Glenn Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 A great view of a traveling or portable forge using a round bellows. There have been several comments about both in the forum. It bothers me that he is working with a hot cut left in the hardie hole. His hand is SO CLOSE AT TIMES. Bricks are used to build a barrier to hold the coal closer to the fire and ad depth to the fire. It is interesting that he uses a piece of 1/4 x 3 inch flat bar bent down on the ends to support his tongs while the work is in the fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 Does anyone find it painful to watch him spending so much energy hitting the center of the anvil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trimmer Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 What I see as painful is leaving that cone mandrel in the hardy. Trimmer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 His hand got mighty close to that spike, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt because he looks to have spent years working at an anvil. That was a very interesting few minutes and I learned a lot. His motions were smooth and well-timed. His forge cart is spectacular and something I would really like to build for myself one of these days. That anvil was pristine and had some of the sexiest lines I've ever seen on an anvil. I definitely wouldn't mind having one of those in my shop. What I particularly liked, however, is that leather apron he's sporting. I've been in the hunt for a leather apron since deciding to get back into smithing, but I'm really turned off by the quality and features of the ones I see for sale on fleabay and the like. This guy has the mother of all aprons.... and I need one! Love the video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Turley Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 That was a fun clip. I never saw a blacksmith who did not touch the hammer to the anvil while working. The three "R's" of why we do it: Rest; Rhythm; Rumination. It doesn't bother me that the cone stays in the anvil. Think about this. The old granite tool sharpeners had a blocky stake with the top face slanted at an angle. The shank had a slot in it so the tool could be wedged to the anvil underneath the heel, where it stayed.Their hardy was round shanked and fit in the pritchel hole. Their special hammer had a slanted face, so that the end of the tool being sharpened could be sandwiched between the stake and the striking hammer face. You get a wedge shape. If the smith got fish lips, he cut them off on the hardy. For that reason, the hardy and the stake stayed in position all the time the smith was doing his sharpening. That's the way the work was done! No neophyte was going to go in the shop and tell the professional journeyman or master that he should keep taking the hardy out of the pritchel hole. I like that der Schmied was not ashamed to have a horseshoe emblazoned on his apron., Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crunch Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Does anyone find it painful to watch him spending so much energy hitting the center of the anvil? David and/or Other Forum Participants: What do you mean by this? I am a rank newbie at blacksmithing, so I don't know. Would it be preferable to work the metal closer to the horn or heel of the anvil, and if so, why? To this complete novice, it seems like the center of the anvil would have the most mass and thus the most inertia / resistance, allowing the smith to move more metal faster with less effort there -- but again, I'm completely new at this. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattBrooks Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Frank Turley, there's a fella near me that makes farrier's aprons, I can see if he'd be interested in expanding his clientele to blacksmiths as well, I wouldn't mind having one myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 ......... What do you mean by this? I am a rank newbie at blacksmithing, so I don't know. Would it be preferable to work the metal closer to the horn or heel of the anvil, and if so, why?........ It is called working on the edge of the anvil. Here is someone who posted an explanation. - see figure 6 in http://www.oldworlda...proper_use.html - and paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 in http://www.oldworlda...er_control.html ---- and on page 12, illustration 2b versus illustration 6b in the pdf http://www.abana.org...ging/CHF_24.pdf what happens with drawings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crunch Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 It is called working on the edge of the anvil. Here is someone who posted an explanation. - see figure 6 in http://www.oldworlda...proper_use.html - and paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 in http://www.oldworlda...er_control.html ---- and on page 12, illustration 2b versus illustration 6b in the pdf http://www.abana.org...ging/CHF_24.pdf what happens with drawings. Thank you, David. That makes sense. Sorry for the dummy question; I appreciate you taking the trouble to post those links. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 On such thin stock working on the edge of the anvil may move the material too fast for control. Even the heart is less than 1/4 inch stock by the looks, and the fork tines are smaller than the hearts. As for tapering the ends on the middle of the anvil instead of the far edge, he is using rather light hammer blows to move the metal quickly. While I agree that the use of the middle of the anvil expends extra energy, I think this example is a difficult one to cite as an example one way or the other. For most of his blows he is only lifting the hammer about 8 inches or less. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Thank you, David. That makes sense. Sorry for the dummy question; I appreciate you taking the trouble to post those links. Crunch, thank you for asking the question. I think it is a very good question and also an important question towards people learning not only how to protect their equipment, but also how to use the various parts of the anvil efficiently. There is also a difference between hammering near the edge versus using the edge of the anvil as a swage, cutoff tool, or bending tool (no I don't recommend using the edge as a cutoff tool, but have seen it done). But that would be another thread of discussion entirely. Since you are in East Virginia (I will have to borrow the term "East Virginia, that is great) you might wish to visit one of the area blacksmithing guilds, and even take a course or two. If you manage to get up to visit the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland [bGCM] http://www.bgcmonline.org/ we would be happy to show you a few tricks and answer any questions that you might have. If you join the quild, you will have access to the equipment as well as a lot of knowledgeable smiths that would be happy to stand with you by a forge and share information. If you let me know when you plan on visiting, I will make an extra effort to be there also. If I may be of further assistance, feel free to use the PM feature of this forum and I will provide you with an email address. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Whilst agreeing with the importance of the question being answered for beginners,I think that there is little wrong with the gentlemens hammer methods, or where on the anvil is being utilised. Observe what he is doing and a lot of your doubts will be answered, note the hammer face, note why he is using the hammer where he is in relation to the anvil face, and of course he has supreme confidence in his hammer techniques, this guy knows what he is doing, and did not learn his techniques from You tube or books, I would like to see him working, instead of playing like he is in the video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crunch Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 David, Thanks again, and thanks for the offer...I have friends in York, PA and maybe I can time a visit to coincide with one of your BGCM events. I should probably get involved with the Tidewater VA Blacksmiths Guild, but that is kind of out of the way from where we live, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockstar.esq Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Vaughn, beat me to it- that's a cool apron! I too would like to see this guy working something more substantial. I suspect the work would progress very smoothly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 15, 2012 Share Posted September 15, 2012 Glenn: Did you post this link where our young friend in Bosnia is sure to see it? He's been having the dickens of a time visualizing what bellows should look like and how they should work. Great video in general, makes me really wish I knew how to speak German I'd sure like to know what they were laughing at. Well okay, wish I got the joke the demonstrator was telling. I'd be happy if I could estimate material well enough to get the tines on a fork that even. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted September 15, 2012 Share Posted September 15, 2012 .... I'd be happy if I could estimate material well enough to get the tines on a fork that even..... Examining the photos, it sort of looks like he chisels or otherwise cuts a rough blank, then drills and cuts the tines to width. Each tine appears to terminate at a drill hole. Then it appears that he draws out the handle, and then rounds up the tines one at a time. So the steps from the video seems to be: 1) Cut a flat bar stock to length. (try 1.25" by 3/16" by 6" or 7" long) 2) Cut an indentation and taper where the fork meets the handle using either a chisel or saw. 3) Drill holes where the tines terminate. 4) Cut slits separating the tines using either a chisel or saw.(to make matching spoons skip steps 3 and 4) 5) Take stack of fork blanks to demonstration. 6) Draw out and shape the handle 7) Round up the tines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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