Charlotte

One of my books on Japanese craft mentions 3/16  equilivant.

Outstanding . Very striking pair.

Weld up an art sculpture!    There are lots of people that fancy dangerous looking art.   One way or the other render then  non-knives.

Game of Thrones foot stool???

Oh great!  Now when I make something like that for our local,  Southern Louisiana  USA, Fleur De 'Lise Franco file  folks  I can be accused of plagiarism.   

Actually That is extremely well done and beautifully proportioned.  It has a grace that my own work seriously lacks.   You have a real gift.  Thank you for sharing.

You really need to test the piece.   Each piece of rebar is its own world.   Two pieces from the same bundle may be entirely different in character.  Using rebar is always a "Learning Experience"

It may make a difference in how much impact you need or want in forging.     Hammering pattern welded billets requires a much higher precision touch than hammering 1 inch iron bars for another purpose.   I'm not a blade smith and have only used  other peoples' power hammers.   I'm suggesting that blade smiths may need to weigh in on this.

If you plan on blade smithing  it is one thing if you plan on general work it is another.  Not full time sounds like Thomas Powers recommendation is gold.  I've seen a few in action that were extremely efficient.  

That question begs another question.  What exactly do  you intend to do?   If it is money it is intended as a source of income then that defines your options

Research the history and try to find out what the material used at the time.  No doubt carbon steel  but what were they calling it?   http://www.admiralsteel.com/  has a category of products they call spring steel strip.   The alloys in that category are of lower carbon content but can be heat treated and to retain extra spring with out becoming too hard

Turn of the century or not they were using steel.  Further research on you part is necessary

Knowing the material a blacksmith could reproduce what you show there.

"All the arts do stand by Hammer and Hand"    Congratulations!  For me that is what blacksmithing is all about:  The tools to make the tools to make the world

I haven't done it your way because I was concerned about heat conduction from the forge to the metal of the burner.  You may find, if not really cleaned well. that a gentle twist will free the metal from the surrounding investment. I found, in personal experimentation that the extra air  inducted around the out side of the burner tends to make the burner tube last a little longer.

They are doing well!! Congratulations Teacher!   You are doing an outstanding Job! 

I'm not a knife maker.  I do know something about Epoxy resins.  One there is a large difference between casting resins and hardware store resins.  Two some people are allergic to epoxy's which is not generally a problem unless the materials are not mixed and used exactly according to manufacturer's instructions. Exactly in epoxy means mixed by weight. (built a boat using epoxy resins) Cured epoxy is generally safe for skin contact.  Mixing and handling is where the problems happen.   

You may find the casting resins at one of national hobby/craft chain big box stores.  There are limits to what you can mix with the resin but chemically compatible materials work well.  In emergencies I have mixed sawdust sweeping off the floor to create a large patch in combination with fiberglass mat.

Spray coats of automobile clear coat is quite durable over the black coal forge color you  get from wire brushing.  It has worked for me on frequently handled items,

I agree Charles   I really don't see his problem. That basic design  is almost universal.   The only question is how long the legs.  Which is determined by the base triangle.  And the height to be lifted + the lifting gear (hoist, hooks, attachments, top joint pieces.)  The tables seem to provide everything he needs with out any calculation. set it up and go. The top fixture would need some serious fabrication but within the range of any professional weldor.

What are the sides of the triangle base?  What will it be sitting on?  (dirt, rock, pavement)      Engineering data depends on dimensions and angles.

Hmm,  I'd be inclined to keep one each round punch and die per size and the same with the oval.  I would think of welding up a fixture to hold then doing railing and gates.

If you don't plan on working that way then try trading the punches for 4140 or other alloy rounds.  That is my take any way.  The dies will still make good nice size alternative to a pritchel hole  mounted on a steel plate above your hardy they would be a treat.

WOW!  Great pic!  You should get a prize for best presentation of a "Learning Experience"  Thank you.

Recent article in the Lincoln welding's  ARC news letter about a young man that is a champion and certified welder. 

The Peddinghaus striking hammer I have weights 3 kg or about 6.6 lbs.  the handle is shorter than the standard 8 lb double faced sledge. 

The pivot swing while it feels awkward  provides the greatest control and is less tiring than the usual  log splitting swing. Personally I Think I can strike longer and faster with the piviot swing 

Nobody covered the bases real well.   My question is "Sledge? "   what weight are we talking about here.  I have a Peddinghaus    hammer with a straight peen weighs in at around 3Kg.  heavy enough to make a good striking hammer for a helper or you can choke up on it and one hand when nothing but heavy hammer will do. 

The reason I ask is some people refer to a two faced engineer hammer as a sledge.  I've found that purpose made blacksmith hammers are generally better balanced than adaptations of hardware hammers.   My favorite hammer at the moment is my Hofi hammer.   There are ripoff of the design available for from one of the blacksmith suppliers but I don't recall which one.  Glenn may have a line on the real thing which would be preferable.

I had a different model of forge but many of them had the means to block wind and or sunlight

Better regulators usually provide larger volume a more reliable pressure setting.  Cheap regulators often open up as the inlet pressure decrease so the delivery pressure increases.

Not as much problem with Propane in this application but something to think about when relying on pressure settings.

Try the blower out if it is smooth the 300 bucks for the out fit is a good price.

My first job was in a union steel plant.  Ever since I wear steel toes even to mow the lawn.   I favor a full leather apron since scale down the cleavage in not pleasant.   I often wear a leather glove on my left hand when holding in hand rather than in tongs.   I also use a small hand grinder with one hand and hold things I'm cleaning with the wire cup brush so it avoids accidental brush burns.

My welding teacher favored heavy starched denim shirts or jackets when welding.   I learned the had way about welders tan from an open collar.  So I follow his example.