Arkans

I have a question related to RR spikes, figure this is as good a place as any to ask, I know that there are case hardening powers and treatments out there was wondering if any as ever tried to case harden a knife made form a RR spike to make it useful? Not something I intend on trying, just one of those thoughts I wonder about when i see something new... off the top of my head I figure the sharpening process would remove the case hardening and would be a waste of time. but honestly was curious... i dont know how deep case hardening goes into the steel. I only bring it up because after making tongs and such, i do plan on using RR spike projects to build skills, making things form them, i should get a lot of practice drawing out material and shaping it. and RR spikes are cheap and easy to get my hands on.

Small 26 lbs and they want almost 60 dollars more

Okay here is a serious question, the Acciaio Anvils they sell on Vevor's site come in three sizes. 66lb, 110lb, and 132lb. now i am thinking the 110lb anvil. honestly I think the 66lb is too light, and the cost difference between the 110 and the 132 doesnt justify the added cost of 60 dollars for 22lbs more weight. I have seen good reviews on all these anvils on you tube, from more than one smith, they never say wow this is great but all agree it is a good beginners anvil that works well. so i am looking to buy one this weekend, and after finish repairing the plumbing to my house... (thank cold weather snap for the extra chores) i am going to work on a wood block base for the Anvil. and wait for the anvil's arrival. Hopefully soon i will be cranking out tools, hardies, and small project developing my skills. So is the extra cost worth the extra 22lbs? or will I be just fine on the 110 lb model?

I honestly didn't think it would work, I would do better to secure it to a wood block I think until I get a better option. Then I could use it as a striking anvil later. I found an huge chunk of tool steel at my dads. Well high carbon steel anyways with the spark test. Going to bring it home just wasn't able to grab it while I was there for Christmas. I figured out the work to weld it, the cost to weld it would be preventive of it doing me any good. I actually was thinking on cutting it up some making a striking anvil and upsetting block with it.

I bought several years ago a harbor frieght anvil. (Before I knew anything). I was wondering about welding a large 1 inch thick piece of tool steel on the top to use as an improvised anvil? I even thought about cutting the top off and welding the tool steel, replacing the deck. Honestly I think this would be cost preventative. But I wondered about it if it would work.

I didn't really plan on painting it, guess that's an option, but I like the blacken steel look.

I was actually thinking on moding a BBQ grill cover. they would keep the direct rain off saving the clay i am putting in the forge for washing out in a rain storm, and keeping it dry...

I think I like Thomas' idea... just burn um and get it over with...... Johnson's paste wax is looking better and better, I don't know if I want some thing that volatile in my shop....

will have to go find that, do i need to heat the iron before applying it? Since i am storing this outside, (current shop is not big enough to set up indoors) i am thinking on making a cover for my forge when not in use... sooner or late i am going to but a cover over the whole area, but until then, i think a water proof cover for the forge and anvil would be helpful.

Sound advice, I was curious on the forge after I bought it, so i looked it up, and stumbled on the broken pieces on line, so it got me to wondering. I am going to get this thing going with the hand crank, but will save the parts, maybe down the road sometime i can always go back and restore for the novelty. For now i am going to just get it up and running, dont worry i have not forgotten about the clay. Now, here is a question, I want to treat the metal on the pot, I hear Johnson's paste wax works great on treating things like cast iron, as a rust preventative. you heat it up and apply it to the hot metal,and it will blacken it like seasoning an cast iron skillet. Id this a good idea or is there something better?

Okay bought this forge from Twisted (awesomes guy). He didn't think the original blower could be rebuilt, I think because the flywheel pulley was broken. I found that whole assembly for the flywheel and clutch online for sale for about 86.00 shipped. So do I restore the forge or not.

Would be great, but I married a country girl, only time in 10 1/2 years of marriage I seen her wear fingernail polish is when we got married. And took it off within an hour after the wedding. Now I have no idea what happened to the remover she used then, but I don't think I have seen the bottle since.

ty for the acetone/atf tip, i have some aft, but no acetone at the moment... but will work with what i have until i can get the acetone.

I found some online line like mine, i think it is a Champion forge, it used to have a handle mounted on the side that worked like a pump handle to work the blower, the old blower is still down there, but that busted flywheel that would have kept it form being restored, then searching round today, i found another flywheel... looks like an exact match to what is there now. so do i try to restore the original, or just use my buffalo blower and make my own ash dump and blower set up. I think it would be cool to restore it but would it be worth the time and money, i can get the other flywheel I found for about 100.00 shipped. The one i found comes with the geared shaft attached. Regardless, i have to get the rust off, and take it apart either way, so i am going to work on it tomorrow. i have all the rusted bolts and screws soaking in PB blaster now, and i am going to have to grind off a few screw heads and either tap them out or drill them out. once i get it apart, i will take a closer look at all the parts and make up my mind. If i do decide to restore, i have a 55 gallon drum, i am going to cut it and pack it will dirt and use the buffalo blower to get up and running.

I missed a good deal on a large anvil at one of my local pawn shops, told the owner call me next time something like that comes in. Also have an auctioneer who does a lot of the local estate sales and such looking for items for me and is going to call if he finds something at an auction. I can see a need for two maybe three anvils, just for around the shop, more than that and i think my wife will put her foot down...

That is a beautiful forge! great build and very close to what i was planning here, i like how you used the red to outline the edges, looks great!

I know i have not posted here in a bit, and i am excited, so today i bought a cast iron rivet forge form Twisted, as well as a hand cranked blower. I do have some work to do before i get full started, i have to take a few things loose from the old forge (it had some kind of belt driven motor on it with a weighted actuator, looks like it had a cast iron pulley that broke at some point) I would love to restore that, but there was some kind of gear in that pulley, so finding the broken part would be impossible, (doesnt mean i wont save the old parts in case i get lucky. Also did a bit of pawn shop hopping and flea markets, looking for punches and chisels, files, scrap, and stumbled on a Horizontal metal cutting band saw. I have not gotten it home yet, but will do so in the morning. So, tomorrows plans are to get that home... replace battery terminals on my wife's car, cause if i don't i might have to live in my little shop, and it doesn't have a heater. I am also going to run out to a place i know to get some red clay and try to find some sand. once i have that, i need to pile up some wood to burn for pot-ash and once i get the new grate, ash dump and Air plumbed in. I will be ready to start beating on some Iron.

this is what i what i want to know... i like that what you did with the Roller there, i will have to keep an eye out honestly i have heard about this overly large pritchel on these anvil and how they could be a problem, and it being placed poorly on the anvil. i will thinking close to you idea with a block of steel covering that matched the deck height of the anvil, cut to fit over the horn with something welded to the bottom to hold it in that pritchel or what ever it is. since i have not gotten mine yet, it was only thoughts, but the way you did that one looks to simplify the my solution. I was worried my solution wouldnt have enough steel meat to take the blows. Since i never heard anyone suggest this, i am assuming drilling a pritchel hole on the back end of the anvil is a BAD idea? In all the reviews i have read and watched not one person have ever suggested it, so i am assuming that wouldnt be a good idea.

Oh man, there is a pawn shop i frequent, they had a 200 lb anvil they sold for 100 bucks last week, i found out earlier today when i stopped in, so now there is a note to all employee's to call me if anything like that comes in again. i hate it when i miss the great deals... well might have been a great deal, i actually don,t have any information on the anvil in question, but i wish i would have known.....

Well, have not found a belt grinder, but I did find a bandsaw on a stand, auto shut off, variable speed (belt adjust) for 65 dollars. Tried to add a pic hope it attached

I am a decent welder but way out of practice. Frosty do you have a link to where I can find that kit?

I hope I can catch the larger one on sale when I am ready to buy. In the mean time I do have a small section of railroad track.. I actually forgot I had it. It isn't very big but I think for drawing out S hooks and getting a feel for how to work a forge, manage a fire, and how to move the metal... it is a start. I also have a Harbor Frieght Anvil I bought a few years beck (before I knew better) I figure I can scar that thing up real good while learning technique and hammer control. Maybe when I get a better Anvil, I won't mess it up trying to learn...

I have been drawing up an idea based on a forge I seen once. Using clay brick to build a box to desired height, filling it with dirt then using high temp mortar and concrete to make a table with a steel forge built into it, but it is something more like an industrial sized forge... one day I will have to take some pictures of my drawings and post them. It is something I would like to build if I ever build my dream shop. Would be inside with a chimey exhaust flu. Honestly I don't have a place to build it now. One of those I can't shut my brain off designs.

I wrote the loving all the advice comment with a ton of thoughts running through my head, and not much time to actually respond since i was at work and my break was ending, so i couldn't write everything i was thinking. So here is the long version, I am loving all this advice. I have learned each project requires a new seat of tools, some are simple and other more complex, but starting with the simple basics, you can make the more complex tools as you go. the more i watch video's on blacksmithing the more my mind fills with ideas. Hate to repeat my self but i love it all, it keeps my mind engaged, will keep my body active and keep me busy. now if i could just win the lottery and build my dream set up (watching youtube you see some amazing shops) But, even with the forge i am buying this Friday, I am still a long ways off from beating steel on an anvil. One i need a anvil, but give me a couple weeks and i will probably have one. Just cant wait to get started....

Loving all this advice! Thank you all!