Pault17

New addition to the family.
Elizabeth, entering the wring at 9lb 8oz and 23 inches

her oldest sister just left for college.I am gonna be OLD when this one does!

Amen Brother Jerry!
as much as I would prefer a "real" anvil, I just don't have the means or availability to have one. yet! I, too, have a HF submarine. I also have an 80-lb block of thru-hardened and tempered D2 . It just doesn't look anything like an anvil, but it works

I use this one a lot. http://www.faststone.org/FSResizerDetail.htm
I do home and commercial inspection for a living and have taken just under 50,000 work related pictures in the last 7 years. I take 'em big for me to view, and shrink 'em small for sending to report writers and clients.

I would strongly thing that Yves is meaning "hearts". it's gotta be that accent thingy.
Thank you Yves for your description of events. it is inspirational.

Why not just buy a 8-16 pound sledge, cut/grind/forge to shape, heat treat and go at it? the hole is already there for you to modify or drift. Handles are readily available, etc.
just my lazy-mans thought

pictures (I haven't been able to attach pictures when using the quick reply box at the bottom)

I attached these using the new advanced uploade. what a difference, if it takes. I think the problem is in the basic loader

Glenn,
I did that part, but when I tried to save and post, it didn't take. when I tried the second/third time I noticed a ghost-like image at the bottom
if you attach a picture, you have to slowly scroll down the message, which includes the word CAPTCHA, and enter a secret code to actually load the picture. pita, but doable. I will attach two sample pictures next.

picture?


wow. the little secret code window for adding pictures is a single line that is smaller than the font of the text. owie on the eyes

couldn't figure out how to add a pic to the quick reply thingy.
The little one is three (for scale) and was amazed at the air blowing out of the nose of the bellows.

Also, the bottom chamber openings are four 2-inch holes and the upper chamber has two 2-inch holes, with another piece of the EPDM acting as both gasket and hinge at both locations. to get a good seal, I contact cemented then stapled a piece of EPDM with corresponding holes at each set of chamber openings.

how do you attach pictures to stick? not having any luck

I have a small double bellows that I recently (read this as within the last year) finished. 1/2 inch plywood with EPDM pond liner (bought at home depot) for the flexi-material. The size is 18" wide by 30" long, with the top chamber opening 8 inches and the bottom 16 inches. I don't have it connected to anything, but the air stream is steady without a top weight and can be well felt more than 10 feet away. I know it's small, but I built it specifically for a lively-type charcoal forge I have been working on.

It would take me a few years, but I would put the names of several of the smiths on this forum into a hat and draw them for a year or so each.

Philip, nice to see you still around. haven't seen your name up in a while.

Chris, I have a small anvil to begin with, but for beating on, I have a small block of through-hardened D2 that a machinist gave me a while back. It was a mistake in their shop - they make hydraulic pump bodies for large earth-moving equipment and such. The block is about 9" x 9" x 5.5" thick with two large 2+" holes through the face. bad thing is sharp edges around the holes. nice thing is it has multiple 5/8" tapped holes that are tapped flat to the bottoms on four faces. Oh, and my friend says that the whole block is hardened and tempered to 58-61 RC all the way through

The block weighs about 78 lbs without anything bolted on. doesn't look in the least like an anvil, but for most light work there is no trouble working with it.

• Owen,
• that is awesome. I work little things on a little anvil (less than 120 lbs.) I can't even imagine the power transfer on an anvil that big. Can't wait to see the pics
  

Love the designs, and the fact that you are selling there. Nice work

As a hobbyist, I too agree. I was lucky/graced by God enough to find my first anvil and leg vise, but I bought my second anvil. For the first couple of years, almost all of my metal was stuff found or scrounged. Now, my projects are spec'd with certain materials needed. You can still get cheap, but you get what you pay for.

I was looking through the "case study" and in the "making repousse" picture there is a really neat idea for a hammer rack (section of chain-link fence in a frame)
cool sight. thanks for posting

I really like the first shot with the front wheels off the ground. nice... skidloaders can be so much fun

^{Beautiful rebuild. noce cross as well. I like the pins in the nails - nice touch}

I love the base on the "simple" hawk that is not an ax. all of them are great looking

Frosty, nice answer. Francis, thanks for the simple basics (I know, not so simple, but just so). EWC, thanks for starting this quest for knowlege

Great Day, that's nice. thanks for sharing

vice envy!! punch envy!! shop envy!!

I was gonna try this, but my wife refused to let me drop a hole through our roof, master bedroom, into the garage.
back to the drawing board

As one of my heroes from the great movie "Bambi" said "you can call me (a) Flower if you want to..."
Beautiful. I noted the weld splatter and thought "wat a great way to put pollen dust in the flower

My forge is called St. Joseph's forge. I consider my getting into blacksmithing a gift from Heaven (I found my first anvil and vise burried beside a tree on my in-laws' 15-acre property), I am a father (9 on the ground and expecting #10), and Joseph had to have done some blacksmithing ("back in the day" the lower level carpenters couldn't afford to send their wagon/cart repairs off to the smith.