George N. M.

If I had to recommend what to stress when requesting a variance I would say safety and compatibility with the neighborhood. For safety you would need to show that what you want to do is at least as durable as something conventional and code compliant. There are also regional issues such as how things will interact with a high water table e.g. will a steel shipping container rust out over time?, wind load resistance (an issue in tornado or hurricane areas), or snow load (important in northern or mountain states). Also, does what you want go along with how the neighborhood looks at present. If you are rural there may not be many neighbors to compare with but if you are in a more settled area the county or whoever will want to see more compatibility. Even a large metal shop building may look out of place in a neighborhood or Arts and Crafts bungalows.

If a person runs into a problem with building, etc. codes there is usually a variance process to get around the problem. The standard for granting a variance is usually that the strict application of the code provision would cause "undue hardship" for the property owner. Much higher costs, impossibility due to natural features, extreme difficulty in being able to find contractors or specific materials, etc. could be undue hardship. Just, "I want to do this because it is slightly cheaper." isn't going to be undue enough. Also, the issue of safety and how what you want to do may impact the neighbors are significant issues. Some places are pretty reasonable about granting variances and in some it is a practical impossibility. Sometimes the cost of getting a variance is more than the cost of complying with the code. Finally, it is worth knowing at what point a particular code kicks in. For example, something less than 100 square feet may not invoke the local building code and something that is not going to be used for residential purposes or retail or have employees may be outside the jurisdiction of the code. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Even if the latest edition of the Uniform Residential Building Code provides for something that does not mean that the code adopted by the local jurisdiction provides for that. A local jurisdiction has to adopt a specific edition of the code with local amendments. These do not automatically update when the national code committee makes a change. Some places are pretty good about updating their local codes when a new edition comes out (every 2 years IIRC) and others can go for years without changing anything. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

One thing that you need to make sure of when using alternative building materials and/or techniques is that there aren't any local or state building codes of which you could run afoul. Where I live it is unincorporated county with no building codes and I could do any darn fool thing I want to. Be it on my head. However, in other states and counties there may county building permits and codes. In some states there may be state level requirements. For example, in Colorado the building codes are adopted and enforced by counties but the electrical and plumbing codes are state level. In rural Nevada I suspect that you are OK, as I am in Wyoming, but it is worth a phone call or two to make sure that you don't get yourself wrapped around the axle and waste a bunch of time and money. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Dear Frosty, There are rocks that are better than others for improvised hammers and anvils. In particular, amphibolite series rocks such as jade or greenstone have a fiberous crystal structure and are VERY tough. You can really damage a steel rock hammer in getting a sample unless you use natural joints and fissures in the rock. There are other rocks, such as quartz, which are harder but are much more brittle. Amphibolites would be much more resistant to impact damage and thermal distress. This is why lots of late stone age tools are ground to shape green stone rather than flaked/knapped flint. Brittle rocks like flint and obsidian will give a VERY sharp edge but for something like an axe or hammer you want toughness. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Dear Bo, In the photo of your goods table what is the item in front of the copper bowled ladles that sort of looks like a giant hair pin? Some sort of BBQ tongs where you spear the meat with the spike and grasp it with the top arm? Also, what did you find sold the best? Thx. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Jennifer: Your account of people, kids and adults, not knowing how to handle sharp items brought back some memories. 25 years ago my late wife and I were helping at a local living history site. I was blacksmithing and she was assigned to demonstrate manual washing machines which usually have exposed gears and connecting rods to make the agitators work. She would warn people, particularly children, to keep their hands and fingers away from the moving machinery but still would have spectators reach out to touch the mechanisms while they were in action. She was amazed by the lack of self preservation and the recognition that these things can hurt and injure you. We decided that this is due to two things. One, everything today is made so safe that people have stopped being aware that they have to be careful with anything, particularly something that is new and unknown to them. Something that is dangerous is outside their experience. Two, because everything today is electronic people do not have an understanding of mechanical and analog devices and how they work. I have had people who do not understand how a crank can blow air into a forge or how rotary motion can be converted into linear motion. It is magic to them because they do not understand it. "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." In the 21st century 19th century technology can appear magical. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Jennifer: I am assuming that this shield is some sort of plastic sheeting. Correct? I wonder if some sort of metal screening, probably finer than window screen, might work better. It might take some experimentation to see if any particles would pass through a screen or not. That would eliminate the reflectivity issue. Also, screening would probably be more durable than plastic. I have a vague memory of screens being use around arc welding sites to mitigate glare and catch sparks. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Jennifer: I have always known asymmetric axes as "carpenters hatchets" because you could use them to trip a piece of wood without leaving chop marks. Around here you occasionally come across large asymmetric broad axes which were used by "tie hacks" to smooth two side of tree trunks for use as railroad ties. IIRC the helves of these were S shaped so that the tie hack could stand and still have the axe head parallel to the ground. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Dear Jennifer, What is the purpose of the board hanging from the side of the trailer? A step so that children or short adults can look in and see the action? Also, do yu have someone manning the sales table while you demonstrate or are you able to handle both functions? "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Pnut: I have never tried it but from what I have seen and heard meteoric iron generally does not forge well because of various alloyed metals and impurities. There may be some that have the sweet spot in composition but material from the next meteor will be very frustrating. Also, by forging you will lose the willmanstadt crystal pattern which shows up on polished and etched faces of meteorites. Any knives, etc. that you see with that pattern have been fabricated with stock removal, not forging. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Slag, The proper term is "dichroic glass." Look up the Lycurgus Cup in the British Museum. Apparently, the technique involves a small amount of colloidal gold and silver introduced into the glass melt. Corning Glass reproduced the effect experimentally but it does not seem to have been done commercially. Too bad, since it is a really cool effect. The display at the British Museum with alternating reflected and transmitted light is mesmerising. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Nitrous: Our attitude to past knowledge is often expressed by "We are dwarves standing on the shoulders of giants." This may have some validity but what is forgotten is that the dwarf can see further than the giant because he exceeds the giant's height. And, yes, there are ancient technologies which we still do not understand such as Roman bichromic glass which is green in reflected light and red in transmitted light. However, the Romans probably did not understand how it worked either. They knew a technique and that it worked but did not know why in a modern scientific sense. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Alexandr, Thank you. That helps to understand the construction. The wiring appears to be almost as complex as the iron work. It is very well hidden. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Alexandr: As always, lovely, lovely work. I do have 2 questions: (1) are the chains commercially manufactured or are they the product of your shop? (2) how is the chandelier wired? "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

I agree with Buzzkill. There has never been a Golden Age when man did not suffer from the desire for more for himself or his family/tribe/nation. This is an 18th century philosophical (Rousseau) idea that man once lived in a state of nature (Arcadia) when everything was wonderful and we are now in some degenerate state. ALL innovation was to get more or to get the same with less work or risk. Part of the problem is that technology has made it possible to take bigger bites. You couldn't over fish the oceans using sails and muscle power. It takes diesel engines and giant trawlers to do that. As to acquiring or collecting black smith tools and items I usually look at it and ask myself, "Self, will this object help me do something better, easier, or allow me to use a new technique? If so, is that advantage worth the cost? If yes to both previous questions, can I transport it? If yes to the previous 3 questions, can I fit it into my shop?" There are exceptions to this analysis such as if I know someone who could use it and I can pass it on to him or her as a gift or at cost or am I rescuing the object from oblivion in a land fill or a scrap pile to be sent to a steel mill. There is a philosophical difference between saying that someone should be able to acquire as much as they desire and can afford and the opposite side of that coin that no one should have more than they can put to use. Somewhere there is a Golden Mean between having a barn with 500 anvils quietly rusting and saying that one black smith equals one anvil. I don't know where that line lies but as a militant moderate I think there is a comfortable spot in the middle somewhere. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Thomas, It may not be a traumatic brain injury. As we get older two things start to happen to us. First, you start to lose your memory. And I don't remember the second thing. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Dear All, I bring this up because Jennifer, not to pick on her but she started the thought process in my head, admitted to having 16 anvils and counting. Almost all of us, by nature, are folk who acquire things that we may not have an immediate use for but see a potential use in the future, steel, tools, anvils, blowers, etc.. I do it and I think many folks on IFI do it. If we didn't we wouldn't have an "It followed me home" thread. However, when does acquisition for the future turn into hoarding, particularly when it is the sort of object, such as anvils, for which many people are searching? I have seen photos on the internet of people who have what must be hundreds of anvils in a barn. My thought is, "How many of those could be put into active use and promote the spread of the craft?" At some point the collecting of anything can become an unhealthy obsession which deprives other people of the use/enjoyment of the things being collected. It is one thing to collect things that do not have a useful value, like stamps, and another to collect useful objects that can be put to a productive use. Thoughts? Confessions? Philosophical musings? "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

You have a good use for coal clinkers in NY. Break up the clinkers to pea gravel size and put it into a container about the size of a 2 pound coffee can and put it in the car as winter traction material. There is nothing better because the fragments have sharp edges. It is much better than gravel or kitty litter. Put a bow on each container and give it to all the museum staffers for Xmas. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Dear Saint, It sounds like you want to build a kiln to fire ceramics. Someone with more experience with pottery can better answer this but the one time I tried to fire some clay items in my propane forge it was a dismal failure. In fact, they disintegrated and disappeared. I was told that with a kiln you have to bring the temperature up very slowly. I'm not sure your proposed set up would do that. Good luck though. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Some of what Glenn illustrated is getting towards "carbonaceous shale" from what would officially be "coal" geologically. There is another quality of coal that is significant for a blacksmith, "agglomeration." This is how "sticky" the coal is when it is burning. It also is a major factor in how well the coal converts to coke as it is exposed to the heat around the fire. A good coking coal has a fairly high agglomeration index. So, if you can get an analysis of the coal from the supplier you want high heat, low ash, high agglomeration, and as low sulphur as you can find (eastern US coals tend to be higher sulphur than western coals). In my experience, the rocks in coal tend to be more rounded than the coal fragments. Because of this my theory is that they do not originate in the coal seam or nearby rock but in the processing after mining. After going through the crusher and screening to make the appropriate fragment size the coal may be stacked in a pile and then loaded with a front end loader into the next process and machine to bag it. If the sized pile is on a concrete pad all will be well but if it is on the bare ground the loader may scoop up dirt and rocks with the coal, particularly if the loader operator is not well skilled. The last lift from the pile may get the underlying dirt and rocks when the earlier loads did not. I have seen rocks included in bags of coal that are clearly limestone pebbles. Limestone and coal are from different depositional environments and the limestone must have been introduced into the coal at some point after mining. I had one batch that had so many rocks that I was tempted to save them and take them back to my supplier and demand an equal weight of coal. I don't know of any way to separate coal from rock other than what has been suggested above. Frosty's suggestion of using available children as coal/rock separators probably will work pretty well but I'm not sure the parents will be best pleased by the return of coal black children. A blacksmith is expected to get black, children get grubby but actually blackened with coal dust may be exceeding expectations. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

A not well known historical factoid is that kerosene (paraffin to you Brits/Aussies) light and paraffin candles are a result of the discovery of oil in PA in 1859. Prior to that lighting was beeswax candles, whale oil lamps, rush lights, etc.. Much of the popularity of kerosene was the result of advertising by Standard Oil to develop demand for "rock oil" products. Paraffin is a by product of refining oil. Also, many people do not realize that biblical and medieval oil lamps burned vegetable oil, not kerosene. There have been a number of fires caused by someone trying to burn kerosene in a reproduction clay oil lamp with a cloth wick. A properly adjusted olive oil single wick lamp puts out about as much light as a candle (1 candle power?). "By hammer and hand all arts do stand

Well, we are about 2000 miles apart but I hope that we sometime will meet face to face. The only regular on IFI that I have ever met in the flesh is Thomas Powers and that was through the SCA and before I was seriously participating on this forum. I also hope to meet some of the other regulars that I feel I have gotten to know fairly well. If I had the time and money I'd like to visit the IFIers in Australia and then on the way home stop in Russia and watch Alexandr work his iron magic. One of the current theories is that the Easter Islanders "walked" the moa statues from the quarries to the platforms where they were placed. It makes sense to me but I'd like to see a full scale experiment. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Dear Jennifer, Well, you are a better (or stronger) person than I am. I can dead lift a 100 pound anvil into the back of a vehicle if I have to but that is about my maximum given age, knees, back, condition, etc.. I wouldn't begin to attempt some of the tasks you mentioned without serious mechanical advantage and assistance. Yes, having a chain fall in reach is a major advantage. My new shop has a roof of 2x4 trusses and I have been looking up trying to figure out how much load I could put on 1, 2, 3, or more of the 2x4s on the bottom of the trusses. As a swag I am thinking that I could safely hoist 250 pounds per truss. I might reinforce them by putting additional, short 2x4s between the horizontal bottoms and the inclined tops of the trusses. Thanks for the info. "By hammer and hand al arts do stand."

Assuming that the fire/forge is out of the picture in the foreground I think the anvil would have been closer to the heat source. Also, are these re-enactors or good mannikins? Even for a boy I think the bellows operator would be sitting cross legged or kneeling rather than just squatting flat footed. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Dear Jennifer, This is something I have wondered about folk with large anvils and other large equipment such as power hammers. How do you move them around? An overhead crane of some sort? A crane or davit mounted on the back of a truck that you maneuver close enough to pick up heavy object? Some sort of temporary gin pole arrangement? An auto engine dolly? I just moved my shop 150 miles and moving my treadle hammer involved pry bars, a come along, and a handy man jack. Moving bigger stuff seems impossible without some serious machinery or LOTS of friends/employees/apprentices/bystanders. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."