pnut

Yep Charles is the guru of the jabod.

Yeah I have a piece of wood that goes over it. The forge is a nightstand from the hotel I work at. It's particle board so it's coming apart. I used L brackets on the corners because it was just held together with pegs. My first one was much nicer but I didn't put anything under the legs and it sunk into the mud and fell over and busted

That is behind my apartment building so I can't build anything too substantial.

It's a trench forge with a side blast tuyere. I can forge weld, well burn steel is more accurate in mine. Check the thread on them out. They're pretty cool and cost almost nothing and need no tools to build really. Pnut I just stay in if it gets too rainy. The trees block lighter rain and I don't mind the snow. I've been considering a lean to or something.

I think I read every thread there was about em and jotted down notes. I think that's why I'm so partial to them. My first one worked great. I'm about to build a new one. The one now has been outside for about nine months. It's showing its age. I have a big SS prep table from a restaurant to put the new one on. Pnut

You know if a jabod is too small for what you usually do you can always make one larger with more than one tuyere like a Japanese forge. Pnut

They don't stock em at the one by me. That's good to know. I might get one ordered in the future. I'm surprised they don't have them here. I'm right on the edge of the bluegrass region. Only about fourty five minutes from Kentucky Horse Park and Churchill Downs. Pnut

A lot of anvils have softer horns. Pnut

You really should just build a box 24x24x 8 inches deep. You can make the box bigger but I wouldn't go any smaller. A 55 gal drum cut off at 8 inches works great too. Pnut

She's a beautiful monster. Pnut

JHCC, are they both altered (spayed or neutered)? If so and they're both socialized well you shouldn't have a problem. The socialization is more important than being fixed in my experience but it helps. Frosty, Dachshunds are some of the best vermin dogs around. They have no fear.They'll charge straight down a burrow without hesitation. Brave tenacious little guys. Pnut

I bet there's quite a few improvised anvils hiding on that property. Anyone in central Pa. That needs one I strongly suggest getting in touch with that scrapyard ASAP. Pnut

A year ago I would have done the same thing with a forklift tine. The more metal under your hammer the better. I use a piece of thirty inch RR track standing vertical so I have as much mass under each hammer blow as possible with what I have. Don't get discouraged. Remember it's supposed to be fun. Pnut

It's not a make it or break it type of deal but try to get hydrophilic fumed silica. It's easier to mix with water. Hydrophobic fumed silica mixes with water easier in combination with a surfactant. A squirt of jet dri or shampoo will work to help it mix. It becomes colloidal silica after you mix it with water. Pnut

The face plate standing up would have been a good Anvil on its own. I'd consider taking it off and using the horn on a separate stand but that's just my opinion. Pnut

This Is my low budget set up. It works fine for me. Like Thomas said at least you're doing something. Pnut

Let us know how it works. Bottom blast forges seem to go through charcoal fast. Pnut

Good point. I feel better about it now. I'm prone to left turns and sometimes the conversation can lead to strange places. Glad this one was relevant. Pnut

Are you making it side or bottom blast. If you're going to make it a side blast forge just build it like a jabod. Fill it with clay or whatever you decide to the edge of the rim dig a trench about an inch deep and make a mound on either side of the rim with the pipe coming in the side of the mound just above the edge of the rim. Pnut

Dirt. Clay mixed with sand. Just clay. You can make Adobe. I just use the clay straight from the ground behind where I live. It's cheap and plentiful. When it cracks I just get another shovelful. For repairing small cracks I just grab a little mound of worm castings and push some in the crack and smooth it out. It's been working fine. Pnut

Thanks for the help. I will now bring this thread hijack to a peaceful conclusion. Pnut

I've had good luck with talking directly to the maintenance crews. That's how I got the piece of rail I use for an anvil. They even cut it for me to the length I wanted. Telling them what you plan on doing with them and If you know the names of the pieces you're wanting and some general railroad terminology it helps, but probably not as much as cold drinks on a hot day or hot coffee and donuts on a cold one. I grew up in a RR family and worked for a little while in a trainyard in Cincinnati putting manifest trains together. Most RR workers are more than happy to help you once you've told them it's for blacksmithing and you're not trying to scrap it. I haven't tried contacting a company directly but they don't care how long that pile sits there. I don't think they'd be too willing to give or sell you anything, but it's worth a try. I suggest looking for a maintenance crew.

You can get em through the NRA civilian marksmanship program. They're running out though. I wouldn't wait too long. I think they were about 600$ last time I checked. No small amount of money but not a fortune either. The quality is variable though. Some are new some have seen active duty and were refurbished. I got lucky I guess and got a tack driver. Pnut

There's still some NOS surplus Springfields and M-1's available if you are interested in long distance shooting. The 1903's are better than the M-1'S without any modifications but I've seen some great long distance M-1 mods. I love long distance shooting. Nothing beats waiting to hear if you scored. You can dump a lot of time and money into L.D.S. with reloading equipment and everything else involved. It can take over if you let it. Pnut

I have a much harder time handing over my hard won cash versus trading for something. I don't think I could give two thousand dollars for it but something worth two thousand dollars I'd have no problem trading off. I've always been that way though. It seems like money is harder to come by than stuff. I've had about two thousand dollars for a car for about three or four months and I've been walking to work and back because I can't find anything I think is worth what they're asking. What I'm trying to say is cash has the potential to be anything but a thing is just a thing. I definitely prefer horse trading. Good luck with the anvil and remember it's supposed to be fun. If you start to get frustrated put down the hammer and do something else for a while. It'd be terrible to get stressed by the things that are supposed to bring you happiness. Pnut