The Magic Hammer

PITCHERS!

2006-04-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

Thats right, after almost 5 months of having a digital camera, I finally decided to post some pictures. Yes, I know, my work area is a mess. And I will also get a better shot of my forge. And yes, that is a brake drum forge. works mighty well, too. Except for the car battery powered blower. thats getting replaced soon, with a 110v blower from a dryer.

Im not dead, dont worry.

2006-02-28T18:48:00.000-08:00

So, Im not dead afterall. I havent made much since my last post, but I did get something new recently.
I got a post vise! its a 40ish pound vise, and its cost $75. Its in good shape, and the screw shows hardly any wear. the only thing that needs fixing is the screw is slightly burred, and the nut needs a cover.

Well crap crappity crap crap.

2005-09-28T15:53:00.000-07:00

Well, according to the instructors at CAT, I will not be able to turn a new screw for that lathe. more work than they think I can do in a year. I honestly think I could do it in a matter of days. DAMN YOU OBI-WAN! YOU'R ALWAYS HOLDING ME BACK! I would prove them wrong, but whats the point? I would need a lot of help and time from them, and they don't think I could do it, and they probably wouldn't want to help with a trivial project. So, I have no idea what I am going to do about a post vise. I need one, but I can't afford one. Bummer. So no post vise for me! lousy vise nazi's. BLAAARGH!!!

Finally!

2005-09-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know its been a while since I updated. mainly because its been a while since anything worth noting happened. I am currently attending school at the Center for Appropriate Transport(http://www.catoregon.org). There I am doing things like welding, using a lathe as well as most other shop tools, as well as many other classes, academic and not. I have tons and tons of free time now, because my classes are only half a day. If I had the resources, I would spend all that time smithing, but I have neither the resources nor the training. So, I sit in front of the computer, as my friends from the AMD Forums(http://forums.amd.com) have noticed in the IRC channel. Now, from my teacher, Conrad Hodson, I am buying a blacksmith's leg vise with a worn out screw and nut, which I will be re-turning on the lathe at CAT. Also, the director of my school, Jan Vandertuin, is trying to get a grant, which I would be able to spend building an authentic smithy at the school. Which might mean a new anvil, a forge that I will fabricate, a blacksmith leg vise(new or used), and an authentic old style blower or bellows. Thats all pretty much it. Toodles.

Progress, thy name is Nolan!

2005-08-13T01:32:00.000-07:00

Ive made considerable progress since my last post. I have dug the hole for my log. Then I put the log in. After that, I spent say 2 hours straightening it and making sure it was relatively level. to do this required a shovel, a sledgehammer, a car jack, and jack stands. And I even had help. I had to move the stump to the right place while Ed shoveled dirt into it. So it is in the hole, and filled in, and pretty level too. The anvil has been mounted, using spikes I made on said anvil. One of them had to be very long because of some rot in the stump. I also filled it in with gorrilla glue, and that foamed up and filled the cracks. Wow Im tired. I need to get a digital camera so I can show how things are set up.

For now, a quick diagram.

LOG!

2005-08-09T17:57:00.000-07:00

I got a large log from my neighbor, which I plan on using to mount my anvil. It was a lot of work getting it here, I had to use the hand truck, and it still was a lot of work.

Woot!

2005-08-07T23:40:00.000-07:00

I just got my anvil today. Its an 80lb London pattern Fisher anvil, and I got it for $160. I've spent a lot of the day polishing and sanding it, so now it looks pretty, and the face and horn have virtually no texture, and they're smoother than a baby's butt. I also got a bottle of gorilla glue today, and this is some strong stuff.I used it to repair the handle on my dagger/letter opener, and it wont be breaking again anytime soon. Infact, I tried to break it. No such luck.
If your curious what the london pattern anvil is, look here: http://www.thckk.org/shap-anvil.jpg

A german pattern anvil, here: http://www.peddinghausanvils.com/peddinghaus_image.htm

An Italian Style(rather modified from the original), Here: http://www.anvils.nimbaforge.com/graphics/allanvils.jpg

And the European Double horn style: www.euroanvils.net

Ouch

2005-08-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I hurt my foot yesterday. I twisted it under, and I am going to go get it checked out. I am praying to god that it isnt broken in some way. that would seriously limit my blacksmithing progress. wish me luck.

EDIT: Ok, my foot is fine. It was just twisted and strained. however, they found a piece of glass in my foot... it showed up on the X-ray, and so they gave me a shot of novacaine, or lanocaine, or some sort of caine, but son of a crap that hurt. OUUUUUCH. And they had to give me TWO. !@#$!!! The second one didnt hurt so bad though. But then they went at it with a pair of tweezers, and they unded up having to use a scalpel-like knife to cut it out. It was a strange thing to watch. Part of my brain is thinking "why the #$%^ doesnt this hurt" while another is thinking "cool... it doesnt hurt..." But afterwards, I spent a while poking it. it feels weird feeling pressure but no pain.

First post

2005-08-02T02:22:00.000-07:00

At this current time, My shop is very incomplete. I have a forge, made from a brake drum, and I will be buyin an anvil soon. However, I have no shelter, or much of anything.I still need gloves and an apron, too. I have plans to build a shelter with a corrugated iron roof, and it will be costly and take a lot of work. On monday evening, Martin Gabbert, a Blacksmith who lives few blocks from here, donated quite a bit of scrap iron to me, probably upwards of 100lbs worth. I am incredibly grateful for that. Also, I must thank Bob Stricker, as he is going to b donating a number of leaf and coil springs to me. Both are made of good high carbon steel, and he is happy to donate them, as he only gets scrap prices, and he is glad to give them to someone who can use them. I may also be getting a digital camera some time over the next few weeks, so I can begin to post pictures. until then I may set up my scanner so I can scan film. And Im tired, so to bed with me.