AndrewOC

Chrispy, Sounds like you are right on it. Last price I heard from Shere carbon was $900 a bulka bag, October 2021. Good luck! AO'C

Hi Chrispy, Coke options, I can see for you are; http://www.artistblacksmithsa.org.au/live/membership/ The Melbourne guys used to sell to members; https://www.abavic.org.au/?Membership Or the current source in Aus is Shere Carbon. I'm steering towards homemade charcoal and waste vegetable oil, personally... regs, AndrewOC

I used one a few weeks back. I suspect like all mechanical hammers, efficiency depends a lot on 'tune'. Example being- I moved the helve connection, back towards the pivot, more directly over the crank. Made a world of difference, compared with the previous 2 or 3 weekends on it. Hit harder and almost got the springs effective. Far more work would be good to do on it. A challenge with these unguided helves, is that the die faces are parallel in one position, only. This can be overcome with rocker or round-back tool.

Thanks for adding these, Glenn. Heartening to see the scores of views, also. Attached should be the flyer for the Campbelltown event. cheers, Andrew csmm_flyer_october_2018_.pdf

G'day Rupes. We are demonstration at the Campbelltown Steam & Machinery Museum rally, today. Come say hi, if you can. 86 Menangle rd, Gilead. cheers, Andrew.

Hi all, Prompted by a comment about tooling pics, here is a nice set-up I didn't do. Is at a local technical college I go to. Red thing is a soft plastic/ hard rubber that strips the job off the punch, after cutting. cheers, AndrewOC

Ha Haa ha. C'mon it was only seven years ago, give a guy some slack... [ actually for the last 3 yrs, it now lives at a friends place and I have 3 other different ones to deal with !] Picture is just to replace missing originals and be a S & B reference. Andrew O'C

G'day Peter. Next rally at Menangle is 20/21th May, 2017. ABA will be there, make contact with the hammer owners. Details at; www.csmm.com.au regs, Andrew.

This May I had the privilege of using a Hawkeye powered by a portable steam engine at the Lake Goldsmith rally. It was great fun, handles 1 inch fine. This was in spite of some tune-up required, the dies are flogged out and the clutch idler could do with moving. If any of the guys with an original clutch set up, could measure and post, the owners would be greatly appreciative. cheers, AndrewOC

Had a good weekend, 11 smiths all up. Regs, Andrew

G'day All, Campbelltown Steam and Machinery Museum has its autumn 2015 rally coming up soon; 16th and 17th of May. The Artist Blacksmith Association (NSW) shall be attending and demonstrating. Many Traction engines, steam machinery, train, stationary engines, tractors to check out. Come and join us or say hi. 86 Menangle Road, Menangle Park (2563). open to public 9am - 3:30pm. Cheap camp dinner for exhibitors Saturday night (to be booked). Flyer may be found at; http://www.csmm.com.au/field-days.html regs, AndrewOC

G'day John, These are about all I took. The major difference this year was performance by the group of armoured ex-army vehicles; small tank, White half-track(s), Ferret Scout cars, Saladin/Saracen a.p.c. and others. Did an impressive pyrotechnics battle against the Axis crew and their large machine gun/ cannon thingy. Things bangin' and blowing up all over! Do searches on youtube, starting with 'Ironfest 2015'- stuff is up already. Then there was the glorius blacksmith crew, it was a fun weekend- thanks guys. Monster- the smoked pork was devine (smoked on site). The weather was amazingly mild for Lithgow... then the floods hit Sydney... See you all next year. AndrewOC PS plenty more like that event coming up, I'm going to Lake Goldmith Steam Rally http://www.lakegoldsmithsteamrally.org.au/rallies.php Then CSMM autumn rally; http://www.csmm.com.au/field-days.html

In about 1998 a friend in Sydney (Australia) bought an Alldays & Onions anvil; identified by the 6-point star. It is 8 cwt, yes eight! Couldn't believe it! regs, AndrewOC ps it isn't for sale