Branding Iron

Awesome, thanks for sharing extra pics!

+1 On caulking. Even if you create a flat surface on the bottom it may not be what you want on the top side after mounting. Get it on your base shim if needed and caulk. Beautiful porch by the way! Someday I’ll build a slate roofed gazebo just because slate shingles look amazing... How did you attach your 6x6’s on the bottom? I just built a porch using 8x8 Ash beams for support columns and ended up slotting the bottom and using stainless steel T brackets attached to the concrete. Curious to see other methods I may not have considered.

This may sound foolish, but dig a couple small test holes in your dirt floor to verify there is nothing underneath. Dirt in second picture appears to be level with top of sill plate. Simply using a plate compactor on your dirt floor and filling in low spots would be my suggestion if you don’t need a concrete floor. Ag lime and crusher fines are typically very cheap. However, depending on your proximity trucking may not be and the labor to spread and compact may leave you feeling $3,000 wasn’t such a terrible investment. Also, there is a difference between ag lime and limestone crusher fines even though they are both limestone products. Crusher fines are more widely available - both would work just fine.

Looking great! Hope you’re putting main rafters / trusses up before side roof metal. It would be a huge pain trying to work atop of a metal roof...

I’ve seen some ugly gates and that does not make the list with or without the accessories. Personally I really like the unpainted version. Was it weathering poorly or just ready for a change?

Headed to Savannah, Georgia, U.S.A. For a quick getaway with the wife. Anything specific sites recommended for smithing enthusiasts?

As I recall you mentioned purchasing a drawknife not long ago. Put it to use and shape your stand.

Anyone have a contact number for Mr. Wynn or perhaps he’s even on this site? I’m in his area this week for work. Sent an email, but sometimes they get lost.

Welcome! You might try checking out Mississippi Forge Council for some local knowledge and classes too. I’ve been spending a fair amount of time in MS for work lately and will probably try to work in a class or two while I’m down there. Think there is a gentleman in Oxford who was advertising classes in their local publication. MS seems like a good place to pick up tools at a reasonable price, wish I had more time to look for some during the day. Was able to stop at a couple roadside vendors and pick up some tongs and a hot cut for $20. If leg vises weren’t such a hassle to fly back I’d have a few more in my position as well!

Branding iron - You've mentioned Osage Orange. That is probably my #5 option. What are some of the drawbacks and benefits you've noticed? Have you dealt at all with purpleheart or African blackwood? Drawbacks to Osage Orange for me includes difficulty getting straight grained pieces although for smaller handles twist really shouldn’t be an issue for this wood. Also, it’s quite easy to ruin a handle if shaping with a drawknife. Maintain a high angle and switch to a spoke shave early to avoid this issue. Otherwise it’s a beautiful wood, stands up to extreme abuse and has exceptional rot resistance. No dealings with Purpleheart or African Blackwood.

I’m fond of Osage Orange myself for mid to heavy duty handles. Ash and hickory would follow close behind. My go to wood working mallet I made from a green cut ash tree chunk with lots of knots (the more the better for mallets). 15 years later with lots of abuse it hasn’t even so much as started a crack. Find something local to you and use it - it’s probably exotic to lots of other people in the world! Below low is an Osage Orange handle on a fine rounding hammer made by Littleblacksmith.

Looks like a woodworking finish scraper to me. Fairly common in different configurations to accommodate needs of project (think of cleaning inside corners for this one). Most of what is encountered now are Stanley scrapers with a 2-4” square or rectangular blade. I wouldn’t use it for scraping paint, lots of newer junk for that!

No need to waste your time going Saturday, it won’t be there! Best guess is that it’s close to 100lbs, and even with poor pictures it looks to be in pretty good shape. $200 would be close to stealing in that area, and $325 would be considered an enviable deal by most assuming condition and rebound are good. Even at $400 assuming weight I don’t think you’ll loose money if it’s close. And if it’s less, it could be cheap rent for using a real anvil... You can spend a whole lot of money hunting for a deal. Penny wise and pound foolish is what my grandfather used to say.

Estate tag sale, not an auction. Maybe there were other ads with different pictures, but that particular picture didn’t come up in what I saw. Were you able to get sellers to send that picture? Are they willing to give price? It would have to be a known price or very close for me to justify skipping work. That particular area is quite rich in anvils if you have a bit of patience.

Brooks Anvil

Guess the enthusiasm to forge on this anvil wore off? I see it's on eBay already. Somehow I have a feeling you already found a better one even cheaper than the CL price.