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

See you there mate. Probably be there early Saturday morning, unless I get a rush of blood Friday arvo. Shall I bring the port? Androo

Some very clever ideas put together there. Keep us informed about how tight the clamp down bolts stay, with use. I'm also curious about any change in anvil ring with bolts loose then tight. Great introduction project, welcome to the iForge site. AndrewOC

That is a cracker Ausfire! I've only seen the common mid-20th C Heine presses, (as on their website) never an early one like that. Now for you to trawl your local history for where it came from and what it was used for! Who made tins, pen nibs and sheetmetal widgits in your district?? Have you used 'Trove'? This might be useful: http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/titles?state=Queensland happy hunting, Andrew.

Hi venusblue. Last month, for a 'mediaeval faire', I made a similar set up to your picture. For the square-hole-in-a-stump, I drilled a 1 inch hole with a spade bit to the depth of my hardie shank. Then chiselled the corners out to approximately 1" square. The rough square hole deliberately let just the tip of the shank in. Next I heated the shank, and hammered it into the hole- not quite bottoming out. Douse with water. This gives a matched fit and also allows the tool to sink tighter with use. Hope that was what you were after, Regards, Andrew.

Love it. A.

Yes, Fire-y, check out the charcoal making ovens and retorts that are on this forum and the internet. If you can get the wood you should be self sufficient. A.

Hello fellow forgers! This weekend (17-18 May 2014) is open day and rally at Campbelltown Steam and Machinery Museum. A flyer may be found at; http://www.csmm.com.au/field-days.html I intend to be there with Alan and others for the weekend, doin' something or other to amuse the public... It would be great to see some others from the Sydney region, we shall be between the boiler-house and windmill (rudimentary facilities again). Find the site at 86 Menangle Road, (Menangle Park 2563). This is about 5km south of Macarthur Square shopping centre. It would be great to have other demonstrators as well, PM me and we can scratch out a space. [public liability insurance would help! for example ABANSW/Vic membership] regs, Andrew

Ian, I hope you got my message. Basically lots of little things go on in Sydney with minimum co-ordination! Hazel, have a look at http://www.rundellandrundell.com.au/#!lost-trades-australia/c1p7p This was an event in Kyneton Vic a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately this update of the web page doesn't include the long list of 'rare trades' craftspeople that were expected to attend. In Rundell's blog for the day is at; http://rundellandrundell.blogspot.com.au/ see the entry of Wednesday 19th March 2014 for a video of the event. Manspace magazine usually has an article in the field of odd masculine amusements. Also get to know the Australian Men's Shed scene. Mostly retirees doing woodcraft, but some 'unusual hobbies' crop up as well. http://www.mensshed.org/home/.aspx There are other craft magazines of course; Aust. Model Engineer and various wood work titles come to mind. Closer to you is the AAF group; http://www.aaf.org.au/ ('living history' types). and old engine club; http://cdhec.au2.com/ Tell us how you go. AndrewOC

Mmm, a dream tool of mine also! What diameter did you use for the axles? The fancy expensive machine where I did my apprenticeship would damage a bearing-bush 3 times a year... regards, Andrew

G'day Gordon. I'm a Sydney-sider at the moment, but have heard of a Perth based blacksmith group. They are at Claremont showie. See www.bawa.net.au for their website. Sounds like you have the advantage of space (that I don't have...!), blacksmithing involve quite an stockpile of steel, tools and 'handy stuff'. True about the forum being a place to learn, if you can filter out the yap... Good one for you might be charcoal making retorts, what with all that handy space you have. see ya, AndrewOC