Bully

Thanks Gents, Dale played baseball in Ballarat (Druids) for 4 years running ending up as shortstop, great game, and Bob yeah I use to spit on my glove and sleep with it under my mattress. As for the leather on the bellows it has split at the stitching and has a few small holes in it so will wait until it softens before I attempt to either re stitch and/or patch so meanwhile I have forged a stand for it and its upright in the loungeroom (missus just shakes her head now). It is a double chamber and even with the damage it still blows a incredible amount of air. They sure knew what they were doing when they made em. (Catch up soon Dale for a chat) cheers Bully

My Mums from Britain and I give her ironwork I have made, I myself have also met the queen, and although I am in Australia does that count??????

Thanks just one more question the leather is a bit hard in places due to drying out and not been used for a long time is there anything you can reccommend to supple it up again or shall I just go with beeswax/linseed oil and turps and let it soak in over time. Cheers Bully

Hello all, I have just come into possession of a set of very large bellows complete with cooling cone and frame work, I already have a set somewhat smaller yet still large which I restored and built a stand for and they are displayed in my lounge room (some may say what a waste) but I get a lot of enjoyment out of looking at them and thinking about where,when and whom used them and they inspire me to think up next projects whilst I listen (pretend) to the missus or just casually watching the TV. Now as much as I have a very large lounge room with cathedral roof etc and could if desired again display these bellows with my other collection of blacksmith equipment (blower/forge etc) I am starting to think about mounting this larger pair in my forge and actually using them. My current blower is a vacumm cleaner on a dimmer and works very well and is very quiet (due to the fact the actual vaccum motor is in another shed) My question to you all out there is how many actually use a set of bellows in their forge and if so are they roof mounted directly above or side or other and besides the obvious saving on electricity bills do they find them a hinderance ie space/effort/productivity etc. This may seem greedy but I like the idea of having access to both forms of airflow and experiencing what older generation blacksmiths had to go through (tipping most in the 18/19th century would of had a youngster operating them)Your thoughts would be appreciated and if I can I will post a photo or 2 of them shortly cheers Bully

Kiss the missus tell her I will see her at dinner time go out the back and into my forge, clean the clinkers out of the previous fire think about what I am going to heat and then adjust my fire pot accordingly (whether it be depth, grate size etc) light the fire put on some music (Charlie Parr or Kierin Kane or Slim Dusty or....whatever takes my fancy) and away I go.

Just had a help the neighbour experience the other day when I caught up with my neighbour up the road who drives a tip truck. He mentioned how he needed a pin for his back flap as the old one had rattled out somewhere on his journeys I enquired as to what he was after and and the following day presented him with a large 1 inch diameter pin with a flattened head and hole so as to insert a split pin. he was mighty impressed and inside so was I, as it was the first item I had actually made that was practical and could help a fellow friend. Great feeling and to think I was payed a bottle of bourbon without asking was even better. Cheers

Be the best i can be at "whatever" I try in the forge!!!! :rolleyes:

Weld 2 together and a stem on each and make a dook knocker(s)

That was magnificant thankyou very much, stay safe cheers Bully

Thats great My Dad loves his wines and Mum loves the fact I have a hobby that keeps me outta trouble, so I think I will borrow your idea and make something similiar cheers appreciate you showing it off

I use a old metal garbage bin which I painted (inside with a asphalt paint to stop it rusting out ) works well is certainly deep enough and for what I do.

Yes very good had not thought of a riveted fire poker and like it now I have viewed one thanks

Great stuff my 8 year old loves being in the forge with me and is becoming quite good at converting horse shoes into love hearts. Cheers

Very good me thinks I shall give that a go myself cheers

Great job looks fantastic against the skyline, I am starting to put thought together about constructing my own weather vane, thanks for the inspiration cheers Bully

Very nice Dale look forward to seeing it in the flesh when I finally get some time to spare ps you just had to crush a can LOL cheers

I use a vaccum cleaner that is located in a shed next to my forge, I dont hear it and to control the airflow I use a stormwater direction flow tap ($12). I did have to dismantle the vaccum and rewire the on off switch so I can turn it on or off from my forge. To date it has been working a treat.

Got a great scrappy just down the road from me so after reeading this thread I count myself very lucky, he allows me to basically search in every bin and at times I have taken home some great items for very little money. I do assist by making more room in his bins though by throwing everything to the rear of the bin thus allowing more room for him to fill it.

Redgum works really really well, but as I am in Australia you may not have it available as I do, but in saying that any hard wood I find is a hotter burning fuel with less sparks cheers...

Great job I have been trying to make a bulls head for some time but keep mucking up the horns, yours is great cheers shall keep trying Bully

Great job Connor you have inspired me to make one myself and give to my mother to place in her garden which she adores and hopefully when she sticks it in the ground, she strikes gold, as she does live in Ballarat, Vic.

Have had a good laugh reading this post and saw some mighty intresting pictures of Blacksmiths so I thought I would post a pic or 2 of me . The thumbs up reperesents a good day in the forge everything worked well for a change the other represents a not so good day and nothing worked....oh well as the saying goes look good do your job and if you cant do your job look good (or at least try) cheers.

Here area couple of creations I made recently one being a big mossie, the other a Prey Mantis and the third some sort of garden sculpture, cost was minimal as I had it all lying around the house, cheers Bully

Great to hear you will be pounding soon, my wife loves the fact that I prefer to be in my forge than anywhere else, that way she can call on me anytime to help her with some task or another....although I do think she is cottoning on to the fact that when she ask me to do something my usual reply is "it will have to wait I got iron in the fire....cheers all the best Bully

Fantastic......As a father to see my boys in the forge with me is a very proud moment and for what has been said before, what they and I make will last a very long time and will hold priceless memories. Great stuff all the best cheers Bully