Ferrous Beuler

Was surfing the Toob when I ran across this video. Didn't get a word of it but smithing is a universal language. Think you can't do blacksmithing without a designer hammer and a London pattern anvil? Lots to look at in this one~

I always start a coal fire with a wood fire. I'm always picking up wood scraps where I can find them, construction sites are great because I want pine specifically. Cut offs of 2x4's and 2x6's are perfect. Split them into kindling with a hatchet, pile up some crumpled newspaper in the firepot, add the sticks on top and light it. You will have a bed of red hot coals in no time and rake on the coal. Never fails. Once you do that you will be known as "Mr. Coke", LOL!

Beware the painted Ladies...

Which island are you moving to? There are actually a lot of horses in Hawaii so once you get there look up the farriers. If anyone knows the blacksmithing scene there it will be them. In years past there were a couple of IFI members in Hawaii but I haven't seen them participate here in quite a while. "T-Gold" on Oahu was one if I remember correctly and I think a couple others too.

I wouldn't pay a dime over scrap prices for that anvil. Pass on this one. I know that's tough to do when a guy is trying to find that first "real" anvil but don't waste your money here. Believe it or not there are lots of other anvils out there. Patience, grasshopper. That anvil will turn up soon.

Well Adam I think it's great that you are interested in the craft. Usually I would recommend finding a group near you to attend from this list~ http://www.iforgeiron.com/page/index.html/_/articles/a0000-blacksmithing-groups-r75 Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a group in your area. My best advice is to go to some meetings of your local ABANA affiliate because that would put you directly in contact with blacksmiths and you could get your hands dirty while you learn a whole bunch. Don't fret though, I think I have an idea. Just because there is no ABANA local in your neck of the woods doesn't mean there aren't any blacksmiths around. If I were in Ames Iowa I would go here~ Skei Coal and Wood. 639 Lincoln Way, Ames, Iowa, USA. Tel. (515) 232-4474. CellPhone (515) 231-2960 Biggest supplier in state of Iowa for coal and coke. Blacksmiths' coal in 50# bags. Soft coal & hard coal. Also supplies hard coal for heat. And ask the owner if he may know any smiths he could introduce you to, and ask if you can post an ad on their bulletin board. Most places like that have one out front by the door. Don't worry, there are blacksmiths near you. Once you find them you will find a lot of your questions answered and get some good pointers. (they know where all the anvils are hidden away at too) Good luck!

What a brute! Be careful not to use too big of a hammer on that, you might hurt it. ;)

That should do fine. You may find the best way to use it is vertically, using the small end as the face. Whatever is used to mount an anvil, apart from height considerations or what it happens to be made out of the anvil should absolutely not move. There are plenty of videos on the net showing a smith working at the anvil and all the while the anvil is jiggling around under the hammer blows. This you do not want. Totally immobilized is what you want.

Congrats! B) She's a beaut!

You win! Eight years, 180 pages, 3,600 posts and we have a winner. Safe to say this thread can be closed and archived now ;)

Great thread DSW! I remember reading about the "ironwork" in this cathedral somewhere years ago. It should be noted that like the keys mentioned above, the ironwork in this cathedral is not ironwork at all. It is all forged in monel, not iron.

That's nice to look at!

I would try it but I don't want to go out and buy a left handed hammer just for that.

I haven't developed any adverse effects from smithing (that I've noticed anyway) other than the odd burn now & then such as when grabbing the wrong iron. Yes, black is still HOT, yikes! Down and out on all counts right now due to destroying my left elbow in a car accident June first. Actually looks o.k. now but looks are deceiving. The cast and stitches have been removed and the scars aren't even that bad. After the surgery the surgeon told me at first glance he thought I might lose the arm. It was a compound fracture with bone poking out and a lot of shredded flesh. I now have a metal plate and about nine screws holding it all together, my radius was in three pieces. We'll see how it goes. Doc says I'll be out of work until the fall and doesn't want me to lift more than 1 pound for now.

Seems to be an early one, earlier than most. What do I know, I'm no expert. Transitional perhaps, predating the Musehole type(s). That one's a keeper! I've got a circa 1735-55 mousehole type 125 lbs with only 1/3 of the face remaining in the saddle and this one looks to be quite older. Nice find!

My power hammer is a can of spinach, ugh ugh ugh!

Was it made under license from Acciaio or just flat out bootlegged?

Fann I find it a whole lot easier to start a small wood fire to get your coal going. Preferably I'll use pine and split it up with a hatchet into little splinters over a wad of crumpled newspaper or a handful of wood shavings from a pet shop, the stuff sold as bedding for rabbits, etc. A handful of that stuff works a charm. After each forging session always rake out your fire to put it out and save the coke from just uselessly burning up. The coke is that light fluffy grayish coal that has burned a bit. Keep your coke aside in its own pile when you rake out your fire. Once you are starting a new fire and have a nice little bed of glowing embers from the pine kindling going then add the coke on top of it. Coke starts much easier than raw coal. By now you should have a good fire going with all the wood burned away, your coke now burning and rake in some raw coal. Takes a little trial and error. Good luck.

"Casting grain"? No, this anvil is not cast. It is a wrought anvil with a steel face however the surface overall is a bit rougher than my PW. I think the camera flash amplifies this mad makes it appear much more rough than it actually is. For the most part the partition line between the face and the body is invisible. Just barely discernible on one side in a small area. You are certainly right about the rebound. Everyone who has used my anvil is astounded at the rebound, the hammer really jumps back off the surface and it is a loud anvil too. Chimes like a bell. Actually that high pitched peeling ring gets to be quite annoying. I've tried to hush it with a chain around the waist, a 1/4" thick cork mat below it and a big magnet (sold through Cabela's, rated to lift 250 pounds) under the heel but it just won't shut up.

Kieth that anvil looks an awful lot like one of mine. I have never been able to positively identify the one I have here but yours has some very similar characteristics which I have not seen in any other anvils until your post here. The position of the numbers very low in the waist is identical to mine. Below that at the top of the arch between the feet is a letter stamp, "C" on yours and "B" on mine. Yours has the stepped feet identical to mine. I do have a 93 pound Peter Wright with the classic PW logo "Solid Wrought" and the stone weight numbers struck through the center of the logo. This is in the middle of the anvil's side, not like the numbers on your anvil shown here and the one I have which resembles yours identically which have the numbers struck very low in the waist and not up higher in the middle like PW's. In the center of the front foot is a handling hole on yours and mine in precisely the same place and on both anvils very close to the bottom, maybe just 1/6th" from the bottom edge. Peter Wright anvils don't have that same characteristic with the front handling hole being right down on the very bottom so close to the edge.. I have been told mine is a Peter Wright but I am not convinced. It has no other markings other than the 2-1-17 and the B below that, no Peter Wright logo. I have also been told mine might be a Boker, made in Germany, possibly under license from Peter Wright. I think these two anvils, yours and mine, came from the same place. http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/21566-anvil-id-help-please/ http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/21568-more-pics-of-2-1-17/

Sweet! Nice score Jerry, congrats. I live near Letchworth State Park and grew up in Clarence. I have family all around the Buffalo area and pass through Alden fairly frequently. Welcome to the craft! Dan.

If it does turn out to be a bust the $50 investment isn't too big of a loss. You certainly have some grinding ahead of you before you will know if you got a gem or a clinker. The notion of spending extended periods with an angle grinder doesn't thrill me, ugh. I would ask your friendly neighborhood machine shop if they will mill the top flat for you, then grind just the sides yourself. That probably wouldn't cost very much. I expect the portions of weld below the face where the wrought body is will fall away. If you come out on top then you have a beautiful Fisher. If not put it out in front of your shop with a potted petunia on it. :)

Beauty! Nice HB you scored there, Raven. Congrats. What sort of stand do you have in mind?

Ha! I have that very same buckle, a present from the wife about five years ago. The picture doesn't do it justice, loaded with detail. 3 1/4" wide. On the back it says "The Great American Buckle Co. U.S.A." copyright 1986 and a serial number, 1807.