CactusBob

I am one of the very fortunate ones, My SO doesn't mind me taking up a new hobby, she knows sooner or later she will be getting presents. My neighbor has opened his scrap pile to me and I just found out a couple days ago he built a rr track anvil and is asking me about a forge. Looks like another convert I will send here Sounds like a good reason to visit the neighbors scrap pile

I did try a waste gate but never thought of using a Tee. I used a rolled piece of aluminum with a partial hole cut in it . the cutout was pushed in the tube and turned to act as a damper, if that makes sense. I'll take you up on that, Thank you Bob

Hello everyone, my name is Bob and I live in Az outside of Tucson. I've been interested in blacksmithing for quite awhile and back about August I decided to take the first step. After a lot of reading here and elsewhere I started picking up equipment. I found a piece of plate steel (4 X 10X 23 about 300 lbs) at the scrap yard for an anvil, mounted that to some RR ties in the ground, built a brake drum forge and acquired a post vise which is on a piece of telephone pole buried about 3ft deep. I have learned that Blacksmithing is magical. If you have a piece of steel in a coal forge that uses a hair dryer for an air supply, even of low if you step three steps away, pour and drink about 8 ounces of water it makes the steel disappear! Now if I can just find out how to make it reappear I will be on to something So far I have learned that beating hot steel with a hammer is fun and when people ask me what I've made so far I smile and say a mess. I am going to try to spend more time reading and listening than talking so hopefully I can get something to sink in Bob