Frosty

Don't you LOVE IT when a plan comes together? Well done, Frosty The Lucky.

Yes, there is plenty of evidence that drawing over a fuller, be it horn, edge or bottom tool, is more efficient than on the face. Mr. Aspery was classically trained in England and is very traditional so it's very unlikely he'd use more modern techniques. Not that he doesn't know about or is unable, it isn't traditional so he chooses not to. Lastly if Mr. Aspery looks inefficient in a video it is because he is demonstrating a technique NOT competing in a speed contest. The point of demonstrating techniques is that the audience is able to see what and how you do things at a pace they can grasp and hopefully perform themselves with a little practice. No, the horn doesn't have direct support beyond the anvil's body, nor does the heel. They are not for "heavy" work. They are the way they are so you can work around them, say form a U shaped clip or a horse shoe. The result of doing HEAVY work on either can be seen in the 1st. post in this thread. Efficiency is a common goal for newcomers but it's not nearly your best focus. Try being Effective instead, efficiency is more a production goal. I don't recall what you're making as learning projects but I start folks out on leaf wall hooks so that's what I'll use as my example. Effective is knowing what dimension stock to use, the best heat color per step, which step to do first and so on. Efficient comes in when you have 20 hooks to make in an afternoon so you precut your stock, have 2-3 in the forge as you hammer one in a round robin of hammering fury. You will be using the most effective techniques you know and adopt new ones as they come to you. While you're learning the craft forget efficiency, you'll waste too much precious time and effort wondering about things that just don't matter like why a master smith apparently doesn't go as fast as another. Right now you want to focus on the best way to do the processes. Once you become proficient speed will come. It's like learning to type, even after you've learned the keyboard and can maybe touch type you're lucky to type 15wpm, in a week 25 and by the end of the semester 50+ is an A. When I was in jr high anyway. So relax and enjoy the craft, you are SUPPOSED TO hit things with hammers, play with fire, get dirty, smelly and end up with cool things! It doesn't get any better. Frosty The Lucky.

Looks great Das, I like it a lot. Frosty The Lucky.

Oh, if I'd come across them for reasonable I'd have a pair or two. Frosty The Lucky.

Cool, thanks Billy. That means there's a better chance we'll still be living here! Frosty The Lucky.

The Fae living in suburbia need places to live more than in the country. Building them fairy houses keeps them from living in the house and making mischief. IIRC in the old country you'd leave a bowl of milk with a pat of butter in it to keep the Fae from making your cows dry up. Ankle high cosa nostra. Frosty The Lucky.

Those are cool though I'm not sure what I'd use them for. Still. Agreed, NEVER pick up stuff along the rail road! Frosty The Lucky.

The next total eclipse touching the US is supposed to cross Alaska in March some 20 years from now. No idea what part of AK though so I'll keep my fingers crossed. Frosty The Lucky.

HAH, I didn't have any of those problems, the closest an edge of the penumbra came to us was about 1,000 miles. It was sure good watching on TV though, some really awesome pics. Does anyone out there in Iforge-land know why the solar corona changed colors like that? Frosty The Lucky.

Did you make ulu shaped pole flensing knives to go with? How much blubber did they get, a toner two? Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard Plaasjapie, glad to have you. If you put your general location in the header you'll have a MUCH better chance of meeting up with Iforge members living within visiting distance. I believe we have members in S. Africa but I don't remember where. I can make a few suggestions even though I live on the far side of the planet, literally. Do NOT wait until you collect what you think are the necessary tools, all you need is a hot fire, something to beat against and something to beat with. Something to hold onto HOT steel is a good thing but until you find or make tongs use a piece of steel long enough the end you hold onto doesn't get hot. This is actually referable to using tongs when possible. A wide bladed masonry chisel works well enough to cut HOT steel but keep it cool. What do you have in mind for a forge? Iforge has sections about all kinds of forges, solid fuel, propane and methane fired. Being able to get together with an experienced smith is the best way to learn but we like helping folks along so give us a shout too. Frosty The Lucky.

A memorable gift is the best kind! How long did it take to pull it out of the copier? Frosty The Lucky.

Right you are John!, Whoever suggested screw on pipe caps on both ends wasn't thinking when he wrote that! Frosty The Lucky.

Both look good from here the refractory is high alumina so should be resistant to hot flux erosion and the zirconium refractory looks like a good kiln wash. I would definitely use the zirconium silicate wash rather than a home brew! You should NOT need fire brick for a floor, you can lay a coat of both these products over the current one if necessary. It says so in their literature. I clean flux puddles out of my forge if they become an issue by putting on a couple layers of leather and wire brushing the forge floor at high orange heat. Dropping the gooey brush in the slack tub removes most of the borax, dissolved brick and scale goop on the bristles. Frosty The Lucky.

Oh MY! You should've contacted Harbor Freight as soon as you struck that. . .No, not ASO it's no longer shaped like an anvil. It's not even gray cast iron. Yes, even a smooth boulder would be a step up let alone an injured good quality anvil. I would counter offer less in person while holding a handful of bills. I don't use the horn on my Soderfors much, sometimes as a bottom fuller and rarely to true up rings but that's about it. I do 99% of my forging on the face or a bottom tool. Frosty The Lucky.

Huh, it's April and only gets dark for a couple hours and soon twilight will be it. I can't control the moon so I'll bring a flashlight. Frosty The Lucky.

I remember now, I haven't watched ARS in a couple years. PBS lost us when they went commercial. It was a place to take things to be appraised there was an episode up here, it was fun seeing so many familiar faces. We're typing at the same time again George. My memory is coming back about the show, a reminder or two was all I needed. Thanks all. How's the weather? Sunny and heading for high 30 - low 40s here. Frosty The Lucky.

Oh NO! You definitely need the larger drill bit and more powerful hand drill, no doubt, The extra area between legs and hole will improve it's solidity! Good catch John, I'd HATE to steer someone the wrong way! Frosty The Lucky.

What a story John! Why did she give up a family heirloom like that, did she say? I only have a couple things of my parents and one from each Grandfather. They never knew each other, even remotely but both gold watches are virtually identical, they even have the same cloth bag with draw string. They were bought probably 40 years apart, one well after my paternal grandfather had passed a victim of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. I've looked them over closely and there's no way to tell witch was who's. Frosty The Lucky.

E X C U S E ME!!! Did I just read a BLACKSMITH say a piece of steel was a LITTLE too large so he'll have to buy another drill bit?!?!? Good GRIEF Billy, how about heating the legs up and drawing them down till they fit? Or maybe better, chisel the corners off them till they fit, and leave a snagly rough finish so the lead has tooth to stick to? You know if you do a simple copper plate on the parts of the legs that'll be set in stone, you can apply a little soldering flux and the led will bond to them like brazing rod. Frosty The Lucky.

This side of the Atlantic we call them a "muffle" but that's just a name. Use kiln furniture to support the blade. Support the muffle off the floor of the forge / furnace for the same reason as well. Seal the pipe nipple with screw on caps drill, a small pinhole drilled in one of the caps so it doesn't become a pressure bomb. Put a little lump charcoal in the muffle, it WILL consume the free oxy and so long as it isn't touching the blade won't effect it. Read the temp of the muffle, there will NOT be enough difference between the inside and outside of the steel walls to matter. This is pretty simple process and has been done since steel has been used in a hardened state. To improve your process stop over thinking it. You can NOT control every aspect without maybe hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment and instrumentation. Frosty The Lucky.

HGR site doesn't like me, it stopped letting me sign in and since then says I already have an account and won't let me open another. I get no response trying to them contact either. Frosty The Lucky.

And now I know what a "tool balancer" is, I can think of a number of things one would be handy for. Thanks John, Lounge well my friend. Frosty The Lucky.

I replied to one of your other requests for the same thing! Did you even do a web search for "II&B Co. anvil"? . . . "Illinois Iron & Bolt" is the first hit. I'm not going to search through their website or catalogues for you, it won't help you learn how to learn. I enjoy helping folks and answering questions but you have to do something for yourself first. You have the internet available, all you have to do is a web search. Of course doing a good web search is a learned skill, just like blacksmithing. And taking decent photos for that matter. Whatever you may wish to know about your anvil will do absolutely nothing for learning to be a competent blacksmith, that requires different questions and time at the anvil. A little knowledge and a LOT of practice is the secret. Now, go forth build a fire and beat some steel! Need a hand give a shout. Frosty The Lucky.