new guy

well i am definatley going to be up at the danbury railway mueseam tommorow. they have a great bunch up there. have fun playing with fire and hot metal :D

if your ever up in danbury ct shoot me off a pm (or a call if i rember to send it to you:D). i volunteer at the danbury rail way mueseam and there are a couple of smiths up there too.

well, everyone said it already, but i may as well. there is a high price of freedom that is often paid in blood. i for one am greatful that people are willing to give their lives for people and keep complete strangers safe and free. and on a lighter note, no drinking and driving. it is the leading cause of teenager deaths in america. have a nice memorial day.

i would use whatever is lying around, but soft woods. go for hard woods like oak, hockory, and cherry (as scales) will work. cherry looks great but what do you want from a knife. set asid some promising wood and dry it out. good luck.

umm as a fellow new guy i would go for punching and drifting. pipe does not have enough carbon for an edge, and forge welding is a challenge. good luck but just punch and drift a hefty bar of medium or high carbon steel. make hooks and tong racks (they come in handy and are easy to make). good luck.

well i read up on the refflinghaus refacing, and it is not much cheaper than a new 100lb anvil. also i have heard vulcans arent the best, so maybe an old kohlswa or something else, but good luck.

wowey! that is a good find, i would not make a knife out of that, i would go for a pucnh or some hot work tools. but, that is just me. air hardening tool steel is a great find. good luck.

swarfmascus is a real keeper for an idea. i may just borrow it and make me a ring or two, maybe even i knife.

i cannot alter voulume, but i have a brake rotor forge, so i used an old tail pipe, i then have a sheet metal 'diffusor' to slow the air speed, but i do not lose any ofthe air being shot it. and i am not increasing anything per say, but the air is not shooting the air out at the speed of the hair dryer.it works and i am using it alot, so if it fails, i may just put it up as what not to do. and white pine works well with this set up.

ok wil do. i just have to get home from school and finish my homework. but, all work and no play makes you a dull boy :D

the fisher norris anvils (i think) have the weight with only the first 2 numbers cast in. and i doubt i can find them again. oh, well. i will see if i can take pics. i may or may not be in the pics. but if i am i am 6'2" and, is this the right term(?), well built. and thanks. and congrats to you to rob. i hear kohlswa are great anvils. and this things was at least 120. but yeah 18may be part of the year. and this puppy is hefty hefty hefty. well pics and an actualy weight may be on the way, but honestly i don't care about the weight enough to unspike it form my anvil. yes i did hold it down with 4 rr spikes. although, i do love my anvil. man your first real anvil is a memorable experiance. good luck with all of you rsmithing ventures.

does anyone know what tie plates are? i think they are pretty hard. i jsut did a search and no good answers came up. thanks for reading.
edit: i read up and it turns ou they are about .80 percent carbon. just thought you would like to know.

that is true, but i have a 2 or 3 foot deep fire and i only have coals about 8 inches in. but, i replaced it with a brake drum forge which works great. but high pressure, and low speed works better, i got this from experience and hearsay.

ok that is good to know. did you use mig, tig, oxy, or some other kind of welder i do not know of? this seems like a really interesting project. and does it ring really badly? or is it like a fisher and almost ring free?

look up the a series tool steel and h-13. both are air hardening. i have heard a really thin 5160 chisel will aire harden, but i do not remember where.

i also have heard that rr spikes are good for holding an anvil in place. i have just done so on a new stump. i cannot say how well they last, but they worked well the first time i used them.

try to add pictures. i think i know what you are talking about, but i do not know what they are called. people who know more can tell you more info.

umm thank you (i am right this time i think:rolleyes:) i reallt want to find the forklift tine anvil link. i know where i can get one (for me) in case a friend can heft my hammers. thanks again and happy hammering.

well it looks like a short term quick fix to me. although i know tiddly sqautabout welding. i have heard (and will find the link) that you can cut one tine off of a forklift fork and use that for an anvil.

hey nate how did the welds hold up over time? and do you think it is worth taking the time to weld on a plate? although i think that is way cool and great idea.

panzertank27 i am a fan of my hearing (smarty pants arent i?) so i wear earplugs even with my fisher, also you can't hear mom or dad saying dinners ready then. but do you wear saftey glasses? i hear didyium is good. have fun on you rr track.

i am a fan of not having to weld, but that is beacause my forge is not hot enough. but it is a skill that is useful even if you do not need it.

:rolleyes:i personally reuse anything andeverything. i have an old sewer pipe forge. a worn out brake rotor forge, and an old tailpipe as an airsupply. i have a very nice 100 odd year old anvil, in pretty good shape too. and i burn scrap lumber and wood chips. and i have 2nd or 3rd hand tongs. i think i might be an eco friendly blacksmith.

http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f22/lets-do-something-about-hf-aso-6851/ hah i found the link that is was thinking of! and yes i added mis information, but that is the curse of hearsay. i just thought that i would prove my source and info. and i was wrong about how it was welded. sorry about that.

well this 15yr old has 2 anvils (omigod the fisher is great and rr trackis not so great, but it is flat and metal). but from what i know $3 a pound for a used anvil is pushing the upper limits. altough i would buy it, if i had the cash.rhino anvils i have heard that rhino anvils are decent, but have never used one myself, so don't take my word for it.http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f83/rhino-240-a-12008/ this is a thread that has philip in china (another member) talking about and sorta reveiwing his new rhino 240 is a tad expensive for a begginer (this is posted by one ). have fun getting an anvil. and i have bought sold and traded for 4 anvils: a steel road plate section, a rr tie plate, a rr track, and a 180# fisher norris. not much compared to some of you old salts out there ;D but a few for a newbie.