Smoggy

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.

I'll see if I can find other contact details for him Gary.......stand by...... ...and I have a website for him with contact details, I'll send you a pm with the link Gary....

Yes I do Gary, if you visit the BABA (British Artist Blacksmiths Association) facebook page, and scroll down you will very soon come across a post by a Roger Hampson. He is an engraver located in Purton UK and has made quite a few now for folks on the page and posts his work for perusal. You should be able to contact him through facebook initially. Hope that helps Gary, (There will be others I don't know about....)

The only reason I can think of to include a fuller in each link is to reducce the weight while retaining the strength, I've never come across anchor chain of that design, not to say there isn't. The size/shape of the end eye suggests a lifting chain to me. Are there no marking on any of the links?

That's ecxactly what I did but i just used a wood chisel, then turned it over and without bothering to square the top up recessed to fit the anvil.

Size is relative Alan, most of my lathe tools fit my shaper. The heavier tool you remeber will only fit in certain types of tool holder, ie the slotted post type with the single clamping bolt in the end, common on shapers but also used on simpler lathes.

No need for appologies I don't think the following has been mentioned on either thread: This is not my idea, I saw it somewhere and it is more than ikely it was here on IFI. A hardy tool does not need to have a square shank of the appropriate size for you hardy hole. A sturdy plate which fits the diagonal dimensions will serve as a shank and can be arc or otherwise welded to the base of the tool without the weldment interferring with the fit. The same tool can also be held in a vice should it be convnient to do so. ( I'm fairly sure someone will be along shortly with a picture of such a tool as the more I reflect on it the more certain I am that I saw it here on IFI ) Hope that's helpfull and comprehensible.

Yes bluesman7 I do exactly that when away camping. just make sure it is all completely cold before loading it up and setting off home. The only problem I have with this method is finding or transporting enough wood to the campsite. However sometimes I've gotten lucky and sourced a supply on site....only to run out of charcoal bins! The small can retort is particularly usefull if you live in an urban environment and larger fires or retorts could be a cause for complaints.

Plenty of vids on youtube showing how to make small batches of charcoal often for art use or other uses. I use two food cans, one inside the other (a can of beans may be slightly larger than a can of peas or fruit) fil the smaller can with wood invert the other and sit it top can down in the fire. quick simple and cost nothing. You'll want a size that can produce large enough pieces of charcoal for your use. "... It probably could be done, however it would take forever to get a usable amount of charcoal. .." Not if like me you stack a number around a fire that you would have been burning anyway, a free bucket full of charcoal from the twigs you've cleaned of the lawn, still a free bucket full of charcoal!

My preference has, is and always will be: One more power tool, one more pair of tongs and one more hammer.......

For cold cutting, one can simply use a regular cold chisel, a hot cut benefits from either being mounted (hardy hole) of fitted with a handle to keep the users hand away from the hot area of the metal being cut. The shape prefered for hot or cold cut respectively may not be the convention the maker follows. I would suggest it was intended as a hot cut simply because it is handled,

Then when we use those same lathe tools in our shaper and get to rename them to add to the confusion.....! looking forward to seeing this axe finished,

A schlosser is a locksmith, a machinist or a metal worker. A Blacksmith can be all of those and more, a welder, a fabricator, etc. Making gates, could be fabricating or blacksmithing, or even included in fencing or railings. Many terms are somewhat interchangeable in English, and often depend on the context in which they are used. I would suggest you just go ahead with your post and we'll adjust for any "translation" deficiencies.

Gergerly, I've been looking at this and wondering where I know that shape from. It is indeed identical to what I know as a scutch as use by brick layers and masons although somewhat bigger than I'm used to and without the interchangable toothed inserts.

Oh dear, the gang are off with the puns again.....I'll just side step all that and commend you on the sculpture Joey.

It all depends on it's working range and duty cycle, which you haven't provided and I can't make out from the pic, someone familliar with this model may know more but I would have thought it should be ok for general fabrication work and attaching handles to billets. N/B. Just spotted the 240v domestic UK plug, so assuming you are in the UK then the 110 may not be voltage as I initially assumed. So assuming it's amps then yes should do for light work OK, possibly even a bit more. ( it wouldn't hurt to put a location in yuor profile then folks can provide more accurate answers )

It's almost certain you have local rock that is suitable for sharpening stones in various grades, some will be coarser, some will be softer but all will work to some extent on most metals. You want to be looking for stones with regular grit particles and with as few inclusions as possible to give a consistant face. As stated they can be shaped by abrasion on other stones or modern materials or can be cut with abrasive wheels or sometimes even cleft. Also as Glenn mentions, old broken grinding wheels can provide new sharpening stones. I use broken segments to dress my wheels and in doing so also reshape the fragment into a new stone. Have you ever seen and old building with a dish in the window sill? Usually a kitcken window or where any trade requiring a sharp knife was required, that's the wear from years of sharpening, often on what ever local stone was used in construction!

Have to agree with the first reply, a fine attempt at forging a pair of tongs for a beginner smith. As for the problem; I doubt it is forging colour perception/temps related per say as regardless of working out doors or in, you soon know when the metal isn't moving under hammer or punch. I would suggest the second reply has hit the nail on the head. It isn't mild steel and could even be an air hardened stock. Having said that I'm not an expert so I'll defer to more learned input that is bound to come forth in due course, and will be doing so wth interest.

They should do nicely, HD tent pegs are a good use for rebar.

When you are just beggining, you are not going to be working large sections of steel so you don't need a huge contempory London pattern anvil. Any decent lump of steel will do, what ever you can find, it needs only be as big as your hammer and it will get you started. Scrounge, scavange something and save your cash for gear you can't improvise or better gear later when a good offer turns up. Blacksmiths and Bladesmiths the world over make a living using lumps of steel, axle shafts, hammer heads and yes even rocks! A fair few of us here used home made, improvised anvils. I have two counter ballance weights, from the biggest vertical lift bridge in the world c1934. Not great, but they work and will do untill I find something better.

Just the ticket for tinkering.......

It could be a UK thing, could be a microsoft thing, although I use firefox. This all started when they linked youtube and google and tried to make everyone have a gmail account. I have not been able to access my own youtube account since then. As I've now got a link to your channel I should be able to view without problems in the future and if you post the title of the video "how to ....." it's an easy copy, paste, search video and view from what ever browser one is using. Having now watched it, very informative, I learn somethng with everyone. I'm also getting used to the extra window, I found it annoying at first but have learned to ignore it untill I want to see it.....! Many thanks JPL, keep em comming.

I can't watch because they are only viewable on youtube, It will not accept my email to log in and if not logged in I have to complete a form each time I visit which I'm not prepaired to do each and every visit. I can watch from other sites if the settings permit or if I have the tittle of the video to carry out a search. If as you have done on the last opst provided a link to your channel that also works, thanks jlp.....

Unfortunately I can't view the videos.....!

Did you not read the thread that was at the top of this board when you posted this question? "How to harden copper" some good advice to be had there!