Blacksmith, Forging, Smithing

[NicksFJ40]

I couldn’t find a smithing post so I figured I’ll start one. Hope this doesn’t take away from the Projecting, tinkering, fiddle-farting…. So this can be a post with details and we can still post pics on the above post.

I’m new to forging, started about two years ago. Hopefully some experts can chime in. I’ll post up more later today, I’m off to jury duty.

 

[The Jade Bean]

I’m fascinated with it and I have a few tools, but I have ton to learn.

 

[NicksFJ40]

There is so much to learn and who knew you could burn steel. Ha ha. I watch a lot of You Tube University, specifically Black Bear Forge and DF-In the shop. They have beginner vids and/or walk you through their projects.

Started buying tongs off Ebay, but they seem to be pricy, especially when “vintage” is part of the title. Found some good on line forging shops with better prices. Picked up a 195 lb anvil off Craigslist. The coal forge I made along with a power hammer.

 

[The Jade Bean]

There is so much to learn and who knew you could burn steel. Ha ha. I watch a lot of You Tube University, specifically Black Bear Forge and DF-In the shop. They have beginner vids and/or walk you through their projects.

Started buying tongs off Ebay, but they seem to be pricy, especially when “vintage” is part of the title. Found some good on line forging shops with better prices. Picked up a 195 lb anvil off Craigslist. The coal forge I made along with a power hammer.

View attachment 3641864View attachment 3641865View attachment 3641866

Woah….super nice setup! I’m far from that awesomeness.

 

[NicksFJ40]

Thank you, Here are some pics of the power hammer that is all scrap. I can put up more detailed info if anyone is interested. I first saw a YT vid that someone recorded from a VHS, then I found these directions but there were no details on the valves and rams. The lucky horse shoe is hoping I don’t smash my fingers.

 

[Mauser]

I took a couple of blacksmithing classes 30 some years ago from Robb Gunter. Was never good at it, but it has helped a lot with the welding I do.

Robbs sons were some of the best and most known blacksmiths in the country. They were also my best friends. They were killed when a semi truck ran through their shop while they were working November 9th of last year. R.I.P.. Chad and Brad Gunter.

This is the biggest power hammer from their shop. It is a 3B Nazel air hammer.

 

[NicksFJ40]

I’m sorry for the loss of your friends. I didn’t have the pleasure to meet them but I read about that accident on the Rocky Mountain Smiths web page. There are some very talented smith out there.

And that is a huge hammer.

 

[Mauser]

There is so much to learn and who knew you could burn steel. Ha ha. I watch a lot of You Tube University, specifically Black Bear Forge and DF-In the shop. They have beginner vids and/or walk you through their projects.

Started buying tongs off Ebay, but they seem to be pricy, especially when “vintage” is part of the title. Found some good on line forging shops with better prices. Picked up a 195 lb anvil off Craigslist. The coal forge I made along with a power hammer.

View attachment 3641864View attachment 3641865View attachment 3641866

That anvil looks like it is in good shape. Soderfors?

 

[NicksFJ40]

Yes, it’s a Soderfors, I haven’t been able to date it. One of the owners stamped his name in it. “B Krause”. It’s in good shape, has some chips on some of the edges. I have 1” thick plate and use the hardy hole to keep it in place.

 

[Mauser]

Yes, it’s a Soderfors, I haven’t been able to date it. One of the owners stamped his name in it. “B Krause”. It’s in good shape, has some chips on some of the edges. I have 1” thick plate and use the hardy hole to keep it in place.

View attachment 3642850View attachment 3642851View attachment 3642852

Very nice! Not bad for being born to be abused. That is a decent size.

If Chad was still around he could probably tell you all about it. He had a small collection of Soderfors anvils. One of them has never been used.

From what I understand, the TV show "Forged in Fire" has caused the price of blacksmithing tools, especially anvils to skyrocket.

I was gifted one of the anvils from the school. I chose a nice Peter Wright that is around 180#. Right now it is in storage along with all of the other tools from the shop. I will get it sometime this summer.

 

[The Jade Bean]

Yes, it’s a Soderfors, I haven’t been able to date it. One of the owners stamped his name in it. “B Krause”. It’s in good shape, has some chips on some of the edges. I have 1” thick plate and use the hardy hole to keep it in place.

View attachment 3642850View attachment 3642851View attachment 3642852

I need to strip mine as it’s got some rust and paint from when I bought it. Did yours come that clean?

 

[NicksFJ40]

I would like to see your Peter Wright and tools. I think you are correct with forging tools going up, do to that show. I really shop around when it comes to used tools.

The Jade Bean, do you have any pics of your anvil/tools?

No the anvil was in use and the guy had too many anvils. It was a bit Rusty, I wired brushed it and sprayed it down with WD40. I read that you shouldn’t grind or weld the edges/corners. If an edge chips, I’ll lightly sand so it doesn’t chip again.

Would be an interesting story to follow an anvil from Europe to the U.S. and who owned it.

 

[Mauser]

I would like to see your Peter Wright and tools. I think you are correct with forging tools going up, do to that show. I really shop around when it comes to used tools.

The Jade Bean, do you have any pics of your anvil/tools?

No the anvil was in use and the guy had too many anvils. It was a bit Rusty, I wired brushed it and sprayed it down with WD40. I read that you shouldn’t grind or weld the edges/corners. If an edge chips, I’ll lightly sand so it doesn’t chip again.

Would be an interesting story to follow an anvil from Europe to the U.S. and who owned it.

Here are a couple of pictures of some of the an ils that we put into storage. N

ot sure where mine is. There is a lot of stuff.

 

[The Jade Bean]

I’ll take some pics.

I would like to see your Peter Wright and tools. I think you are correct with forging tools going up, do to that show. I really shop around when it comes to used tools.

The Jade Bean, do you have any pics of your anvil/tools?

No the anvil was in use and the guy had too many anvils. It was a bit Rusty, I wired brushed it and sprayed it down with WD40. I read that you shouldn’t grind or weld the edges/corners. If an edge chips, I’ll lightly sand so it doesn’t chip again.

Would be an interesting story to follow an anvil from Europe to the U.S. and who owned it.

 

[NicksFJ40]

You have several nice vices. Very cool.

 

[Mauser]

About 60 miles from me, in Mountanair New Mexico there is probably the biggest anvil collection in the world. I'm pretty sure the guy passed a couple years ago, but I think he had around 800 regular anvils and over a thousand miniature anvils.

 

[The Jade Bean]

I bought my anvil from this guy… Blacksmith Tools Supply Co. - https://blacksmithtoolssupplyco.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZVQRf8eVDwwQFqsrO0rSJEUMjSlHh21Lp165ODpENcSTu9j2H1gSXgk1Q_aem_AYgJLtm3y_-C68at6SRLHwNkCAop3b68ADTREmUorRjYUBivWudXI2r9znzXVLsXqJtcwe8qxexXVK6ugfkhkUko

Blacksmith Tools Supply Co. (@blacksmithtools) • Instagram photos and videos

111K Followers, 3,259 Following, 3,121 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Blacksmith Tools Supply Co. (@blacksmithtools)

www.instagram.com

 

[The Jade Bean]

I’m currently redoing my garage so things are messy. I plane to clean the anvil, level this log and sink it in a tad.

 

[NicksFJ40]

That’s nice, are you using the silicon to put under the vise. The Black Bear Forge suggests that, it seemed to work good on mine.

I like the leg Vice and table on the BA Tool Supply web site.

Need to see more pics of the Porsche. The wife had an S4, it was really wide in the rear. I think that’s what it was called.

 

[The Jade Bean]

That’s nice, are you using the silicon to put under the vise. The Black Bear Forge suggests that, it seemed to work good on mine.

I like the leg Vice and table on the BA Tool Supply web site.

Need to see more pics of the Porsche. The wife had an S4, it was really wide in the rear. I think that’s what it was called.

I don’t have much in way of tools, I mostly use the anvil to beat things into submission. However I’m in awe of the blacksmithing practice. I think my log will be too low when it’s prepped so I may make something simular to this pic.

I’ll snap some pics of my car later. It’s a replica of a 1968 356. I’d love an original, but the replica was in my price range. Even replicas are going for over $45k which is insane.