Frosty

Welcome aboard Mark, glad to have you. Please put your general location in the header IFI members in within visiting distance can't help if they don't know you're there. We really need a few pics but a couple answers that will tell. Is the leg out of alignment up or down? I'm sure someone with AIA will post whether it's a wrought body or cast. If it's cast you'll need to make a stand to compensate as Stewart suggests or weld on a shim as the anvilman suggests. I'm getting to like steel anvil stands more and more so I'd just build a stand that does the adjustment. If it's a wrought iron body, a torch and sledge will do it for you. While you're doing it use a piece of light plate to check the alignment so you don't over adjust. Frosty The Lucky.

What shape are the anvil and hammer? What's their OD? I can think of several methods but I need to know what you're working with to make suggestions. Pics would help, something for scale is helpful as well. Frosty The Lucky.

Perfect beginner projects. Use 4 of them to make two pair of tongs, one box tong fitted to RR spikes the other a "V" bit bolt tong to hold a spike around the head. Of course you can make them into a pair of cup tongs, just bend the head flat for the bits. Then of course you can progress into a RR spike hold fast so you can start carving wizard heads. Of course they'd make BIG honkin drive hooks, suitable for hanging such things as . . . ponies, obnoxious neighborhood kids, motor cycles, etc. Frosty The Lucky.

You might try searching the local papers for his name, he may have been in an accident, have a sick relative, etc. Might ask the local BBB if he's okay, no need for a complaint, the BBB is also there to help out in situations like this where a business owner may be out of touch for some reason. That'd be a heck of a drive to knock on his door. Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard, glad to have you. If you put your general location in the header you may be surprised at how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance. Tough question. Treadle hammers are prime for custom tooling, that could be any number of dies, from a shear/slitter/punch bolster to an outside fluter bolster. If you can't ask the maker it just may have to live on a shelf or under a bench till one day you'll say something like, 'AH HAH!! That darned treadle hammer die dingus is just perfect for. . .UH . . . Where DID I put that thing? Oh wait, I cut it up to make that slinky whooped doodle whatsit. . . Crap. <sigh> Frosty The Lucky.

The "P" stamp stands for "Pictures", post pictures. ;) Frosty The Lucky.

Good question Kurgan. I've never thought about it, just because the last art class I took was in high school. . . I'll be checking in while info compiles. I know a little about architecture but not about iron. Can't blame this lack on the tree. <sigh> Frosty The Lucky.

Ease up Steve, you have a foot across the line here. As an admin you can't break rules and then enforce them on others. It's BAD cred. We can all see he's a kid and as unmotivated as any entitlement age kid. He expects answers he likes and feels mistreated by the truth. Things like responsibility and consequences are for someone else as seen by his poorly worded excuses and accusations. Take a breath Steve and just ignore him. I am. Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome quanta guy, glad to have you. If you put your general location in the header you might be surprised at how many IFI guys live within visiting distance. Sorry, I can't help with the Cajun shop question, I've never heard of it. I hope you made the "buy" with a credit card so you can charge it back. Too many folk get kind of lax about performing once the money is in their pocket. When we were building the house I had to go to paying weekly to get help to come back the next day if I paid them. Frosty The Lucky.

Oh I don't know, it's generally much easier to make a large circle than a small one. I suppose it depends on how much wrought iron is available and if you have any ideas for it. Frosty The Lucky.

Pat: What day is the clinic? Get on the stick guys, this will be a good clinic for all you guys wanting to or making knives already. This isn't going to be a wimpy clinic this is the real deal. Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard, glad to have you. Please put your general location in the header so you'll find out how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance. There's a world of difference between CADD & 3D printing and forging steel. The holders in the pics aren't particularly hard projects and well within a beginner level. Provided of course the beginner is good with their hands. The legs aren't going to be a snap unless you can already forge weld, I'd go with rivets or more likely change the layout so I could make the whole piece from a single length of say, 1/4"x1/2" stock. Making the candle holders is pretty straight forward but learning enough of the craft to do them will take time and some help. Then again, you have access or own a 3D printer so money isn't a big factor. Seriously, a person can appoint a blacksmith's shop handsomely for the price of a 3D printer. Take a couple classes, pick up some basic tools, practice and you're golden. Of course by that time you'll be fully addicted to playing with fire and beating innocent steel into submission and not so interested in playing Skrym. (not that I know what Skrym is, still . . . ) Frosty The Lucky.

Aden: We now have a perfect example of why it's so dangerous to take just anyone's advice online. BCRob's reply shows he's either not paying attention or just a flippant guy. His, "no pay tuition required :P" Shows not only a lack to knowledge of bladesmithing and a shameful disrespect to a couple world class bladesmiths. A too hard/brittle knife is a dangerous tool, not only can/will it fail in an important situation, it'll let go in a serious way, thing a piece of very sharp steel flying through the air, to cut you or worse some innocent bystander. Don't sweat making a blade that doesn't work, take notes of what you did and the results, we learn from mistakes and failures. I can guarantee Thomas and Rich have failed more times than you can count but the result is mastery on a high level. Be very careful who's advice you take seriously. Rich and Thomas's opinions you can take to the bank. BC? is roundfile material, no help but potentially dangerous. Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard, glad to have you. Put your general location in the header and you'll find how many IFI folk live within visiting distance. Your's is a classic beginner's question but asking where to start on the road is better than most. Becoming a swordsmith is generally a many years learning curve. Learning the blacksmith's craft to a level necessary to forge swords isn't a short trail. Making knives and other utility blades can be a work of years to master. Metallurgy is a very involved subject, then there's learning how to work it then heat treatment. Forging and finishing a sword is NOT making a long knife, they're creatures of their own. I'd suggest packing a lunch and something to drink, pull up a comfy chair and start reading through the IFI sections. And NOT just the blade sections, there's whole world of blacksmithing and it'll all help on the road. It's a life long learning curve, enjoy the ride. Frosty The Lucky.

all funning aside I don't know why a blacksmith calendar wouldn't sell, it may be a small market but there are folk out there who like a rougher, industrial motif. So it's a niche market, lots f successful folk fill niche markets. Heck, shoot some lady smiths too. That would sell, I know a few lady smiths and would love a calendar. Frosty The Lucky.

Taking a couple business management, marketing and perhaps accounting classes is a good start. kblacksmithing is only one part of a business, unless you can run a business you won't be in business long. If you learn the business end well you'll have a fall back, I'll bet there are plenty of guys out there starting businesses who don't know how to run them. It's always good to have a fall back trade. To Quote Mom and Dad. If you only have one marketable skill you're a one trick pony and if that trick is no longer marketable neither are you. Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard Tom, glad to have you. Check around the site, there are bunches of posts about anvil finding, search "TPAAT" the Thomas Powers Anvil Acquisition Technique is a proven and very effective method for finding anvils and tools in general. Playing with fire and beating things with hammers is so much fun the GVT will make it illegal if they find out. Welcome to the addiction, enjoy the trip. Frosty The Lucky.

Thank you Sean. It's hard to say how helpful it is to have someone else's travel tool list to consider. I have a bad habit of bringing everything but the kitchen sink and only because THAT'S bolted down. Seriously, the last demo I did it took two of us a good hour to unload the pickup and I don't know how long to get it rearranged back in the shop. I've been drawing up a travel tool chest. As drawn now it's about 36" long x 30" wide and 12" deep. It will have a retractable handle on one end and wheels on the other so I can tilt it and tow it around like modern luggage. When it's time to load it in the pickup, leave the handle out, tip it back against the tail gate and tip and push it in. It'll be divided in two halves the main body 8" deep and the "door/lid" 4" deep. the lid is hinged so it can open out 1/4-1/2-3/4 turn. 1/4 open will probably be the least convenient, at 1/2 open it'll present the racks and shelves to the fullest but might be a little unstable. at 3/4 open the lid will be opened so the racks and hangers are pointed out like they were on the outside of a box or table. In this configuration I'd like to have a sheet of plywood carried on the outside of the lid that'll come free and make a table top. It won't be a work bench I can do heavy work on but it'll be good for keeping tools and parts in plain view and handy. WOW, that's a long winded description but I've been thinking, sketching and drawing on the thing for some time now and the Art On Fire demo really drove home how necessary it is to have a well thought out travel box and if I can make it be a multi tasker all the better. Whatever it turns out to be it'll beat dragging every bucket I have along with. Frosty The Lucky.

Another one! Too cool, how many guys have a blacksmith clock out there? Frosty The Lucky.

Right you are, It'd be a post apocalyptic, primitive redux anvil. Who was it did all those zombie blades? We need an expert here. Frosty The Lucky.

Because Bob lives in a corn field. Frosty The Lucky.

Going to make a beefcake version Kurgan? I'm thinking there's a market for sweat covered burly men wearing only a little leather at an anvil and roaring fire, hammer and tongs of course, or maybe pincers. Make that imaginative and exotic pincers. I'm sure there's a market, any biker chick bars in Kent? Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard Kolby, glad to have you. If you put your general location in the header you'll find out how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance. Hook up with the NWBA, they're a great gang and a really active bunch. Check the bottom of the IFI home page for the regional club sites to get in touch. Neil has clued you to some Pac NW activities, those guys will hook you up, get you rolling and you'll be styling in no time. Frosty The Lucky.

Sounds good Bryan. Try a machine shop that replaces lock pins and hinge pins for loaders, graders, excavators, dozers, etc. When the stock gets too short it's only a drop. take them a bottle opener, box of donuts and coffee and they may just give you some juicy drops or let you have it for scrap prices. I picked up some really excellent 110mm round I turned into the new flat dies on my LG ANd some 1 1/4" I'm going to use for hammers for really cheap. some 20.00 and it'd be well over $100 new. There are lots of earth move shops in the interior, time for a stroll in the yellow pages Bro. Were you going to make it down for the blade clinic? We have room. Frosty The Lucky.

Hey Bo, you took an intensive primitive smithing course didn't you? How about a smooth boulder? I recommend a mafic or ultramafic boulder, they're dense and fine grained and have been serving as anvils for thousands of years. limestone and marble work but granite is more popular as is basalt but give me a nice ultra mafic like hornblend. I have a really nice car hood size dornic (Big boulder) by the driveway you're welcome to use. It has to stay but you're welcome to use it. Seriously, a nice smooth boulder serves well, I've used them. Believe it or not, turn out some nice products and you'll be able to buy a "real" anvil in no time. Lots of people place a lot of mystique in primitive forged products. Frosty The Lucky.