Smoggy

Victorian kitchens often used straw boxes for shooting trip lunches, meals were prepped and par cooked then packed in the strawbox(es) and loaded onto the coach to be ready for hot lunch in the field (often lavish and many courses), or on the biiterly cold moors in for the gloriuos 12th grouse seasson opener, Also available for fishing trips and long overland journeys or sailings.The Victorians did prefer to rough it in comfort.

Think I'd try a few different quenchants to find out what I prefer. If it's high Mn then would it stand out well in a pattern weld?

"Jack Andrews" thank You Frosty......your memory appears to be somewhat superior to mine,

There was a smith that famously forged in a teepee for years (don;t recall the name). As long as the roof is high enough and there is provision for heat and smoke to exit then all should be good. A hood and flue would be preferable.

My condolences to you and yours Thomas.

If your workspace is an outside building you could make a perminantly fixed full door gate, that would not only keep the dog outside when you need to have the door open to work but woud serve as a security grille when locked down. As stated it all depends on your situation, information you'e not supplied.

From my guitar string experience mostly I recall the wire being a nickel steel, I suspect Frosty's twist method to be the way to go. As for the lower wound strings they are usually brass or bronze wound (oftimes silvered) the core being the same material as the higher strings but usually thicker. This is likewise on classic guitar strings and I've just recovered the windings of a few old sets myself with a view to possibly reusing with a little copper to make some Mokume Gane. (maybe something you could incorperate into a guard, pommel or pin?)

There must be loads of tasks that could be done by an apprentice even if you have to teach them to do it. After all they are there to learn! All those jobs that eat into your time on the main project. Apart from the usuall pushing a brush and go getting, resising stock, drilling holes, laying out and marking, cutting stock to size, filling and grinding finishes, applying finish coatings. ad infinitum.....make a list and post it on the wall and the apprentice should be able to keep himself busy with the mundane untill you deccide what you need him to be getting on with. Oh, and if they can't keep the coffee comming....sack 'em !!!!!

Difficult to give any clear suggestions from the information supplied, I agree with Lou, take it down the County Archeologist Dept, if you dont know where or they are a bit too far from you then a local museum may be able to offer some assistance. I hope you made a note of where, in which field you found it as being the UK it could be any age and may not have been alone! If it is a stone artifact rather than metal....well it could be any age, what ever it turns out to be!

I think that all depends on why you are doing it.......if ir is for the joy of doing it, then the cost or effort are not a primary consideration, nor is the potential for failure.

You'll want less air with charcoal than you'll be used to and expect sparks. You could just burn some wood down to char in the forge as long as it isn't going to cause aproblem with the neighbours.

Mind you I'm not so sure suspending the wife from a basket bracket is such a good idea.......!

Never had any experience of using PET, in fact I've just had to look up what it is.......don't sound like it's the best of forge fuels.

Hi Iron Strike, Welcome to IFI, I use charcoal, except when I'm forging on ID's forge and then it's his coke (which I find even cheaper then my homemade charcoal). So I haven't even looked for a local coke supplier. Two suggestions:- First you could ask who ever you learned with if they know of a supplier as they obviously use coke, accepted they may make bulk purchases but may be prepaired to resell to you. Secondly theyre are still some solid fuel merchants in our area and if you let them know what you want they may be able to souce you what you need.

As ID states I'll be down his way in a week or so working on a stand with him and as I have a hire van I can collect from him and drop off at yours on my return, but please note I will be pushed for time to take the van off hire.....so will need to be able to drop and go. (or I could store for you to collect from me in Middlesbrough)

If all else fails it's online ordering.

I'll be interested in the answeres offered hear, as I had thoughts along some of the same lines myself and in general came up with similar questions.

Welcome Old melv, You've gone and done it now.....I came to forging to enhance my engineering interests, There'll be no turning back now!

I like the concept, I very much like the style, a very nice digital shop sign.

I like it, I would have probably refered to it as a swage block, but block or anvil, both are for working hot metal on so same difference really. The treadle, yes I can see that getting in the way too, but a simple bit of engineering would make it lay down in the operating position and fold up the side of the stand for storage leaving the floor clear. I can see it could also have additional features added and suspect in that sense it's a work in progress dictated by were the future takes you. Well thought out and put together.

On 25/06/2017 at 7:16 AM, Marc1 said:

Then you get the ubiquitous "learn by forging your own tools". Another no no for someone barely able to make a barbecue fork.

So, what would you consider a project that will provide a learning journey for a blacksmith enthusiast? 

From what I see at blacksmith gathering in OZ, most new people forge barbeque utensils, fire minding stuff, camping gear, hooks etc.

Well I must be due a good wrist slap, the first forged item I made was a hot punch from a legth of rebar. Still use it today, How was I to know I wasn't capable of making a tool!

1 hour ago, gosak said:

It is not protected. If you get approved than yes you have the rights to produce it.

How do you know it is not protected? if you have approval then why do you not know who made it and why do you have to reverse engineer it?

Now that's using the magination that is. What's the rebound like, does it ring much?

I'm now wondering what became of the rest of the shaft? Swage block or bottle opener!!!!!!

Glad to be able to help Gary, small recompence for the hours of enjoyment your vids have provided.

They are superb, love the execution of the twist, taper is spot on, as for them all being right handed.....no problem......stand the other side of the grille,,,!

No I've not Jeremy, I've commonty seen the end links with a broader flattemed profile but can't recall fullered chain links

If you have a particular use for a feature then it may be a good idea to include it on an anvil, the typical London Pattern has remaind vitually the same all these years for the simple reason that it's features are those most usefull to most. Attempting to make something that has as many features as possible only results in less effective anvil overall. Look at the demonstrator swiss knife models, a plethera of tools but impossible to hold in the hand and use them.

However the exercise of thinking over an alternative design and debating it, even if to abandon it as a bad job is never a waste of effort, it's by such processes good workable, usefull design ideas come about. What about a three sided anvil with a heel, a horn and some other appendage of your choice? (I'd not be sirprised if it had already been done and dismissed as pointless or limited use)

The end link is typical of that meant to take, a hook, a shackle or pass the chain through itself providing a bight, which is why I suspect it a lifting chain.

I suspedt you mean side to side Jeremy, or at least the gentleman did, slewing line.....usually a cable but could be chain I would imagine.

Thing is if the chain is only 17' long and has the same terminal link on each end, ie it's full original length then, it's seems a tad short for either a slewing line or an anchor chain given the link size.