Hello all. This is the 6th thread in the "Tool Collection" series. The thread represents the farriery and blacksmith tool collection of Mr. Bob Armstrong in Bethel, Ohio.

If you haven't seen the other threads yet, you might want to take some time and browse thru them.

This thread moves us back into Bob's main barn. The barn has a large front room where Bob shows off some more of his collection. The barn is further divided into "rooms" which contain Bob's workshops and additional storage.

These harness hames are Bobs "other" hobby. He collects hames, refinishes them, and adds a mirror. He sells these 'mirrors' for $55.00 each.

To date, Bob shared that he has made 1,925 of thise hames mirrors. He's been doing it since 1964!

Yeah, I bought two of them!

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/msgough/Blacksmith-Shop/IMG_0097.jpg?t=1225853779

This is part of Bobs 'first' workshop. Here is where he keeps a few of the hames he's getting ready to re-work. The cabinets are full of every fasterner and harness hardware you could possibly imagine.

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/msgough/Blacksmith-Shop/IMG_0098.jpg?t=1225854267

Here's the long workbench and left side of Bobs first workshop. Again, tons of old hardware. Bob builds his hames mirrors here and refinishes antique farriery/blacksmith tools.

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/msgough/Blacksmith-Shop/IMG_0099.jpg?t=1225854373

Bob occassionally has need to bore out beams and posts for rounded tendons. He uses this old hole borer to do the job.
Circa 1920

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/msgough/Blacksmith-Shop/IMG_0100.jpg?t=1225854596

Bobs 'tool bench' in workshop #2. He doesn't really collect 'using' handtools... it just looks that way! See that small ballpein just right of the antique post-vise. Most perfect balance you can imagine with an 8 sided handle that is to die for! I'll try to buy it from him but don't think he'll sell it.

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/msgough/Blacksmith-Shop/IMG_0101.jpg?t=1225854725

And more of Bobs handtools in workshop #2.

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/msgough/Blacksmith-Shop/IMG_0102.jpg?t=1225854909

To keep things warm in workshop #2, Bob has an old pot-bellied wood stove. He also has the documentation that accompanied this stove.

It was installed in 1904 in a local school house (the one room type). He has the original receipt showing the school district paid about $100 bucks for the stove. Quite a bit for back then!

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/msgough/Blacksmith-Shop/IMG_0103.jpg?t=1225855219


Old 400 pound fisher anvil in basically mint condition! Bob is the only person to ever use this and Bob is NOT a blacksmith or farrier. That means the anvil has seen very little use! Folks, it's for sale, but bring a big pocket book! He didn't quote me a price but suggested it would take a few thousand to buy it.

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/msgough/Blacksmith-Shop/IMG_0104.jpg?t=1225855275

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/msgough/Blacksmith-Shop/IMG_0105.jpg?t=1225855433

I mentioned that Bob likes to refinish harness hames (collar pieces) into fancy mirrors. Well, to do that you need a few, old hames, right?

Bob HAS hames!!!!!

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/msgough/Blacksmith-Shop/IMG_0107.jpg?t=1225855586


Table full of 'odds-and-ends'. Ladel, hammer heads, blocks, swadges, etc.

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/msgough/Blacksmith-Shop/IMG_0108.jpg?t=1225855666

Well..., I know Bob has a nice collection of tongs but hey, you might need some more right? Throw in a few old pipe wrenches and a few shoes. The larger tongs are over 3 feet long.

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/msgough/Blacksmith-Shop/IMG_0109.jpg?t=1225855773

Most blacksmiths had a good collection of soldering irons. Not sure they needed this many, but here you have it.

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/msgough/Blacksmith-Shop/IMG_0111.jpg?t=1225855972

Dies, dies and more dies...

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/msgough/Blacksmith-Shop/IMG_0112.jpg?t=1225856024

Lots more tools in the 'back room'. Barn door hinges, saws, clamps, wrenches and a lot of stuff that I don't recognize. There were a few pieces that Bob admitted he didn't know anything about either!

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/msgough/Blacksmith-Shop/IMG_0113.jpg?t=1225856063

Good collection of hammer handles and dowels.

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/msgough/Blacksmith-Shop/IMG_0114.jpg?t=1225856402

For when you don't want to get too close to that fire!

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/msgough/Blacksmith-Shop/IMG_0115.jpg?t=1225856447

You know those little brass ***** and horns at the top of a harness hames (collar). Well... here ya go! He's got hundreds of iron ones stored in boxes on the floor.

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/msgough/Blacksmith-Shop/IMG_0116.jpg?t=1225856502

More hardware. Horseshoes, hames toppers, hand-wrought chain pulls, harness buckles, etc, etc, etc.

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/msgough/Blacksmith-Shop/IMG_0116.jpg?t=1225856502

More of the same, plus a couple of interesting, rubber 'saddle pads' on the bottom.

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/msgough/Blacksmith-Shop/IMG_0118.jpg?t=1225856736

Okay... I know I've shown a few picks of stuff that isn't quite soooo interesting as earlier pictures, but here's something that is interesting! I had no idea what it is. Do you?

Okay... you've seen old stove or funace pipe. Ever notice the corrugated ends? This thing puts that little corrugated edge on the ends so the pieces fit together nice and tight. Now you know how they did it 'back then'.

Turn of the century, circa 1900.

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg181/msgough/Blacksmith-Shop/IMG_0119.jpg?t=1225856799