AndrewOC

Thanks, do you know what the square hole on the small added bar is used for ?

am sure bigfoot meant number 3. As he said it is for holding square/ rectangular bar that fits between the 'ears'. They have a great grip, easy to pick up the bar. However only for a narrow size range. Of course you can hot adjust them as well.
The others i don't know nufin! When they are named maybe i should post some mystery tongs that baffle me!
regs,
AndrewOC
ps good score with the trailer load

Welcome Adam,
I dunno how much you have been able to look at on this forum- but its pretty good!
Might i suggest an event this Sunday 4th July, i'm helping to organise;

see ya 'bout
AndrewOC

Pile driver head???

I'd agree with Ric, a sow block has dovetails top and bottom because they are between anvil die and foundation.

I wouldn't mind a lump like that to make a helve hammer with....

AndrewOC

Hi all.
I wholeheartedly agree with all the above points. My 3 small anvils have each had a different treatment. The 1 cwt wrought iron was buffed up with a cup wire wheel basically to de-rust & clean it, de-burr the numerous punch and chisel graffiti on the sides. It is experimentally coated with 'G15' (local name for a US product) that claims to be an anti-corrosion concoction for metal parts. Second is a 1/4 cwt wrought anvil that i blasted with garnet. It was painted and had some kind of hard glue in the underside handling hole. This i have also test sprayed with G15. Interestingly the grit blasting clearly brought out the forge weld lines and other manufacturing marks.

before blasting
For my third small anvil, a 1/2 cwt cast iron number, i only cup wheeled the working surface; the old red lead on the sides may be original and looks quite resonable.
...another 2 cents worth, well maybe 3.
AndrewOC

Stop press!
u can't talk to Moony- he's got hammers I want to buy!!

However in exchange i have finally re-found a listing for a shiny looking Massey that is in Malaga, Perth. It doesn't appear on their website at the mo', but was in a recent 'Plant and Machinery' magazine.
Contact: www.5starmachinery.com.au
Price looked on the high side to me (c. $16,000), but maybe it is perfect???

The print ad was a bit unclear on size, maybe 2, 3 or 5cwt.

regs,
Andrew.

Every bit of good luck and best wishes to ya Deb and Jerry.
Thinking of you both.

A.

My flight is already booked.

Are ye game for a lift Ratel? or do ya have that Rolls Royce ute now??
seriously, i have fixed some things.
Do we have some demo projects in mind?
A.

lets see if this works...


ps i forgot to mention in my rant that timber is only good if you can find it, of course!
A.

Phil, here is a variant on you anvil mount.
---[not working]---
I like the features of remove-ability for portability, combined with a simple non-damaging but firm clamping system to deaden ring.
Cross pein, i agree, those flats on Peter Wrights must be made for that reversible-but-firm clamping system!
Fe wood, i agree projections around where you work are asking for trouble, businesses i worked in always had some kind of sturdy stool or low table to put things on. They are then out of the way but also at hand to where ever you are working- be it the bench, power hammer, horn or heel of the anvil or another anvil.


My humble conclusions are;
I agree a stump in the ground would be optimal, a loose stump is a compromise for conveniance.
why glue when a clamp will do- someone will want to separate them one day! Maybe yourself to change anvil height...
I've shy-ed away from metal stands 'cos the ringy-est bells are made from metal, not wood, don't you agree? My completely unproven hunch is that timber has the best compromise between shock/ sound absorbtion and inertia.

Any way it doesn't really matter, so long as anvil doesn't fall on you and its not on the floor, eh?
regs
AndrewOC

Well thanks for doing that for me Mat. i must sheepishly admit a geek impulse to do this myself! Valuable resource- knowing the market. Now i can better assess those over priced lumps i see at swapmeets.
thanks
AndrewOC

While we are on the subject of furnace building in Oz, what is the best price people have found for Kao-wool / Insulwool in Australia??
Here is the first example i found on line;

FIBRE DIMENSIONS (MM) TEMP. 250 MM 500 MM 1 M 7.6 M
Back–Up Blanket (Standard) 610 x 25 (96 kg) 1260°C $9.30 $15.80 $26.70 $176.05
Hot Face Blanket (Hi–Duty) 610 x 25 (128 kg) 1400°C $13.30 $22.60 $38.30 $253.10
Ceramic Paper 610 x 2 1260°C $12.20 $18.20 $27.30
Vacuum Form Board – Compressed kaowool 610 x 12 1260°C $48.40 $72.60
Vacuum Form Board – Compressed kaowool 610 x 25 1260°C $68.60 $102.90
cut'n'paste from 'Pottery Supplies' in Milton QLD.

Are these prices in the ball park??

yours in anticipation,
AndrewOC

ps ere is me own burner; needs fine tunin-

Often wondered how they deliver something like that to site. Don't tell me they drive that down public roads! They can't exactly drive it onto the back of a low loader either. Do they bring it as a pile of bits and assemble it on site? The grease stored on those things probably weighs way more than my Landrover.

Try this;
Dragline Excavator
AndrewOC

Very nice. I especially like the proportions and surface finish. Could you tell us about that? Also; how big is it?
-and finally, can i have one?

regs
AndrewOC

They're ugly as sin but they seem to work. Here they are, feel free to comment

My comment would have to be 'good on ya!'
This is a great reminder that blacksmithing is about making your own tools, AND i must get into more tong making myself!

Now you can make your own perfectly suited crucible tongs, crucible pourer and dross rake to be the envy of all other alunminum founders.

enjoy
AndrewOC

ps what do you intend to cast?

BP
Hi y'all,
here is a vice my TAFE college has used for an age. The origins of the cast iron trapizoid are lost in the mists of time. It is quite heavy, just movable with a long bar.





enjoy
AndrewOC

On a roll now;



Napoleonic forge cart by Verlinden, # vp 1033

youse better not buy them all cos i want one!

regs,
A.

Ah ha!
I've found a pic



http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.modelsforsale.com/listphotos/HAT8107.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.modelsforsale.com/catalog/modelkits.php%3Fmanufacturers_id%3D13622%253FHat%26sort%3D3a%26page%3D4&usg=__ZXO-IER3xw6E1CG1z5RHI-PApzI=&h=270&w=360&sz=16&hl=en&start=14&itbs=1&tbnid=iBZG2pWsvoPk4M:&tbnh=91&tbnw=121&prev=/images%3Fq%3DVerlinden%2Bforge%26hl%3Den%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1

not Verlinden apparently, but the style of forge cart they did.

Enjoy
AndrewOC

Yep, 27 years old in 1912. My mum looked up some family history lists and we saw Mr Ross senior and wife moved around that region having 5 children (if i recall correctly) all in different places. The father outlived most of them; into his mid eighties into the early nineteen twenties. He and his wife are buried next to this monument. The detail is great; right down to wood grain in the hammer handle. Also the anvil proportions are pretty well spot on- far better than many other artistic interpretations.

AndrewOC

G'day all,

not especially weird but these are what i could come up with;



Marble anvil is a gravestone in country New South Wales from 1912, the angle smith's anvil is at my old TAFE. It's 14" square, 10" high- i admit i covet it!

AndrewOC

Neat!
Scale up one and you could have a custom horn or forge blower pipe/ tuyere combination

AndrewOC

Sure is the nicest looking replica i've seen yet, well done brian.
I wouldn't mind some dimensions myself for accurate replicas; a friend wanted a suit to demonstrate the horse mounting possibilities. The events were over 120 years ago, but contraversies still rage on.

Here is a plough out the front of Benalla Museum, reputedly belonged to a Kelly family member.

enjoy,
AndrewOC

"I have only seen photos of a model years ago"
I also saw a photo of a model forge cart, of Napoleonic era in a Verlinden catalogue, in about 1998. Of course now that i'm interested in such a thing, it is not to be found! I notice the Verlinden website has forums (fora??)- maybe a Verlinden enthusiast could help.
In Australia we have enthusiasts also into 're-enacting' that era, including a blacksmith friend of mine. On the Anzac day weekend there is a festival of things metal called Ironfest, has blacksmiths and napoleonic era re-enactors.

Regs
AndrewOC

Ha ha... i'll try that some time
AndrewOC

Just to clear up for every one; there is the ABA Vic group based at the Melbourne suburb of Bundoora and the Mont De Lancey group whose base is the historic homestead of that name at Wandin.
In Sydney (my current neck of the woods) i'd recommend visiting the Sydney Institute T.A.F.E. college. They have a workshop for training smiths- building O ground floor on the corner of Wattle st and Thomas st, Ultimo. Many and diverse types congregate there.
However, classes won't be back until Feb. 2010.

My other favorite for planning visits in strange places is the Yellow Pages online. In Australia look under 'wrought iron' 'blacksmiths' and 'forgings'.
Once you scratch the surface there are lots out there...just search this site.
AndrewOC

Sad! I thought this would be a funny post having to do with diving in to deep, banging head etc.

Yeah, I was just going to suggest empty your pockets to somewhere secure eg the car. I have this fear of losing something underneath immovable junk.

Anyhoo, take care all

AndrewOC