Chris C

I can only imagine, Das. What did you do, steal a "borrow" a welder, JHCC? Chris

Ausfire, those critter headed hooks are really gobsmacking. I'd really like to be able to make those some day. Would love to watch you create those. You ought to post an instructional video on the process sometime. Das, I like your branding irons. I might just have to try and make one for myself. WPF for Whispering Pines Forge. Would be fun to brand stands and things with it. But I still need to find a welder to do that. Chris

Great explanation, Anvil. I love watching experienced craftsmen, JHCC. I'd love to watch the Colonial Williamsburg blacksmiths at work. That must have been quite an experience. (I really need to "get out" more!)

By Hand and Eye is indeed, almost required reading for furniture makers, JHCC. My copy is on loan to a prodege as I type. I believe your mentor was exactly right. Good read, for sure. A thorough understanding of pleasing proportions is imperative in the creative process. Without it, all one has is pretty much a "thing" of functionality without any balance and beauty. Thanks for mentioning it.

Sam, Good job on that knockdown bench. Your drawing doesn't show well enough for me to answer my question, but are those full-length sliding dovetails on the stretchers under the top or rabbits topped with dovetails? That bench will serve you well. Good solid work surfaces are always a blessing. Based on how you put it together, I'm sure you know how to attach the top so it will "move" with the humidity and still stay flat. (?) Regular modeling clay, as Pnut mentioned, stays "fluid" and will move. My wife is an artist and also makes sculpted jewelry. She uses a product called Sculpy Clay. (readily available at places like Hobby Lobby or Michael's) After you form your object, you "fire" it in a toaster oven to set it. No hassle to accomplish. It would be perfect, for example, to make a pattern of a hook, leaf key-chain, snake, feather, or anything that would fit into the toaster oven.............or a larger oven for that matter. Then you would have a 3-D object to use as a pattern when forging items. Chris

One of our members posted he was selling his anvil because his thumb had tried to commit suicide on his table saw. I can't find that thread. To make matters worse, I even posted in the thread and STILL can't find it. Chris

Frosty, you must have missed my post where I said I tested it and it only swelled the 15/16" board by .002".............but that I went ahead and coated the surfaces of the mold with Shellac so I'm assured the Vaseline won't soak into the MDF. Chris

Thanks, Frosty. Chris

Thanks. Chris

Good advice, but this thread is almost 12 years old and the original poster hasn't been on the forum in a long, long time. Chris

Looks like a keeper to me. Congrats. Chris

No offense taken. I just didn't understand the humor because I didn't know what the Donkey's character was all about. Chris

Mandragoran, that's a pretty nice lookin' Vulcan. Congrats. The edges are in a lot better shape than my 50# Vulcan. As IFC said, get'er cleaned up and "put it to work". Chris

That's a very good way to keep track of what you've done............and what you want to do in the future. Back when my brother and I owned a plastic manufacturing facility, we used to take Poloroid (yes, I know that's WAY old technology) pictures of each manufacturing step and all the set-ups for each step for each part we manufactured. Notated pictures (very similar to what you've shown here) were far easier for people to set up each time we had a new run. And it was more easily deciphered by new people who had never done it before. So what you've done will be extremely helpful to you in the future. Keep a notebook of how you did each step and make notes (as you've done) so you refresh your memory each time you go back to make this hook again. You can refer to your drawings/notes until making that particular hook comes naturally. Chris

Ain't skeert.....just joshin'. Chris

By the looks of dem dair fancy lookin' ribbons, you weren't out of your element at all ! Chris

Well, we had no doubts! Congrats, Jennifer. Chris

That's really sharp, KYCATS. Ya done good! Chris

Thanks, Les. I'm not usually that patient. After assuring myself it probably wouldn't pose a problem.........................(and because I'm so blasted OCD) I put a coat of Shellac on all interior surfaces of the mold as extra protection from the Vaseline. Hopefully will insert all the straws (while going completely cross-eyed) and pour (I understand that's not actually what happens) the Mizzou refractory for the ribbon burner. DRotblatt gave me step by step instructions, so I'm not totally freaked out about it. I'll just make sure I've no interruptions (unplug my shop phone) and try to get into my "zone" and git-er-done. Chris

Ouch, I can relate. Used to get a "major" speeding ticket on every yearly vacation back when I was younger and more heavy-footed. Chris

That's cool. I like giving things to people...........and do it frequently. That's why I don't mind accepting gifts when people are gracious enough to do the same. I was in the gym the other day and a guy and I were talking when he mentioned he was looking for a small bench vice for his "closet" workshop. I gave him a beautiful little jeweler's vice that was my Dad's and he was tickled to death. "Pay it forward" has always been my motto. I admire and appreciate people who have the same one. Chris

Okay, "the guinea pig" is gettin' back with you. I mentioned I'd drill the holes (for my straws in the floor of my ribbon burner mold) into MDF material. Got worried the Vaseline might make it swell too much for the straws to fit in the already tight holes. Well, I smeared some Vaseline on a known thickness of 15/16" MDF and let it set over 12 hours and put the dial calipers to it. It only swelled .002" in the 15/16" thickness, so I'm not worried...........nor should you be if you go that route.

I'll just keep lookin', Thomas. It's kind of like my anvil search.............it will come along when it comes along and not before. But I already see a lot of projects I want for my forge shop that will need welding, so I need to find one and start teaching myself asap. Well, frankly I liked Frosty's description better! Chris

I started a thread in Hand Hammers specifically about hammer stands. Hope a lot of people will chime in and share ideas. I like what I've seen here already. Pretty inventive folks here on IFI.

I am continually impressed with the ingenuity of the members of this forum. I've truly enjoyed and learned tons of tips from the "Show me your Anvil Stands" thread. Blows me away with the way people approach something a supposedly simple as a place to set one's anvil on. I recently brought up the question about how to attach a hammer rack to my anvil stand and picked up a lot of ideas. I know many people are on IFI for the purpose of learning as well as the camaraderie. JHCC, Arkie and Les L showed me some interesting ideas. So how about showing us your solution to "where to put all these hammers"????? Chris