Bill in Oregon

Oh, *****. I have four dogs, and this topic always gets me all blubbery. Sorry you had to say goodbye to your big buddy Frosty. It is one of the hardest things in the world. Enough said.

My first exposure was in 1959 at age 6 during the Oregon Centennial. At a small ferry crossing town on the Willamette River (Independence), a blacksmith was making rings out of horseshoe nails for something like 25 cents. Fascinating. That was the seed. Also watched a smith make steak turners at a living history demonstration, and though I could learn to do that. But it wasn't until I got a copy of Tim Lively's "Knifemaking Unplugged" that I realized how easy it was to make a simple charcoal forge. Not long after, I ran into an old No. 40 Champion blower, and I was soon ready to heat and mash metal on a Russian-made cast steel Harbor Freight anvil (not the Chinese cast iron ASO.) I am still a crude beginner, but have a Diamondback forge on the way and just built a forge table and mounted my old leg vise. Also have a reconditioned 120-pound Trenton anvil, and plan to get a few more basic tools to expand my limited repertoire. Love this Web site!

Perhaps apprenticeship is a relationship that has a limited place in the modern world with all its rules, regulations and minimum pay requirements. It is still a wonderful way to learn.

Dang that's a nice tutorial. How did you cut the saw blade?

Mike: Mucho appreciado on your fine post. The book on Roman iron making sounds fascinating. No truck springs in my junk pile yet, but soon.

Irnsrgn: That's a lovely piece, and looks very functional. Hve you tapped the hole? What size?

Just watched a couple of youtubes on making nails. Sure looks easy enough, and lacking a nail heading tool, am I correct in assuming one could simply drill a hole in a piece of flat stock or scrap and use that for the heading device?

Mike: Wonderful work as usual. You must have more research material on historic striker patterns than anyone I know of! If you ever want to do a tutorial for a poor tenderfoot pilgrim, I would be all eyes ...

Oscar: I have Cascade hops in my garden, and they would attack your roof gable in about 7 days' growth, winding their way up the string. But there's nothing like hops dangling from the eaves to tickle a beer fancier's fancy! Very nicely done.

Cool. Looks like the Granfors Bruks Swedish carving hatchet. Very nice work on the head.

Mike: Love your setup. I notice the leg vise leg doesn't seem to be in contact with anything. How does this work out? Would a similar table with some steel plate on top be safe with a propane forge? All this talk of steel tops warping from the heat indicates to me that the surface beneath and around most propane forges gets pretty hot.

Fe-Wood: Where is that lake you show in your avatar? Talent guy with a power hammer, eh? Hope to meet him!

Wonderful lines, symmetry and ribs. Also love your socket. I agree on the usefulness of a long, thin bick for this sort of thing.

Man, I would like to go to your flea markets! I've never seen an anvil at a flea market in my neck o' the woods, although I did once find a Champion blower several years ago.

Wouldn't this generally be the 5160 that Tim Lively uses for knives?

Drako: Good stuff!

I need to reorganize my smithing corner and plan to add a propane forge so I don't have to rely on the hand-cranked char forge, fun as it is. The photo shows I have some work to do -- need a stand for the Trenton on the floor, a stand for the leg vise in the back, and a steel-topped table I can put the propane forge on. I am not a welder, so I was wondering if it would be safe to build a heavy table using 4X4 or 4X6 legs, well braced, and with a lumber or plywood top with some 1/4 or 3/8 plate bolted to it -- safe in the sense of fireproof and nearly impossible to tip over. I'm thinking something like 3 by 6 feet. I plan to drywall the bare walls to reduce fire danger. Any advice most welcome.

Just for the heck of it, where would 5160 fit into this discussion?

A very nice piece, obviously executed with skill ... and love.

Fellas, I appreciate your kind welcome, and will take you up on the propane forge advice. I've checked several brands and so far I like the Diamondback price, but the Chili designs. I don't have any welding tools or skills, so I think trying to build my own might not be the smart option just now. But I could be wrong. I will be spending some time here reading the forums and old posts to try to get up to speed. Again, thank you all. Bill

I have been making a mess of perfectly good old Nicholson files on my hand-cranked charcoal forge for several years now, and decided it is time to improve my skills and equipment. My forge is a washtub style inspired by Tim Lively, and the blower is an old Lancaster No. 40 that wheezes and groans and still does good work. My charcoal is whatever I can gather at controlled burn and slash pile burns in the woods above my home. Works fine, and it is free. I'm seriously looking into a propane forge and otherwise stepping up my game, however, because I got a nice old refaced Trenton anvil for my birthday to supplement my Harbor Freight cast steel Russian anvil. Look forward to learning from the craftsmen in this community. Thank you all in advance!