pnut

I have a quick and dirty flatter that's just piece of plate welded to a rod that's been working fine for me. Pnut

Needs more Cal mag . Just playing. Pnut

I can still swing a hammer without pain it's just all the other movements that hurt. I know I shouldn't be putting it off but I'm trying to make it through the busy season at work so I can get through the winter financially after we hit the dead season between November and April. I'm not forging because I don't want to exacerbate the injury any further. Hammering isn't the issue. Setting up and breaking down the smithy is when I hurt my shoulder. I don't know if I'll make it to the slow season or not but I'm sure as soon as I see a doctor I'll not be able to work for at least 4-6 weeks. Pnut

I was tickled pink with the bundle of Ken's tongs I bought in the beginning. I don't know why people think that tongs are a good beginner project. You can quickly progress to making tongs but it's not something I'd recommend for a first or second project. Have you seen the easy tong blueprint here? I thought I had the link on my clipboard but alas I don't. It's BP001 Easy to make tongs. My advice when making your first set of real tongs is to do each operation on both pieces. Don't forge one side all the way through then start the other side. When I figured this out it improved my tong making by a sight. Pnut

I love praying mantis' and love the sculpture. Excellent work. Pnut

I don't see why it wouldn't. I haven't personally tried it for this application but it works for an annealing insulation so there's no reason it wouldn't work as the dry fill for a forge with a firepot such as the one you've made or a MARKIII jabod like I use. Pnut

I'm with Thomas but if I had to make a different guess I'd say it was some sort of insulation for a differential heat treat like claying a blade. Pnut

I second Anvil's advice. It might be a little more labor intensive but you're less likely to make a mistake. If you're not patient enough for that a die grinder to get close and then hand filing would be my second choice. Pnut

I like the results I've gotten from the lug wrench I used for a punch. I'm thinking about making some eye punches from the other ones I have after my shoulder issue is resolved. I'm having Blacksmithing withdrawal syndrome (BWS) and it's horrible. I've been playing with clay a lot but it's the equivalent of chewing on a straw when you want a cigarette Pnut

I recently had to grind a shank to fit my hardy hole. I wasn't sure about grinding ductile iron so I asked about it here and took it slow and let it air cool frequently. I managed to get a one inch shank to fit in the hardy hole on my little 30kg anvil without much trouble. Pnut

I know this is an old thread but this may benefit someone reading this in the future. If it's the same type of Peddinghaus slitting chisel I have it's made from a manganese silicon steel and is an air cool only alloy. Pnut

I fill mine right up to the rim and the lid is removable so you can walk around it almost 360⁰ except for where the tue enters from the side. It took some fiddling with it to get the center of the hot spot level with the rim of the forge so you can lay stock flat across it but once you get it right it's easy to duplicate if you have to disassemble the forge. Pnut

I use a Webber kettle grill filled with dry kitty litter and bricks for the firepot. I put a round piece of plywood in the bottom to take up some room and require less litter. I've been considering something lighter though for the fill like perlite or vermiculite. Pnut Looks like I posted the same thing on the previous page hahaha.

Or you crack the firepot. Pnut

The bottom blast forge I made burned through charcoal like nobody's business. The side blast MARKIII style jabod is more efficient for charcoal compared to the brake rotor forge I built. Pnut

There's a saddle type I've only really seen in KY called a KY spring seat saddle that's about as comfortable a ride as you can get especially if paired with a mountain pleasure horse. It was first made in Owingsville KY by Eugene Minihan in the late 1800's. They're hard to find these days. Pnut

That's how I've always been able to tell the difference. Crocs look toothier than gators when their mouths are closed. Pnut

Looks good. You find yourself a post vise and you'll have the Blacksmithing triangle kitted out. Welcome aboard, be safe, and remember it's supposed to be fun. Pnut

When you shape your handles leave a knob or bulge at the end to prevent this. I've started leaving the last inch or two the original size when I sand and shape my handles. Pnut

Pretty slick. I've been meaning to make something similar for a long time. Pnut

I also first read it as "asked to work harden". Pnut

You never know what might go wrong in the wilderness. While not necessary it's not a bad idea. Personally I have spent quite a bit of time in both the desert and the mountains without one but if things would have went terribly wrong it could have made rescue or recovery easier. Pnut

Looks like it has a nice strong draw. Well done. Pnut

I use Teflon tape for the regulator to hose and regulator to bottle connection but I clean the threads and fittings with a little bottle brush every time I disconnect it which is every time I use it. If I didn't have to disconnect it every time I'd use a liquid sealant. Pnut