Ridgeway Forge Studio

Those look a bit like jewelry making tongs- just my .02 from being married to a jewelry maker

I like the inspiration on the far right- it looks like Yellin ironwork!

For special purpose tongs, such as these, why couldn't you rivet an offset handle to one of the reins so that, in holding larger material, there is almost a second Rein that can comfortably be held?

Welcome to another maryland Smith! I'm out in western MD, emmitsburg to be exact!

Thank you. I have the sawmill making a custom block for her, then to mount and get to work on some pending large commissions.

Just picked up this little guy- 357lbs of Fisher glory! It's a beast, and I'm very grateful to have a large shop anvil finally.

I think the diagonal pein was more out of curiosity than utility. It works well, but I agree that a cross and straight pein make up 90 percent of the work

I plan to try my hand at all of the styles I have come across. Hammer making was always a dream of mine, and it's exciting to see it coming to fruition.

Hello all! I reached a milestone today in my blacksmithing career- my first hammer. Made from 1045, about 1.5 square, 3 inches long. I forged to shape on my press, then normalized twice. I have yet to grind, harden or temper, but I would love some feedback on how I did! The eye is about 10 degrees off of square, but I'll keep practicing!

Well, while we wait for science, I suppose anecdotal testing may be in order- I'll sprinkle some around a few plants and see what we come up with!

Thank you all for helping me feel safer- I'm very glad it was not zinc. I am blessed to not know the color of burning zinc, as it stays very far away from anything remotely warm in my shop.

This is not strictly a question about my gas forge, as it has never done this before and I do not believe it's function plays into the question. Today, upon first firing up the forge, a distinct green flame curled up from the gas forge door. I have never put copper or zinc in any form into this forge. I avoid anything but plain steel. I was working on the same pieces yesterday, with only the good orange flames licking up. The only variable today was a full night of rain. My shop has concrete floors, but water comes in through the bottom and through a couple of pinholes in the galvanized roof. There was standing water around the pieces I put into the fire, with water coming off the galvanized roof, and nearby were unplugged power tool plugs that I unwisely forgot to move. My thought is that the rain dissolved a trace amount of zinc or copper from one of these sources, and that it evaporated onto the steel when I lit the forge. if anyone has any thoughts on how this unusual color came to be, please share it!

Jhcc- thank you! I suppose if no mineral transfer would occur, it could still help in the way that any additions to largely clay soil would help- to break up the soil and provide an additional substrate to allow water in. Purely hypothetical, though.

I was thinking that over time it could help- talking years, not months. I guess its worth a try, or to save... maybe there's a Potter that wants it for glazing around me?

I've been collecting quite a collection of scale, and, being the hoarder I am, I wondered if anyone had horticultural uses for it. Would it give iron to my plants if I crush it up and sprinkle it in the garden?