Anthony Mans

I would sure like to. Currently my free time is zapped. My only Forge time is if I stay up late at night and forge through the night but I try to get in where I can

I appreciate it! I think I struggle with timing and burning metal. I pulled the shovel head out of the coal and a huge chunk of it was missing right in the middle. I tried to salvage it but it definitely feels good to complete my first actual tool. Rivets and all!

I took your advice @Charles R. Stevens and I made a shovel. The shovel head was quite frustrating but I had a lot of fun with the handle. I'll make a better one in the future but this one will work for right now. What do you guys think?

Got my membership in with SaltFork a few weeks back. Byron invited me up to the Cleveland Co. Fair this weekend to meet some folks. I'm going to try to get out there but it depends on my work schedule. Terry has also invited me to his shop to help me work on some basics. Really great group far as I can tell! I'm looking forward to getting to work! Thank you for the hospitality!

That's a good idea. I've got some 10 gauge sheet metal I was thinking would make a good little coal shovel too.

***Update*** Ive been told over and over the best thing I can do is get on the anvil so I finally did. My smithy isn't anywhere near done yet and my wife has relocated me to the backyard, but I am undeterred! Its not really that pretty, but it was the very first thing I've ever made. I found myself constantly shuffling coals around my firepot with a stick and inevitably, when you poke a stick into a red hot fire, it always comes out on fire and it was getting on my nerves so I took a piece of 1x2x1/2" steel and forged it into a coal "spatula". Let me know what you guys think!

Charles, you're right I only meant about shoveling new coal in. I'm going this weekend to hunt for steel to start making the basic tools. I have a 2.5# hand hammer that I may just dress for now and start with tongs and fire management tools. George, thank you for the advice. I can't bring myself to not use this vice. It just wouldn't be right in my mind. But I do take care not to hammer on it. I mainly have used it so far to hold things while I'm grinding and cutting.

Hmm I don't really want to use a shovel... Im already starting to see where my forge design is flawed and things I can do better for next time. For now, I may leave as is while I'm using anthracite since it doesn't coke anyway. That way I can put some forge time in and hopefully see how to best remedy the shortcomings. I have about 160# worth of anthracite before I'll switch to bituminous.

Oh I see. So if I keep the firepot higher than the table then most likely no coking

You're right it needs to go down about another inch. I was also thinking about tapering some firebrick kind of like a ramp up to the lip. Think that would work?

Thank you! I may make a plate to sit in my firepot to shallow it until I can get some softer coal as Charles suggested

This is where I'm at with the face of it.

Yeah I worked a small bevel into the edge all the way around. I wasn't sure how big of a bevel I needed but I was trying to maintain as much work surface as possible, but there aren't any sharp edges whatsoever.

Oh good deal! I read it from start to finish after you linked it last night but I'll keep my eyes open for next month's. Another update, I got my boards cut for my new anvil block and after about 2 hours worth of hand filing, my "anvil" is now flat faced. Hit it with a wire wheel and some boiled linseed oil. Pictures to follow once I get everything together.