Frosty

Yeah, the heft feels good in the hand, maybe it's the ancient part of our brains harkening back to using rocks to open our beers. A twist feels good in the hand too especially if the spacing lets the fingers rest on the shaft. It's a very secure grip and feels good. Tricks like making a spacer will come to you as time goes by, we all think of things like that to make it easier. A vise IS a good thing in the shop as are good tongs and pliers. You can make V bit combination tongs that will grip the sq. stock solidly across the jaws giving you more leverage to twist. A short pair of tongs with a round bit so you can hold the tapered stock and let the stock slip through as you wrap it will make it much easier and faster. The vise grips and regular pliers are okay if that's what you have but proper tongs made for the job are what you really need. Tong are also excellent learning projects and there are a number of outstanding instructional videos and blueprint posts. Yeah, that's right, right HERE in IFI city. (DRATS, I couldn't think of a rhyme for river city like the song>) Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard Deivi, glad to have you. If you put your general location in the header we won't have to keep asking. You don't REALLY believe we're going to remember from mentioning it in one post do you? Besides you might be surprised how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance. Frosty The Lucky.

If you've given much thought about building a forge that burns nitro methane. Hmmmm, I wonder how fast it'd heat? Frosty The Lucky.

I took this pic while I was putting it together and it isn't much different in the "as builts". It took me a long time to find where I put the pics, they aren't where I put them since buying the new computer, it had Windows 8 as the default OS and my computer guy swapped the files but didn't or couldn't make sense of my system so he just swapped the stuff. Anyhow, I think this shows it pretty well. I know I have better pics if I only knew where they are. <sigh> The dies in this pic are the fullering dies, not the cut off or butcher dies, I use the cutoffs and butchers the most. Frosty The Lucky.

Ayup, you can only get so naked and you're stuck with the heat. AC is good, I don't know what I'd do without it when it gets over a searing 55f. just terrible, I render over 70f. You guys down there must be just plain NUTS to live in such inhuman heat. Frosty The Lucky.

Alright, understanding your situation helps a lot. While drifting the hardy holes may be "traditional" for a few centuries ago a blacksmith invented the drill press for a reason. Drill and broach the hardy holes will not only be easier and a WORLD more comfortable, it'll yield a better product. Believe me you haven't lived until you've worked a piece of steel that size at drifting temperature, say high orange to yellow, yellow is better but your Levis will just burst into flames unless you have a seriously long handle on the drifts and sledge. Your strikers wont be back again either. The piece you want for an anvil is going to work a treat. How's the other end look? It has that little tag sticking out that would make a small but serviceable heal. Also, seeing as it's standing on end I believe the other end must be pretty flat and a little dressing will make it work ready. The end up in the picture is pretty rough and will need a lot of grinding just to smooth enough to be a good anvil surface. As it is it's just fine for welding a stand to it. Can't do much to make it harder to grind clean and you're going to need to make or weld a stand for it anyway. I like it, I'd put it in my shop in a heartbeat. Frosty The Lucky.

Not at that price. A person doesn't buy a 275lb. anvil unless s/he intends to do heavy work and that one is a failed piece. I can't imagine Refflinghaus let that one go anywhere but the reject/remelt pile. If it didn't come from the factory with those flaws then they're from failing in use. I wouldn't give much more than 3x scrap price for it unless I wanted to weld it on a post for display out by the road. Frosty The Lucky.

You can upset more easily if you do it before you part it. Just heat the end and drop it on the hot end on the anvil or a upsetting plate on the floor. The weight of the bar falling even a short distance will do a fine job and it's easy to hold it vertically in plumb because that's the way it wants to hang. Another trick is to lay it in a channel and slide it horizontally against the side of the anvil or lay the anvil on it's side and use it's face. A channel is as simple as wiring two pieces of pipe together so the shaft can slide in the join. This method allows precise alignment if you're not sure about holding the bar vertical. You also have to remember that as the end upsets it will become wider and you MUST allow space between the guide channel and the anvil face or the upset end will make the face upset out of perpendicular with the bar. Once you've upset it as desired is time to slit and drift the eye. It's not so easy to slit and drift with the end upset so the length of bar helps align and stabilize it. Then's time to part the blank and finish the rest of the flatter. Frosty The Lucky.

Your request to Santa is to own the wrecker at NASCAR races. Frosty The Lucky.

I made mine with a "C" frame deep enough to clear about 3". The top and bottom die holders are at a 45* angle to the frame so I can pass long stock through crossways or lengthways. EG I can cut or shoulder a 20' bar in the center or fuller a full 20' length. The only time the frame interferes with the work is if you're working more than 3" off line. I've never worked anything in it at a 45* angle though so its never gotten in the way. The bottom die just drops in and the top die slides in a guide plate. I can loosen the top guide or remove it if I want to use a really odd top die, say the 3/4"r fuller. I'd make a couple changes though. I put the shank directly under the bottom die. Were I to make another I'd place the shank so the bottom die were over the waist of the anvil and parallel on the edge. This would not only put the strikes over the sweet spot and not risk striking over the hardy hole but it would give much more freedom to work at an angle out of horizontal. Frosty The Lucky.

Good decision making a new one rather than trying to repair the broken casting. If you still have them put the patterns you used for the one you just made in a safe place, you'll probably want to do this again in a few years. Mild steel isn't going to just burn up any more than cast iron will, it's good for years of hard use. There's nothing strange about the "copper", probably bronze repair. Welding is fusing the parent metals with a like metal, literally melting them together. What the copper alloy is is brazing, NOT welding. Brazing is hard soldering and a standard repair method for cast iron before the modern cast iron alloy welding rods became available for a reasonable price. Unfortunately, once brazed welding is out, the brazing rod will do a good job of preventing a weld of most any kind. Frosty The Lucky.

Spanky: You used to teach classes in subduing out of control psychotics, eh? No wonder you fit in here so well! I LIKE long stories. Frosty The Lucky.

If Boyscouts keep showing up because their compasses point to your yard. Frosty The Lucky.

It's awfully tempting in a situation like this to try designing the "perfect" thing, I think most all of us are guilty of this now and then. Don't over think this, especially for a striking anvil. They're intended for heavy use, not as tool holder / stake plates. Were I looking at using stock like this I'd be asking myself which edge I wanted up. I wouldn't be laying it flat, I've NEVER needed the whole face on my smaller anvil for anything I couldn't do on a bench. Seriously, striking on the edge gives you much better depth of rebound for better effect on the work. Even that thick laying flat there will be a little flex sucking up energy from your hammer. If you use a lot of bottom tools they fit your existing anvils don't they? I have two anvils at hand when I'm working, one usually has the bottom tool I'm most likely to need next in the hardy hole while I'm forging on the other anvil. Frosty The Lucky.

Okay, new reply. A coal forge doesn't typically make near the waste heat a charcoal forge does and is NO comparison to a propane forge. The hood and stack doesn't get as hot as a person would think unless it's a BIG fire. Still, it needs to be fire proof even if it doesn't really need to be insulated like a wood stove's stack. It's why a person can get away with using galvanized stack so long as it's not right at the fire. Unfortunately 300f isn't unexpected and before it reaches that plastic is going to be dripping. Well, any plastic a normal person can afford. You also need to be aware soot can build up in a stack and catch fire. Stack fires are no fun but are pretty easily controlled if you're on top of it. Not paying more than a person needs to is a fine old blacksmith's tradition, I'm pretty sure the first person to forge a copper nugget haggled over the price. Do you know anyone in the HVAC business? They probably toss more ducting than a person would ever need every time they do a remodel. Same for builders and if you see a restaurant being worked on asking can't hurt. A restaurant remodel would be primo, most of that ducting would be stainless. You might be able to bribe the guys at the local salvage yard or dump with donuts to keep their eyes open and set stuff aside for you. Donuts and the occasional letter opener, card holder, coat hooks, etc. are just good PR and being on folks good side is a good thing. Seriously, all you're talking is channeling smoke once it's away from the forge fire so as long as it's metal and the right diameter it doesn't make a huge difference what kind. It could be aluminum irrigation pipe, well casing, old piling, a light/flag pole, etc. Heck if it is tall enough it doesn't need to be really very large around. You could roll up salvaged steel roofing and it'd work a treat. The through the wall section is a bit more demanding but not a lot. An old ungalvanized mailbox or two pop riveted together for length might be the ticket. Rural mailboxes can be pretty darned large you know. You can remove galvy by soaking it in vinegar. The possibilities are just a matter of recognizing them when you see them. Frosty The Lucky.

How are any of us to know a person's age without being told? If I'd known you were an adult a little rubber chicken slapping for asking about a plastic smoke stack might be in order. (I'll get back to helping you brainstorm a suitable stack soon) But some of these things can be dangerously serious, maybe even deadly serious. I've always been very safety cautious, even in my reckless youth I looked to precautions. For a bit I'm thinking a number of us were having too good a time with your question, I know I sure let the quick half of my wit get away from me. The real danger being how will young folk who may be just feeling their way into the craft feel about asking questions with potentially disastrous consequences? A point in fact is a question that was posted yesterday or the day before. A young man asked if he could use a ceramic mug to melt bronze and pour into a concrete mold. Perhaps if he'd read our replies to your question first and been as sensitive as a teen can be, he wouldn't have asked and just given it a try. Had that happened it could've lead to injuries from scaring, painful all the way to lingeringly fatal. Perhaps burned his family home or heavens forbid the apartment building with the family on the 3rd floor home and asleep. I know it's not a thing for some folk but I won't take that chance, too much can ride on it. It's one thing to get a loud and strong negative response to a question but something entirely different to be mocked. I just have to remember to ask myself THE magic question next time I see one like yours. "is S/HE SERIOUS!?" If the answer the voices in my head tell me even maybe, I need to take into consideration the potential before I let my fingers run so far ahead of my brain. Any who, My new position on questions is to THINK the serious WHAT IF before I reply. I'm hoping more of us do as well. I may not be very pretty but I do like being able to look myself in the eye in the mirror. Frosty The Lucky.

Flemish: Please accept my sincere apology I was out of line mocking you for your question. Sometimes I get off on a bad tack and get carried away. I just couldn't imagine anyone asking if plastic was appropriate for a smoke handling system. If it turned out you were a youngster and rather than be made fun of again just gave it a try the next time you had such an idea. Were something like that to happen all of us who'd been so sarcastic would've been at least partially responsible for damages or injuries incurred by an accident. I make no excuses for my words, I will try much harder to be responsible next time such comes up. Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard, glad to have you. No experience with art welding you say? Oh man you set a HIGH bar for a newcomer. There are guys who've been doing precision welding for a long time that'd have a hard time matching your welding and finishing techniques let alone your expression. I am really looking forward to seeing your work after you've done some practicing! Get hooked up with a local smithing organization, they are going to LOVE you. Frosty The Lucky.

There's acreage just up the road you can buy, it's not too hot in summer and we have thick clothes commonly available and good heating systems for winter. Point out to her it's easier to get warmer than cooler. Frosty The Lucky.

Uh huh. Say, how'd the "Gilligan's Island" theme song go now? Frosty The Lucky.

Thank you Gergely, you put a great big smile on my face for today. I love doing demos and kids are the best audience, they ask the best questions. Did you LOVE the looks on their faces when you did the twist? Twists seem to awe most audiences but kids ooh and ah out loud. My only suggestion is to NOT let kids near the anvil wearing sandals (flip flops or thongs here in the US.) there's too good a chance for hot scale to stick to a kid's foot. That's not the best way to teach a kid about burns. <wink> Frosty The Lucky.

I think I've written in my typically over windy form, pretty much all my basic gas forge recommendations. My general advice for getting into the craft is light a fire and start making things. Good projects to start with are nails, hooks leaf or "S" with a twist. I like leaf hooks as they pack a lot of basic processes in a small package. There are all kinds of things a person can forge for the garden, yard, patio, BBQ, etc. steak turners are excellent for practicing loooong even tapers. If you start reading the sections on IFI, pick one that interests you, pack a lunch, a refreshing beverage and pull up a comfy chair, there must be a couple thousand years of experience and rank ameture opinion posted. If it won't "teach" you to smith it will give you a working handle on the vocabulary, terms and some processes. This will help you ask good questions and understand the answers. After a while you'll pick up enough to help winnow the grains from the chaff. Lots of chaff and I've contributed my share, I chafe at chaff, especially my own prolifically chuffed out chafy chaff. (Yeah, like it REALLY bothers me <grin>) It doesn't really matter how long a person practices the craft, every fire, question, answer, mistake MISTAKES!?! are school. I've never watched someone at the anvil without learning something, I learn something with every post I read or make. There's nothing like showing someone else how to do this stuff to teach the teacher. You find yourself having to explains WHY you did a thing THAT way. Welcome to the learning curve, it's a lifelong ride. Enjoy. Frosty The Lucky.

Yeah, lots of imaginitive and some colorful pronunciations for eucalyptus. I grew up in the San Fernando valley with all the eucalyptus trees imported back in the day when they thought it'd make good cabinets and or RR ties. We had mostly blue gums growing in the yard but a couple were something else we didn't know. Okay one of the not so colorful pronunciations: "You can lip dis," "You cally peedus," . . . AAAHHHHHHEEEEE!!! DANG! Now I'm thinking about the folk who, "gots" things, wore, "stocks," called anything THEY didn't understand "stupid" and added the sufix "ate" to random words when they "conversated" so they sounded like they were actually learned. Oh THANK SO YOU VERY MUCH! How about you think of a catchy jingle you just can NOT get out of your head? Hmmmm? Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard, glad to have you. That's a rivet forge, not a downdraft. Have you clayed the pan? It's a good idea, especially if it has "clay before use" cast in. Cast iron doesn't like differential heating and cooling, the clay will help disperse the intense heat from the fire. I have a rivet forge that's cracked almost all the way across from not being clayed and probably over use of water. You can deepen and shape the fire with fire brick arranged around the air grate. While it's nice to know, it's birth date has no bearing on it's utility. There's nothing wrong with wanting to know, I'm not saying there is, I'm just a function trumps cosmetics kind of guy. Frosty The Lucky.

Gonna spice it up, make it saucy for us? I can jumble the language on ya, I ga-RON-teee. Genuine andouille can be hard to find here on the Last Frontier so some of us have developed suitable substitutes from spicy smoked sausage. Hot reindeer links are pretty good and easy to get. Home made spicy smoked moose is really good but I like moose better than caribou or reindeer. (same critter, boo are wild, reindeer are domesticated) Decent smoked sausage is commonly available and adjusting the spice load and other ingredients can make a darned tasty great white northern gumbo. Okra grows just fine here as does the holy trinity. Seafood we have, even shrimp/prawns but crab gumbo . . . HooWEE. Frosty The Lucky.