beech

I agree that it could be good if it's done well enough to get a few into the real deal, but if it's done poorly... (and they don't get burned) how can they know what it's really like?

I'd definitely hate to be the guy who tried making tools on a defiant anvil. Nice anvil.

So the final sections of the back legs are forge flattened bolts/other treaded material?

True that there is no sigma, I just had to figure it out when I saw it. Yes I did it the easy way, I'm not going to punch all those numbers into a calculator.

Well, "nothing "fancy" " depends on who you are...

Do they hold an edge, or are they primarily for show? To my inexperienced eye they look pretty good.

Yup, it depends. Thomas, now I find myself thinking about the sum of the terms of that sequence ... (equals 4095). But seriously, I would have to agree that it depends of the nature of what I'm trying to do.

That could be. I just know that the way I tried to do it felt really awkward trying to bend my hands around. More practice needed...

No discouragement is intended. They just want to make sure that you don't end up really discouraging yourself, or worse. It looks to me like you all have already made a pretty good start.

Metal does not have to be red to be hot (not original to me). In similar fashion, things that look fine in life can be very dangerous, damaging, or otherwise detrimental. P.S. That's one of the best practical jokes I've seen in a while.

This is a question that I have thought about as well. I personally prefer the straight peen that I have, at least it seems that the way I use it to draw out makes more sense than trying to do it with a cross peen, since I like that 90 degree angle more than 180 or 0 degrees. I use it more, but for widening out a cross peen obviously works better for me. For general work without drawing out or widening, I don't see any difference. So... use the tool to do what you need to do. E. Beachy

That's quite impressive, it makes me wonder how long it actually took. I'd sure hate for anyone to turn that thing on while I was under it, or for that hot steel to roll of the forklift at me.

Very nice. That's quite unique and interesting.

You keep finding yourself analyzing/ guessing what type of steel, etc. that might be...

I'd have to agree about the whole phone thing.... Technology to me is tools not toys, at least not primarily (well, except for graphing calculators, cause I like math). I guess IFI counts as having fun, but not exactly as a toy.

I hadn't thought of letting the tool run for a minute or two, now,the question is: will I remember when I go to use the grinder? I forgot to mention the size of the wheel, it was a 6-inch wheel.

No, that's not the fuel haha. I'm looking forward to going to the Parke County meetings.

And an OSA (Object Shaped Anvil) can work just fine .

Yup, that turned out nicely. After all, what can beat a success and learning experience at the same time?

I know that I'm pretty new here, but I thought that I'd share a story. I worked last summer at a strawberry type farm. One day some of us were hoeing, and we needed the hoes sharpened. So the older guy ( approximately college age) sharpened hoes for us on the bench grinder. We went out to start while he did a couple more. When he came out he said that he just "got kicked by a horse". The grinding wheel had broken in half and he took a half in the chest. It hit on the curved edge of the disc, and knocked him down, but he ended up being alright, just sore for several days. It just emphasis what I've seen here in other threads about STAYING OUT OF THE PLANE OF ROTATION. Had that wheel hit him with the corner it could have been very bad, I guess it could have even like it was. So... be careful: tools carry, almost by definition, some element of danger and using them reasonably carefully is part of being responsible.

Better safe than sorry type thought process, it doesn't hurt anything, and I'd prefer to keep my hearing.

No leaves yet. Lets see I made a dagger from a file ( which broke after I quenched as I was trying to make it so I could see colors when I tempered it, I hadn't read much yet then or wasn't thinking...). I made a drawknife which I still need to sharpen and hope that I got it softened enough not to break, and I've made various other things. Course I learned from even (maybe especially) from the ones that didn't turn out well. The picture has some of the stuff in it when I first set it up, the set-up is different now, its now in that pavilion, with the forge and anvil away from the wood. When in use I have a bucket of water there as an added fire precaution to sweeping the floor and position of the tools. Also, I got the blower (Canedy Otto) back running so I'm not using the hair dryer anymore. I use ear muffs and eye-glasses when I'm actually forging. Pretty sure I'm not the youngest, I'm sixteen and I think that littleblacksmith is younger. E Beachy

I was really excited when I learned ( on the forum) that IBA has started a new group in Parke county (which) is closer than the one in Vigo county... And yes, I know we like pictures ... felt that firsthand already sometimes reading other threads.

I'm trying to figure out how to do just that. Thank you. A little more about me; I have a forge, a trenton anvil (approximately 170 lbs), a box of tools, 4 in. post vise, and a bunch of other stuff. We got the stuff as one lot from a guy who couldn't really do it any more. I loved the the forge time i get, but haven't had as much time recently as I'd like, being a junior in high school (we homeschool) .

Hi everyone, I've been reading the forum for a while, so... I'm not setting out to make a sword right off the bat (a drawknife was hard enough for now). I'm also not going to ruin an anvil welding on it or milling it, and I know to do the research FIRST, at least read the stickies (a number of which I've already read). I must say thank you for all that I have already learned from reading this site. Oh yes, by the way, I do happen to like a good pun. E. A. Beachy