Ridgeway Forge Studio

Well, Frosty, I don't know about a good joke, but mounting that anvil must have been a good Four arm workout

Don't wag your finger at me, I'm just going by the small picture above - I guess its called a thumbnail!

When I got started Blacksmithing, before even acquiring an anvil, I bought a champion 400 whirlwind firepot and blower - and I think I may finally be putting them in retirement, some 112 years after their production. My firepot has gotten extremely thin and cracked over the years, due to rust and use. I would like to know what the thickness of a firepot should be, at least originally.

It looks like it will hold well - It won't move a handspan, not even a foot!

JHCC: You're more right than I am. I have a tendency to overbuild everything: see my previous picture post in this thread on my own stand for my H frame press. I should have built it out of plywood, but I had a bunch of old 2x4's from a chicken coop that I cut and make into almost a board and batten. The whole thing looks like an old shipping crate. Tommy, even if not necessary, I can see a small grate welded under for hot metal to be a potentially useful tool. I wouldn't really know for sure, though - all of my anvil stands are stumps. Billy - can I 'borrow' that idea? I love the way it came out and how it looks.

George - boy did that take me a second! Does it make the anvil and ARM and hammer?

It seems to say Chicago, IL. But under it, under the M, I can almost make out what looks like "brooklyn" - this and the overall shape leads me to think Hay Budden. Its in good shape, clearly has been used to adjust shoes cold (the chips) but still seems like a good buy at that price.

Is that considered a blacksmiths third hand? (Or should we put our hands together for this blacksmith?) I’ve got to hand it to you, that’s a mighty handy way to hold down an anvil!

Tommy, That looks like a really good stand. I would probably overbuild it and put braces on the feet, but that's just opinion. How do you like working on one of those?

The indentation on the bottom is hourglass shaped - The squat, round horn and the long thin heel make me think it might be a later model hay budden, but I am unsure. I don't think it is a Peter Wright - not the right handling holes or the right feet.

Rusty, crusty and pitted- I’ve had this anvil since I bought it from the antique mall 8 months ago, finally mounting it. it is 180 lbs (approx) and seems to be in good shape other than the rust and pitting. is it a Hay Budden or a Trenton? Any marking has long since disappeared…

Finally finished the new stand for my 12 ton hydraulic press. I mounted the power pack and tank below the H frame to save space and keep things cleaner. One step towards cleaning up my shop!

Looks to be cast iron, likely tool steel top plate? Yours is in good condition. its special to have family heirlooms that you get to use!

Now I want to try it so that you can know someone who has done it! if done properly, wouldn’t it be just as secure as the easy way?

Frosty, I agree with you for rings bent the hard way- but I found for thin stock rings bent the easy way it is more finnicky to try and scarf them to weld flat.

Welding is easy once you forget it’s hard. I tend to do sloppy, dirty welds- I rarely scarf or upset, I get it too hot, I don’t flux- and sometimes it doesn’t work. But I suppose it all goes to show that there is a spectrum of “right” ways to weld. Smarter blacksmiths than me have failed with more precise parameters. have fun with welding

Welcome aboard! That’s a very nice looking anvil, near mint condition . Good score! Frosty will be along shortly to congratulate you as well- he’s the local expert of Coleslaw anvils

I mostly use the horn of my anvils as fullers and to true up bottle openers. It allows me to hit the ring at an angle and leave a pretty chunky amount of hammer marks on both the inside and outside of the ring. The only other thing I can think of I've done with a horn in the last few years is weld 12-14" rings on it. Work well for that, before taking that ring to the floor cone. Scrolls, finials, hooks, curves I all do at the edge of the anvil.

George, I paid the price of not being able to get something I loved- Trader Joe’s used to have a seasoning blend called Ajika- it was the best for eggs. But they stopped making it and I haven’t had it in half a year.

I know its been some time, but I have some contributions. If you find good blacksmithing coal (burns hot, clean and welds nicely), buy as much as you can. There is no saying if you will ever find it again. Wipe your tools down with oil when the weather changes, unless you are in the desert. The changing temperatures can cause flash rust on big heat-sinks like anvils. Oil helps. (or wax or whatnot) Slack tub water works for poison ivy. This in no way guarantees that it will not cause an infection since it is dirty water. When you need nuts and bolts for a project, buy one extra. It saves a trip. Learn when your body wants to sit down, lie down, drink water, drink gatorade, go inside etc. Most injuries occur because you did not listen to your body's cry for mercy. Don't ruin a piece because you refuse to take a break. Eye protection. Everyone, every time.

Billy that’s some nice work. Just keep an eye on him if he starts buying bulk pork and beans and tnt

I have a suspicion that the caffeine will only make them sentient.... Have you tried an atom bomb or perhaps death laser? In all seriousness, I have never tried, because yellow jackets are God's curse for man's hubris. I hate them so much. They nest in our ground next to the septic tank and cause me royal grief when I try to weedwhack. Perhaps someone with a entomological bent will try it and get back to us?

Scott, preach. Rest in peace, 1994 Chevy Lumina.

It is the time of the year in Maryland where the wood bees and mosquitos come out and love to harass innocent blacksmiths- but I have a solution! go to the store, buy a bag of espresso ground coffee, add some to a dish (it will get very stained, so a metal dish or ceramic dish you don’t care about) and light it on fire like incense. the smell is bearable, but bugs hate it. It can clear out a 20x20 shop easy, and it burns steadily depending on how much you have.

That is a deeply evocative piece. I agree that the welds being imperfect fit the idea of a jail - unless its meant to be a window? But it captures the unexpectedness of loss and longing, no time to perfect the cage that holds us back...