Irondragon Forge ClayWorks

I pick up old baseball bats at yard sales for around 50 cents and make handles from them. Usually takes years before they need replacing.

I have found that ash does not work well for hammer handles. Although other folks like it, I guess it's how it is dried or something.

Check with your local public school bus garage. They would save all sorts of usable steel for me. When a bus would break a leaf spring, they would replace the whole spring pack. They are heavy duty big springs. they also gave me many torsion, torque rods, axles you name it.

Holy cow... I bet it takes a 500 gal propane tank to feed that mega forge. Would love to see it running, next time you fire it up.

They all can start fires. of course carrying a plane in your pocket could be problematic.

That is how I have repaired two Estwing hammers, re-riveted the base flange cold.

I'm a blacksmith, I will make a can opener in a jiffy.

Look around for the places where the deck has been on fire.

Probably a good move, it should last for decades.

Ringing the anvil in the garden, may he rest in peace, ya done good Frank.

In the last picture, it looks like the screw is riveted to the handle. Might be good to be able to fold it up for storage. Either way it's a good looking cork screw.

I have case hardened gun parts using Kasenit which has been replaced by Cherry Red hardening compound. It works very well on flintlock frizzen's.

I volunteered to turn it into a SETI Project dish, but they weren't interested, so it sits in the side yard upside down as a home for the critters like chipmunks.

Every once in a while, we all get dinged by a moderator, just don't take it personal and move on.

Just remember, "if can be fixed, it's not a mistake".

Welcome aboard, I agree with the prior posts, so no sense in repeating. I have found hitting hot steel into something else, even as simple as a bottle opener or s hook is very stress relieving and a good way to warm up before starting something like a knife blank. "if a knife you hope to win, forge it thick and grind it thin".

A belated welcome aboard. We have many veterans on the site (myself included) USCG '64-'70 Vietnam era. We also have a lot of folks in your situation, due to many things but TBI is one along with PTSD. We have found hammering on red hot steel is very therapeutic. Get it hot and hit it hard is a motto. I still learn things after 30+ years (on & off) at the anvil and am far from where some are even after a short time at the craft but I try not to let it bother me.

Yep, only in my case it was a bigger taller tractor with a front end loader. Gotta love hydraulic assist and a supportive wife, who always has some very heavy stuff to move around outside. I used it the other day to move a large steel mounting bracket for the old ten foot satellite dish that was so heavy both of us couldn't begin to pick up one side. Moved it from one side of the house over to the shop about 200 yards, so I can cut it apart with the plasma cutter.

I would start by soaking it in a vinegar bath overnight.

I've even found pieces of barbed wire in my charcoal.

You're welcome, somewhere in the back of my mind, I had seen that post in the garage journal. Nice to know I'm not totally senile. prior to that I had never heard of J. Hyde & sons a rather obscure manufacturer I think.

Looks like a J. Hyde, New London Vise Works to me (Joseph Hyde & sons). Looks like it is in good shape and a bargain at $100 U.S. for a 5 1/2 in vise, as long as the screw & screw box is good. This from the Garage Journal.

I have found some hard to get books through the ILL (inter library loan) system, you might ask them about that.

I like both the Bowie and Toothpick, especially with coffin handles.

My brother was like that, may he rest in peace.