Randy Griffin

Frosty, I'm not in a wheelchair yet.  I'm not sure if they fold out of the way or not. If they do then this setup should work just fine.

I've moved some stuff around but this is my basic setup. I'm closing in the part with the floor and then going to move everything again. Work tables to my right and behind me. I'm going to leave the post anvil where it is. Should have done that long ago. That is why I think this would be perfect for a wheelchair. I can sit in one spot and reach anvil and forge. Wheelchair should straddle the anvil. Problem is going to be the armrests.

I really like that style anvil. I'm partial to the wide waist. Needs some hot steel on it.

I'm going to add a hundred years to its life and say possibly pre-1800s.

6 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

I have a friend who managed to remove both his index fingers

I knew a fellow who cut all his fingers off. When he got to the hospital they asked him why he didn't bring the fingers.

Said he couldn't pickem up. 

Good point. I don't have flowers or garden around my shop. I have wood borers, mud daubers and wasp.

Get some Happy Jack Kennel Dip and 1 gal sprayer. Mix 4 oz/gal. Spray everything the skeeters might land on. A fine mist. Controls skeeters for months. Be careful around cats. Permethrin supposedly not good for them. I don't have to worry about that. All our cats lay around the front porch waiting for a handout.

What Das said. I cut one apart. Never again. Lucky I didn't break a finger. Or worse.

Agreed George N. M.

Looks like it needs some grain refinement. Try three normalizing cycles. Then quench and break it again.

I am not wheelchair bound but I can't stand. Standing for any amount of time makes me sick. I also have very bad knees so sitting is a must. Just walking 100 feet on crutches to my shop is a challenge.

I'm still redesigning my smithy and will get some pictures later but the first thing I did is come up with a chair. My legs must be level when sitting. Knees too high or too low causes problems and I'll probably find something that works better eventually but for now I welded a pipe to the inside curve of a disc harrow blade and have a cushioned boat seat mounted in the pipe. Takes a little getting used to but I can spin around, lean forward, backward and to eather side.

With my forge in front of me I have a post anvil to my left, my old London pattern to my right and my vise directly behind me. Like TP said earlier, I like my anvil between my legs.

I'll get some dimensions later but I used a block of wood and my hammer to get anvil height. I would hit it and cut it off until I got a perfect hammer face. That's the height of my anvil face.

I'll add more and pictures later. Hope this can help somebody out there. It works for me.

Skeeters. They're bad right now.

If they accept, be sure and do the ring and rebound tests before the money exchanges hands. $325 is kinda high for boat anchors.

Yeah, with the previous owner stamping stuff all over it I'd be willing to bet it's haunted. I'll pay the freight if you want to send it to me for disposal. 

Looks kinda cobblerish to me too.

Here in lower Alabama we're blessed with all of the above. Only a few scorpions but they're here. Now throw in the red wasp and guinea wasp and you'll start looking under and behind everything you touch.

How many people here like to metal detect? I too like it and have buckets of metal I have saved. I don't get to do it much anymore due to my health but have a trip planned in the future. There is an old loging spur on our hunting lease and I'd like to get some more rail spikes. The track was there in the 30's.

Kale? Nasty plant?

I love kale. My favorite green. 

Hi Benjamin. I'm from Monroe County. I too am new to the trade. Been at it for a couple years now. Lost a lot of time due to health issues but am trying to modify my shop and get back to work. Where are you located?

Try a tungsten electrode for tig welding. IMO works better than ceramic.

So sorry. Prayers sent.

My grandmother had guinea and made dumplings or cornbread dressing with them. All dark meat but very tasty.

I too have used diclofenac. The castor oil works better on my hands. My knees however are too far gone. I'm candidate for replacement of both but after having my bladder removed last year, major surgery of any kind is out of the question for a long time. 

I have arthritis in my hands. Not as bad as what you're describing but bad enough. Thumbs are the worst. When it acts up I start rubbing hands with castor oil every morning. Rub it in good. Wrapping in hot towels helps even more. After about a week I'm good for a few months. I'm talking pain free for a few months. Try it. It really works.

Yeap, scrap yard prices sound a lot better.

Question, did all the tires have screws through them?  See them with and without.