July 28, 20241 yr A new addition to the library. I’d gotten it before on ILL, so when a mint-condition copy came up on my ThriftBooks wishlist for cheap, I knew it would be worth it. 22 hours ago, Frosty said: I bet they'll bargain a bit if you turn on the charm. Frosty The Lucky. Charm? What charm? Which is to say, perhaps if I’d been paying more than five bucks!
July 28, 20241 yr On a serious note, I’ve been thinking about the contrast between Charlie’s in Denver and The Tool Shed in Waltham, MA. The former is a much larger operation, with an active online store; the prices are generally somewhat higher. The latter, on the other hand, is a LOT smaller, with a much more limited selection (and no storage space at all). As a result, the prices are a lot lower, as they need to move inventory quickly to make room for new stuff. Two different business models, pros and cons both ways.
July 28, 20241 yr John, if you are ever going to be Albuquerque let me know and I will give you some suggestions there. G
August 3, 20241 yr I got 4 double garage door springs from work. Donated one to the local open shop, have 2 at home and one is coming home on Monday. It's a lot of steel.
August 9, 20241 yr Another addition to the library: a tome about historical brass utensils and such. Five bucks well spent.
August 9, 20241 yr How many books in your library now John? I have a couple overhead door springs and uncoiled part of one for more 5/16" spring steel than I'll use. After uncoiling a little I realized I'd need several hundred feet of room and the pickup truck to uncoil it all so I cut a little off and the rest is in a corner with the other one. It's excellent steel for small tools, especially if you want to take up chasing and repousse. I considered making and selling chasing chisels but that's too much like a job and would pretty much kill enjoyment in the shop. Frosty The Lucky.
August 10, 20241 yr On 8/9/2024 at 1:16 PM, Frosty said: How many books in your library now John? According to my BookBuddy app, 188. This includes 65 issues of The Anvil’s Ring, The Hammer’s Blow, and Blacksmith’s Journal, but not my stack of as-yet-uncatalogued periodicals. It is very handy to be able to check on my phone whether or not I already have an interesting-looking volume I just found in a used bookstore while on my work travels.
August 10, 20241 yr I remember you mentioning BookBuddy and committed it to memory, wherever that is. Even if I had the app, going through a couple thousand lbs worth of boxes full of books in the basement would be daunting in the extreme. Yeah, I've read them all, some many times but I only really want to keep the reference books. Wherever they are. <sigh> Frosty The Lucky.
August 10, 20241 yr You don't REALLY have a library until you have to use either the Library of Congress or Dewey Decimal cataloging systems. ;-) John, how many more books do you have besides those on blacksmithing? G
August 11, 20241 yr That is a very good question, and I really have no idea. Like Frosty’s collection, most of them are in boxes (albeit in the attic rather than the basement). One nice thing about working at the college is access to both its library system and convenient InterLibrary Loans. I’ve also been doing most of my reading for pleasure with audiobooks using the Libby app, which provides them for free through my local public library.
August 18, 20241 yr I ended up picking an anvil up a last month. This is a beast of an anvil. The seller listed this as a 150 pound anvil but I could clearly make out the numbers on the side that read 2 3 24. That makes it 332 pounds if my anvil math is correct. I offered them $250 a year ago when I found it on FB market place. And I never heard a response. I searched it out this summer and I saw it was still listed. So I sent them a reminder that my offer still was good and they took it. Unbelievable! It was painted so I really did not know what I was getting into. But I figured it was worth the hour and a half drive to check it out. I figured even if the top plate was destroyed or soft I could still repair it or just cut it up for the wrought iron stock and make other stuff from it. When I showed they had it loaded on an appliance dolly. I walked up to it and dropped a ball bearing on it a few times. It has a nice ring to it so I knew nothing was cracked. The rebound was good but unpredictable do to the dents and damage that I could see in the face. But I knew it was still hard, I could not see any cracks and I could see that the faceplate is almost a 1/2” thick. So I bought it. To get it home I used a landscape trailer with a ramp. I can’t lift that much into the back of my ram 2500. When I got home I moved it into my shop with a harbor freight hand truck that does not provide as much mechanical advantage as an appliance dolly. For over a decade I have quested for a large anvil and this is the biggest one I have found cheap. I would have to say after moving this one around solo this is about as big as I can go and still do it myself. After I got it home I gave it the twisted wire cup wheel treatment and wiped it down with boiled linseed oil. It sat for a bit until I could figure out where to put it. I ended up widening my stand and setting my other mouse hole on the floor. That one is 232 pounds and is remarkable smaller than this one. I know that sounds like a dumb sentence but I did not think 100 pounds difference would be such a big difference. But it is. To set it on the stand I used a folding ladder rated for 350 pounds a couple of 6x6 pieces cut to fit the top rungs of the ladder when it is set in an “A” configuration. This is one of those gorilla ladders similar to a little giant. I did not extend to raise it at all as it was tall enough to keep the legs doubled to be as strong as possible. I lifted it with a chain hoist and that was it. The only work that has been done to the face Was to run a 120 grit flap disk to it. It still has some dents and damage but enough real estate to find a flat spot to hammer as the face is 5 7/8” wide. I may end up fixing the heel in the future but for now I am just using as it is. It is so nice to work on a large anvil. I have smaller ones that have better faces that I can use for putting a smooth finish on. But honestly, I can’t see much of a difference working on this one vs my perfectly smooth PW.
August 18, 20241 yr That anvil around here would be a real steal at $250 U.S. Good find indeed. Especially for a Mouse Hole Forge anvil. I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.~ Semper Paratus
August 18, 20241 yr I have found between a stout hand truck and a Harbor Freight engine lift I can move anything in my shop with no problem.
August 18, 20241 yr An engine crane is on my list for sure. That would have been perfect. But I am out of room in my one car garage. A friend of mine is holding a Bantam Bateman Ironworker for me that I bought a couple of years ago but just do not have the room for it. That thing is about 700 pounds and top heavy. A crane would make moving that so much safer and easier.
August 21, 20241 yr The engine crane I purchased many years ago has fold up legs. When not in use the legs fold up and I shouten the beam and release it and it folds down so it has less of a footprint in the shop when I don't need it.
August 21, 20241 yr Reading and hitting iron are hobbies that mean you never want to move. Haven't counted books in a few years and I'm a bit scared to. Making your own system is a lot of fun though and a pretty good Rorschach test. Books are well loved tools and should be treated as such. They certainly weigh as much.
August 22, 20241 yr You cannot be too rich, too thin, or have too many books. I am a proud biblioholic.
August 22, 20241 yr I agree Dick. Aside from my first mig welder. Being folding, I have even been able to haul it in my truck to pick up heavy things to put into my truck to haul home. I pulled a harbor freight one out of their dumpster once (a core but aside from the bent base it is fully functional) I still want to make a truck reciever hoist out of it. (If I ever have the time or need forces it) a swivel base would be nice.
August 22, 20241 yr Oh yes, lets hear if for yard sale engine hoists! Deb and I were out garage saling years ago and drove by a garage shop sale that had a big sign saying Everything MUST go! The gentleman was getting too old to work on cars, fabricate and generally do guy stuff and kept hurting himself. His doctor and wife had put their foot down and it was all for sale. I don't work on vehicles unless it's an emergency since maybe 78 so I passed on everything until Deb asks, "what's that?" "It's an engine hoist Sweety, you use it to lift engines out of vehicles." The Mrs. starts telling us about it, as the old man sits sullenly unhappy. And Deb says, (to paraphrase) "Aren't you always complaining about how heavy everything is to move in your shop? Would this move some of it?" I'd just looked at a brand new one in A I H (Anchorage International Hardware) the closest "real" hardware store) and they were going for about $750 IIRC so I figured it was out of the question. AND the nice old lady says, "$50. it's yours, please get it out of here!" "Yes MAAM!" I whipped $50 out and we loaded it into the Saturn Vue. It has to be one of the most useful $50 tools I've ever bought. It's hard to beat an engine hoist and concrete floor for backache reduction. Frosty The Lucky.
August 22, 20241 yr I wouldn`t be lost without my engine hoist and I wouldn`t state it`s worth its weight in gold, but it sure is somewhere inbetween...
August 23, 20241 yr Another addition to the library. On 8/21/2024 at 8:29 PM, George N. M. said: You cannot […] have too many books Just not enough bookshelves.
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