Pat Roy

There is always google.

I don't know if I've been naughty or nice but for the last few years the girlfriend's daughter has be giving me 100# of coal for Christmas. Whatever I'm doing, it's working. I don't know which way to go to get her to up the ante to a ton, or even 1/2 ton. Can't complain I guess.

You can easily make your own spring. Do a search here.

Nice, classy, attractive, ...

The solar energy is focused on a very small spot. Try to bring a foot of 1 inch square bar to yellow heat! Of course the sun has to be shining. The reflector would have to be huge to be usable.

Watch that pup, I think he wants to raise his leg.

Good sketch. Just make the ceiling high enough to allow a good hammer swing and movement of your steel. Do a floor plan showing where everything will go to make sure you have the working room you need. My first shop became a little crowded as I accumulated tools and stuff. The second one was twice the size and will someday be too small, but not yet.

JDB, Jumping in here to hijack. I'm in Belfast, I don't need a blower but I'm always looking for tools. Got anything else you're looking to unload?

Dave, did any documentation with the blower indicate how much pressure it could develop? The volume seems to be what I would guess to be needed. Good photos and good work.

Wow the is a lot of good information in this thread! I wish I had been able to read this 6 years ago. When I was a new smith just getting started, I built a forge and wondered home much blower I needed. I didn't know about this site and just went ahead a bought a blower, too much. I believe it is 400 cfm and maybe more than 5 inches of water column. I quickly found out that 400 cfm was very excessive. I put a knife gate on the discharge to control the flow but the noise of the blower at full speed was very much a problem. I installed a speed control to turn down the rpms to a reasonable rate and now use the knife gate just to shut off the air. I would guess that 100 cfm and 3 inches of water column are sufficient flow and pressure for a typical coal forge, assuming you are using a 3 inch diameter duct to the tuyere. As far a building a blower, I guess I wouldn't go to that much trouble when there are plenty of sources around. As far as rotational speed goes, tip speed is where the noise comes from. If you exceed sonic velocity, the noise will increase dramatically. That is what I don't like about vacuums, small diameter rotors at high speed. Good luck with your project.

If I lived closer to you, I'd come by and pick up that worthless forge. Here's a tip to all newbies, don't pour water on your forge to put out the fire or for any other reason. The fire will go out by itself in 2-3 minutes if you just turn off the air and spread the coals out.

You PAID a good price if the face and edges are in good shape. I don't care for a loud ring myself.

Grant, good timing. I've been dreaming up a touchmark and wondering where I could get one made. When I reach that point I'll be in touch.

The part with the hole looks like the top plate of the anvil of my treadle hammer. The other part looks like the flat die that fits into the plate on my anvil. I also have interchangeable dies for the head. But then, it could be something else.

I heard or saw a quote just recently and can't remember who to give credit to, but here it is; "I've noticed that I've never learned anything while I was talking". Sound about right?

I need some of those, thanks for the inspiration.

Looks good from here. As long as the screw and jaws are good I wouldn't care who built it. I have two, no markings on one of them and the other is stamped 80 on one jaw, that's all; work fine. Tomorrow is Veterans day, a visit to the cemetery and a free meal at Applebees.

Most everything I do is rustic. What is he looking for?

TinyBigSmoke, I have one HB with 2 pritchel holes that weighs in at 163 pounds on the bathroom scale and a smaller one(only one pritchel hole) that weighs 112 pounds. I don't think I bothered to look if they were marked for weight, I just use them.

I'm glad you didn't post a picture of the collection.

Good looking iron, it should have sold.

I would guess it's part of a switch, but I'm not a RR knowledgable guy. Taking things from other peoples property though, is usually considered stealing. I'm pretty sure about that.

Nice looking! How did you anchor it? It would look good at my house.

I used a 112# Hay Budden for a few years mounted on a stump; used up to a 4# hammer on it and never had it skate around. Now I use a 163# H-B on a stump and have no skating with that either.

Nice work guys, I like the finials and holdbacks. There are some standard distances but I couldn't tell you what they are. It could make a difference how the curtains are hung; directly on the rod or using rings. Here are a few I have done lately.