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I have s chance to buy this Bader grinder for $200. He claims it works and has 9 new belts with it. From my research Bader makes a quality grinder. Does this sound like a fair price?

I don't think I will regret the purchase. The most common complaint about the Chili is the price, not the quality. I could have built one or bought one much cheaper but would they perform? I can almost bet my first burner and forge build would be less than stellar!

Well, I ordered the Habernero forge today. Sounds like a great product once you get over the sticker shock!

Thanks Mike for designing the burner. It sounds like Chili used yours and it is a success. I could build a forge and burners but don't want to take the time. I only have a few hours one day a week to work on it. My wife says I would spend $500 on supplies and it still wouldn't work, she may be correct! I am leaning towards the Chili in spite of it's cost.

I am considering buying a Chili Habernero forge. It seems I would be paying a substantial premium over a NC Forge. Are they that much better quality? I have read that the Chili is more fuel efficient which, if true, could offset that initial cost over time. Also does anyone have any experience regarding re-lining the Chili forge? This may have need discussed in an earlier thread but I don't have much success searching this forum. Thanks in advance!

I am considering a Chili Habernero forge. Has anyone relined or had one relined? Thanks in advance.

I doubt these wheels have been used since the 30's. So I would guess they are close to 100 years old. We celebrated our centennial in 2010 so the county is relatively young.

I guess it might work for other projects if not blades. I do need practice!

Would these bands work for knives? There are 2 sizes, 1/4 ×1" and 3/8x 1.5" both are approximately 44" in diameter. He said " make me an offer" so I think they would be affordable. Would the smaller one make blades or is one thickness too small. I am new to blacksmithing, just trying to gather some materials. Thanks

I thought about extra insulation but wondered if there was any cheaper material to use under the 2" of insulation. If I were to use 4" of insulation that would still be a chamber 8x20. I haven't done the math but that would take a lot of heat to forge.A lot of the work is done for me, base, pedestal etc. but it is huge!

I have located a homemade barbecue grill that is constructed from a decent gauge tank mounted on a 3" pipe on a truck rim. It would work for a forge body except the dimensions of the grill are 16"x28". Is there a way to keep the shell intact and decrease the inner dimensions?

Should I consider trying to dress those edges that are chipped off this anvil or leave them alone? There are some good edges to work with on this anvil. I worked for a man that said you would go to hell for bending steel cold. I think whoever beat this anvil, chipping it, may have had the same destination. lol

Thank you sir, I don't have a 20 lb tank here to measure, only 30 lb. I doubt the difference in size between the tank I am proposing and a 20 lb would be noticeable. I will email you regarding supplies. Thanks again! I was curious about the shipping price of a Diamondback forge. After reading the ordering instructions I am positive I will be building my own forge. I felt that company was doing me a big favor taking my money. No thanks!

I will continue my search for an appreciate cylinder. I live in a VERY rural area and there are not a lot of scavenging opportunities here. That was one reason I was considering a complete forge. I appreciate everyone's advice.

I have a small pressure tank that I was considering using but it is only 11" in diameter and 13" tall overall with the main body being a little less than 10" tall. Seems like it would be small after finishing the inside? I also have an old oil barrel that is 14" in diameter and 30" tall which could be cut down. Would this be too large to efficiently heat?

Thanks for the information Mikey. I will check out 101, maybe it will help me decide, if I build, whether to buy a burner or build one. It sounds like a purchased burner may me more efficient, especially for a novice build.

I am torn between buying a forge and building one. I would love to build one but I seem to think I need one now. I have an arc welder, acetylene torch, grinders, etc so I do have the equipment to make my own forge. I was looking at Diamond back but found a Bladesmith that is made by Thermal Art Design in Seattle. It looks ok to me but I was wondering if anyone has had any experience or thoughts on this product. Thanks in advance! The forge carcass and burners are constructed from steel 3 times as thick as the average forges on the market. The refractory materials are of the highest quality and over rated for these forges to ensure a long time of use. Ceramic fiber which lines the entire chamber including under the hearth is rated for 2600 degrees. The hearth is 3200 degree refractory cement which has been cast into a mold on a vibration table to ensure it is super strong and durable. The hearth is then treated in a kiln according to the manufacturer’s specifications to be properly cured. All forges are fired and tested before shipping. Rather than using a flat hearth (seen on some high end name brand forges to low end low price makes) the forge uses a concave hearth which has been dynamically sized to each model of forge to provide maximum heat retention. The hearth refractory currently used stands up as the most flux corrosion resistant material I have found and the drop in design makes replacing it effortless.

So before the book was written was a Hay Budden anvil a "good" anvil or a "not good" anvil?

I have included a picture of the base earlier in this post. I can provide other photos if needed. It looks quite robust to me. I will clean it up and maybe it will be clearer if the number does start with a "1". I didn't know anvils could be so much fun. I thought they were just for hammering metal on! We had one at home growing up and of course every ranch I worked on had one but they were just an anvil !!

Thanks Lutz, I think it is 22088. I am not sure there is a 1 in front, As you say it has some stories it could tell!

I haven't done the ball bearing test yet, haven't had time to find a bearing. It does rebound nicely and has good high pitched tone and using the hammer test. I had no idea there was so much to learn about anvils. I just got lucky with this one, I had no idea the HB was a good anvil. A guy showed up , wanted to sell it and I thought the price as right.

Thanks for the information. I am anxious to see the approximate age. I will post a picture after I brush her off a little!

I forgot to include the serial #,22088 or possibly 122088.

The jewelers anvil on the right was included.

Good Morning, I don't think I even deserve the rookie designation. I know nothing! I have some experience with metal work, stick welding, acetylene, etc. I need another hobby as I near retirement. I bought a HB 124 lb anvil yesterday. It is in very useable condition and included 3 Hardie tools, a huge tree stump stand, and a cute little brass jewelers anvil. Living in SD where I do there aren't many anvils for sale so I jumped on this one, paying $375. I am curious when it was made. I thought I should introduce myself before I ask any favors. Thanks, looking forward to learning!