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I Forge Iron

Ted H

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Everything posted by Ted H

  1. Well, you blokes have certainly put the cat among the pigeons in terms of my expectations. All in a good way. I don't do a lot of forging at the moment but have previously spent 12 months (1 night per week) working with the Caretaker Blacksmith one Guido Gouverneur at the historic Railway Workshops in Redfern, Sydney. They closed them down officially in 1975, but the bloke who took over as caretaker, had a family history of smithing, grandfather, father, and himself. He taught me a lot - toolmaking through to decorative work. Me? I just wanted to do it. The most frightening part of the whole experience was using a 20 ton hammer to drive a double tapered hole, for a hammer handle, through a 100 x 50 x 50 mm "slightly warm" hammer head. I hit the punch just a little off centre, and all I could hear was the PING PING PING as it disappeared into the darkness bouncing off the machinery as it progressed through the shop - no one was hurt, no one was even hit - favourable outcome. I have built myself a LP Gas forge, and have forged tongs and hammers, but keep getting distracted with other stuff until I decided what to do with the anvil. You have all basically offered the same sage advice, which I will follow. I'll dress the edges, and wire brush the table. I can't decipher the manufacturers name yet and the weight markings show 2 on the left extremity and 24 on the right - so 2 cwt, ? qtrs, and 24 lbs - so it could be ... 248 lbs, or 276 lbs, or 304 lbs, or even 332 lbs. I'll get to that face with a wire wheel and see if I can answer those questions. Unfortunately that face has been used to test cutting tools or chisels. Ted.
  2. Folks, I am hoping to have my anvil repaired. It's been sitting around the shop on a trolley for a lot of years - certainly not the full century plus it can lay claim to, but as I have nearly finished it's mating Post Vyce, I thought I should bring it back to a usable condition. I understand that this anvil is essentially a tool. It has been constructed so that it too can be used to create tools. As such it must be serviceable. In its present state it leaves unfortunate "imperfections" and stress raisers on components made on it. A blacksmith's hammer is the partner to the anvil and it too must have almost a mirror finish to its striking surface, and so I have to repair the table of this old fella so that it can carry out its function effectively. This anvil is nearly 150 years old, made in Great Britain, and transported probably as ships ballast. Plainly I bought it second hand, and with my post vice (which is used everyday) it cost A$700. My intention is to have the table and working surfaces refurbished for work, but for the patina on the rest of the anvil to remain untouched. It has been badly used in places, but better than many I have seen. I have no intention of confining it to the garden for decorative purposes, or cashing in the iron with the scrappies. It's a tool, much like the hammer I forged in the Everleigh Railway Blacksmiths Shop at Redfern in Sydney some years ago. I'm a trained Aircraft Maintenance Engineer but I understand that all tools come from a common source – that being the Blacksmith's Forge, Anvil, and Hammer - all coordinated by a Master Blacksmith. I'm simply searching to master the roots of all engineering trades. It really needs just the edges of the table to be restored - I'd probably leave the Hardie and Pritchel holes unaltered - they'll do their job as they are, and there is a 3/16" deep hole in the middle of the steel table surface. With those repairs done, I would seek to have the table surface ground to make it flat and straight. I have "tested" the steel top with a large hammer and she responds with a nice ring and a satisfying rebound. There is one awkward section that exposes a little more of the steel table than I am comfortable with but none of the damage extends into the wrought iron base structure. The worst damage, the small hole in the middle of the table is 3/16" deep, and that is the deepest scar. So what I had as a Plan B was to radius the damaged edge, either hit the 3/16" hole with a spot of weld and grind it back, and/or have the surface ground (it won't take much off) as I think this will give me a decent surface, and simply avoid using the area with the hole, this has a very big table so that approach is distinctly possible. Cheers, Ted
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