Hello from Bundaberg (Oz)

[graynomad]

Hi everyone, Rob here from central Queensland in Oz.

 

I have done a little smithing before, made the obligitory tent pegs, BBQ tools etc and various things as required in the building of my RVs. But I've not done much and know 2/5ths of 5/8ths of naff all about the craft really. It's something I've always been interested in though (grew up on a farm and my Dad used to do a bit) and in a fit of rage with computers recently I decided I needed a hobby that does not involved them or if possible even electricity (we live off-grid on solar so things that don't need power are preferred).

 

So I'm going to get back into blacksmithing and have just bought the makings of a reasonable kit. Rather than rewriting the story of buying the items here's an excerpt from my blog

 

For some time now (years actually, on and off) I've been thinking about taking up a hobby that doesn't need a computer. Trouble is just about everything I like to do does involve a computer at some point.

 

The only thing I could think of was charcoal drawing, but I would probably suck at that. There is bushwalking of course, and I do plan to go back to doing daily walks but that's not a hobby in the sense of creating something.

 

Then there's making models from match sticks, I used to do that but I'm not sure I'm ready for it yet, model making would get me away from computers but not out of my chair. I need something to get me off my XXXX.

 

Then it hit me...blacksmithing.

 

I've done some blacksmithing over the years and I really enjoy it, so a couple of weeks ago I started trawling eBay et al for the tools of the trade. No luck, firstly there is XXXXX all around and secondly what is available is down south and marked as "Local pickup only". I guess that makes sense as we are talking about items that weigh in the 100kgs realm.

 

And that might have been the end of it.

 

Then a week or so back I had reason to go to a local car wrecker, and blow me down if they don't have a huge display of blacksmithing tools, there are things there that I can't find at all on the web, and they have several of them. There must be at least 20 anvils, three swage blocks, three leg vices etc etc.

 

What a bonanza.

 

I mulled it over for days, even after getting the nod from SHMBO I still wasn't sure, what if this is a fad and I lose interest after making my first cold chisel. Still it's not a whim, I've done it before, have thought about it many times over the years, and really want to reduce my addictive dependence on computers.

 

So yesterday I went back to the wreckers fully intending to buy some gear, but the guy that owns it wasn't there. What an anti-climax.

 

Today I return with the same intent, and he is here. I leave $2000 poorer but with about 300kgs of heavy metal.

 

I know everyone likes pics so here are some photos of the items in question.

 

No name or branding at all, about 200#, rings well to my uneducated ear.

 

He had three swage blocks, this was the cleanest.

 

The blower seems to work well but I hate that it has been painted and the lettering picked out in gold, it may see some paint stripper before long.

 

 

 

All in all I'm pretty happy with the purchases. No actual forge yet as you can see but that should be easy to make. No shed either and I will have to build that as well, so it will be a few months before I can fire this lot up but best to grab these things when you get the chance I think, they aren't getting more common.

 

So I'm looking forward to trawling (not trolling :)) this forum to learn more. I've been giving Youtube a caning of late and found out how to make baskets and all sorts of stuff, can't wait to put it all into practice.

 

______

Rob

[Gergely]

Hi Rob,

 

Welcome and congratulation on the stuff you got. Those look really great - the wiser may tell more on the details but I think you got pretty nice gear. The anvil looks quite unused, some chips on the edges, which do not matter:  it's useful in all ways. I especially envy the postvise, it's beautiful.

Make a basic coal forge quick from scrap and fire it up to put these babies into use. (Here you find the how to-s about building a forge:

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Best wishes

 

Gergely

 

[Glenn]

Welcome to IForgeIron. 

 

Congratulations, you have secured the tools you need to make your life easy. As Gergely suggested, make a 55 Forge which should take an hour or so if you include lunch. It does not have to be perfect the first time, it just has to work.

 

If you do not have coal, charcoal will work as a fuel. If you want to bypass the charcoal, you can make the forge about 12 inches deep (wood or charcoal) and use wood, which will make it's own charcoal as it burns. Pieces about 2x4x4 inches or smaller work best. Get the fire started and you want a fire ball about the size of a melon or a bit larger. Put the metal in about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way up into the fireball. 

 

Most of your questions have been ask and answered on IForgeIron before. Sit down with a lunch and a cold drink and read the site, starting with what interests you. If you have questions, just ask them in the forum and someone will clear things up for you. 

 

The pages tab at the top of the forum page has a wealth of information. 

http://www.iforgeiron.com/page/index.html

 

Enjoy your visit and Welcome to IForgeIron, and please watch your language.

[graynomad]

Thanks for the forge link, been looking at that and many other threads about forge building and smithy layouts etc. There's probably a few days/weeks work reading up on things I reckon.

 

The 55 Forge seems like a good start, although I would have to call it a 44 Forge because those barrels are only 44 (imperial) gallons in Oz. :)

 

Not sure yet if I can get coal locally, but I own 25 acres of trees so maybe making charcoal is an option.

 

______

Rob

[ThomasPowers]

Post vise looks like a Columbian.  Is there any marking on the top of the mounting plate?  Don't know if they were made under license out there or if that one swam over on it's own.

[Frosty]

Good to see your kit Rob, you have most everything you need right there. I'm sure you have a hammer or two, a punch and a chisel, if not they're easy enough to make and you'll need them to make tongs.

 

What's with everybody and paint? There's not a thing wrong with paint so long as you don't stick the parts together that are supposed to move. Champion painted a lot of their equipment black and trimmed it in white, red and gold most commonly. My blower is hunter green and gold but those are my shop colors. Rust is iron decaying!

 

The anvil looks to be in very good shape, bouncing a bearing or a small hammer on the face is a better test of quality than just the ring. Drop the bearing from a set height and eyeball how far it rebounds, the closer to all the way back (yeah, that's impossible but a boy can dream can't he?) the better. Same thing with a hammer, (NO don't drop it!) just give it a light rap and see how much rebound there is. Do either or both over the entire face to see if there are dead spots. A good face with a dead spot is actually worse than an overall poor rebounding face, it indicates a delaminating face plate. The forge weld between the face plate and the anvil body is failing and this is a B-A-D thing. It may not be a deal killer but it's sure cause for a serious discount.

 

I have a swage block very similar to yours, mine's a Lancaster but it's a pretty common pattern. I made a stand for mine from 4 old guard rail posts. They're cut so the block lay's flat on the long two and stands on edge on the short two. They're through bolted together and the two levels allows my to use face or edges at my comfortable hammering height. It is also easy to move the block around the stand with a spud bar. It does make me nervous about something knocking it off the stand when on edge so I keep it back out of the line of traffic and facing away from most toes.

 

I agree with Thomas that looks like a Columbian leg vise.

 

While it's nice knowing what make or when tools and equipment were made is nice, it has no bearing on it's usefulness. However it WILL become a factor it you decide to sell it. So, keep looking if you want, just don't get hung up on it. THE most important thing about your kit is putting it to work. The forge can be anything that will hold a fire safely, holes in the ground go WAY back, covering a wood table with dirt was common. Just put something together and start hammering a shine on that fine lady of an anvil. Hot steel and hammer will shine an anvil a treat.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

[Dale Russell]

G'day graynomad ,

                              tis great ta see another AUSSIE on the site

 

Bung youse name inta here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You never know , mite be another smith just around the cnr from you

 

Dale Russell

 

 

P.S. If you see the Bundy Bear say " G'day " ta him from me will youse ... ;)

[graynomad]

The vice has a raised "C" in an inset triangle on top of the mounting plate. I can feel another mark underneath the plate but it's packed away now and too hard to flip it over.

 

WRT the paint, I tend to like the natural look of steel as found on an old tool, although I guess the blower is cast so that is different. But mostly in this case I don't like it because the picking out of the text has been done really badly.

 

I don't have a steel ball but tried a light hammer tap all over the surface with mixed results. It rings better in some places than others and rebounds better in some places than others. In general the places it rings don't rebound as well as the places that don't ring so well, and vice versa.

 

I also retired pre 50 Dale, (45 in fact), electronics/computing was good to me and I still enjoy tinkering in that field (having some boards made in the UK and China as we speak) but a more manual hobby is required. I'd love it if there were other smiths in this area but that doesn't appear to be the case, the only one I know of is an old guy in Bundy but he got cleaned out by the floods last year and doesn't want to restart the business. I pass the Bundy rum distillery most days I go into town, some people would consider that a real plus to living in this area but apart from a home-brew beer most evenings (maybe 2 or 3 when I have visitors :) ) I don't drink much and can't stand rum at all.

 

______

Rob