police officer !

Thank you Thomas that is the information that the was required to define the likelyhood of iron or steel cast anvil. It is so striking different in appearance to say a cast steel Brooks, but the inexperienced would not now that.

I've used the online company you mention, it's not the cheapest if you need a bulk order, but for smaller amounts they are fairly hard to beat. Calling into your local stockists if you have one is a good move, they may have offcuts (drops) they may let go cheaply. You'd be surprised what legth of light steel bar you can shoehorn into a hatchback with care. If it's light enough just fold it over it'll straighten out later in the forge!

I think you can expect a media statement to be more than slightly inacurate in certain details, While Steve's scenario is certainly indicated, it's not inconceivable that any number of scenarios may have occured, stray ember for a charcoal forge, poorly connected gas fittings, untidy work area kindling a fire which could well of gone unnoticed untill it caught hold, even electrical faults. Couped with poor fire fighting provision (on his behalf, not the cities) and a failure to assess and act correctly and promptly. On a less windy day the damage may well have been no where near as severe. These things often have a combination of factors that turn a simple accident into amajor disaster. Thankfully no lives were lost and hopefully the injured firefighter recovers quickly. We've recently seen the tragic outcomes of fire here in the UK, apparently triggered by an electrical fault compounded by a series of missmangement steps by the authorities.

I have to say I do like the concept and the process, if I were going to weld reins on I would opt for thin diameter heavey wall tube if available. I see no problem arc welding reins onto the tongs. I've welded up ingot molds from bed frame angle, and it takes both the heat cycle and the inevitable pounding without detriment. I can also imagine this design lending quite well to bolt and offset tongs.

The statement is often used flipantly and more meaning one cannot invisage this person becoming whatever at this time or from the current observations, rather actually infuring the definative. Not all terms of phrase are universally used and not always in the same context. However if it was meant as read then no, one cannot make such an appraisal in a short time. One can assess an individuals current skill level in short order with reasonable accuracy but predicting potential takes observation over time.and even then may be flawed. I had the pleasure of tutoring a student with learning difficulties, who, by all measures of the establishment and after many assessments by those more learned than I was universally assumed to be unlikely to ever be able to recite the alphabet in it's entirity without fault. I took 4 years of hard work and shear determination by both of us, A lot of thinking outside the box by me but he did it. This may not seem a great deal to most people but to the learner it was a lifetime achievement he aspired to but never thought he would attain. If you write a person off by making inacurate off the cuff assessments, the only person that has failed is the assessor.

Yes TP, there are the likes of heritage buildings and estates, but wandering the countryside you're more likely to find the odd old cast iron gate post stood alone or the old pintles in the brick columns where the gate used to be, if you do find any they are likely to be plain uniform straight bar, electricaly welded mild steel replacements of little interest. Bar the odd few intersting examples one may be able to find locally the best option is likely to be a peruse online.

Probably not as many as folks would expect, Much of the older ironwork was lost due to the war effort and since then demolition of older buildings and residences has seen more disapear. Modernisation of older properties has seen them removed to facilitate drives and fashion has seen the rest off. Even industrial iron work has been lost in developments and in favour of modern security systems. I can count at least half a dozen stretches of steel (not even wrought) decorative fencing inc gates that have disapeared in the last five years on my short monthly walk to the local chemists. Even the church has replaced the original wrought with modern steel fencing (off the peg style) and omitted the gates alltogether when they widened the gateway to facilitate the use of the gardens as a car park! Yes there are still some fine examples to be found, but it takes a little more effort that one may imagine to find much at all. Now considering the town Iive in was built on the Iron Industry and at one time produced more steel than Sheffield, there's not a lot left now!

I'd advise not welding around water.....! you should not generate so much heat welding the struck end to effect the working face and the struck end needs no hardening. just stand it on a metal heat sink to weld if you feel you need to but no water.

Depends what methods/equipment and skill set you have, I'd grind the crack out and then arc weld the the ground slot to fill, then regrind the face. I dont think it will need any heat treatment other than to let it cool slowly.

It certainly appears to be cast, and as it has the weight in both lbs and kg, I would susspect a relatively recent one. So why do we think it is cast iron rather than cast steel?

Welcome to the forum, what fuel are you looking for, coke, coal or charcoal and what quantities, a bag or two or a ton or two?

So it's not only me then.

Yes it is, must get myself a new set of eyes.....!