elkdoc

Praying for Ralph... :(

HWoolridge brings up a good point. With almost any broad spectrum insecticide the good bugs will get killed too. Learned this the hard way last year when nothing in the garden got pollenated.

I have great luck with OrthoMax. I'm interested in Mr. Woolridge's recommendation, though.

I spent the weekend learning to forge dragon heads at a Dan Boone workshop that my guild did. After screwing around trying to draw out horns without burning myself on the rest of the piece, I can definately see the advantages to an anvil of that shape, T-Gold!

No, I just don't think the current springs are holding what they should. A few concrete blocks and some treated 2x6's shouldn't squat this thing like it does.

Any of you folks ever had extra springs installed in your pickup truck so you don't have to worry about such heavy loads? I'm considering it. My suspension is shot. Too many loads of bricks and mulch in a half-ton pickup. The truck is paid for, only 90K miles, looks great, runs like a top, and worth TONS more to me than it is on paper. It just can't handle much more than a gallon of milk as a cargo anymore. Just curious. :?:

VERY interesting information about the 'conversation' between smith and striker. Actually, the ringing that I do is very much like inrsrgn described. It's not a blow, just a tap as gravity from the hammer's upward bounce after striking the piece falls on the face. And it's when I'm ready to turn or rotate the piece. It does sort of keep a cadence going so that there's no hiccups in my pace as I turn a piece. edited 'cause my spelling stinks today

There seems to be a split in the smiths I've seen working on whether they ring the anvil while forging or not. Personally, I seem to ring the anvil every 4th or 5th blow. I guess it's because the fellow I've learned the most from watching rings in about this interval. I recently read in Randy McDaniels' A Blacksmithing Primer that we shouldn't tap or ring the anvil in between blows. What's your feelings/practice? I'm admittedly green. Should I be breaking the habit before it's too late? :?:

I've been poking around on the Lively tutorial website. Have you looked at the arrowhead tutorial? If not, check it out. It shows how to temporarily reduce the active area of the washtub forge by blocking holes at either end with adobe. When you want to use a bigger working area for larger projects, you just pop off the dried adobe blocking.

I reallly think that if you go this route you'll end up with better tools for less money. On top of that, you'll build relationships with folks that have been doing this for long enough to save you some steps. My monthly guild meetings are among the most cherished of my weekends.

I'm certainly no expert, so I won't comment much on size except to say that there are ways to temporarily fill space in a forge so that you don't use as much fuel (fire brick comes to mind). I do have a comment on the Lively washtub forge. I'd put a 'U' bend in the blower tube so that you can crank the blower from the side of the forge. This way, you can put longer stock in without leaving it unattended on the unheated end. Just my opinion, and you know what opinions are like. :oops: :lol:

If it were me, I'd leave it as is. A bench grinder with a wire wheel is mighty handy. Find yourself another motor to make a sander out of. Just my 2 cents... 8)

Do yourself a huge favor... Convince Mom or Dad to drive you to some local guild meetings. Get to know the local smiths. There's resources there that the WWW pale in comparison to.

I haven't run the numbers, but I doubt if there's much of a significant difference between coke and charcoal with a total of 35 votes. 8)

A fellow in our guild has worked a deal with the local community TV station. Any blacksmith that donates a piece for their next benefit auction will recieve free airtime for advertising their forge/business.

Do you have any idea how jealous I am right now? :)

Lucky so-and-so... :wink: :lol:

Hey Rick... What's yer source on the coke?

Basically, Clay Spencer is refining the old Ray Clontz design for a tire-driven power hammer. All I know is what I gleaned from the recent Appalachian Area Chapter of Blacksmiths newsletter. The hammers are estimated to cost between $800 and $1000 US to build, and it looks like Mr. Spencer will be holding some workshops to build hammers sometime soon. Like I said, I don't know diddly-squat about power hammers, but I have seen one of Clay's inline (roller-blade style) treadle hammers and was more than impressed. I'm hesitant to post his contact information without his permission, especially since I don't know him. However, if anyone is interested, I guess I can pass along some contact info that was printed in the newsletter via email or private message here on the forum.

Looks great! Did you use rivets? Kind of hard to tell.

I'm don't know squat about power hammers, but you might want to consider one of Clay Spencer's upcoming powerhammer construction workshops. He's been working to perfect a mechanical hammer design. I'll PM you with some details that I have.

I hardly feel qualified to post a tip or trick, since I'm so green myself, but here goes... I've found that having 2 hammers with different weights and face shapes helps alot. I currently use a 1000g swedish pattern with a fairly rounded face to move metal fast and forge things to shape. Then I use an 800g french pattern with a fairly flat face to finish the pieces. If I warm up by striking clay and practicing hammer control I've found that by using 2 hammers I get a cleaner piece. Make sense? I'm sure it's not really a revelation, but it helps me... 8)

Not a bad idea, Archie. I need to make some hardy tools, and was going to make them from sucker rod. I think I'll stop off at Home Depot and Lowe's tomorrow and ask like you did. Nothing wrong with stockpiling, if you don't have a way to use anvil tools right now.

I'm suprised that charcoal and bituminous coal are running pretty much neck-and-neck at this point. I figured charcoal and coke would be about the same. I'm a coal guy, so far. I am very intrigued by charcoal as a fuel source, though. I work in some areas where coal mining has pretty much left the environment in sorry shape. I don't care much for the smoke, either. I do like the way coal clumps together as it cokes and can be left alone without going out while I do other tasks in the shop. I may have to get a bag of coke and give it a shot...

Thanks gypsy... That's quite the compliment! :D