Yance

Yeah, That's what I intended. Been using it this afternoon, and it actually doesn't swing too bad. I can wind up using it for a flatter since I'm missing that third hand.:D

Thanks for the critique, that's pretty much to a "T" what I was planning on changing on my next one. This was a "lesson" hammer, just to see if I could come somewhere close to the idea I had in mind. Since we're supposed to have a very good chance of rain today, and I work outside, thought I might make a "shopping" trip since it's been several weeks since I checked out the scrapyard. Hight get lucky and find a couple more hammer "blanks".

I'd decided a good while back that a diagonal pein hammer would be really good to have, but with the price of good hammers it'd have to wait a while. One of my "shopping" trips to my favorite scrapyard turned up some offfall from a local machine shop. 55 gallon drum of short pieces of solids in round, hex and one NICE piece of square 1 3/4" X 5" "mystery metal". Last Thursday I punched the eye and rough cut and ground the pein end, today I refined the eye, forged the pein the rest of the way and slightly radiused the face. After lightly grinding to the best finish I could and finishing the face and pein with a file I mixed up a batch of Super Quench and hoped my new hammer would harden. Well, it did, nicely. A file would just slide across the surface removing nothing but a bit of scale. I then used my OA torch with the cutting head to heat the area around the eye until the pein face started to turn straw colored. By the time I got the torch shut off and got the tongs on the head it had reached dark straw beginning to show purple on the far corners. Quenched only the first half or so of the pein end keeping a good bit of heat in the eye area. Repeat process with the face end, again quenching only about 2/3 of the head portion hoping the middle would stay soft enough to not break. So far it looks like it's working. Couple of missed slicks and I got really good bounce, plus no "dings" in either the hammer face of anvil. Except for the weight, (right at 4 lb) I'm pleaded with my first attempt at making a hammer. Maybe next time I'll start with stock a little shorter, hoping for around 2 1/2 lb. Great way to spend one of my days off.:D

Thanks to all for compliments and comments. I really enjoyed building this, especially since this was my first "major" metalwork project. Not having anything but a "mental blueprint" and "as you go engineering" I'm well pleased with how it turned out. 3 more days and I get to fire it up again. Hope the weather cooperates.

Billy; I had a piece of 3" vent pipe that had been tapered to go in the tuyere. The flex pipe is slightly smaller than the I.D. of that piece, so it's a good friction fit. In true Redneck fashion I sealed the two together with a couple of wraps of duct tape both th hole the two pieces together and seal the joint.

Been working on this off and on in my "spare" time for 3 or 4 weeks. Finally put in most of an 8 hour day Wednesday to finish 'er up. The tuyere and clinker breaker came from my Grandfather's forge, then passed to a Great Uncle, next to my Dad (who never did anything with it but a window display), finally to me, along with his anvil and several sets of tongs and other tools. All the material was found at a couple of different scrap yards where I like to shop. Fire pot looks to be the size for a full size pickup or the like, around 10" diameter X 2 1/2" or so deep. bed is 24"X36" and stands 34" high. I'm 6"4" and that height looks like it's just about right. Besides, it's a lot easier to make it shorter than it is higher. Pivoting gates on the sides will allow long pieces to be heated in the middle without having to pile a huge mound of coal in the small round forge I've been using. The blower is a "spare" Champion 400 a friend had sitting in his storage building. We have yet to come to "terms", he just said "take it and see if it works for you". Well, it works for me, well enough that I burned more metal today than I ever did with the small one. Now to get back to work on my bell. Anyone ever notice that this stuff is addictive? Looking forward to my next day off so I can put in some time making "things" rather than tools and equipment.

That's really a GREAT!, easy to use list and many of us owe Glenn a big THANK YOU for the hours he's put in to compile it from all the responses on the "suppliers" thread, sorting the suppliers info from the chit-chat. I just added another one from the Asheville area. Thanks Glenn!

In the Asheville, NC area; Grace Fuel Company, Inc 1490 Merrimon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804-1304 Contact Phone: (828) 252-6401 $13.50 for 50# bag, $306.00/ton. 3/8"X1" size stoker. I've used this coal and it's good stuff. The lady I just talked to was unsure of its origin but if you ask for Wayne he can tell you.

SW; First things I'd buy would be a dozen roses and a box of Godiva chocolate for a lady like that. Later you can decide what tools to spend the rest of it on.:)

I went the file route with a couple but now use only broken garage door springs. Have a couple of different diameters. I forge the stock square first, then either spread and scroll or taper and scroll. I've made some double scrolled ends that look right sharp. Don't have a pic of one since they went to friends but it's a small tight full turn, then turned back on itself. The taper makes a "graduated" scroll very easily. As for charcloth, I've had great luck with old T shirt material. Just cut into rough squares small enough to fit in an Altoids tin, ( have a wire loop around it in case the lid decides it wants to warp open), and toss it over on the "cool" area of my coal forge. There's enough vent because of the hinge cuts that there's no need for a vent hole. Once the flame and smoke stops, just lay it aside to cool. Want a LARGE quantity at one time, just use a (new) quart paint can from Lowe's of Home Depot (after burning off the plastic lining). This one will need a vent hole punched with a fairly large diameter nail like a roofing tack. Keep the nail handy for when the can comes out of the fire.

Thanks for all the replies and info. I only wish I got to use it more than a couple of days a week, but my "payin' job" takes too much time.

Just wondering if anyone had any I-dee what brand anvil this might be. My tools came from a Great-Uncle in South Central Virginia, Sutart to be exact, by way of my Dad. Uncle Emmet gave the stuff to my Dad probably 35-40 years ago and he never did anything with it. Now it's mine and I'm starting to learn what I can. I wire brushed the anvil trying to make out the stampings and found "102" on the off side, and it weighs 102 LB. How 'bout that. Under the "102" looks to be the date "1914". There are the remains of a line of letters but I can't make anything out but the last one that appears to be an "S". Can't make out anything on the front, but there are partial numbers or letters. It rings like a bell and has really good bounce. By the pits I wondered if it could be cast steel. Any information is GREATLY appreciated. There's also a pic of my little "shop in the woods".

Tom; Mapquest shows 6 Woodlawns in TN. Which county is yours?

Didn't mean to be rude, just forgot to sign my first two posts. Now that I found the "Edit Signature" button I took care of that.

Frosty and Tom; Thanks for the welcome. Think I'm gonna like it here. Frosty; The strikers are made from .240 dia garage door spring, forged square and oil quenched. Good material, and if you have a local company that installs and services rollup doors you can probably get a good supply. Tom; When is the Spruce Pine event? It's just over an hour from here, and a pretty drive. Is there a calendar of events posted anywhere?

Just joined up and it looks like I'll have PLENTY of reading material for a while. Just beginning to try my hand at forgework making a few flint strikers and small stuff. Looking forward to learning from y'all. Many thanks to the administrator and moderators for such a fine board.