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I really dig the idea of making a tool to make a tool. Roy Underhill in an episode of The Woodwrights Shop said to the Peter Ross a blacksmith , " You have the most exciting job in woodworking, making the tools for woodworkers." so I understand that completely. Pnut

I have a bufco 700 that I was going to take apart for a full cleaning but this is exactly what I am afraid of. It's working now it's just a little stiff. I'm going to put a few drops of ATF in the oil hole and see if it helps before I open it up. Glad you got it working again. Pnut

If the rebound is good you got a deal. Looks like it has a lot of time left on it. Depending on which way you have the horn facing you'll have a whole far edge in great shape. Pnut

I would have sworn I read it as saying dang. I looked for the email notification of that post but already deleted it. Accidents happen. Pnut

Look up San Mai blade. Pnut

I once walked into a window I thought was an automatic door. Missed it byyyy that much. The door was to the left of the window I walked into. In my defense there was a mat in front of the window. I got a hearty laugh out of it at my expense. I wish I could have gotten the security footage. Pnut

I'm not a fan of changing the time twice a year either. There's been talk about doing away with it here. I hope that it happens. Pnut

When you get a little more skilled you can use leaf spring as the cutting edge in a RR spike knife. Pnut

I bet you also enjoy watching people walk into the automatic OUT door on their way IN to supermarket or vice versa. I know I do. Pnut

When I lived in Clarksville TN. The bars would close at 3 a.m. but alas they didn't get an extra hour of sales in the fall and actually lost an hour of sales in the spring. I have to work in the morning and getting an extra hour in the morning isn't worth feeling like I'm at work an hour later in the afternoon. Ymmv Pnut

Yes, and no. Leaf springs are made from hardenable steel but may have micro fractures from being used as springs that could cause it to break during heat treatment or when you're using it. If you want to make a knife from them go ahead. They'll be harder to move than a spike but even if there's micro fractures it will be better practice. If you want to make knives practice with something that will make a decent knife. RR spikes don't move the same as high carbon steel, they don't have the same range of forging temp., and they don't burn up as easy. I have a leaf spring I'm going to make a drawknife from. If you want to use salvaged steel and you have an old file you can use it and probably not have to worry about it having flaws in the structure before you start. To answer your question, yes you can use a leaf spring but be aware it might have cracks you can't see. As far as new steel Google , steel supplier near wherever you are. I have a steel supplier twenty minutes away from me that will sell small amounts of steel. If you want to practice making knifes use steel that will make a knife. Forging high carbon steel is different than forging low carbon or mild steel. Good luck Pnut

That's what you want. A 24 or 32 oz. ball pien is fine. Walmart has a hyper tough brand 2.5 pound engineers hammer for $7.24. The only drawback is it has a synthetic handle but it's good enough to get you started. My hammers were all cheap until I bought two dogshead hammers and a Czech pattern hammer and four top tools from a member who lives near me that made them and I paid less for all of those than what many cost by themselves. Don't think a cheap hammer won't work. The steel doesn't care if it's being worked with a $195 rounding hammer or a $2 flea market engineer's hammer. Pnut

I think for the size stock and what you were trying to do an S hook and chain hanging from the ceiling as Thomas suggested would work best as you can easily adjust the angle it holds the stock in relation to the anvil. If you want it higher just put the hook through a link farther up the chain. Pnut

Look up ducks nest. Pnut

The dreaded emerald ash borer. I'm right across the river from Cincinnati. They've killed all the ash around here. Do you also have the American Chestnut blight in your area? It's a fungus that makes big cankers on the trunk. If you catch it early you can plaster mud from around the base of the tree on the canker and wrap it up and it might stop it before it kills the tree. Surprisingly theres microbes in the soil that fight the fungus. Thats why it shows up just above the soil line. Pnut

I was surprised. I thought I knew everything he wrote. D.C. Beard was a local historical celebrity in my hometown. We learned about him in elementary school and scouts. I think I mentioned above my cub scout pack and boy scout troop was in the Dan Beard council so we learned a lot about him there. I'm not sure how much time was spent on him in other parts of the country but we felt a special kinship with him as we grew up in the same place, I literally grew up just a few blocks away from his childhood home. He was a true believer in the capacity for activities in nature to form men with integrity. Pnut

I found this at the library and since I've been looking for an easy way to cover my forge I borrowed it. I didn't realize it was written and illustrated by Daniel Carter Beard until I got home. Coincidentally I used to live just a couple of blocks away from his home on 3rd St. in Covington KY. and also was in the Dan Beard council when I was a scout Pnut

A wood floor doesn't seem like the best idea. I drop hot metal occasionally and sparks fly. I'm sure there's a way to mitigate the hazard but I need to think about it for a bit. Hopefully someone else will know before I can get back to you. Pnut Fire resistant concrete backer board on the floor around the forge and anvil might work. I don't know how durable it would be.

Equally therapeutic. Pnut

Mmm mmm m rhubarb. HF has a cheap cross pien as does Loews, home Depot, and Walmart. You may have to order online and pick them up in store or have them delivered to your house but they're pretty cheap. I got a cross pien at the TSC by me but they don't carry the 2#er in store. They didn't have any wood handled ball piens in store either and I can't pay full price for a new hammer that I have to rehandle. Pnut

I'm sure you know that P.M.A. is one of the most important things. Having something you want to do helps also. Forging has been one of the most beneficial things I could have done as far as getting my body,mind, and spirit back on the road to recovery besides starting to work again. It did wonders for my mental health not to mention getting back into shape after a few years of no real physical activity. I think having a job to go to kept my mother alive longer than had she retired. I think having responsibility and purpose does wonders for people. My mom had squamous cell carcinoma and beat it. She was finally laid low by a case of the flu in the beginning of 2018. Seems ironic she defeated cancer and was killed by a cold but I'm drifting. Blacksmithing has given me something to aspire to, learn about and do that I enjoy and can't get enough of. Hopefully it will do the same for you. It's something you never know everything about no matter how long or hard you work and study. One of the best things for regaining your health is having something you want to do tomorrow. I'm glad you're feeling better and if you need anything shoot me a PM and I'll do whatever I can to help. Oh yeah in case you didn't know P.M.A. means positive mental attitude. It sounds ridiculous but positivity really works wonders. Keep up the good fight and get that forge lit. I'm pulling for you. Pnut

Where there's a will there's a way. Mechanical advantage rocks. Levers ,fulcrums, wheels, and inclined planes can move nearly anything. I seen some guys put a chevette in the back of a pick up with bumper jacks and logs. A cherry picker or hoist and pipe frame shouldn't be too hard to come by to move your anvil. A fortunately placed tree branch and some ratchet straps maybe? Pnut

I've seen pliers like that used to stretch and hold leather over a last to tack and peg it. Pnut

I just woke up. Good night kids Pnut

They're really simple. After you build one and use it for a while it'll make you want to experiment a little but it's basically a hole In the ground raised up to a more convenient height. Pnut Nighty night ;-)