June 5, 20179 yr I never understand why some blacksmiths seem want to make a rule about bick direction...we have enough rules, don't need pointless self-imposed ones. Strike while the iron is hot is the only rule / guide we need to determine hearth and anvil relationship. Keep it close. For instant use I would lean back to the hearth, hammer in hand, to take out the workpiece and just swing around to the anvil, without even taking the standard "one step". The ultimate is to have an anvil block sitting in the hearth for fine flower welding. Larger workpiece, larger fire, larger distance to get the smith away from the fire's heat. Larger piece will not lose too much heat in a few steps. I keep my big furnace outside for this reason. The only reason to have the horn pointing either way is so that for the operation in hand you don't have to walk around the anvil to present the workpiece. If it is only for one heat it is probably worth walking around the anvil, most blacksmiths will have a regular bruise on their thigh at bick height! If I were going to do a lot of leaf or other spreading with the workpiece lying along the axis of the bick I would have the bick pointed to the left, and if I was using the bick as a fuller for drawing out or wrapping something around it I would tend to work with the bick to the right. Just swing it around to suit the work in hand. My anvil also happens to have larger radii on one edge so that also determines which side I stand, in order to achieve a particular profile. My shop, my anvil, my job, my reasons, my rules....same for everyone. Alan
June 5, 20179 yr Author oh, and remember to have your round slack tub facing north, but if you have a square one or rectangular on, it doesn't matter which way the slack tub is facing. Littleblacksmith
June 5, 20179 yr Glen's phrase about pointing anvils to the North is a metaphor...and not a Metaforge...not even a Betterforge. Alan
June 5, 20179 yr There are valid reasons for turning your anvil, for instance, horn to the left, horn to the right, align the anvil to North, etc. Reference link click here. Another link This was started as a new thread. Please reply at the reference link so we do not sidetrack this discussion.
June 5, 20179 yr Excellent, been thinking of this same type of thing myself. I like your design...looks like it will do just what I need.
June 5, 20179 yr Made my first hardy tool today on my new striking anvil that I finished on Friday before the NEB meet. A bottom fuller forged from 1 3/8 round 4140
June 5, 20179 yr What I made on the weekend, a drift from a Hyundai CV axle, a couple of small punches from car coil spring, and a draw knife from D2. Gee that D2 is hard stuff, it was harder shaping that 6mm flat than it was the 20mm CV shaft!
June 5, 20179 yr How are you heat treating the D2? It requires a high tech heat treat to get the best from it otherwise you would have been better off with something like 5160 that you can properly heat treat using your forge! (and not had to spend all that time listening to the D2 laughing at you when you hit it with the hammer)
June 7, 20179 yr Didn't get into the shop today, but since I'm in Philadelphia on a business trip, I made a pilgrimage to the former site (top) of Samuel Yellin's old shop (bottom). (photo source)
June 7, 20179 yr Made a Brian Brazeal style hot cut hardy. Forged from 1 3/8 4140, Now I have all the tools to make a HAMMER!!! So I'll make one this week or next week!
June 8, 20179 yr On 6/4/2017 at 5:00 PM, Melw45 said: Ok flat it is. Yes round for hot. Thanks Mel A very slight point could be beneficial, especially if you plan on punching holes you laid out with a center punch.
June 8, 20179 yr On 06/06/2017 at 6:03 AM, ThomasPowers said: How are you heat treating the D2? It requires a high tech heat treat to get the best from it otherwise you would have been better off with something like 5160 that you can properly heat treat using your forge! (and not had to spend all that time listening to the D2 laughing at you when you hit it with the hammer) Fact sheet that came with it from the supplier says it is an air hardening steel, no special treatment required. So I just heated it to critical and let it cool in a sheltered spot. It seems to have hardened just fine.
June 8, 20179 yr 6 minutes ago, Jackdawg said: Fact sheet that came with it from the supplier says it is an air hardening steel, no special treatment required. So I just heated it to critical and let it cool in a sheltered spot. It seems to have hardened just fine. How will you draw a temper or is D-2 not brittle as quenched and not require tempering? Frosty The Lucky.
June 8, 20179 yr Little somethings for the craft fairs in the weekend: Stainless steel plate/bowl Viking knives, not finished yet: Bests: Gergely
June 9, 20179 yr Not forging per se, but got to visit @njanvilman's Fisher & Norris anvil museum yesterday (along with Little Z from the office).
June 9, 20179 yr On Monday I brought a chandelier to the customs terminal of the airport of St. Petersburg. On Friday, the customer already installed a chandelier in Nottingham UK.
June 11, 20179 yr Hammered my very first steel today! Made this coal mover. Not very pretty, but I'm happy for my first effort. I made a second one that I like better, but I gave it to a good friend who hung out with me today. I gave up on the handcrank blower and made my leaf blower work.
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.