ralphy

you might also save the engine pulleys, the v groove is good to bend rod or tubing, or if it has flat pulleysyou can also shape flat or square bar with it.

Great tutoral Dave, I've done a few and just guessed at the measurements, I also have done the patterning with the ballpeen, and chiseled lines for a wood look, the melted glass and brass brush work are also nice effects. many people ask "how do you do that?" and it's cool to explain the thechnics. keep up the great work! :D

Nice tutorial Clinton, and beautiflul work. I've only made one bottle opener and not as pretty. But hey it's for me so I got a lot to learn. Keep up the great work! :)

All I have to do is use my hammers and the dang heads will fall off but otherwise I just cut it off reshape it and reinstall it. or if it's to short get a new handle. :D

Nice job Fabber, I hope it fetches a good price.

We had a hammer that size when I worked at Austal ship yard in Mobile Ala. It weighed about 15 pounds, "it was aluminum":)

The h/p might be a bit low, but good for polishing. If you run a belt drive arbor you can change the pully sizes and change the rpm's. Might be worth trying.

Hey Phil, You might try Grizzley Industrial, www.grizzley. com, or Travers, www.travers.com. Travers has far more tooling at a wide price range that may help. also, as for using a drill press for milling you may be dissappointed. I have an Anco drill press and a cross slide vise and it's fine to line up marks for drilling, but for milling it chattered so bad that the chuck would fall out. I hope you have better luck.

Hey everyone. Sorry I've been away for so long, Last summer my wife was diagnosed with stage3 breast cancer and with that and work I haven't made anything new in a long time, now she is cancer free, so far so good. I have missed alot and want to get back into the art. However back to the topic. A coworker asked me if I could make a garden hoe and I made a nice looking one I'll post a pic or two if i can figure out how to get them from my phone to the computure to here. has anyone made any garden tools? I'd like some ideas to make more tools for my wife. Sorry for being long winded. thanks.

Nice cross Clinton, the texturing with the hammer gives it a nice weathered look. I've used that technique also. Some thing new I tried a while back was to take a chisle and create a "grained" look on a cross that turned out nice. Again, nice work!

Welcome Robert, A web site I used before I found this site is anvilfire.com - Blacksmithing and Metalworkers Reference for Metal Artists. I still use it from time to time to get ideas and some good tech answers.

On a side note, when I made my crosses I used the ball end of a ball peen hammer to give them a rough texture, and like other members have said, I hit it with a brass brush and it leaves a hint of brass highlites on the high spots! Again good luvk to ya!

Rick, I've made a few of them crosses as gifts for friends and family, I learned how on a web site called anvilfire. go to the section called iforge. scroll through and you'll find that cross as and instructional lesson step by step. that whole section is very educational. good luck to ya!

cross 1
cross 2

Fine looking knife Kevin, the antique look is great! like something grandpa would have had!

Fine lookig piece Brook, It's always a joy to see a work of art crafted from iron, and the compliments make it worth the effort. Keep it up!

Hey all, I've been away from the forge for way too long. Last christmas I made a new item, kind of simple, a good ol' sling shot. A friend of mine has two boys and I made them sling shots from 1/4" rod. I cut it 14" long and folded it in half making an eye then with the ends in a vise, I gave it 2 or 3 twists, I bent the ends at a right angle about 1" back, then opened them to from a v, just add sling shot rubber and pouch for Wrist Rocket sling shot at Wal-mart and your done. How ever I need some new ideas for this year thanks!:)

I made my first one while I was at work out of 1"and 1 1/2" plate it looks crude but I've beat on it for a couple years and it still all togather. I got a 300# Vulcan anvil now, but the first one is still on the floor close by. I've seen portable ones made from R/R track, I had one along time ago, good for wacking light metal or sheet metal. good luck to ya.

That does look good! Hope it sounds as good too!

Hmm, never thought about it, but I've cut, drilled, and welded on them with out much trouble, maybe they were cheap metal, or I just didn't notice. anyway they are easy to get!

Terriffic job to you and your son! good quality time spent togather!

Those look great! it's amazing the things that can be forged!

I've never used Kaowool, but I've used fire brick with some luck. I also used lava rock inside to help the heat get around the piece, but watch out because it will pop alot at first. I've also got access to 1/2" 4x4 ceramic like they line kilnes with I'm gonna try this summer.

If you can get if in a well vented area, or out side you can turn the valve and listen for a decrease or increase sound of gas pressure , it is safer to light it outside till you know for sure about the reg. if you turn it counter clockwise the sound of gas should almost compleatly stop. like wise turn clockwise the sound will increase and the knob should get tighter. hope this helps, good luck

Nice design, Mine is made from steel plate about 14" dia. with a 3" high band, and a 12" dia. 3"high band to make a 2" space filled with sand to insulate it, a 2" pipe with a "t" welded to it for a dump and blower sticks up 1" through the plate with a layer of sand in the bottom it gives me a 10" fire pot, a 3" x 3", 1/2" thick plate with holes in it works as a tyre. it's crude but works well. if you like i'll try to get some pics later.

Those look great Craig, I have to cheat with a welding machine for now, but I admit that does not replace practice, which I need to do more of. keep up the good work:)