K. Bryan Morgan

Yes I just used a chainsaw. I used a framing square to mark a line then cut a 2 x 4 and used that as a guide. I measured from the new "bottom" of the stump to the proper height, in my case this is 17", and made a parallel cut. I checked it for square with a level and was right on the money. I think it took me about 5 minutes. Trig doesn't scare me, it has nothing to do with what kind of word it is. If I were engineering something I would use it. I did for many years as a civil engineering draftsman and designer. I heard a very telling story once about an engineer and a blacksmith. The engineer wanted a one inch hole in a piece of plate at a certain point. He was using lots of math and figuring how to get a drill over the hole and how to make it all work out. The blacksmith asked how far from two edges he needed the hole. The engineer told him the dimensions of the hole and the blacksmith marked them out. Taking a torch, he cut a hole at the location leaving it just a little bit small. Heating the edges with the torch he then took a one inch drift and drove it through the hole. The engineer looked at the blacksmith and then walked away. For me, this little tail, true or not, tells me that practical experience should not be discounted. Nor should should the power of keeping processes simple. Over thinking a project can doom it to cost over runs and stagnation just as much as under thinking it. Your milage may vary.

I used a breaker bit to make my axe drift. Its hard tough metal and will last a very long time. Jake Progrebenski and I made an axe last December, in a small poorly fit shop. On a 25 pound anvil. It doesn't take much.

Measure from the floor to your mid fist or knuckle. Subtract the height of the anvil. Cut a stump to the remainder. Worked fine for how long? Or bury it in the ground with the anvil at knuckle height if you have a dirt floor. KISS.

He's toughing up his bones. Repeated striking of hard objects strengthens bones by making them more dense. Its a very very old technique.

I just use a cow magnate. Cost $1.27. At that price I don't care if it lasts forever. But it will most likely outlast me.

Sale ended price was $1800 and reserve not met. My personal opinon is, while I'm very certain he is a nice guy, he wants too much for his equipment. I'm not a collector, its going to get used and abused. But, to each their own.

Maybe an issue but after you straightened it, did you normalize again?

That actually helps with the grip. They will hold a piece of steel tighter than if they were just flat.

Frosty you are welcome any time, any time at all. I've been trying to wrangle a way to come down and visit but the universe has been against me and I haven't been able to. I tried real hard to make the July meeting and come to the big class but things didn't work out finacially. We got a used motor home and the breaks on it cost us $2200. They had to redo everything. You know you have a problem when you go to take the disk break off the axel and it breaks off in your hands and leaves the hub on the axel. I had to farm out the work and it ate up our reserve. But its all good. We have a nice motor home now. I'm taking it in to get winterized this week. Anyway, we will figure it out. Me coming down, you coming up. Fire and steel, ain't it wonderfull?

Frosty is right. In fact the RR anvil I have came from some stock he has in his pile of metal.

My RR anvil has holes in the footer part. I used long lag bolts and just lagged it tight to the stump. No apprecialble ring when its tight.

Frosty has a good collection of Tools (notice the capital "T"). I know I have pictures. That looks like its going to be a shop to be envious of.

Fantastic Blake. Really well done.

Glad your ok and things are getting better.

I have seen it done. Personally I would make it so, if a cinderblock were to break it would be easy to replace. In otherwords a loose stack. If I were to coat it, bentonite clay is what I would use. You can find it in bags of unscented basic no frills kitty litter. The only ingredient on the lable will be "clay". That works rather well. The firepot section should be about 6" deep if you are using charcoal and about 3"-4" for coal. Take pictures and update us on your progress. We love pics.

Its great to see another smith in Alaska. It was great talking to you in chat the other day. I hope your doing well.

Nice tight little set up. I like it. You may want to put a piece of plate between the forge and the stump however. That will get hot. But thats plenty good to get some nice things made.

Go to a plumbing supply, they have all you will ever need and then some.

I have the hammer your talking about. Mine is a 3 pounder but its the same company I'm sure of it. I just used sand paper and time. It worked out great and its one of my best all round hammers now. It won't take that long. I had mine polished to 600 grit in a few hours. The peen I did by hand too. I put the hammer between my knees peen up and polished like I was doing my shoes till I got it to about a 1/2" radius. If I remember right I did that with 50 or 60 grit then polished like the face to 600 grit. The whole process was a full days work. But it was fun to me.

So very sorry to hear this Steve. Prayers for his loved ones.

Digs out his Oz to American English dictionary.... Nope still don't get it. :wacko:

I think it would make a pretty spiffy leaf hammer.

prayers sent

Holy smokes! Thats just insane. I love it.

I got the same warning another Blackhole Expoit. Apperently they are targeting commercial and forum sites from what I've been reading about it. Sure glad I have good software.