P. Bedard

AMEN to that brother! Honestly, be VERY careful hitting cast iron, especially when it's this thin. Give it a good soak and I suggest a careful pry with a screwdriver. Good luck.

Well I just got back from my first trip out there (only a 10 minute drive) with the 5, 5gallon buckets I'm using to transport the stuff. It looks good but the proof will be in the pudding. 5 buckets of coal. - Blacksmith Photo Gallery That's the first of it. And here is a really big chunk that I found in the pile. coal_002 - Blacksmith Photo Gallery

Recently while working, I discovered a fairly large amount of coal in a boiler room. The owner said I could take it all as they have no need of it. There is about a Yard of it down there. It's been there for 50+ years. It's dry and hard and when fractured, is as shiny as glass. I'm thinking Anthracite here. Now, will sitting that long in a dry environment affect it at all?

So, what do you all think? Should I get it? He wants $300.00 for the whole she-bang but I can probably get it for $150.00 or $200.00.

And I call it an anvil for lack of any better description. Tools fit inside the anvil itself and seem to be used for many different operations. There is a spare anvil behind the base as well. There is a box of tools for the set up as well; I don't think this was a blacksmith's tool unless it was used as part of a traveling rig. Has anyone seen anything like this before? I'm hoping the antique dealer will come down a bit in price.

Thanks very much! I'm very much a fan of the Yellin workshop and everyone who worked (and works) there. That clinches it, I'm getting a couple of years worth now!

Nice Hastae you made there. Though it really should have a pin to attach it to the shaft. I've made dozens of Pila and Hastae heads and EVERY socketed and tanged roman weapon has holes for a nail or bronze pin to secure it to the wooden shaft.

I hope no one minds, but I saw this website the other day; The Art of the Blacksmith; Illustrated & Explained And was wondering if anyone has seen the publication. If so, how was it? Worth the money? I was thinking of getting 8 issues to cut down on cost and shipping. Just looking for informed reviews before I spend money on them. Thanks!

Hey all. I've just finished setting up my shop (took longer than I had hoped) and my first commission is a candelabra with lilies between the candle cups. I have a pattern for a basic calla lilly but I wanted to try something more challenging. Does anyone have or know of a good pattern for a day lily, or tiger lily? It would be much appreciated.

I know the feeling. It's especially great when other craftsmen come to ask you to make X or Y for them, knowing yours will be of FAR better quality than anything they can get in a store. That goes double for items, like wood turners tools that they need custom made (like a bowl chisel) that they can't get anywhere else. Great feeling. Spike

Hey another Canadian! Nice to see you on. *waves from Winnipeg*

Robert is correct, ferric chloride (which is a corrosive salt, **not an acid**) is used with good results to bring out the patterns in pattern welded steel. I have heard some people get good results with Muriatic acid but I cannot attest to that myself.

Just be prepared for a LOT more heats. That's what we did at -20 centigrade. It means that something that should take about 20 minutes now takes about 90 but at least you get some work done.

They used to be available here; Downloadable Blacksmithing Books link is 404 But the link no longer works. It takes you to a different British gov site. Dang it all....

Sam, Sadly, no. That the exact same book I bought 15 years ago for about $25.00 And I haven't seen the other two volumes anywhere. I can only imagine what some of these book sellers would want for them. That's why a PDF would be so great to have. The search continues...

Someone told me that the following books could be found in PDF format on the web; The Blacksmith's Craft. Wrought Ironwork. Decorative Ironwork. These three books made up the course materiels for many British blacksmiths up to the mid 90's. But so far, I have not been able to find them on the web. I have the three in hardcover but I am loathe to lend them out (two of them are signed by Tommy Tucker) so if I could download and print off PDF versions, that would be perfect. Anyone know where I might find these gems?

For those of us who don't have Mark's superhuman ability to form a perfect snub in steel, there is always the snub-end tool. A great example is on page 10 of the book "Wrought Ironwork" published by the Rural Development Commssion (ISBN 0 854070 07 9). This can be made small for the tight snubs that Mark illustrated or larger to make "halfpenny snub end" scrolls. Once you make one (and they aren't difficult) you'll love it I'm sure. They give you a nice, clean flowing line from the snub to the scroll. I wouldn't be without mine... (sorry I don't have a photo of this tool, otherwise I'd post it.)

I guess it all depends on how much stuff you produce. I usually buy a candle or two for small pieces and they last me quite a while. Remember, you're not soaking the hot iron in the stuff, just letting it soak into the steel while the piece is too hot to touch.

I'll do my best but now that the festival is over, it'll be a bit more difficult to get into the fort. But I still have to get in there and pick up my tools in the next few days, I'll try then.