Bill Kirkley

I made mine out of steel. It is on rollers so I can move it out of the way. You have to chock the wheels if you apply a lot of pressure. A bucket under the belt is nice, but probably not necessary. I like the shelves for tool storage. The sheet metal in the front protects the shelves.

Clay Spencer sells plans for a tire hammer. http://www.tirehammer.org/tirehammer_website/Tire_Hammer.html

Thanks for the explanation!

Now I'm a bit confused. I have seen several instances where people differentiate between a coal forge and a coke forge. It has been my understanding that burning coal produces coke. If that's the case wouldn't coal forges be the same as coke forges?

I'm not sure about charcoal. From what I've read a 1/4" thick firepot may not hold up to coal. I reacently built a coal forge. Here is a link to my YouTube video. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JzjxnQea6_4 Drawing Coal Forge Vent.pdf Drawing Coal Forge.pdf

A while back I was in the same spot you are. I chose the Nimba anvil because it's American made and has a good reputation. They were great to work with. I think they have limited runs so you might have to wait to get one. I waited three or four months. I am very pleased with the anvil.

Nick Rossi at NESM had us forge the profile of the blade then use stock removal for the bevels.

I believe you will want to grind/ file your ricasso so the two faces are parallel. I don't recall but I think the base of the ricasso should be more perpendicular to the spine of the blade. Some of the more experienced members should correct me if I am wrong.

Gerhard Sorry for the late reply. I assumed his wheel came with a press fit bearing with an ID of 30mm. If not he would need to get a bearing to fit his wheels ID of 30mm. If that's the case he may find a bearing with an ID to fit a bolt he can drill a hole for.

New England School of Metalwork has a Blacksmiths Folder (friction folder) class each year. I took it and really enjoyed it. If I remember, friction from the sides of the handle hold the wedge shaped blade closed. The attached drawing exaggerates this concept. I also attached a photo of all of the folders members of the class made. Mine is the big one in the lower left corner. Here is a link to the 2019 class. http://newenglandschoolofmetalwork.com/node/57

Mike, I think your platen sticks out too far. If I'm not mistaken it should be flush (or slightly proud) with a straight edge held against the wheels. Here's a link to a jig I made to help adjust the platen. https://www.bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?/topic/33202-platen-adjustment-jig/&tab=comments#comment-321604

A bit late but I used a piece of conveyer belt on a scrap 3/4 inch steel plate on a piece of conveyer belt. It's worked well for years. No cracks in my 4" slab. Minimal walking. No hold downs. Im lucky I have a conveyer belt company and scrap steel yard near by.

If you have a friend with a lathe he can make you a bushing. If you don't know someone, a local machine shop might do it, but it may be expensive.

Eric, I've taken several blacksmithing and bladesmithing classes at NESM. They were all top notch. Derick and Nick do a great job. Their guest instructors are great. You'll really enjoy the experience.

Sorry for the late reply. I forgot I posted this. Here is the type magnet I use. https://m.harborfreight.com/retrieving-magnet-150-lb-pull-36904.html?utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F