Bob Geldart

Here's a photo of a flaw in the billet!!

It's an Alba 1a which was later renamed as an Elliott 10M when Elliott bought out Alba.

Jack Andrews/ Skipjack Press

Split it in half lengthways with a bandsaw.

Here's the anvil during its construction, it weighs about 55LB

I spoke with the people I bought the steel off and they will do a full deep HT for about £1 per kilo (60c per LB). This means that I can use more exotic steels such as S1, H13, EN24 etc. It's almost cheaper than doing it myself!

lining up emotions with composition lines is usually more important than the negative space.

Great work, what's the pattern on the sheath in the top picture?

Can you post a photo of the clinker breaker in its normal working position please. I'm considering making something similar but with a rotating clinker breaker that has a triangular section.

I've purchased some EN8 steel (1045) which I intend to use as an anvil. The size is roughly 6" x 7" x 9". I want to harden every face of the block, not just a single face!! I have 3 x T-Rex burners which I will use in a special furnace that I will make. Any advice on acheiving a good HT for the steel will be gratefully received.

So you think industrial smiths are rubbish? A crasftsman is someone who can make decent work to someone else's specification and satisfaction. An artist is someone who can justify the asthetics of the 'things' they create. Making a nice fancy floral gate is not art, it is an application of a craft skill. Drawing the gate before manufacture is not art, it's draughtmanship. People who don't have the skill to be craftsfolk often hide behind the mantle of artist. I'm a metal butcher with little artistic talent and proud of it.

Used motor oil gives off toxic fumes, it's full of heavy metals and other nasties.

Phillip, please study blacksmithing a little more before making anymore sweeping statements. Many of the tools a blacksmith makes to perform his mundane, day to day tasks are as complex as any knife or sword. Perhaps a few bladesmiths could make a gate or shovel (but I very much doubt it), even if they could I doubt they could do it economically. Time is money and making one gate per week won't pay the bills.

Haven't got hydraulics yet, I'm still using flypresses:

I'd go with a 5". Most 7" grinders are just 9" grinders with a smaller guard fitted.

You may be better off asking at a specialist forum such as http://www.chaski.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php or http://groups.google.com/group/uk.rec.mode...g?hl=en&lr=

If you hace access to an acid tank then I'd advise you to remove the rust, especially if you intend to make damascus.

I think the anvil in the fisrt picture is a Tinman's anvil: http://www.anvils.co.uk/catalogue/Blacksmi...ans%20anvil.htm

I have a shade 3 face shield mounted such that I can see my forge through it. The shield is mounted to the bench that the forge sits on, not on my head. I wear a pair of clear safety glasses at all times which is fine for forging and having a bench mounted shield is a lot more convenient than constantly swapping between green and clear glasses.

I use a flypress to help me fuller the hammer head, and also to punch the hole. My unedited hammer making scrapbook can be seen here: http://imageevent.com/imagedude/makingahammer

Assuming that you've got a magic high capacity compressor with no moving parts!

I've just bought this on the bay of evil. 100 quid ($150) well spent I hope. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...AMEWN%3AIT&rd=1

H13 has also been used sucessfully.

I've seen this type of anvil before on www.anvilfire.com

Ric, have you tried posting on www.metalmeet.com ?