Charles R. Stevens Posted August 27, 2017 Share Posted August 27, 2017 The news letter is always on the SFC website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Mans Posted August 27, 2017 Author Share Posted August 27, 2017 Oh good deal! I read it from start to finish after you linked it last night but I'll keep my eyes open for next month's. Another update, I got my boards cut for my new anvil block and after about 2 hours worth of hand filing, my "anvil" is now flat faced. Hit it with a wire wheel and some boiled linseed oil. Pictures to follow once I get everything together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted August 27, 2017 Share Posted August 27, 2017 You did round the edges, yes? My anvils have radiuses starting at about 1" diameter down to 1/4", sharp edges cause cold shunts, cold shunts cause cracks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Mans Posted August 28, 2017 Author Share Posted August 28, 2017 Yeah I worked a small bevel into the edge all the way around. I wasn't sure how big of a bevel I needed but I was trying to maintain as much work surface as possible, but there aren't any sharp edges whatsoever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 Not a bevel, a radius, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Mans Posted August 28, 2017 Author Share Posted August 28, 2017 This is where I'm at with the face of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcusb Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 I use the TSC anthracite as well. I lucked out and had an old pot I feel was designed for it. Its no more than one inch deep and shaped like a large oval. Like others have said it does not coke so the depth of a soft coal pot is a waste of fuel. I"m sure it will work but you will burn thru alot more fuel to get the heat zone high enough to lay stock across a deep pot. If you decide to use more anthracite in the future building a pot for it would save coal in the long run. Nice job on the forge, looks great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Mans Posted August 28, 2017 Author Share Posted August 28, 2017 Thank you! I may make a plate to sit in my firepot to shallow it until I can get some softer coal as Charles suggested Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 I was looking at pictures of the "traditional round anvil" used in Sri Lanka last night... Unless you are going to cover the table with fire brick splits or adobe I would lower the firepot more. You want to be able to rake in fuel off the table as you go along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Mans Posted August 28, 2017 Author Share Posted August 28, 2017 You're right it needs to go down about another inch. I was also thinking about tapering some firebrick kind of like a ramp up to the lip. Think that would work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 Well it starts to get down to personal preferences. I like a flat table with the firepot just about level with the table top. Some like a shallow sloping DOWN to the firepot. Burning soft coal you usually have a ring of it around the firepot coking up to be raked in instead of just adding fresh coal to the firepot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Mans Posted August 28, 2017 Author Share Posted August 28, 2017 Oh I see. So if I keep the firepot higher than the table then most likely no coking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 Less coking and harder to transfer it into the working area; but some of the old ones projected and expected the smith to use a shovel on the table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Mans Posted August 28, 2017 Author Share Posted August 28, 2017 Hmm I don't really want to use a shovel... Im already starting to see where my forge design is flawed and things I can do better for next time. For now, I may leave as is while I'm using anthracite since it doesn't coke anyway. That way I can put some forge time in and hopefully see how to best remedy the shortcomings. I have about 160# worth of anthracite before I'll switch to bituminous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 A rake, poker and shovel are very useful fire maniging tools, one can lift the fire out with the shovel, reach in for the slag with the poker, and then rearrange it with the rake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Geist Posted August 29, 2017 Share Posted August 29, 2017 On 8/8/2017 at 0:10 PM, Anthony Mans said: That vice is an old Columbia that my great grand father bought and passed to my grandfather, then to my dad, and now to me. It's marked NO 504. Don't think a lot of monetary value but priceless to me considering it's one of just a small handful of things that my family has passed down through 4 generations. Being as that your vise has such a history, I'm not sure if I'd be using it at all. However, bear in mind that it's a machinists vise. It'll be ok to hold things like any other vise but please, go get yourself a blacksmith's leg vise for anything you want to take a hammer to. Hammering stuff in a machinist's vise will wreck it pretty fast. George Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Mans Posted August 29, 2017 Author Share Posted August 29, 2017 Charles, you're right I only meant about shoveling new coal in. I'm going this weekend to hunt for steel to start making the basic tools. I have a 2.5# hand hammer that I may just dress for now and start with tongs and fire management tools. George, thank you for the advice. I can't bring myself to not use this vice. It just wouldn't be right in my mind. But I do take care not to hammer on it. I mainly have used it so far to hold things while I'm grinding and cutting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Mans Posted September 1, 2017 Author Share Posted September 1, 2017 ***Update*** Ive been told over and over the best thing I can do is get on the anvil so I finally did. My smithy isn't anywhere near done yet and my wife has relocated me to the backyard, but I am undeterred! Its not really that pretty, but it was the very first thing I've ever made. I found myself constantly shuffling coals around my firepot with a stick and inevitably, when you poke a stick into a red hot fire, it always comes out on fire and it was getting on my nerves so I took a piece of 1x2x1/2" steel and forged it into a coal "spatula". Let me know what you guys think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 Just you wait till you shove a piece of steel in the fire and it comes out burning! (a coal rake is a common early project, the shovel is a variant.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 I started out using a garden pick tool with a wooden handle in my coal forge. It'll get you going for now. I found that eventually the heat did the wood in but it got me started and lasted till I could make something better. The main thing is you are starting. Good looking spatula. I made a large forge spoon that I really like. Keep it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 Riveting on a steel handle did come to mind...old 16 penny nails can be cut shorter and used for rivets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Mans Posted September 2, 2017 Author Share Posted September 2, 2017 That's a good idea. I've got some 10 gauge sheet metal I was thinking would make a good little coal shovel too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Mans Posted September 8, 2017 Author Share Posted September 8, 2017 I took your advice @Charles R. Stevens and I made a shovel. The shovel head was quite frustrating but I had a lot of fun with the handle. I'll make a better one in the future but this one will work for right now. What do you guys think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 All that maters is it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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