Tools priorities

Hi all -

Well, just picked up an anvil in Omaha yesterday. Someone had
responded to a Craigslist ad I posted a few weeks back. It was in
pretty rough condition (completely rusted, edges eaten away) and I
am trying to get it up to snuff. Wish I had a before and after
picture. I haven’t done much of the surface grinding yet, how do I
clean it up without losing the tempering? Or is there a way to
retemper it when I am done? This is at least a piece to start with. I
was able to pick it up for a decent price and it’s a Swedish cast
anvil. Wish me luck and thanks again all for your help.

Cheers
Rai

Rose Marie,

perhaps you may find it interesting to know most things sold in most
retail outlets in america are made in China, united arab emirates,
dubai, jordan, pakistan, former soviet block countries, etc…do you
read labels? even grocery items are increasingly made in china, or
produced there, shipped somewhere else and repacked under US branded
names that were formerly produced here too… Interestingly I do send
my students that are beginners, not certain if they are going to
stick with jewelry making as a full time profession orthose that are
are poor to harbor freight for very specific things…the shears are
trash. they ruin metals period…as is out of the box…the rolling
mills acceptable and affordable and with interchangeable rollers,
some patterened! I don’t work for HF, but do know people from all
spectra of the socio-economic picture

however: the HF sold crucibles of graphite are as good as others (and
they are made in Russia) the winches made in mexico are as good as
any others and make a great homemade drawbench they have a small
bench grinder polisher that must be stress tested upon purchase but
works just grand (once you insure the bearings are correctly
installed, greased etc.) and has a crappy but usable for some things
flexshaft attachment that has a small footprint on a bench for
finishing operations… the nitrile gloves in bulk are cheapest there
their gentec torches are the same as sold by every other supplier
selling gentec- and cheaper than any other - particularly if you want
the oxy/acetylene set up

as far as your son. the number one agency that assists in helping
people - just like your son transition to new careers is Vocaational
Rehabilitation, there are Pell grants etc that would have helped with
tuition if he doesn’t want VR assistance (which also pays for
housing, bills, etc…), and many schools have all sorts of financial
aid, grants and scholarships in engineering, and fields related to
machinists applications- not to mention the fairly untapped world of
apprenticeships to master machinists, if he was truly interested in
continuing on in that valuable trade…

I find it hard to believe that HF, solely put his company out of
business (in fact i find it virtually impossible)…Walmart is the
single largest importer of wares from china in the US…harbor
freight…probably in the 200th range.of retailers selling Chinese
manufactured products…<>…I think harbor freight sells some junk
tools, some very usable ones, some the same as you get in other
retailers and jewelers suppliers establishments (anvils for
instance: same dist. as 2 major hardware retailers coast to coast
selling 200 lb. cast anvils, gentec little torches, windsor
woodworking planes and mallets,Dow chemical co. products, ryobi
hammer drill, gorilla adhesives, and occassionally other aftermarket
products by a number of branded items)…so… before blaming one
company on your sons lot in life…look at the whole picture and
supply chain… and your wallet…and the receipts from target, or wal
mart, or kmart, or pier one, or bed, bath and beyond, or…or…or…

Sorry for being a little late in my reply just been busy. You did not
say what kind of work you are going to do so it is hard to say what
you need. I know I am going to make a few upset with my thoughts but
here goes. Buy the best of the best of what you really need, pliers
torches, tweezers hammers, etc. You can get by with drawplates and a
vise for wire. First of all I love my rolling mill it is great to
have, BUT, I lived many years without one and I got by. My father one
of the best fabricators and hand engravers you would ever meet never
had a mill or a power hone. You can order whatever you want and have
it the next day. I would rather have a good steam cleaner and
ultrasonic than a rolling mill if I had to choose. You can never get
the quality of wire that you can get from a good supplier so why
spend the time to pull it yourself. Time is money. My most important
thought for this conversation is metal, there are a bunch of people
out there with lots of great tools and no money to buy metal. I
would much rather have a bunch of shiny silver and gold on my bench
than a shiny rolling mill with nothing to roll. Fancy tools don’t
make you a good jeweler, good basic tools, knowing how to use them
and having the metal to work with makes you money, buying the fancy
equipment when you have the extra money makes you a happier jeweler.

Best of luck
Bill Wismar

Blacksmiths refer to Chinese and Indian anvils available through
Harbor Freight and other import tool suppliers as ASO’s (Anvil Shaped
Objects) and suggest that they are good for doorstops and boat
anchors but not as anvils. My experience with them has been that the
blacksmiths are right I have owned two and both were so soft that
even hammering on copper would leave a impression on their surface.
There are a series of anvils being imported from Eastern Europe that
are relatively inexpensive as anvils go but still not cheap that are
good quality check out Old World Anvils on the web.

Jim

James Binnion
@James_Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts

360-756-6550

I haven't done much of the surface grinding yet, how do I clean it
up without losing the tempering? 

Remember to wear a respirator while doing this work. I knew a
metalsmith who was sanding, grinding, re polishing a collection of
stakes. He didn’t wear anything because he wanted to smoke while he
worked.

Ended up with a collapsed lung.

Something to think about.

Elaine
http://www.CreativeTextureTools.com
Hard to Find Tools for Metal Clay

Sorry, I didn’t blame Harbor Freight for his job loss. I was
referring to the whole China crisis.

I will pull in my horns…I didn’t have a complete inventory of HF
at my disposal. I still stand by the things I buy at my local
supplier and Rio. I do read labels.

Good Tongue lashing!!!
Rose Marie

Hi Elaine -

Thanks for the heads up. No worries, I have a respirator as well as
ear protection and eye protection. I have seen too many health
problems due to preventable things. Also, I can’t imagine the smoking
helped him much either :frowning: