CrazyGoatLady

Oh no, your research and explanation and drawings are excellent! I just tend to be a little thick skulled when it comes to reading or having someone explain things like this to me. Just ask Tommie I seem to learn by doing easier. The side blast with charcoal is something I really want us to do. We are running bottom blast right now and by reading, I have learned that it's not particularly charcoal friendly. Also by experience. I haven't done any forging in awhile now and I chalked it up to different excuses. I have had a lot of unexpected babysitting of two very young grandkids. Just me and them and fire doesn't sound like a good idea...but it was really a couple pieces I did, I was burning the steel in the fire and got a little disheartened because I thought maybe I wasn't very good at it. I am sort of a perfectionist. But after Tommie talked to you and I have read so much about side blast versus bottom blast for charcoal I have hope that maybe once we get a forge worked out I will do better. I love this craft and I find myself thinking about it a LOT. I appreciate the time you put into it to help folks like us out. I could never repay you in a lifetime.

I actually was reading this earlier. Thank you Mr. Stevens. I think I understand it. I'm not good with the more technical side of building a forge. Tommie understands it much better than I. But the drawings you have here give me a good visual and it seems to make more sense in my simple brain.

Nice candle holders Gergely. I like the textured look of them. Daswulf, I like your anvil stand. Very creative. I knocked out the old handles of a couple of hammers. Been working on shaping the new handles. I'm actually doing that sitting at my kitchen table right now...big mess but hey, I am also the housekeeper so no one can gripe at me huh?

Late evenings are nice. I love the sounds of wildlife. Crickets and frogs. The coyotes usually sing every night. The occasional sound of a cow bellowing or a donkey braying. I can hear a horse whinnieing in the distance sometimes. There is a pair of owls that talk to each other. We have whippoorwills in the summer, but I think they are gone now. And last but not least, is the light snoring of my dogs.

Irondragon I am pleased to hear your Mother-in-law rode the storm well! I have wondered if I were in the same situation, would I leave. My inclination would be to stay. But our biggest threat here is tornadoes. We had a tree break off and landed through the back of our house one time. It wasn't even a tornado, just straight line winds. It's made me a little more leary of high winded weather ever since then. But again, I am thankful to God for her safety!

Duly noted...See, that's great advice also! Thanks. That was my best laugh of the day.

I have horn scratches on my 2013 Ford pick up JHCC That's a good tip. Thank you. Us new kids on the block would be up "you know what" creek without a paddle if it weren't for sage advice from the experienced people like yourself and many others. I am grateful for this site.

Thank you Mr. Powers. I plan on doing that to my handles. I'm going to get the stuff that Frosy suggests and work on that. They will be nice when I get done I hope. Yes the human kids can be nearly as destuctive as the four legged ones. Well, sometimes more!

Frosty Yep. Goats love leaves, shrubs, weeds AND the occasional house plant! Ask me how I know this... They are cousins to deer. Funny you should ask about the handles. I had seen yours before and I was going to look it up again. That was great timing. I think I will do what you have done. And ditto on keeping them away from cars. Or anything else you don't want destroyed. I love them, but they can wreak havoc! Jasent Sorry to hear you had a rough day. Mine went that way most of the day. Hope it is better for you tomorrow!

No I hadn't thought of soaking it in oil, but I was thinking about a new wedge. It's just a little loose. Think it will be ok for awhile? When Tommie gets back from work next week, we are going to start building a new forge. The one we have needs to be re-lined. I haven't been able to get to it. Thank you. He told me you sent a message about that video. I haven't watched it yet. Bad signal sometimes, so I don't get to watch a whole lot of videos.

Yes the goats eat a lot of it! I mow the ditches, and the really high stuff. We have been blessed with green grass all summer. Normally by now we are haying. The one on the left is a little loose. I didn't notice that till today. The handles are much better. I already had one flattened some, but I just refined it some. Glen was kind enough to tel me how to do all of this easier than I was doing it. Yes I would like to meet abunch of the gang here too. Littleblacksmith ...I like the work you posted the other day. Especially the rams head.

I was going to mow today, but it wouldn't start. Spent part of the day trying to figure that out. Had to get a new battery and still wouldn't start. My father-in-law came and figured out it's a safety switch somewhere from the blade engage clutch. I'm glad he got it going but I hate it when I can't figure it out for myself. But I started dressing some hammers in the meantime. Still have to sand them. The one on the right had a pretty rough life. Flattened the handles yesterday. They need sanding also. Actually, they need new handles, but it's what I have right now. I like the picture of you Mr. Powers.

You can be really creative when the Grandkids are around....just ask me

Thankful to God it wasn't near the monster it was predicted to be. Maybe it was just me, but some of those reporters sounded disappointed it didn't turn out the way they thought it would....

Heh heh! Too funny...

Thank you Mr. Stevens. Will do! Mr. Powers...Forgive me sir! I did not mean to impune the worth of a claw or ball pein hammer! We just have several in different sizes already. I was going to use a large ball pein myself but we had a 2# cross pein that I have been using. I really like the feel of the one I bought above. It has natural balance forward. Funny how you can become addicted to acquiring hammers, tools, and "junk" metal. I used to get onto Tommie for buying or bringing home stuff. Now I tell him to do it. He is fine and dandy with that! And I look forward to your Stone Age forges. No doubt you can do it! Agreed you don't need fancy equipment. I think that applies to anything we do in life. Nice to have, but not needed. I apologize for the long winded post!

Hello Page 76, welcome to I.F.I.! As I am a newcomer as well, I can't help you much with the anvil. I am using a RR track anvil as well. Just wanted to welcome you to the club!

Good looking blade. Nice job!

I don't watch YouTube videos anymore except the smiths all the experienced people on this forum seem to agree on that he or she knows what they are talking about.

Thank you Slag. You are absolutely right. I doubt he can even come up with it and knowing we really want it, the price will probably be up there. I am ok with waiting if it means not getting fleeced.

Lol! Touché'! It was just cool to see a hammer like that. Most places have a bunch of claw hammers or ball peins. Thank you for the comment and the humor! Really did make me laugh

Mr. Stevens Thank you for the feedback. The cross pein looks bigger in the picture than it is. It's probably a 2 pounder. It feels real comfortable except the handle needs to be flattened. Or just a new handle period. Also needs to be dressed badly. I don't mind the work on it. I thought the green handled hammer was probably an auto body hammer. I didn't know they were cast though. It just caught my eye and was labeled "homemade hammer". Pretty small head on it. Unless you think the cross pein wouldn't be good for anything but a sledge? I'm good with whatever you think. And ditto on what Irondragon Forge & Clay said above.

Littleblacksmith Thank you! I looked it up and figured out what I needed to do. It didn't happen today. The guys boss has not been home this weekend. He told me to check back in a day or two. I might but I don't want to get caught up in a wild goose chase. Thank you again for the help.

I am not very good with math. But I used to manage a Subway sandwich store and it was a challenge, but my numbers were always good. Charles, you are a very knowledgeable man. I look forward to whatever you have to say. I agree with Slag. Your contributions here are priceless and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. On another note, I went to check about another anvil today. Didn't pan out but that's ok. The trip to town wasn't a waste. I went to an antique store that I have never been to called Cooks Mercantile. Loved the name and the wagon wheels out front. Anyway, he has more tools than any place I have seen around here. This little bit came home with me.

SLAG Thank you! I appreciate it . I will look it up before I go tomorrow. Good night to as well!