Everything Else

I caught this on the BBC's Science and Environment page today, 2012-04-19; it probably won't be there long and I haven't found a easy way to link to it. I expect it will draw some more people in the UK into Blacksmithing though. Aha: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-england-56733672

Sent to me by one of the grandkids: http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff3600/fc03579.png

I'll throw in a few. If your teacher/instructor/professor is proud of how many people fail their class, they're telling you that they're a terrible teacher. Believe them, and find one that actually wants students to succeed. Same kind of thing applies to experienced managers who boast that they've never given an employee an excellent review. This is defining the manager's limitations, not the employees. And finally. You don't get to choose the form of your rescue. I've been helped by unlikely people more often that I can count. A lot of my knowledge came from rough people who had little patience for my struggles. They were there when I needed them. N…

My son tried to start his GMC Envoy a few days ago and the battery is totally dead, then we fond out the locking ignition wont let go of the key now. The question is, Is this 2 problems, or are they connected? the battery being dead not allowing the key to turn to the off position?

Frosty just noticed your location that is one beautiful area. Do you have acreage there?

I see a lot of people saying that I should make tongs as a first project, and that's what I'm considering. Is that a good idea or should I try something simpler?

I hope this is the right forum. I'm saving a bit of money to start up a small forge (I've never done any real blacksmithing in my life). This has probably been asked to death so sorry in advance, but how strong do you have to be to get started? I'm not the most fit person, most of my strength comes from working on trucks, but I'm assuming it's mostly about technique and you get used to it with time. I bought a two pound cross peen that I'm going to be using.

Happy and Merry Christmas, Hannukkah, Solstice, Kwanzaa, or other seasonal holiday of your choice! May this season be happy and productive and may you receive lots of coal (or propane) in your stocking. And may 2021 be a much better year than this one (which is an admittedly very low bar). We're going to stay up to midnight on New Year's Eve, not to see the new year in but to make sure the old one leaves. I don't want to make up the next morning and find out that it is December 32, 2020. Good thoughts and prayers to all of you. You all have made it a lot easier to get through this year. Cheerfully, George

So, to not go even further off topic in other parts I suggest we continue over here. What I am thinking off is doing something like Frosty did with his "on the beach" story, but my story would be start on an actual ship (if you still don't get the title, shame on you and go to the library). So, I like to start with some world building, all my experience as a DM has been in fantasy or Lovecraftian setting, since the normal world gives people way to much understanding about what makes things tick. Imo it is way more interesting to strand in a new world where you can use some of your old knowledge, but there are also new things to learn/explore. 1. Time perio…

Shortly before leaving the office Friday, I get a text from the foremost hired hand of Bolingbrook's Colonial Village, Jesse. It's two pictures of a ladder with its final rung lopped in half, and a plea for help. He asked if I could weld it back together tonight as he needs it for a big job in the morning. Aside from his drywall work and snowplow route, Jesse employs a handful of our neighbors in his seasonal gutter-cleaning business and, of course, 'tis the season! The towering maples, birches and Siberian elms (oh, the elms; they shed their limbs before their leaves!) fill blocks and blocks of uncovered gutters with their audacious deciduous behavior. The gutters have t…

First off, the title is from an excellent book by John Kennedy Toole. Anyone who's read it will quickly pick up on why the title fits my story. So we have a project where we're finishing out two floors of a high end office building. Several of the other floors are completely finished, however the tenant is not occupying them. This building has an attached parking garage which is completely empty. Building management provided some parking passes to the contractors so the workers don't have to walk blocks from the nearest parking lot. Our passes only apply to parking stalls in the sub-basement People who aren't in the construction industry may not realize…

Ahh another tux user. Good to see more people seeing the light.

we have 15 inches or so of snow on the ground from this weekends storm. there is no off street parking here, we all park on the side of the road. My neighbor hired a plow to clear the area in front of their house, as a result I have no place to park anymore because the plow piled their snow in front of my my house, leaving 3 foot of packed heavy snow were I normally park. Police Desk Sgt said there is nothing they can do to get it removed.

Hey guys. I been gone for a while and was checking on all of you. I see Crazygoatlady hasn't been on since December 2nd. Does anybody know where she went? I sure hope she's ok.

If you've seen the news today you may have seen this one. Search "Gorilla Glue Hair" for the story. Seems the gal ran out of hair spray and used spray, Gorilla Glue (super glue.) After a month of trying to shampoo it out she started seeking help. Yeah, she actually shampooed her hair 15 times in just one month. I have trouble being very sympathetic but I have to wonder who taught this poor gal to cross the road. Frosty The Lucky.

Short story is that as part of my job I've taken over a project of converting a narrow gauge steam locomotive from burning oil to coal. One of the problems that has come up is that the ash pan liner is buckling. The theory is that steel wasn't designed to contain hot ashes in close proximity. One solution is to basically weld some wire on the walls and then cover it with a refractory that can withstand the temps and movement that comes with an engine. Any suggestions?

I noticed that this forum puts your location right up against the "Location" label. I'll pick on Frosty here just to show an example: Note that mine has a space. What kind of sorcery is this?! I'm sure others have tried putting a space at the beginning of the location field, only to have it stripped out automatically. That's pretty standard with web programming. So how can we achieve this vastly superior, padded look? Well, for the one-time fee of $29.95, plus S+H, or the equivalent in wrought iron, I can guide... ...ok, ok. You need to use a non-breaking space. This is essentially a special character that denotes a space MUST be represented, …

Essential Craftsman, on YouTube, was sent in a story about a 19th Century blacksmith from a viewer. I found it inspiring. This video communicates why I love blacksmithing. I imagine it is the same for many here. Lou https://youtu.be/oy9hEcxMCWo

I have tonights winning numbers in my hand. Tomorrow, $1000 credits at the IFI store to all members! After some philanthropical projects and a new shop that is.... I know hard work builds character and pays off in the long run, but this is quicker!

While visiting the in-laws in Kentucky this weekend for Christmas break, my father-in-law told me he found something in his yard that sparked a memory of a trip he and his family took about 25 years ago. He handed me a glassy blue and brown chunk of material that looked like some kind of pretty rock at first glance. It was iron ore slag from the furnaces at Land Between the Lakes just down the road; years ago he let his kids take a couple handfuls from a creek bed near their campsite, not knowing that such an act is forbidden as they are considered historical items of the area! Wouldn't have done it had he known, he says. The slag and a little internet research of c…

Went down a rabbit hole or two chasing interesting links. Went from Russian machinist making a 10 start left and right hand thread bolt and nuts, to really interesting stuff. Nearly have the 10 part series watched. Episode #3 he makes his file cutting chisels and files. #4 he gets into case hardening. There is bronze casting, experiments for a historical version of dyechem ? for layout, some techniques for soldering...

UPDATE: Got very delayed on the press because I've been setting up a new workshop. I'm building a micro rocket mass heater to keep things toasty in the winter, it doesn't have the heat core and exhaust welded on, still needs lots more work. I've never seen a mass heater this compact and the design is experimental so it will be interesting to see if it actually works. My welder at the moment is 20 amp running on 15 so it's making the project drag on longer than expected. It makes it hard to sustain an arc. I have a more powerful 48 amp welder to use but I'm waiting on an adapter. I have no need for a 90 ton press at the moment but th…

Friend of mine sent me this yesterday. Made me laugh. Thought I would pass it along.