Just a quick note to check in. I've been very busy with a few projects as well as work commitments. I've completed a couple of big projects for a customer in Canada and I'm working on leather awls just now. Pics will follow.

Hello again, I'd like to draw your attention to my third forging video. This time I'm making a Viking style chest and then forging the hinges.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2-mt5LKmPc

Once again I really enjoyed filming and editing the video together. It is rather fun.

I intend on using the chest to store hammers and tongs when I go to shows.

Cheers
Andy

Hi guys. I had a relatively busy day in the forge today and managed to do a couple of projects I had in mind.

First up; a couple of square bar pokers and a hold fast made from an old pry bar.

Both pokers have a short twist in the middle. One has a wrapped rats tail style handle while the other features my first attempt at a leaf style handle.
Pretty basic stuff but always nice to make.

I've been wanting to make a hold fast for some time. It's like having a third hand in the forge. Very useful. I burnt through a lot of fuel to get the 1" round hot enough but it will be worth it.

Secondly is another poker but this time with a round handle and it's own stand alone stand.

This is my attempt at a camping buddy. This is a stand you poke in the ground and then you can either use it to hold a pot at one end or skewer something at the other end with the prongs.
It's quite a nifty design actually. Though upon putting it away I discovered that if you put the skewer through the hole on the rest, it doesn't sit flat together. Something it will be rectifying tomorrow.

Lastly, this was more a welding project really. A simple stand to hold unopened letters.

this works nicely too.

All the best
Andy

Fuel

I've been having fuel issues recently. I've used most solid fuels available, most recently coke.
This was however cheap stuff from a local merchant. I can't say I was overly impressed.

I'm also told that coke is soon to be imported from America which will be of a poorer quality.

With that in mind I've decided that Feather Forge will henceforth be run on locally produced British made charcoal. I've found a supplier about an hours drive away from me. Not exactly that local but as close as I could get.

The charcoal is different to use it the forge. It seems to vary with the type of wood used; by that I mean the amount of ash produced is different as well as how hot it burns and how quickly it burns away. Typically charcoal is used up four times faster than coke or coal. But you don't get any of the nasty sulphurous stench which sticks to the back of my throat which is a big plus.

It works well enough for me so I'm happy.

Cheers

A short workshop tour

I'd like to show off my workshop - aka my tiny shed.

This is the view from my shed door looking in. The shed measures approximately 6x8 feet. Pretty small by anyones standards. But as you can see I've got it quite well equipped. I've since added a belt grinder to the bench. This was my last essential purchase to get into a position of complete versatility. 

Here you can see my bench, the small leg vice I use and the smallest of my anvils. This was my first ever real anvil. I purchased it on ebay from a farrier who lived in the highlands of Scotland. Ive had it for over 5 years now. 

This is my tool rack. It is made from one side of a large dog cage and as you can see it works really rather well. My hammer and tong collection is really rather small, but I get by rather well. I've made four of the six sets of tongs that I use and they all have a specific purpose. My hammers have been acquired from various places from scrap yards to boot fairs. I don't think I paid any more that £5 for any of them so far.   

Lastly just for giggles I'd like to show a picture of the small anvil sat atop my newest anvil. It is interesting to note (to me at least) that the smaller of the two weighs 62.5Kg - this is just under 10 stone. The larger of the two weighs more than double that. I have a third anvil at my folks place which weighs 117Kg and I can just about lift it; I can't lift the large anvil above. 

Making a rounding hammer

I found this hammer which was a little beaten up in my neighbours shed. It weighs in the 2.5lb region which is a nice weight to use all day.

This was all done in the first couple of weeks after I moved house. Long before my "workshop" was properly set up - so I did all my work outside. 

I took the hammer's most damaged edge and had at it with the angle grinder and flap discs. trying to create as smooth as dome as possible. 

This is it very nearly finished. In truth the hammer could probably do with a little more fettling but I handles it shortly after this using a pick axe handle which I shaved down to a more suitable thickness. probably a little thicker than your average handle but it fits my hands well. 

You can see my hammer in action in the video of me making a steak flipper. 

Forging a steak flipper video

This is a short video of me forging a steak flipper.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DLlTujuHQc

My first foray into making videos - I filmed it using my ipad and edited with imovie. It was surprisingly good fun to spend time editing the film together. And proved to be a useful learning exercise about my techniques. As well as showing quite how much my anvil rocks.