GrumpyBiker

You sir are absolutely correct & the hippies from the 60’s found this out .

Not advocating for the other extreme but there is a whole lot of ground between those two points for folks to enjoy. 

I only have 4 Anvils.... 

Just about done.

So many nice radius’s (sp) on this piece that I’m thinking it may be pretty useful.

Construction Lantern it is then.

Thanks for the info, lanterns are not an interest of mine. 

But a $10 project is right up my alley.

Mounted to 2.5” thick oak , the shaping begins.

I picked up this squashed Dietz RR lantern for $10. 

Going to wire it for an LED since it’s to smashed & rusted but I like the look.

Brown paint is to prevent rusting after media blasting.

I thought it would make for an interesting accent light. A friend of mine loves RR items and I figured it’d be a good Xmas gift.

A shot from our last weekend out & about.

I’ve been a Prison Guard for the past 23 years.

I’m not sure there’s much that the world doesn’t know about what I do.

I might be wrong about that but I’ve been quite surprised by the amount of drones being used to make drops inside the main stockade.

I suppose Amazon is a little behind in the drone delivery department! 

Bought a couple in June .

$24 for the one on the left & $8 each for the propane ones.

Love an Amish auction!

Also bought  a bunch of mantles.... 

Thanks Frosty , I’ll be keeping an eye out for more of these.

What’s the tinsel strength of cast iron?

Honestly, I’m curious. I picked this up because of the tremendous stress a tow hook has to endure.

So I assumed  nothing but a Forged part could withstand the stresses of being pulled & yanked by very large vehicles.

Is that wrong?

A cast tow hook? They make those ?

I got this tow hook last weekend and figured if nothing else it should be decent metal (I don’t make knives ) .

But the more I looked at it I thought , welded to 3/4” square stock or even bolted to 1.5” oak and clamped to a bench, it might make a usable Bick for making bottle openers.

Of course it would need a little reshaping.

Opinions ?!?!

Doesn’t last beyond the first real heat !

But I like to start from a fresh base line with everything I buy / own.

Looks a bit shabby in a very short time! 

The little fellow in all its glory.

You can now (though not for long) read the letter of the Mall Tools sign on my shop wall on the face of this anvil.

I love seeing a clean old anvil even if they don’t stay that way for long.

Coated the latest anvil I picked up & recently cleaned up, with boiled linseed oil.

Also, I polished the face today. 

This one is all done (as far as I’ll go with it) and ready for a base & to be put to use.

My Arm & Hammers little brother.

Unknown maker , been told it’s a Mousehole or another English make.

Not that it matters I’m just glad to have it in my shop.

What I did in the shop today is learn that my respirator interferes with the foam of my safety glasses getting a good seal and let in some glass bead I was media blasting with outside the cabinet !! 

So I picked up some new goggles .

crushed glass in the eye is a good motivator to not make that mistake again !

I hear you, I have only one anvil I won’t touch/ alter or repair.

My Alsop circa 1790

Nothing that old having done that much work will be touched. 

That one I preserver. The others, are tools that while I cherish I also put to work after a serious clean up as I couldn’t care less about any resale value!

These are some of the items I will die with.

Began cleaning up the little anvil I picked up this weekend.

I glass beaded the sides to see if there were any manufacturers marks.

I didn’t find any.

26 minutes ago, Irondragon Forge & Clay said:

I have found that old wagon wheel hub wrench makes a good bending tool.

I was hoping to adapt it for use as a scroll wrench / bender.

Weekend bounty.

The tongs & hardy tool we’re bought at Yoders Blacksmithing Supplies.

Back at the RV Park I was able to get better photos on the picnic table.

Thats not the horn of a cast iron Harbor Freight anvil, but as mentioned I’m lost as to what company leaves those machine markings.

The sweep of the waist (hour glass shape) in the head on photo I was sure would have helped ID it but I got nothing so far.

I need to get it on a scale as I don’t think it’s a full 70lbs.

Yeah, this one is a mystery to me.

Heres a link to a 4second YouTube video of its ring.

My concern was if it was cast iron but I’ve never heard a cast iron anvil do anything but “thud”. 

https://youtu.be/vEzmGVEycXI

Well, this one just wouldn’t stop calling to me....

Its a small 70lbs anvil I saw at the Amish store . I put an offer on it & my wife and I left the shop to hit a few more junk-tique stores.

After lunch I got the call saying the offer was accepted.

So that makes number 4... I think I should probably sell the Railroad track anvil I started with .

No makers mark is visible. Guess I’ll spend some time with the “Big Book” looking for clues.

9 hours ago, Irondragon Forge & Clay said:

I usually just drive the rivet out and make a new one when modifying nippers.

Yes but you’re approaching it from a logical perspective. 

It was spur of the moment but your right.

It would be much easier with them separated.

I can get nippers for $6-$10 a pair so I’ve been interested in attempting this.

I think I’ll pick up a couple more pair this weekend to play with later.

Question - do you heat your rivets or peen them cold?

Small ones I do cold but I’ve not  set a rivet this big before.