Owen Hinsman

Thanks for ID-ing the mill pick. I got it for like $15 bucks and I was going to turn it into a handled hot cut. Also, it appears that the ax stone has been used with oil because water slides off. Can I clean it?

I got a whole load of antique brace and bit auger bits, plus a really weird looking hammer thingy and a nice little hatchet. I also got a little Craftsman sharpening stone, which is in good shape. Any idea what the hammer thing is in the back of the first picture?

Nice job on that little knife Hondo. I hope your heart gets fixed and you get healthy.

Nice looking cleaver Welshj. Any reason for that particular blade design? I finished up a farriers' rasp tomahawk that I've been working on for a few days. Not hardened yet because I don't have oil, but it has a decent edge and feels balanced. The handle is made of an ash sapling I cut a few months ago, which seems to have dried out nicely. Even without being hardened, I've done some chopping and it edge hasn't rolled or chipped (yet). For my first real blade, I think it turned out pretty well.

Progress! I made a tomahawk and started a seax. And I, along with my dad, built another workbench, this one 11’ x 24” with a 3/4” plywood top. I also put up another two shelves for my toolboxes and other stuff.

Hmm, if only I had a dirt driveway. Could I just sorta dig a hole in the corner of my shop and dump it there?

Also, what do you do with clinker? I have a 3 gallon bucket full of it, and I’m gonna need to dump it soon.

The forge has been working very well over the past couple weeks. I’ve learned to light the anthracite with just paper and wood, which is good. I even made a nail! Not a very good nail, but still. My dad and I also got a bench built and another couple in the works.

Thanks for the advice irondragon. It’s a Chinese made blower, but it seems well made and powerful.

So, an update. I got an electric blower that seems fairly powerful, along with a variac (?) which makes it very easy to fine-tune the airflow. Can I mount the blower like in the pictures without it being a problem? It’s right up against the tuyere and any plastic parts (like those in the motor) are at least 6-7” away from the bottom of the firepot.

Thanks Irondragon. Also, my forge walls are made of 1” thick dry pine shiplap. I want to run a 10” pipe out through the walls for my forge chimney. Do I have to insulate around the pipe or do anything special to prevent a fire?

Well, I got my forge yesterday. My thanks to Bob Lavoie of the NEB for building me this forge. I’ve got a couple hundred pounds of anthracite coal sitting in the shop, so now I’m just waiting for my electric blower to get here so I can start forging. Any tips on using anthracite?

Well, the rest of the lumber just arrived. A couple hundred pieces of shiplap, 2x4s, tongue and groove, and the like. For some reason the picture won't load, probably because the definition is too high. I'll see if I can get it working though.

If that's a drift then it's looking pretty good. you might still want to round the point so that it doesn't overheat when using.

You probably want to grind the tip back a quarter inch or so to give it a flat tip and also grind it so that the punch looks like the last picture on your post from any angle. that will let it punch material more easily. nice job on the hammer dressing!