[TheForge] Ironbridge!

Tue Oct 26 02:53:55 EDT 2004

Graham:
Welcome to the world of ...washing your hands before going to the bathroom.
What is required for a functional anvil is finding a piece of steel with 
a lot of mass directly below  a flat ( preferably hard) face. A length 
of larger diameter steel shaft set on end  is a good example. The actual 
area required to do most forging is really quite small, only a few 
square inches. A heavy truck ( Lorry) axle with one end buried in the 
ground would serve quite well. Most folks using a chunk of RR track 
,incorrectly use it horizontally. The shafting will perform better than 
most small conventional anvils of similar weight because the mass is 
where it's needed....directly below the hammer.
Anchor the post vise well and put a thick slab of steel  set on edge in 
it and you are in business. Getting that vise was an excellent first move.
I like the leaf blower and cast BBQ solution! Don't neglect to put an 
adjustable relief port in the air tube so you don't blow your fuel all 
over the shop...way too messy.
My father ( not a smith) said, " this may seem obvious, but don't pick 
up anything you recently heated". He was right but it didn't help....Pete F

Woolley wrote:

> Graham,
>
> I'd really love to see Ironbridge someday, and the puddling furnace as 
> well.  Try to get your hands on a piece of railroad track for a good 
> improvised anvil.  I've got a couple of  good anvils and a nice 
> propane forge.  Hasn't made me much of a blacksmith if you know what I 
> mean. Good luck.
>
> Regards,
> Bill Woolley
>
>
> Graham Whaley wrote:
>
>> Hiya.
>>  First post, so I'd better do a small introduction...
>>
>>  I'm just starting to try and learn some blacksmithing.  Using some 
>> space
>> at a friends workshop I have set up a very rudimentary forge using an 
>> old
>> cast iron BBQ and a leaf blower and a bag of coke.  It gets things hot
>> enough for me to practice hitting them on the pice of U-channel, 
>> mounted on
>> a fence post.  It's a start!
>>
>> I've recently aquired a rather large (for me) leg vice, weighing in
>> somewhere around the 150lb mark, and hopefully I'll aquire an anvil 
>> soon.
>>
>> I'm located in the north of England.  Hey, if anybody has an anvil you
>> don't want, and you are anywhere near Leeds .... :-)
>>
>>
>> So, onto the subject of the post.
>> I was lucky enough recently to be holidaying not too far from 
>> Ironbridge.
>> Of course, whilst in the area, I had to squeeze in a visit.
>>
>> http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/
>>
>> It is an interesting place, and well worth a visit.  We spent most of 
>> our
>> time at the Blists Hill village.  Whilst there I saw the largest pile of
>> wrought Iron, in the form of old chain.  I believe it was being reworked
>> into bars for use/sale.  The furnace seemed to be running (VERY loud
>> whooshing noises, and lots of glow coming out of a box around the 
>> size of a
>> shipping container!).  There was a power hammer ABOUT THE SIZE OF MY 
>> HOUSE,
>> the one in the second picture from the bottom in this link...
>>
>> http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/exhibit.asp?ID=st0023&Topic=Steam%20Machines&Th 
>>
>> eme=th0001
>>
>>
>>  So, I had a good day.  It would have been even better if the 
>> blacksmiths
>> shop had been open, and we had not turned up just after they had 
>> finished
>> pouring the moulds in the foundry!
>>
>>  If you are planning on making a visit it might be an idea to ring ahead
>> and see what activities are available and when.  My day would have 
>> been even
>> better if I had gotten into the blacksmith shop AND seen the pourings 
>> in the
>> coke fired foundary.
>>
>>
>>   Graham.
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