Jeff Bly

If you look at the feet on the front under the horn, are there numbers on each foot?

Thanks for the link Finnr. I thought that was pretty funny when I saw that he had on shorts also. Ahhhhh, living on the edge! Was that a Hofi hammer sitting on the anvil?

Very nice indeed. How do you make the bamboo look for the legs and crossbars?

Congratulations, and welcome. If you'll go to the User CP and edit your profile to show where you are from, that would be a lot more helpful to connect with people who are from your area. Also, if you go to the IForgeIron Home page you will see a link for Blacksmithing Groups. Try getting hooked up with some groups in your area as well. Now that the bug has thoroughly infected you, have fun hammering! Maybe those dreams will give you some good ideas to work with.

Is there a list of materials anywhere that are suitable for forging with? And how do you know what kind of metal you are picking up from scrap piles, side of the road, etc.? Is there a way to determine if the scrap you find is not going to cause metal fume fever or some other kind of problem?

I think that this is a great idea. How should the information be presented so that the schools will want to pass it on and inform their students?

I saw this source for beeswax while browsing: Beeswax-Centaur Forge Although I do like the thought of just going to a local beekeeper.

It's definitely sad to know that so much is out there for no other reason than to just be. That is why I recently snagged a bellows from a salvage yard. It needs to go back into use for its intended purpose.

Very clever indeed. Shows excellent ingenuity.

I would suggest, IF you are going to toss away anything, toss it into a pile or bin until you have a lot of it and take it to the scrap yard and get cash to buy more useful metal or other blacksmithing supplies. That way, nothing really ever goes to waste.

Yes, it is a sort of friction. More like what the article referred to as trying to compress the metal, heat is being generated. Hitting with a hammer is transferring energy. The act of the hammer hitting the metal and that hitting the anvil creates and transfers energy. The more energy created by force, the more heat that is generated. For example, clap your hands together really hard and make loud slapping sounds as you do so. You will most certainly notice that very soon your hands become warm. Maybe you've heard the expression, "paddle your bottom red"?

I completely agree with Dodge - read, read, and then read some more. There is a lot of invaluable information here on this site.

My Peter Wright does not say England on it, however the numbers on the feet are 2 and 2 My guess was that this was the year it was made. I have the Postman book, but I have yet to actually find the time to really get into it. By the way, Thank you Mr. Postman for your hard and valuable time and research into this amazing book.

Army 85-88 18th Airborne Corp. 18th Aviation Company Ft. Bragg N.C.

Frosty - It moves air by cranking the handle:p Just kidding. It moves the air really well. Handle spins freely a turn or so after I let go. I don't know anything about the forge pan, although I do recall seeing something similar to it somewhere else recently. The pan does look as if it would need to be patched/closed up a bit. The way it sets now, there really isn't much use for the ash gate/dump. I am considering making a new pan for it anyhow. We'll see how enthusiatic I get about that. The forge is quite portable, so until I get a side draft vent built, installed and going, I will have to work outdoors, although that is not a problem for me. Does anyone suggest anything in particular to use as a lubricant in the gear box? I'm thinking of opening it up, giving it a thorough cleaning and a good going over then filling the gear box with something. Maybe a gear box oil?

My wife has me trained well. I'm the one who does all the laundry in our house. Glad she never sees what I put in the laundry sometimes.

I am so psyched!!! I finally picked up a forge. Hand cranked Buffalo Forge. Picked it up for $100 at an estate sale. For $10 more, I picked up a huge assortment of Nicholson files, like 30 or more of them. I think I've struck it pretty rich with the assortment of blacksmithing items that I have procured in such a short amount of time. Well anyways, here are some pics of my new found toy:

Hear Hear gentlemen. Well said by all. I think part of my addicion to it is getting in "The Zone". Just getting away from everything else for a little while. Let your mind wander and settle somewhere else for a bit.

Have you tried looking in Lufkin, Texas?:rolleyes:

I am continuously amazed at what can be made! Quang0 - I am thoroughly impressed. That is great work for a greater cause. Kudos to you!

What a tease! Why do you taunt us so? At least now I know where all the stuff from around here has gone to. Let's see... Lufkin is how far from here? Courtesy of Yahoo Maps - Trip distance: 1655.302663.8 mi Time: 26 hrs 11 mins. So if I leave now and stop once for coffee...

I think a joint collaboration in design layout of a shop would be a terific idea. I would also suggest, that those interested post a picture of their recommended layouts for others to see. Just an idea.

All I can say after reading all that is that I'm glad I bought my bellows. Also I can say I'm glad I picked blacksmithing as a craft, and not carpentry.

Divermike - I'm about 5 miles north of Albany. I'm pretty happy with my find. Bellows like this must be starting to be hard to come by. All the leather needs to be replaced. I'll probably use a hand cranked blower for now and restore the bellows as a side project.

How did you get the writing on the anvil to come out so clear? It almost looks sandblasted clean, unless it's been superbly preserved.