Jewelersmith

I don’t know where I can post (or if I am allowed) an upcoming auction on Nov. 19 in York PA that has a Mousehole anvil. Just wanted to give folks here a heads up on it. Let me know if I can somewhere on the site where others will see it.

Great start but they all seem to be too big. I just don’t need something 4 or 5 feet long. We Americans sure do have a lot of stuff. I’m checking out the fuel lock’r. My days of needing something that big to haul a lot of crap outside the vehicle are over. I hope...

Well Frosty, this got me thinking the whole fuel thing. No pickup since the farm. Backpack makes the “fuel lock’r”. That would be good for gas cans also. And since a full 40# tank weighs 72 pounds, I might go with a 30# tank (55# full) first since I’ll probably only use one burner to start and I recently had retinal tears in both eyes and the surgeon warned me about very heavy lifting which puts a lot of strain on the eyes and could cause it again. Just have to figure out how to secure it. What happened to the days when carrying 100# feed sacks was routine?any info one your suppliers tank mount would be appreciated.

Maybe back in the day when real hardware stores existed we could find the odd items we needed. The anvil will help. I find with my vintage tools it’s fix myself or go without. No replacement parts.

Thanks for all the info. I appreciate it and now I’m glad I brought up the subject. I learned something. We always did secure tanks upright and when we didn’t own a pickup also keep the back window and door windows open in the 4Runner. I thought everyone did. I like the idea of a tank carrier for the hitch. I’ll look into that.

Good point. Maybe I’ll have them delivered or borrow a pickup.

Good idea Mikey about only using one burner and blocking the other half for small items. No worries Frosty. We’ve been hauling them in the suv for years. No one ever said anything. I leave the windows open on the 4Runner for good ventilation just in case but never had a problem. And I guess I’m still old school but I haven’t bought into the new generation’s “safety stupid” that seems to have replaced good ole common sense, which today seems to be a superpower. And if it blows in back of a pickup shrapnel could go through the cab into your spine. Just saying.

Watched several videos. Looks like I might go with the kast-o-lite 30 on the floor. At 1/2” thickness plus a kiln shelf it still gives me more area inside than going with the 2” thick bricks. The refractory that comes with it should be fine for the walls. Than coat all with Plistex. So that’s the initial plan...

You got that right Frosty. One little item I didn’t see amounted to much now has a following once she shared it. A carpenter friend is now interested in metalwork and neighbors are thinking of projects. Glad I’ll be starting with a small forge.

Thanks guys. I’m putting the wish list together. Got a bit of trouble one one side and the 137# anvil was a bit much to tote around but I was looking at the 40# tank. That should still be ok. My advice: don’t get old or older.

I’ve checked the gas furnace section and my head is still spinning. That being said, looks like I’ll be starting with small items (been dealing with small jewelry items for years so it will be nice to work with larger pieces again). That little j-hook already has a local following and a carpenter friend is sniffing around about metalwork. So after exhaustive reading here (and thanks to those that shared what they knew), I’m looking at the Mr. Volcano Hero 2 for starters. I have enough room to move it and a small propane tank around to where I can use it outside. Any comments or suggestions are welcome.

OK, its not much (so no laughter) but my girlfriend needed a wall mounted holder for the kitchen. I find I can't find anything of quality anymore. Hey, I have some 8 gauge copper wire, a new old anvil, tools, and I only have to fire up the Bernzomatic for this. Great excuse to pound (a very small amount) metal. The photo is the anvil after I made the j-hook and moved the anvil off a wood block to the basement. This weekend I'll grab a length of chestnut we just cut down and mount it proper. I'll wait on her for placement before I drill mounting holes.

Thanks for the comments, information, and advice. Since we’ve downsized to a more residential area, conditions are limited so I’m looking into an electric forge. I still have my small Jelenko Accu-therm 150. No worries on the CO. I’m also a master diver and agree that I want to stay away from the chamber.

I love working properly with the old tools. I’m involved in the antiques business and always look forward to foraging in the basement of an older home. I treat all my tools with respect. Knowing the age of this anvil I wanted to hear from folks knowledgeable to be sure it would work for me. It will be an honor to work with something that’s been around so long and survived in nice condition. Wouldn’t want to change that. I’ve casted sterling before but no hot forging. I have sterling scrap I can make into ingots and try to be creative.

This is Steve Gridley from Maryland. I’ve been a jeweler since the 70s and have a farming background and some hot shoeing back in the day. My dad and I did a lot of metalwork repairs and he passed on a good mechanical background and taught me how to make or fix just about anything. Professionally I’m an environmental geoscientist and geologist. Worked a good many years in oil and gas drilling and completions and still consult with government agencies and in the private sector. I just ventured into DC TIG for repairing antique jewelry and thought I’d try some metal pounding when the “new” old anvil that just came my way (still need a few things). I buy and sell metal and have some sterling scrap I was thinking of working. So for this I’m a beginner again. But that can be fun and entertaining. Looking forward to sharing what I can from my odd background.