Frosty

Buried treasure. Wicked cool. Yo ho, Yo ho a pirates bridge anvil I see! Frosty The Lucky.

You want someone here to sell you an indulgence? . . . Okay, want my address? Truth is, I've heard about those mistake things, they seem to be all over the place. I wouldn't worry about it, seems lots of people are making the pesky confabulatious misconstruances. Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard Gendry, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the IFI folk live within visiting distance. At the very least it'll help folk, different places have different resources and techniques so it helps to know where a person is. This site has a large section regarding using and making solid fuel forges, I think you'll be well served by doing some browsing and reading that section. Using a piece of "I" beam for an anvil isn't the greatest, it'll work but not terribly well. An old truck axle mounted on end or buried on end flange up at working height makes an outstanding anvil. A little grinding to smooth and shine up the flange end makes a fine surface and you're striking over the entire length of the axle so there is an excellent depth of rebound. If you do need a horn you can strike horizontally and use the axle shaft if you've mounted it solidly enough you can hit it darned hard. I think you're going to fit right in here, guys who just put something together and get to work tend to go a long ways. Especially if they already have good improvisational skills. Frosty The Lucky.

Sure, make top and bottom dies with spacers so they fit the holder. For instance a piece of 1/4" x 1 1/2" strip with 1/4" rd. welded for the die face, one each, top & bottom. Each die has a piece of 3/8" x 1" strip welded to the struck or held side for the guide/spacers and they'll fit a 5/8" holder. Frosty The Lucky.

I think you're going to have to experiment and see. Patination of steel/iron isn't really my thing and I loaned out my copy of The Colouring, Patination and Bronzing of Metals" so I can't even look it up. Hopefully someone here does know patination of iron/steel and speaks up. Please let us know what you find. Frosty The Lucky.

That makes sense. How about a leather wrap like a steering wheel? Heck, how about a steering wheel? Frosty The Lucky.

If you have the large heater tip for the turbo torch I think 300 cu/in forge volume is within reason. I don't know though, that's an educated guesstimate. Judging by the sound my turbo torch isn't near the BTU output of a 3/4" naturally aspirated burner. However, a Turbo torch may just be quieter. I'd have to experiment and see. I'd just roll Kaowool into a tube and a wad to block one end and insert the burner. Gradually change the dia and length till it hit the heat I need and go with that for the build. Please let us know how it works. Frosty The Lucky.

Oh come on Steve, he said please in the subject line. You Admin guys need to fire all the people who are supposed to sit around and answer questions like this immediately. <SHEESH!> Seriously, if you're still here Tim. Buy or have a press professionally made, you are FAR too impatient to make one that isn't more likely to kill you than work. Frosty The Lucky.

I'm seeing a few issues that could be improved. My rough figuring says it's in the neighborhood of a 30lb. hammer and the top die looks reasonably well made. You could find something much better than the composite filled tank for an anvil block but it'll work till the concrete pulverizes and it turns into a big rattle. The base has probably the most serious problem as built. 1/2" plate is darned flexible as mounted and being on rubber it will be a huge energy sink. Even 1" flexes soaking up energy. However gusset stiffeners welded around the bottom will help stiffen it considerably. Then if you put the base plate directly on the wood base and lay the rubber under the wood you'll have a stiffer base and better rebound. Angle stiffeners on the frame will reduce the back and forth action. Running two fairly large and thick ones from the back of the base plate, sandwich the post and anvil it'll go a long way towards stiffening it all up. If you were to double the post in line with the anvil it'd stiffen it up more. All stiffeners are welded. The ones stiffening the upper frame from post to vertical frame members should be through bolted, figure one bolt per 4" square and try not to line the bolt holes along the wood grain. Yeah, stiff and solid is a BIG deal with power hammers, the stiffer the better until you get to the members that must flex and you have a leaf spring on the most significant one. People have been making wooden power hammers for probably a couple thousand years, at least one. No reason not to make a Woody. All in all I think you have a good thing going, it just needs a little refinement. Of course that's my opinion I could be wrong. <grin> Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard Jano, glad to have you. If you put your general location in the header folk living within visiting distance will be a LOT more likely to be able to help. Look up and enroll in a metal class that offers or specializes in casting. Trying to learn casting by starting off with iron is NOT realistic. It's like trying to learn to fly in an F16. Safety is paramount, nothing can ruin your day and the rest of your life like mishandling molten metal. Mishandling can and often involves water. One cubic foot of 212f water turns into 1,600 feet of 212f steam. Molten iron in in the 2,000f range that much 2,000f live steam is thousands of times more volume and pressure. See steam engine or live steam, manuals for an idea of the horse power. As I remember from high school shop class "desk work," 10 lbs. of molten iron is the rough explosive equivalent of one case of 40% dynamite. 10lbs of iron is about a coffee mug worth. Just spilling 10lbs. of molten iron on a damp surface or bare concrete is the short course to hell on earth. Don't be the star of the show. Casting as not only fun it's very rewarding, just do it right please. Frosty The Lucky.

Be patient in your search. If you think $5-6/lb is too spendy, how do you figure $850/118lb anvil? Most of the rest isn't going to do you any good. Stands aren't worth buying, rasps can usually be had for next to nothing if you ask a working farrier, nippers and tack hammers aren't a general smith's tools nor are hoof stands, creasers, etc. they're ALL specialty farrier's tools. Anvils are just heavy hard things you can hammer hot iron/steel on, horns are recent additions in the history of blacksmithing and not that necessary. Be patient brother. How many years have you wanted to learn the craft? Rushing now is just going to paint you in a corner you don't have the skill sets to get out of without spending a lot of money. Just find something heavy and hard, preferably made of steel to use for now, build or buy a forge and get to hammering. NO tool will be perfect, it's a waste of time trying to find or make a perfect tool. The tools don't forge anything, the SMITH does, tools are just highly refined dirt. Patience is your friend, get to hammering on whatever's available NOW, the tools will come or you'll make them. Heck, nothing fits your hand or means more to you than using a tool you made with your own hands. Frosty The Lucky.

For an outdoor durable finish, sand blast, acid etch primer and 2 part epoxy paint. I started using epoxy when I did most of the fab and repair work on the drill rigs and nothing would stand up to having cables and drill rod banging against it 10 hrs a day, 6 days a week in a salt water environment. Typically epoxy paint lasted at least 2 years before needing touching up, good heavy abuse finish. For light use, indoor, outdoor or food service I'm still a huge fan of carnuba wax and Trewax is my old go to brand, that can is still more than half full at more than 25 years of finishing a hobbyist's stuff. It goes on work at 200f+ is very penetrating and cools to an extremely hard durable finish. Carnuba is what bowling allies are armored with and typically get waxed once a year unless it's really a heavy use ally then it's maybe twice a year. Top coats on bowling allies are slick oil or wax with the sticky wax or oil as needed but the armor under it all is carnuba. Carnuba wax is actually slightly sweet and as food safe as I know of, As I recall it's hypo allergenic but don't quote me, check yourself. Next time you take a shiny tablet let it rest on your tongue a second and taste it, the shiny coat is carnuba. Carnuba is also what makes M&Ms melt in your mouth, not in your hand. Trewax, carnuba is my go to, I only use beeswax when requested to. Frosty The Lucky.

A valid version of the "God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason," adage I heard so often I used to cringe every time I opened my mouth when I shouldn't have. I'm kind of surprised my face isn't stuck in a permanent cringe. I don't know how keeping your eyes open fits mouth closed so well unless it's a visual conversation. As in; look at this, this is what's going on. I'm thinking "Shut up and pay attention" about covers it. Then again if I were as smart as I thought, folk wouldn't have been saying that to me so often eh? Teenagers! <sigh> Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard Mo, glad to have you. If you put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance. You say molding, not pattern maker or caster, but a mold maker, yes? You have me mulling the riddle so ram it to me. Sorry new guy, I just can't pass up a straight line. Frosty The Lucky.

Looks good J. Cable is okay for their talons? I guess, birds land on anything all the time so why not eh? Frosty The Lucky.

Looks good Nicole. You developed the pattern nicely and the patina has a nice rich color. Steve: I've had good luck with a simple steel clamp made from 2 pieces of 1/4" strap and 4, 3/8" bolts. A light sprinkle of borax helps if you're heating in coal or charcoal and doesn't hurt a bit in a gasser. Mokume is fun, even the failures can be spectacularly beautiful. Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard, glad to have you. If you put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance. Most places you'll find folk who use one of the models you're asking about and you can give them a try. If you scroll to near the bottom of the IFI front page you'll come to the regional organizations section. If you hook up with the one closest you'll get to meet helpful folk who tailgate tools and equipment, hold hammer ins and often have demonstrations and open forge sessions at meetings. You can arrange for lessons, classes or maybe just make friends who like helping folk get themselves thoroughly addicted to the craft. Propane burners aren't rocket science or I wouldn't have gotten them to work. And yeah, mine will melt steel if you aren't paying attention and my one shining example of home made burnerhoodship melts the firebrick forge floor under it but that's as much luck as skill. Frosty The Lucky.

My pleasure Joe. Blacksmithing is a wonderful addiction and we just LOVE more company. The faster and easier you're afflicted the sooner you'll be infecting others. Frosty The Lucky.

Yeah, don't get fancy relining it, these were designed to be simple, easy to maintain and repair. Field clay ("Field" meaning any clay you don't buy) and sand will work well. Don't get it soft wet, you want it just damp enough to ram into shape. Too wet and it'll shrink check as it dries, think dry mud puddle. Leather ought to work on the valves. For sealing the joints I'd try head gasket material, it'll take plenty of heat and the air supply will be cooled by the air flow. You might get away using high temperature RTV silicone gasket sealer but I don't think it's going to need perfect seals. I think I'd want to play with what kind of fire it makes and then decide what kind of air grate if any to use. I don't know if the air will cool it enough, it's going to get plenty hot regardless. I'd have to mess with it but I'd start with it protected and see how it works and TAKE NOTES. Frosty The Lucky.

Uh, I'm not sure what to say, that's one serious gas appliance. Johnsons were (are?) famous for coming to not quite welding heat on natural gas and exceeding it on propane. I'd have to take a tape to my Johnson 122a but I think 6" would fit easily. Being gun burners you can close the lid all the way, the leakage around the lid is all the exhaust it needs. It's been a long time since I've been around a Johnson trench forge in operation, I've never lit mine. I got it as part of an all or nothing buy and have no need for something that size. I wish I could come over and watch that puppy in action, I'd stay out of the way, honest. Frosty The Lucky.

Only one more post to clarify a question is almost a record. I don't think twisting multiple strands of steel will schlub up like rope will, steel is a lot more elastic than hemp, jute, etc. Don't quote me on that though, I'm speculating and it would depend on how tight you tried twisting the steel. Oh yeah, post some pics of your project please, we love pics. You should've been able to post the .jpg, it's easy to forget a step like actually attaching it after selecting, etc. We've all done it, don't give up. Frosty The Lucky.

Yeah guys me and my Soderfors again. <grin> It's a 1933, 125lb. sorceress #5 in near mint condition, there are a few small chips from the edges and Ive radiused them at the horn end. Before the internet went public I was lucky to find anything about blacksmithing, my only book was "The Art Of Blacksmithing" by Alex Bealer and not knowing any better I put my Soderfors to his quality test. I laid a cold chisel on the face and gave it a stout blow with a 3lb. hammer. It's something I'd never do to any anvil now, a ball bearing or rap with a ball pein is so much safer all round. What it did was flatten the chisel and not leave a mark on the anvils face. Good according to Bealer so the next test was to lay a new sharp draw file across the face and see if it cut. It nearly scated, barely shining the face at all and better still it cut across the entire face so it was flat. According to Bealer it was hard enough and the temper had been drawn down correctly to approximately a rc60-62. Mr. Bealer would've considered my Soderfors a good anvil. Good to know eh? A bearing test from around 10" will bounce the bearing back almost to height. I haven't done it with a ruler so all I can say is it's darned near all the way, mid to high 90% at a guestimate. I've never used a better anvil and I've had the privilege of using some darned nice anvils, a friend's Kohlswa is close but it's lighter, that may be the difference. That's my assessment of my Soderfors, best anvil I've ever used, if you get a chance buy it. If you have an old Soderfors in your way or you don't like, PM me I'll send you my address, I have the perfect place for it. Frosty The Lucky.

That's very cool David, I REALLY like the builder and mig welder. Wicked cool. Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard Joe, glad to have you. There are tomes of information archived on the site organized by subject. Pack a lunch, something to drink and pull up a comfy chair there's enough there to keep a person busy reading a week or more. Pick something you're interested in or think you need to learn and read up. Probably anything you may want to ask has been answered a bunch of times. If nothing else reading a bit will give you a handle on terminology, technique, tools, etc. so you can ask good questions and more importantly understand the answers. . . Well as well as anybody can understand some of these answers. <grin> Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard Stick87, glad to have you. If you put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance. I have a 206lbTrenton in the shop, it's a fine anvil, top tier. Don't do any welding on it till you know something about how they work and how you use it. It's a thing we all do, we lust after the "perfect" tool before we know what we really need/want. We all do or did it at one time, truth is no tool is perfect but that's okay. The tools don't do a thing without us. Without the hand and mind of man they're just highly refined dirt. It's YOU that does the work and till you develop the skills you can't know what you need in the tools. Give it a year or so and if then you decide you just MUST "repair" your lady let me know I'll run you through how I do it if I must. Frosty The Lucky.