chrisfrick

One thing worth mentioning about the preheating of tooling: DO NOT heat excessively!! You could possibly ruin the tempering/hardness of an anvil, etc. (basically don't get it too hot to touch).

Thanks, guys. I'm going to try calling the "air police" of Sacramento county as well as the California Air Resources Board with a "general" inquiry. I'm going to tell them that "...I'm interested in getting into blacksmithing and need to know the regulations regarding the burning of coal..." (although I'm not going to tell them that I burned about 5 lbs. last weekend and the weekend before that, and the weekend before that...) The "under a 1/2 ton" sounds familiar, although I'm at a loss as to where I found that. As for my neighbors, the ones directly to my right/left know what's up and don't care--one's dad used to be a smith and she actually *likes* the sound of my anvil. I've made various items for the other one, including S-hooks for the hanging plants they have, a heart for valentines day, and some BBQ tooling. -Chris

Hey everyone, got a question for mainly the Northern California people, but if you have any info, any and all would be appreciated. Last weekend, a coworker went to a gun show in the greater Sacramento area and met a guy who is a blacksmith in Sacramento who said my name sounded familiar (only guessing said individual is a member of this forum). In any case, my coworker asked if he used coal in his forge and was told that it's illegal to burn coal in Sacramento (whether it be City or County, I don't know). I've scoured the internet and have only been able to find documentation/legislation on coal powered industrial operations, such as power plants, cement factories, etc. Does anyone know if it's illegal to burn small quantities of coal (under 25-50 lbs per month) in either the city of Sacramento, or Sacramento county? I'd hate to have to switch back to charcoal!!

The square hole that a square can pass through--lemme see, I have made hundreds of square holes using a recip saw and then filing to final dimensions. Only done it once with steel, and that was the hardie hole on my anvil (annealed 4140 about 2.5 inches thick). Most of my files are used on custom aircraft instrument panels, so final fit must be precise due to the cost involved. Much, much easier in 2024 aluminum than any form of steel. Hats off to anyone who can file a square hole, a square to fit through that hole, and have minimal light pass through!

Nice pics and shop, Sam! Especially good for a phone! Curlygeorge--I have AT&T also an although I haven't done it in a while, you *should* be able to send the pictures from your phone to your email, the same way you would send a text message. Instead of a phone #, just put in your email (or someone you want to send it to), insert the pic and hit send. Of course this is all theory, at this point, and also depends on what kind of phone it is, too. :)

If that was a little taller, I'd say it's the Nimba Anvil's great grandfather. Nice chunk of steel you got there!

Exactly what I've come to figure out. I originally started out using charcoal, as it was readily available from the local mega-mart in 10 lb sacks. Came out to about $0.85/lb (US). My wife's friend's husband used to be a blacksmith with his dad, who gave me about 10 lbs of coal to try. Been hooked ever since as I don't have to constantly shovel charcoal onto my fire, it gets hotter with less air blast, and I can get it for about $0.35/lb. I would make charcoal if I could, but don't have the space to do so (used to but hat's another story all together).

That's an overwhelmingly impressive collection. It's a shame that all of those tools are just sitting there, doing absolutely nothing.

Thomas--I haven't gone around to the auto suspension shops. Managed to hit a u pull it yard during a 1/2 off, buy one get one free type sale and got ( seemingly) tons of stuff. Gonna be a long time before I run out of 5160!

Thanks again for your generosity. At this time I'm going to have to pass it up (I know, I'll probably be kicking myself later. I love 4140). If you were reserving a box, let someone else have the good fortune. -Chris

Monstermetal-- please email me. I'd be very interested in buying a couple feet. That's an awesome deal and I'd like to say thank you for sharing! -Chris

All the scrap yards in the Sacramento area won't sell to the public. I just go to one of the (seemingly thousands) u-pull it yards and get leaf and coil springs off old fords and such. However there are a couple of places that sell to the public, such as Blue Collar Supply and (I think) S&K steel.

Chuck, Just out of curiosity, where are you getting your coke? I live in Sacramento and have been having a hard time finding coal (well, at least at reasonable prices). And I have a bottom blast forge that works very well--haven't tried the side blast. Let us know how it works. -Chris

Brian, Try looking at McMaster-Carr's website. I believe the correct nomenclature is "oil cup." A little "thingy" with a spring loaded flip-up lid, right? Sounds like you're looking for a rather large one, so M-C might not have something that big. You could also try making one out of 3/8" brass (I like the brass--just looks cooler!) and use a threaded cap on the end. If you decide to make one with a screw-on cap, just remember to drill a tiny hole in the top of it (maybe use a #60 drill) so it won't develop a vacuum and provide for better lubrication. -Chris

I get my coal from Lazzari, too. I get their "fireplace" coal, which is about $15 per 50 lb bag. Only real problem is that coal comes in bowling ball sized lumps they take a couple of hours to bust up. Other than that, it's ok. I figured it cost me about $0.35/lb for coal versus about $0.85/lb for charcoal. I'm sticking with the coal!