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I Forge Iron

C-1ToolSteel

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Posts posted by C-1ToolSteel

  1. Well, since I don't know your location, I can't help you as far as classes go, but metal pouring is definitely something to stay away from until you know what you are doing. Protective clothing is a must, but he will never be safe without a clear head and proper education. Liquid metal doesn't care how many fingers you think you should have.

  2. I don't have a swage block, but If I did, I would want it to have depressions for bowls, ladles, spoons, etc. The half round and half square depressions on the sides are something that would be nice, but I personally don't think I would use them very often. Remember that back in the day, hammer marks were a sign of poor quality work, thus making a swage block coupled with the appropriate top swages a very useful tool. Nowadays, people *like* hammer marks, making them largely obsolete. Most swage blocks also had square and round holes for holding jigs, drifting tools, etc. I personally wouldn't use those very often, as the hardy hole, pritchel hole, and vise accommodate most of my needs. I'm sure there are some people here who couldn't imagine life without one, but I think most of us like them mainly because of nostalgia.....which raises the question "is there a big enough market for modern produced swage blocks to make any kind of profit?"

  3. As someone who has gone to the effort of building a brick forge, I can tell you that they have no real advantages over something you could weld up in a couple of hours. That being said, they are just cooler than any other type of forge, in my opinion. If this is your first forge build, I strongly recommend that you start with something simple like the JABOD, and tweak it to suit your needs, *before* you make one out of brick. You may even decide that the dirt box works fine, and you don't need a brick forge.

    As for the bricks, different types (even stone) have been used, and I believe you could make them work with a little creativity. As Jasent said, you should probably knock the lip off. As for the chimney, you will want to make it a side-draft, if you will be using bricks for the whole thing. I used standard rectangular bricks for my forge, but I can PM you some progress pics of mine if you are interested.

  4. Been "remodeling" the shop a little today to make room for a couple new additions. Finally got the post drill set up that @Tubalcain2 gave me (thanks, bro!!), and moved the work table over to make room for a new stump to mount my larger vise to. Also fixed up the leg vise I got from Littleblacksmith and made a portable stand for it. It's super handy now to have a second vise that can be wheeled around like a dolly. Also, when set on it's side, it makes for a sturdy horizontal vise which is something I have wished I had many times. Made a large guillotine fuller after that. The rounding hammer is an insanely awesome 3 pounder that @littleblacksmith sent me, made my him and @BOUNTY FORGE. THANKS GUYS!!!

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  5. Welcome to the forum!

    Facing a cast iron anvil with tool steel is unfortunately not a job that the average guy can handle. The cast iron, tool steel face anvils such as the ones made by Fisher were faced by an entirely different process than electric arc welding. So the short answer is no. ...the good news is that you can buy a %100 tool steel anvil with the small face you are wanting but with MUCH more mass under the hammer for less than you will ever spend on a Harbor Freight door stop!! Take a trip to the local scrap yard, and pick up a larger axle, or any solid piece of steel for that matter. Even a sledge hammer head makes for a respectable anvil. You can use a vise (or the Harbor Freight ASO) for your hardy tools.

  6.  Beautiful anvil. "Stourbridge" is the English town your anvil was made in. 

    Check this thread out for a Stourbridge add that lists "Mountford & Homer" under "Vice and Anvil Makers".

     

     

    BTW, I counted at least ten pick heads in the background. Any story behind that?

  7. Equally pathetic as all those "give me anvil for less than it is worth" listings in my opinion are the fact that most of them (in my area, anyway) don't even think to say "WTB" or "Looking for..." in the title. If I was gonna give something like that away, I'd at least like to think it was going to someone with a little common sense.

  8. I'm not a machinist, and you probably thought of this already...

    For the round swages, you could use a piece of steel (twice the width needed for one swage) and drill holes in the middle. Then split the piece in half through the center of each hole. Now you have two swages in the same amount of work. 

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