My Grandfather, Thomas (Tam) Moyes was a Master blacksmith in Edinburgh, Scotland. His father, James Moyes had moved from the Kingdom of Fife, also in Scotland. It seems probable that James Moyes moved to Edinburgh sometime between 1871 and 1883 and set up his smiddy (smithy) in the district of Morningside, South Edinburgh. I remember that the smiddy had many power tools that were belt driven. In the outside yard was a large belt driven hammer that was operated by a push bar that ran round the base of the machine and was foot operated. This machine could also be used to guillotine lengths of iron bar and to punch holes of differing sizes and shapes in iron / steel. This machine had a large cast-iron fly wheel. Sadly, although the smiddy was taken over by another family when my grandfather retired, it has now been demolished and converted into a car sales room. My reason for writing is to ask if anyone knows where I might see a photograph or drawing of a machine similar to the one described above. I have tried to sketch it from memory, but cannot do so. Any help will be much appreciated. -- Gordon McKean

Gordon There are not a lot of books written about blacksmithing that show the machines they built and used. They show the hand tools they made, the anvil and hammers. You may want to look in some industrial books, for small machines that look like what your ancestor had. I have not seen a picture of any piece of equipment in the books here in America that did what you say this did. My grandfathers shop had belt driven machines but not like what you describe. His were inside his shop. Does England have an inter-library loan policy? That is how I was able to read the books on Blacksmithing. Most books were written before 1900 and aren't available in local libraries. Ila Johnson Fort Worth, Texas --- Gordon McKean <[email protected]> wrote: > My Grandfather, Thomas (Tam) Moyes was a Master > blacksmith in Edinburgh, > Scotland. His father, James Moyes had moved from the > Kingdom of Fife, > also in Scotland. It seems probable that James Moyes > moved to Edinburgh > sometime between 1871 and 1883 and set up his smiddy > (smithy) in the > district of Morningside, South Edinburgh. > > I remember that the smiddy had many power tools that > were belt driven. > In the outside yard was a large belt driven hammer > that was operated by > a push bar that ran round the base of the machine > and was foot operated. > This machine could also be used to guillotine > lengths of iron bar and to > punch holes of differing sizes and shapes in iron / > steel. This machine > had a large cast-iron fly wheel. > > Sadly, although the smiddy was taken over by another > family when my > grandfather retired, it has now been demolished and > converted into a car > sales room. > > My reason for writing is to ask if anyone knows > where I might see a > photograph or drawing of a machine similar to the > one described above. I > have tried to sketch it from memory, but cannot do > so. Any help will be > much appreciated. > -- > Gordon McKean > > > ==== BLACKSMITHING Mailing List ==== > List Mom for the BLACKSMITHING mailing list: > Diana Boothe > [email protected] > > ============================== > Census images 1901, 1891, 1881 and 1871, plus so > much more. > Ancestry.com's United Kingdom & Ireland Collection. > Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13968/rd.ashx > >