Blacksmith - limited to a wheel chair

[ThomasPowers]

That 'cube anvil" he's using is a design that has been in use for about 3000 years.  Note how he made curves/loops with NO horn!  Always annoys me when folks say they can't smith because they can't source a style of anvil used for less than 1/10 the time an easily sourced, cheaper, anvil design.

[lary]

    Not in a wheel chair, but Glenn  ( GS Tongs ) sits while forging.  Sort of a Japanese style?

[arkie]

Limited space, small clean gas forge, small anvil...no need to stand and punish your back!  Glenn GS Tongs got it down right!  And, he does nice, functional, clean work.

[Randy Griffin]

I am not wheelchair bound but I can't stand. Standing for any amount of time makes me sick. I also have very bad knees so sitting is a must. Just walking 100 feet on crutches to my shop is a challenge.

I'm still redesigning my smithy and will get some pictures later but the first thing I did is come up with a chair. My legs must be level when sitting. Knees too high or too low causes problems and I'll probably find something that works better eventually but for now I welded a pipe to the inside curve of a disc harrow blade and have a cushioned boat seat mounted in the pipe. Takes a little getting used to but I can spin around, lean forward, backward and to eather side.

With my forge in front of me I have a post anvil to my left, my old London pattern to my right and my vise directly behind me. Like TP said earlier, I like my anvil between my legs.

I'll get some dimensions later but I used a block of wood and my hammer to get anvil height. I would hit it and cut it off until I got a perfect hammer face. That's the height of my anvil face.

I'll add more and pictures later. Hope this can help somebody out there. It works for me.

[Charles R. Stevens]

Adapt and overcome isn’t just for Marines. I suspect the first Marine must have been a blacksmith...

[Randy Griffin]

I've moved some stuff around but this is my basic setup. I'm closing in the part with the floor and then going to move everything again. Work tables to my right and behind me. I'm going to leave the post anvil where it is. Should have done that long ago. That is why I think this would be perfect for a wheelchair. I can sit in one spot and reach anvil and forge. Wheelchair should straddle the anvil. Problem is going to be the armrests.

[Frosty]

Don't the arms fold on your wheel chair? Might the mod be a project for the new shop? 

Frosty The Lucky.

[Randy Griffin]

Frosty, I'm not in a wheelchair yet.  I'm not sure if they fold out of the way or not. If they do then this setup should work just fine.

[Frosty]

That explains the pic and this thread has been around a while. My muddle clears.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Randy Griffin]

How do you like my chair I welded to the disc harrow blade. It works very good. 

[Al Stephens]

Hi Randy, thanks for the pictures. If you need to use tongs do they create any problems?

Al

[Randy Griffin]

No sir. You can't tell in the photo but the top of the anvil is about 2" higher than my leg. I can lay a welding glove on my leg and rest metal there. Tongs same way. It's kinda like a guide for your tong hand.

[Frosty]

I'd have to try the chair to have a solid opinion but it looks pretty good. It looks like it rocks, does it? If so how does that work into you using it? 

My only concern looking at the pics are the cut outs on the disk, I'd be concerned they were trip hazards. My eye is drawn to potential trip hazards like a moth to a flame. I often see worse hazards than they are.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Randy Griffin]

It is rock solid while sitting and working. I can also lean forward, backward and to the side with ease. Very easy to get used to.

The disc is so low to the ground I haven't had a problem. Since my surgery last year I have learned not to get into a hurry for nothing and watch where I put my feet. I think I'm more stable now than when I was healthy. So far the disc has not been a problem. There are also round disc blades that don't have teeth. I didn't have one at the time.

I only used the blade because my floor is dirt. If I was on a slab I would have tried something like an office chair. It just needs to be stable at the correct height and mobile.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Mitch Clark is a wheelchair bound southern Utah based metal artist who does welded sculptures that are pretty big. You can pull him up on the net.

[JHCC]

15 minutes ago, BIGGUNDOCTOR said:

Mitch Clark

I think you mean Matt Clark (although there is a landscape artist named Clark Mitchell).

[Frosty]

How'd I miss the dirt floor, Good GRIEF! Boy was I not paying attention to anything but what drew my eye. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[JHCC]

Frosty, are you saying that you threw yourself at the ground and missed?

[Frosty]

Not yet, give me a chance. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Yes, Matt Clark, not Mitch. Been awhile since I have been up that way.

[Jeremy173]

So, I'm going to revive this one again. I'm not totally wheelchair-bound, but doing any kind of work like this, sitting is a must.  I've done some basic apprentice work manning the fire and holding tools for striking, but not much forging alone.  I like the photo above and intend to try a similar setup.  My biggest fear is having hot metal drop on my legs.  I don't move fast or reliably. Will leathers really give much protection from iron hot enough to weld?

[Frosty]

Yeah, unless you hold a hot bar against it leather will prevent normal smithing debris, scale, sparks pinch offs, etc. off you. If you go with an apron make sure it covers well and debris won't roll between your leg and the chair seat.

Frosty The Lucky.

[JHCC]

What Frosty said; I’d just add that you should remember that most smithing aprons are designed to be used standing up and will therefore ride up when you’re sitting down. You might consider something like farrier’s chaps:

[Jeremy173]

JHCC I actually bought these for exactly that reason.  Good to know it was the right choice.

Frosty I'm the most worried about dropping a work piece and it falling in my lap.  I think I'm going to try and do most of my work either on the face or off the far side of the anvil.

[Frosty]

I think the chaps are a good idea but leather welder's pants cover your entire legs from waist to boots. I was envisioning a leather apron without split legs and draped to the seat on both sides. We all get to worry about dropping hot steel on ourselves say your boot top or a pinch-off landing in a shirt pocket, etc. 

A leather apron that covers completely or leather chaps will give you a few seconds to remove a hot something before it starts burning you. Just don't buy thin leather, you're not looking for touch sensitive gloves you know just don't get silly thick. 

I'm with you on this, I've been working with and handling HOT stuff since I was a teenager and the idea of being trapped with HOT anything touching me scares me silly. Not being able to jump and run or heck stand up is the same thing. I've been laying on the floor under a truck welding and had red hot dingleberries roll under me. I went out and bought good PPE.

Frosty The Lucky.