MarkC

Doug, you better go buy that before I do! j/k, good luck

man i think that's a mousehole, because i have the exact same anvil sitting in my garage and have been trying to figure out what it is. Thomas Powers says no pritchel hole: probably pre 1820.

"disability"? last I knew, those were also called "challenges"... blacksmithing at its core is all about overcoming challenges. If you want to be a smith, you had better believe you can be a smith. As John said, you need some power or some buds to act as strikers that you can guide. Use your noodle and ask a ton of questions right here on the forum. If you quit I will personally come across the country and put my foot in your 4th point of contact.

wow, sweet. nice going.

haha, that's a good story. bring it back into use...man, i don't know. That bad edge would be one hefty repair. Guess you're right though, I should clean it up and see how it looks... I always thought it was a junker, best used to moor a boat with. I tried to get my hands on a better anvil as soon as I could.

the tools don't make the smith...

Thomas, It has no pritchel... I always thought a good portion of the heel had broken off at some point, and the pritchel going with it. Now that I google images of mousehole anvils, I see that their heels were rather small... seems my heel is mostly intact. i'm shocked to think it might be that old

holy cow droppings, i bet you're right... i recall making out the letters "US" on the markings, and wondered what the heck that was all about. It's probably the US in "MOUSE" wow... I need to go take a closer look. thanks a lot.

Congrats! Come on, let's see it. don't be bashful

Anyone have any idea what this is? I bought this years ago when I decided to try blacksmithing... didn't want to spend too much money in case it was just a passing hobby. Bought this for 50 bucks. It's in deplorable condition, heel broken off, bad gouging in the far edge (when i started out, I used it backwards to have a clean edge to work on). I quickly got a nicer anvil once i was hooked on smithing (and then another lol), now this one just sits in my garage... I am thinking that this anvil is pretty darned old... anyone have any clue what it is? It's about 160 pounds, 1" hardy, markings are almost completely gone and not really legible. Wondering if anyone could take a stab at it just by sight? I'll get out and take a photo of the markings later, but I am not at home at the moment...

dillon i just watched all your videos... i'm thinking if i head down there and spend a few hours within a half mile of your shop, i'll become a better blacksmith by osmosis.

rivets huh? nice.

one of mine... got this vulcan to try to keep the noise down in my new neighborhood. Had to make a stand quickly with what was in the shop. Just four 6x6 pressure treated post sections, spiked and banded together, bolted to a steel pipeline end cap. Thing's solid as a rock, and now i kinda like it. My other is a stump that I got from a firewood guy for a 12 pack of Bud Light. Want to make hofi-style tripods for both anvils in the future though, when I have some boredom on my hands.

haha, awesome

for me, eye and hearing protection are number one. I can honestly say I have no idea what my anvil really sounds like. I have never even one time made a forging hit on it without ear plugs. I keep a pair of #5 welding glasses beside the forge to protect against the infrared radiation if I need to stare into the fire for more than a few moments. I have felt the damage in my eyes twice before... never again. I know two metalworkers with cataracts. In my shop, the forge doesn't get lit until the water hose gets charged. I keep a charged hose line, standard garden hose with good pressure and 100 foot length, and a pick-head fireaxe readily accessible at all times while forging. If something does get away I am fully prepared to begin earnest firefighting measures, up to and including breaking into the walls to get at the seat of the spark. it wouldn't look good if a firefighter's workshop burned down. If I am using a cutoff disk, I am wearing a respirator. I lift it every so often to smell for wood smoke from any wayward sparks. I have a concrete floor, but wooden barn walls. I try to remain vigilant at all times. "It won't happen to me" does not apply at my shop. I have been to too many fires in regular homes, nevermind in a shop with a 2000 degree fire going all day. I personally believe that safety is the mark of a true professional. I have seen many "backyard mechanics" use an oxy-gas torch without goggles, but I work many fire details in oil yards and I have never one time seen a pipeline welder not wear goggles. Machoism and ignoring safety is an antiquated mindset that belongs in the 1970s, and is the mark of an amateur. IMHO

you could have a coyote or roadrunner swallow it and then get stuck to the back end of a speeding truck. I think you're even in the correct location...

jake, whatever man. I stand by my statement. I like your aesthetic more than any other I have seen. case closed. i'm not one to dish out complements, it's just my opinion. and back on the original subject, those forged hooks are darned awe-inspiring. excellent work!

I just have to say, jake, I just looked through your photo album and you're by far the most talented smith I have ever seen, to date. in my humble opinion.

aww shucks, haha

hey man, you're 15 years old and not a child. but, google "propane" and "LPG" and read everything about the gasses that you can. propane can kill you dead. it's heavier than air, seeks ignition sources, and a lot of other bad stuff. if a line blows or melts you need to shut the gas off at the source before or immediately after you extinguish the blowtorching hose. just read up. safety is priority one at all times. extinguishers, hoses, and water buckets at all times without exception. using safety equipment is the mark of a professional. dismissing safety to look tough is the mark of a pure idiot.

have you seen this? Plans to build a simple gas forge

do you have a welder handy? have you thought of building a rectangular propane forge body out of relatively inexpensive plate steel? and if you go with an atmopspheric forge the burner is a cinch

lol i say again, if they want to go to all the trouble, they deserve the 80 cents of copper. it's a main drag, if they can do it without getting caught, they have my awe. and fear of folks stealing something isn't going to keep me from makin' something beautiful. Fact is, he needed a new mailbox because some local punks had a round of mailbox baseball in the neighborhood. And don't think that wasn't first on my mind. But it's not going to cause me to make a piece of garbage for my dad. If something happens to it, i'll build the next one like ft knox. either way he got a nice gift and the pictures of it will forever reside in my portfolio. also smith and wesson handle security at my father's address.

man just pick up a forge on ebay and be done with it. then you can get to hammering instead of taking a month (or more) to build your forge. you have your whole life to build a forge just the way you like it. Blacksmith: Poor Boy Propane Gas Forge - Tank Ready - eBay (item 380151855479 end time Nov-21-09 03:48:12 PST)

swage blocks GALORE.