hoosier32 Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Fantastic! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Welcome aboard, glad to have you. Nice looking forge and it's a fine size anvil.You want a flue even outdoors it'll help keep smoke out of your face and shield the fire from erratic winds. Not that a little breeze on the top of the fire makes a lot of difference but a stable environment is always nice.A side draft hood and flue work well and you don't need a support structure beyond a brace or two unlike an overhead hood.You and the boy are going to have many days of Kodak Moments to reminisce about to the coming generations.Giant swords eh. Normal boy you got there. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosier32 Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Thank you very much! I appreciate all of the help here. WOW! My son and I are both fired up about this new adventure! I've been reading up and watching videos for a while now. I'm so anxious to get started! Any suggestions on a first project? I was thinking spoon or bottle opener. But then again, I have a ton of hardy hole tools that are all too big for my hardy hole. I was thinking a good first project might also be, shaping up and making all of the hardy hole tools useful on my anvil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 You need fire tools for the forge. A fire rake is a good beginner project. Put a short point on the end of a piece of 3/8" - 1/2" sq. then flatten that end back 6" give or take so it's about 2x as wide and the point you drew makes a little point sort of like a leaf. Now bend the flat in a 90* so it's like some kind of weird hoe. That's the fire rake end. Pretty the other end up now. A nice ring end say about 1 1/2" ID or you can put a nice finial scroll or about anything, it's good if you can hang it from this end but not necessary.Okay, that's the working tool but we blacksmiths don't usually stop at the minimum and it feels nice to have a handle section and twists are a good traditional handle treatment. If you search Iforge for twists you'll find a BUNCH of how tos for cool twists.Once you have a fire rake to your liking you'll want a forge shovel and except for the working end (shovel part) it's good blacksmitherly practice to make the set match so try matching the finial treatment and handle section.It may not seem like a big deal but getting sets to match isn't so easy. It'll be good practice and fire tools sell pretty well down the road. Fire place tools, camp fire tools, BBQ tools, etc. All have their own specialty needs but all are basically the same.Then of course there are punches, chisels, scribes, garden tools, etc. If you see something made of steel you can give it or a version a try. It's all good.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosier32 Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Also, I aquire a whole lot of huge "tools" that look easy to big for hardy hole tools, but seem like they could be made into hardy hole tools. The "shank" on the tools is really long and tapered. I'm not sure, but it almost looks like they were made to be driven into a stump to be used or something. I can send pics tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosier32 Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 On another note, the guy I got the forge from has a working post vice and a wall mount Buffalo Forge hand crank drill press for $50 a piece. The drill needs some TLC, but operates. Is it worth it? Thank you for all of your help! It is greatly appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Also, I aquire a whole lot of huge "tools" that look easy to big for hardy hole tools, but seem like they could be made into hardy hole tools. The "shank" on the tools is really long and tapered. I'm not sure, but it almost looks like they were made to be driven into a stump to be used or something. I can send pics tomorrow.They sound like tinmans' or panel beaters' stakes.Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Sounds like you are well on your way. I'd buy that drill in a heart beat. A post vise is a great tool and the price sounds fair depending on it's condition. I'd buy that too if I didn't already have 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosier32 Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Thanks Alan. I'll check that out! Thank you DSW! I was thinking that drill would be a cool addition to my shop. I'm sure it wouldn't get much use if any. But if it were fixed up would be a neat show piece. The vice is operational, but needs cleaned up a bit. I currently only have a 6" bench vise. So I was thinking it might be useful. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosier32 Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 They sound like tinmans' or panel beaters' stakes.AlanI just looked up some tinmans' stakes. That is indeed what they are. I have around 10-15 different stakes. I was going to turn them into hardy hole tools for my anvil. But after seeing some of the prices they are going for, I might just sell them. We will see. Thanks for your input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave51B Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Sounds like good trading material for the Covered Bridge Festival..........Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosier32 Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Sounds like good trading material for the Covered Bridge Festival..........DaveGreat idea Dave!! I just may have to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave51B Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 I'm sure there will be more than one smith working at Bridgeton.......enjoy... Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LastRonin Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Welcome aboard Hoosier32, I am a displaced Hoosier myself, born down near Loogootee. What did your granddaddy do with that anvil? Doesn't look even barely used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosier32 Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Welcome aboard Hoosier32, I am a displaced Hoosier myself, born down near Loogootee. What did your granddaddy do with that anvil? Doesn't look even barely used. Thank you Ronin! That's fantastic. I drive through Loogootee every now and then on my way down to French Lick.From what I remember, he only used it to knock out old rivets on an old sickle bar mower he had. He would heat them up with a torch and knock them out through the hardy hole. I don't remember seeing him ever smith anything on it at all. It still has pretty crisp sharp edges on the face. I went ahead and gave them a bit of a radius yesterday with the grinder. Much smoother now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Thanks Alan. I'll check that out! Thank you DSW! I was thinking that drill would be a cool addition to my shop. I'm sure it wouldn't get much use if any. But if it were fixed up would be a neat show piece. The vice is operational, but needs cleaned up a bit. I currently only have a 6" bench vise. So I was thinking it might be useful. Thanks again!You'll find the post vise to be much better for smithing than your bench vise. Not a bad price if it's in good shape. Like you said, a good cleaning and lube might be all it needs. If the spring is weak, you can make one very easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosier32 Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 A few pics of my tinsmith stakes. Just found out what they were today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 Ayup, tin knocker's stakes. I have a few I should maybe see what they're worth here abouts, I've had them a long time and almost never used one.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosier32 Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 I have 11 different stakes. Checked shimmery pricing online today. I saw anywhere from $30 to $380. I might take them to a festival we have here in Indiana called the Covered Bridge Festival and see what kind of bartering I can do. Or I may just put them online and see what I can get for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel S Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 There is a satellite group of the Indiana Blacksmithing Association starting up at the Parke County fair grounds. If you're on facebook, they have a page and can be seen at http://indianablacksmithing.org/ . If you need coal, http://www.graberfarmandhomecenter.com/ . This is where a lot of people get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosier32 Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 Thank you so much Daniel! I'll look into it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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