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Hi all I am working on getting the critical bits to start this hobby. Anvil (check); Vise (maybe check!), forge (next). I was trying to read what I could on refurbishing an old vise and see multiple references to a post BP0060 which is on refurbing a vise, but can't seem to get a live link. Any technically savvy blacksmith advice appreciated... The one I got to day for $40 seems like it's in pretty good shape (even some grip left on the inside face of the jaw) but I think the spring needs to be re-worked (need to get that darn forge built/bought) and the movable arm bolt is the wrong size and era. The result of the latter item is that the front jaw drops - I think there is too much vertical play. Is there a preferred method for truing that up? Any advice on the spring. One other thing is that it appears the bolting plate is a different brand (Smart) than the rest of the unit (Endurance - made in Canada - with a serial number) though it fits snug. Wonder if the spring is the wrong one?

I recently picked up an old rivet forge made by Canedy - Otto Mfg Co, usually known for their drill presses and larger blowers. I don't have a lot of info so I hope some of y'all might be able to help. Well I went to work restoring/refurbishing it as well as making upgrade like repairs in the prossess. Here are some pictures of the forge as I got it. The blower does turn but its not smooth and I worry that with every turn it could break a tooth. It's definitely not clean or lubed. Inside the forge is a brake rotor and tongs. The rotor will come into play later. As you can see, its been neglected for quite a while. We'll start with disassembly and wire brushing. It all started off easy, but then there was one stubborn bolt. I cleaned out and cut the slotted head, but it broke one of my flat head bits. So I cut into the back of the bolt, still to no avail. So finally I cut it off with the angle grinder. With a bit of gentle persuasion I got the extension off. As you can see its in pretty bad shape. I continue disassembly with the legs. The hardware was dirty and rusted. A little brush down with a wire brush and some WD-40 got the bolts out. The blower was attached with two bolts. Those came out without incident. Now I get to really clean it. I started brushing it down and found the gearbox had a separation where the lid goes on, so I opened or up. Here is a before and after showing how it is now compared to how gunked up it was. I cut a layer off the rotor so it'd sit more flush to the bottom if the pot. I also cut the pot to fit the rotor. It is so cracked and decayed that I don't feel bad about cutting it to make room. I prepared the metal for welding. As I welded in sections to stress the metal less I disassembled the legs further, wire brushed them, and painted them with rust converter. Put it all back together (plus some spacers under the pot and some new hardware where needed), grease the gears, and you're done! I'll make another post just for all the finished photos.

A while back I bought for $65 a forge blower; and have been restoring it ever since. I've been attempting to remove both the grease and rust without power tools (since I'm a broke teenager), with electrolysis and simple green and a wire brush for months now. Here are some of the parts after I've cleaned them up a bit: Funny thing is that I can hardly find any information about the forge blower anywhere on the internet. Perhaps a couple listings on ebay, but that's about it. Gear casing that I just separated today. Any ideas of how I can weld the broken piece back on? Recently removed stand Not sure if I can do electrolysis on this fan. The gear is stuck. By that I mean that I can't get it out, but with the handle attached and the other gear installed, it spins rather well. I just want to get it out along with the worm gear so I can actually remove the grease and rust. This and going to the hardware store (at the start of the school year) are my only two obstacles currently. Also acquiring/building a forge without welding equipment. The stand has a rusty bolt that I was able to loosen a tad bit after doing likely the sketchiest electrolysis cleaning ever with the entire stand in a garbage can with holes in the bottom and double lined with garbage bags. Any suggestions on how I can push out the axle pin on the inner gear or the brass bushings would be wonderful. Rust/Grease removal as well, including information about this particular blower.

I got this hammer off an auction website for $20 The face on it was a bit munted so today I set about making it a bit more useable and shiny. I am unfamiliar on what the peen on it would be used for though. Any ideas?