Lou L

My first thought was tines for a plow because of the round notch on each one that looks like it would fit on a shaft. But I couldn't picture how they would work beyond that. Maybe they are really clumsily made shuriken.

Did Bob give you the shop tour when you visited him in Portland? They recently built twelve tire hammers in there in a weekend workshop. It was like $1400 out the door. So annoyed I couldn't afford it.

It's a tool meant to last generations. It will never look "just cleaned" if it is used properly. I have used automatic transmission fluid on mine in the past to protect it. Reality is, though, that it should never look clean because it does messy work. Apply some ATF and then use it. You know its pedigree and weight. Now you need to know its angles, curves and hard spots so you can maximize its use. Trust me...you will love it looking messy!

Today I "finished" carving, grinding and filing the logo for my favorite beer outlet into a piece of leaf spring from an armored truck. I offered to make a bottle opener for the owner and wanted to put his logo on it. This was a labor of love. All I need to do is smash it into some hot steel to see where the high/low spots are, adjust and then make the bottle opener. I have an idea for a business opportunity and this is my trial run.

We all have something...an "ism" that makes us feel less than. And we've all been tricked into believing that others have achieved some type of "normal" that we have not attained. I pacify my demons by constantly learning new things and skills. If I stop growing I fall apart. So, welcome to the looney bin Meadowgrove , I sincerely believe you will find smithing therapeutic.

Wow, @Hotmetal, you have set the standard for bottle openers. Thanks for the inspiration.

Wow, nice job. You need to make a small tool from an old chisel to put the veins in. Basically just round off the end a little si it isn't too sharp. The you can add texture to your leaf. A narrow pein on a hammer works as well. I bet that felt good, eh?

Handsome knife for sure!

I just want to commend you on your enlightened self interest! I love the idea so much I had to do some research. It looks like it is common for coal and charcoal pizza ovens to have the coals in a bed off to the side. You should be able to use the bed on the side as a forge with the right design. The short video below is a decent example of what it would look like in practice. Just add a blower for use when you want to forge. https://youtu.be/gOgVUhEeRcQ Lou

I think the 1" is for larger applications like foundries and such. If you get the 1" you will need to make sure your forge volume is large enough. I don't know exactly what problems result from burner overkill, others can explain that. Plus, larger forge and larger burner means huge fuel consumption. I think you would be more than happy with the 3/4" T-Rex and an appropriately sized forge.

Sad news..., but now I'll buy a ticket!

I know nothing from personal experience about propane forges. However, when I started this journey I read everything by Ron Reil hosted on Abana and he suggested you either build his design on your own or by the T-Rex from hybrid burners. When I build my propane forge I will either buy a T-Rex or build Frosty's burner. http://www.blacksmither.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/T-Burner-Directions-finished-1.pdf Enjoy the decision making process. I was right where you are and ended up building a side blast coal forge...go figure. Lou

This looks like something @ThomasPowers plans on making in order to confuse the bejeesus out of future metalworkers.

My dojo was similar. We focused on self defense and weren't allowed to fight outside of the dojo. My sparring partner was bowed out of class for having been in a fight that was instigated by someone else. Sensei believed fighting was always a choice made long before the fight happens. We focused on three styles: Savate (French kick boxing for stand up, long range defense), jiu jitsu (for close, aggressive defense), and aikido (for philosophy and body control). I miss those days. I don't miss running in place while sensei delivered stomach blows that's sent you backwards so you could run up for your next hit. That sort of martial arts school would be sued into oblivion now. I gues, in keeping with this thread, it's important to have structure to your movements at the anvil. In the dojo we practiced easily twenty different defenses for the basic roundhouse punch thousands of times each with the intent that just one of them would become a reflex. The same goes for hitting metal at the anvil. I'm still getting the reps I need.

I'm relative large and strong but I'm much smaller and weaker than I used to be. I wish I was blacksmithing 18 years ago when I could bench press 405#! Sadly, those days are long gone and now I'm content with being able to pick up my kids. My dream is to get myself in a position where I can sell enough projects in order to buy a hydraulic press. In my opinion a good press seems more useful than a power hammer. Point being....I don't have enough power. Right now I'm in the middle of two big projects and keep bouncing back and forth between the leaves and making a die for impressing a logo onto bottle openers. I'm stretched too far with the time I have. I just got an idea while typing! I may be able to si usage a bit of what you were describing, Thomas, by shaping the leaf blank like a diamond so it is really fat in the middle but tapered a lot so all the work doesn't have to happen with my hammer. Still, I need to make the dies more concave...as soon as I finish grinding/carving the dog logo for the bottle openers.....

I put triggers on my bottle openers instead of handles!

I agree with your anti-jig argument (prepare for a Dirty Dancing reference of some sort from JHCC). I may have to correct my terminology a little. Perhaps most of what I'm working on is tooling. Right now (I just stopped for a break and to look for more grinding burrs) I'm working on making a die with the logo of a liquor store so I can stamp the logos onto bottle openers for the owner. I'll make each opener by hand and eye and the. Use the die to make the logo accurate each time. Gotta admit though, if I do start making knives there will be jigs for grinding!

Those designers of cell phones did an amazing job creating a digital environment with light, sound and touch that just pulls humans in. It blows my mood no how quickly senior citizens can get their first smart phone and be almost immediately trained by it to respond to its notifications sounds and lights. I make a practice of ignoring my phone EXCEPT in those cases similar to Frosty in which I expect it may be a time sensitive missive from the Mrs. Even then I have been known to ignore it. I'm terrible with my phone and proud of it. I see it as a tool for me to use when I want to. Everyone else treats it as a tether.

I know you felt just a little bit like you were stealing when you walked out of there! I would have run to my truck before a manager followed me out to the parking lot. Congrats on the sweet deal!

They would say the same about my prison experience. Im very weirded out about that typo, BTW. I've been getting these weird issues hitting space bar on the iPad instead of a letter and the autocorrect has been having a field day.

Despite what JHCC thinks about my dancing.....I'm working on speeding up my forging at the anvil through repetition of projects. I tend to like experimenting at the anvil and either work without a plan (just a avague idea) or I go off of my plan right quick. That's why I work slowly and methodically. I've found that I go much faster when I know exactly what steps I'm going to make and what shapes I'm looking for right out of the gate. On top of that, I've started working on jigs to make certain steps consistent and fast.

I must have that shirt! I would wear it on dress down Fridays. Because I'm an 11th grade English teacher it would be a lesson in irony...or some other literary sounding term.

Charles, if you haven't used a French press to make your coffee yet do it. Get the water boiling them turn it off and wait til the bubbling sounds is gone...about 205 degrees...them pour it into the coffee grounds. Wait about four minutes or more if you want stronger and press the grounds down. One sip and you will nevertheless go back.

Are you certain it is "Fortunate" anvil. My first thought was "Fontanini Anvil" which would be easy to find with the name I gave. Greatnancils according to some of the professional smiths here on IFI.

I guess I should start scrounging up adolescents I can coax into indentured servitude if I want to be legit... I think that will be in conflicts with my profession as a teacher. There may be phone calls from parents. I'll exp,win it is simply a history lesson on "traditional" blacksmithing.