Dogbyte Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 hey fellas. just another beginner, got a few other hobbies under my belt, so at least im not full of romantic ideas that im gonna be making knives next month as soon as i find me an anvil =P I seem to collect hobbies that take a lot of patience, so i think its a curse, hah. make my own wine, grow my own muscadines, just started making self bows last year, try to pick and sing a little when i can for folks, all these things have, and will take more years to come. jack of a few trades, master of none of them... I'd love to say eventually, i'd like to try my hand at knives, but thats the long term. For the short term, mainly wanna do some 18th century common items for my sister's new cabin they built, its rustic inside, pine siding inside, very nice, would look good with some hand forged fire pokers, wall hooks ect... i figure there are quite a few items that would allow me to go through the basics, and have something worth while in the meantime. S hooks, hinges maybe, trivets, very simple scrolls maybe of single pieces, maybe a door knocker, or handles and hooks, stuff you put on the porch...triangles, ect... she's all into that sorta stuff too, she's a pretty fair hand at outdoor cooking, cast iron ect.. anyway, all that sorta litle stuff, that covers the basic steps i'll need to work on first should be in there. i aint shy about reading, have already read a few older books, Farm Blacksmithing 1901 (Drew), just started another old one called Practical Blacksmithing, not sure of the year, but they are written very easy to understand, and i like them so far. so far just biding my time, keeping an eye on the paper, and craigslist, and have put the word out to friends and family to look out for an anvil, or an anvil shaped object, heh. Rail section would get me started on little simple stuff til i found a proper anvil maybe. I have a bro in law that does lots of excavator work, gonna put a bug in his ear to look out for an old track pin if he comes across it. anyway, love the site, looks like a lot of material to read, hope to learn a lot. -dale howard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Olivo Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Welcome. :D I would sugjest if you do get a peice of rail road track to check out anvilfire.com they have some things about mounting them to get the most from them. As for your anvil aquiring look for a nice sized hardend ball bearing(make sure it is hardend) that you can drop on the anvil with a rooler next to it. This will help you measure the rebound of the anvil. You are looking for something in the 80 to 90 percentile (ball bearing droped from 10 inches above anvil bounces back up on first bounce to 8 or 9 inches) winding sticks and lvls are also good to check an anvil with when your looking to buy one from someone. As my guilds sticker says "the life so short the craft so long to learn." :D enjoy your path :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogbyte Posted January 28, 2013 Author Share Posted January 28, 2013 Welcome. :D I would sugjest if you do get a peice of rail road track to check out anvilfire.com they have some things about mounting them to get the most from them. As for your anvil aquiring look for a nice sized hardend ball bearing(make sure it is hardend) that you can drop on the anvil with a rooler next to it. This will help you measure the rebound of the anvil. You are looking for something in the 80 to 90 percentile (ball bearing droped from 10 inches above anvil bounces back up on first bounce to 8 or 9 inches) winding sticks and lvls are also good to check an anvil with when your looking to buy one from someone. As my guilds sticker says "the life so short the craft so long to learn." :D enjoy your path :D wow thanks for the RR anvil heads up from that site, that was very interesting to read. point taken on the bounce back efficiency. i had thought about taking my framing square, to check both axis of the anvil face for level, i'll have to look for a bearing as you describe, i like that idea better than a hammer, and me guessing, especially with no experience, the ball bearing will give me a number. thanks for the tips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Olivo Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Your welcome. If you can I would also look for one with as little ring as possible (the nabors will like you better) a nice thick heavy waist is a very good thing on your anvil. Try and get the heavyist anvil that you can still move around as it will make each blow more efective and won't bounce around on you as much even when using sledge hammers on it (you can also bolt it securely to a heavy base to help with adding weight). One good set of books that I would deffinatly buy and read through probably several times is Mark Asperys books http://www.markaspery.com/School_of_Blacksmithing/Home.html Also keep en eye out for a post vice with a really nice screw on it. They are made for holding hot steel and for haveing sledge hammers used on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogbyte Posted January 28, 2013 Author Share Posted January 28, 2013 is a post vise the same as a leg vise? Ive been looking for a leg vise for a while, even before i was interested in blacksmithing. I need one to hold stave splits secure, while i work on them initially, and even toward the end with finer tools. ive just been looking for someone selling one, but i'd like to search the scrap yards, i have no idea where any are around where i live, besides the local dump, i look each time i take the trash down. i agree on the ringing. i see in Brian Brazeals videos, he says his is bolted to a metal stand, and then the legs are bolted to the concrete, not seen his anvil profile, but that one sure seems quiet. can you get one quiet enough off a stump? or will it still be like ringing a bell that hasnt been dampened with your hand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck in Ms Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 Hey Dale, Sounds like you have plenty of work waiting for you. Try to find a local blacksmith association to visit. They can help you find your vise, they will probably sell coal and more importantly you can learn so much faster than just working and reading alone. Also they might have a library with both books and videos (for members) to check out. Membership dues are usually very inexpensive but the knowledge gained is invaluable. A chain wrapped around the waist of an anvil can help quite that ring as well as a heavy magnet kinda under the tail and on the waist. Just my thoughts on your intro. Chuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Olivo Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 The names are interchangable same tool. On your stave problem you might look into making a simple shaving horse. I have had two so far and they are wonderfull clamping devices for securely holding wood while being worked. Best thing to do is get involved with your local guild/group make friends. Before you know it you'll have 4 post vices just like me :D one of which still hasn't found a mounting. Lyle (Brian Brazeal works with him a lot) and I both have vulcan anvils and they are a dream in many ways. Their horns are a little flatter on the top than most anvils though. You might enjoy seeing the pictures I took at the class they gave up here I think a year and a half past. https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/108205902509248083781/albums/5686598867461291057 My anvil is on a stump. http://ipneto.deviantart.com/gallery/184874?offset=168#/d2nilx2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogbyte Posted January 29, 2013 Author Share Posted January 29, 2013 thanks guys. i found a blacksmith org here in arkansas, but their website isnt maintained, but from the look of the addresses of the officers listed, they are all from an area 3 or more hours away. still looking though. ive put an email to a local knife maker asking around to see if there are any in this area too. nice pics stephen, that looks like a lot of fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Olivo Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 It was a lot of fun. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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