Eric Schatz

Would you go with 1” Solis square or is that overkill for the posts?

Client wants a rail down her three front steps. What stock do you usually use for construction? I was thinking 1” square tubing for the posts and 1 1/2”x3/16” for the rail. The insides twists or branches and leaves. Not sure on the clients wishes there. Powder coated or rattle can?

Basically my shop is a full wood shop with industrial tools. I have allocated a 5x10 space I front of the roll up door for blacksmithing. I fit a welder, sander, swedge, anvil, gas forge, and post vice in that area pretty comfortably. I need a coal forge that I can cram in there and wheel out or leave outside for most of the year. No window nearby but I could cut a hold in the garage door to vent out. Just need a way to push the exhaust out and would like to avoid a 10” hole in the garage. Might just be best to leave it outside year round.

It does get quite chilly in the winters. Could I use an exhaust fan to route the smoke through a hole cut in a garage door? Maybe a harbor freight blower? Anyone try something like this? I feel like a hood with a cap on the top for a chimney when I’m outside and a dryer vent with a blower pushing the smoke through an alternative hole for indoor forging.

Did some searching n here and didn’t find what I needed. Looking for a forge that I can wheel outside my shop. I’m used to working on a fire pot about 10” square. I’m looking to replicate this. Do I need a hood for a forge like this? Should I integrate the hand crank blower into the design? Got any specs n this idea? Thanks Merry Christmas Also any logistic issues with keeping it outside?

I bought a Chisel/punch from a flea marker for a quarter. Not sure of the intended use. It's about 10" long and has a unique point. It's like a plus sign that comes to a point. I've been using it as a texture tool. Any idea on what the Chisel is called? I feel like it's for stone or masonry use. It's the one on the left. https://m.imgur.com/9diVEPf

Just bought a 3" jaw post vice for $50. However, it's missing the spring. How do I make that? I dont have a problem getting a bar bent to the right shape for the spring but what about the material's "bendyness/springyness"? Lol I'm not sure how to put it. How do I make sure the metal acts as a spring instead of just forged hard metal. Does that make sense?

Sorry Charles. I'm new to annealing and hardening metal. I'm a woodworker masquerading as a smith. : ) I didn't think I could get any metal hard enough for cobalt bits to not do something to. Did I do something wrong to make it this hard or was it that way before I started forging?

Made a pair of tongs out of rebar. I've tried drilling the eyes for the rivet now that the tongs have cooled (air cooled). I've got a new set of cobalt bits that refuse to bite in them. I tried to drill a 1/8 pilot and it wont do anything. I've got some 1/4 plate steel that the 1/8 bit slides right though. Have I done something to the metal that has made it exceptionally hard? Can rebar even get this hard? I didn't quench it. Not sure what's up.

These are all great ideas. I'm leaning between building a cart for everything (vice, forge, hammers, metal storage) or buying a HF cart for just the forge and hammers. I'd like to have a vice spot on it so I think I'll just build. I like customizing things with my own tools anyways. Not really a fan of buying something I can make in a lazy day. Thanks again guys.

Thomas, I'm in Indiana. Not sure what that means about humidity relative to this being a good idea. I'll look for a grill on the Craigslist free. A wooden cart would be very easy for me to build and I could make it very customized to fit space and aesthetic. Not sure if it's a good idea or not. Lighting a 6" log with a single match sounds crazy. Even my kilned dried wood wont do that easily.

I'm new to smithing but am a furniture maker. As a result I make rolling carts for everything in my small furniture shop. I was thinking of making a wooden rolling cart to put my propane forge ontop of so I can move it indoors when I'm done with it. (I dont want the hose rotting from sitting in the weather) Also I'd put a rack on it for hammers and general other things. Maybe even put my vice on it. What do you all think of this? My forge doesn't get very hot on the bottom of it. Maybe put a sheet of metal between the forge and the top? I dont have access to a welder right now so making a metal cart is a bit difficult with my limited smithing skills. Maybe this is completely stupid. I did a google search and found some people doing this. Genius or idiot?

Just got a 200lbs Mouse Forge anvil and a propane forge. Looking to smack some things around. Thanks for having me on the forum. I'm interested in picking the minds of some of your best smiths. Thanks again. Schatz