125lb peter wright to replace my 100lb vulcan. And some steel tubing soon to be cut to size for the frame of a 25ton press. The anvil came in handy before I even got it home, helped hold down the steel tubing in my short bed, I need a trailer!(or more anvils)

Nice!

Nice!

I really hope I can have the press finished this year...might be more jan-feb.. But once I get it tooled up you should come down and you could make some hardies and whatnot.

o ya ! count on that sir ! any time let me know...

An old blacksmith friend, Randy from Minnesota, is traveling the Western states and popped in today to say hello. He had a question about making fish spears from high carbon, old hay rake teeth. Each point of the six points was round pointed with a small flat barb. Each was laid back and forge welded. He wanted to see me forge weld the layback. I sharpened the small barb on the end and bent the stock back on itself. I then fagot welded the point and drew it square, octagonal, round. When I finished, he said that his trouble might have been using too many kinds of proprietary fluxes (I used borax) and maybe hitting too hard right out of the fire. He overheated a couple of attempts as well, and the metal crumbled. The high carbon steel should be welded at a non-sparking heat.

Randy was getting odd jobs as he traveled, so he was hauling a couple of anvils. He gifted me this sweetheart of a little Hay-Budden, weighing 64 pounds. The rule in the picture is 12 1/8" long. He also left us with some frozen deer meat, walleye, and two partridge breasts. Wow!

Frank, When's dinner?

I went to the scrap yard Saturday morning, 80% of it was *gone*. Sure hope they re-fill it before next Saturday. I did buy 90 pounds of steel/wrought iron (old wagon tyre pieces) about 80" of ore car rail from the mines, another steel milk crate---makes nice storage in the shop, a 10' section of 3/8 sq stock, 3' section of 1/2 sq stock,etc.

Cost US$10

Mine is clean out to. Owner said they were getting ready for winter. Scrappers must have a off season

I really hope I can have the press finished this year...might be more jan-feb.. But once I get it tooled up you should come down and you could make some hardies and whatnot.

Daniel as far as a press goes go bigger at least 30 tons or 50 tons if you are building you will grow in to it better to go with more than you think you will need once you work with it you out grow it.

The other day, I had to go to the scrap yard (its also a steel supply yard) to get some metal, and as alway's I got to the scrap pile and see if the metal I need is there, since I can get it for $0.35 a pound.
Well as I was looking I saw these HUGE shears, and just had to get them, if nothing else it would make good tool steel.
Then the day after that I had to go there again because of a mis callculation on materials :( and as I was going through the scrap I saw this cart. As I was weighing in my metal I asked the owner "how much you want for that cart?" and he replied "$0.35 a pound" and I quickly said "i'll be RIGHT back!!!" and went and got it.
so in both pieces I got about $30.00 and that = a happy blacksmith :)

In the older versions of those sheers the blades were inlaid with high carbon cutting edges forge welded in place then the bulk of the shear was soft steel or even wrought iron.

You can see examples of this sort of shear dating back into at least renaissance times especially WRT armourer's shops.

example

i like the cart ! good deal !

Had a sad day at the scrapyard the owner told me that the help had been undercharging me the last time; should have been 24 cents a pound not 11!

Still a better deal than driving 100 miles to get steel.

Not much there lately. I did pick up about 8' of heavy duty flexible steel tubing---what I like to connect blower to forge with. Used to be DOD according to the faded colour. Also found an old set of channellock diagonal cutters that looked in great shape and are soaking in blaster right now. Only one piece of wrought iron looked to be an old hasp of some sort.

I'm hoping the scrappers will be wanting to make some Christmas money...

As to metal going away; looks like my old truck may head down across the border for a 3rd life down there.

I was told that those bench shears had the angle of the bottom rein snug fitting into a hole in the table or bench to keep the shears from twisting as the sheet metal was cut. I had a pair once made by Pexto.

While looking for pallets to stack fire wood upon, I visited the usual places and behind one store happened upon several pallets. Ask if they were available and if I could have them, Yes, take all you want. As I loaded up 8 pallets the follow ask if I want some plywood to. So 8 pallets and 5 each 1/2 sheets of new 3/8 inch thick plywood and I was on my way home.

You must act fast and grab what is available when it is available. Find a use for it after you get it home.

*Asking* is such a powerful tool! I have often found that I end up with *more* than if I had done a snatch and grab. Even better I often have gotten call backs as I leave my card and make *sure* I leave the place cleaner and neater than when I arrived!

Scored this sow block and lower die setup, supposedly off of a drop hammer. The die is stamped Air Kool (which is an A2 trade name) the other side with a date and what I think is the Rockwell C hardness (58). Came with a key and everything, there is a keeper center pin.

Great score, Sam! What to you guess the total weight to be? Going to incorporate it into a hammer, or use it as-is?

Not sure, the whole sow and die weights maybe 30- pounds

At first glance, I thought "engraver's ball." If the bottom were rounded up and had a holder, the work could be fastened to the die with pitch. Just musing.

i found pretty much everything i have for my forging in the rubbish tank at my fathers workplace, including welding gloves, leather gloves and ear protectors, when he was making my anvil, and the rest i got from him,

Went on a small road trip this weekend and dragged home a few tongs....



and a few weekends ago... a few more hammers / sets / fullers / etc....



all of it.. under 400$.

...a happy newbie here.

18 pieces of 1 inch rebar 8 feet long. Other than its original use, any ideas what to make from it? Small hammers, anvil tools? Or???

you know....   I really don't like this post much.   I find that very little ever follows me home!  :(

Ricko- Seriously? You are too lucky. I want that cone mandrel!

Wolf---large tripods, say for 20 gallon kettles.