All Activity

I had a friend in law school who had previously worked for the Union Pacific Railroad. It was a union shop and you had to belong to a union but it wasn't specified which union. For some reason my friend had a grudge about the regular railroad unions. So, he joined the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW, aka Wooblies) which are still an active organization. That satisfied his union membership requirement. The IWW did have good songs. They say you aren't a real radical unless you know ALL the verses to "The Red Flag." GNM PS Here is a link to the IWW's website: https://www.iww.org/

FL Man, I hadn't given spontaneous combustion much thought and I have never heard of it happening on a blacksmith level. I have done some research and it is a murky and complex subject without a lot of clear indications of what to do or not to do. Here are some facts that I have been able to gather, in no particular order: -Some coals are more prone to SC than others. Some coal seams have experienced SC in situ when exposed to atmospheric oxygen. Generally, it seems that lower grade coals such as peat, brown coal, lignite, and sub-bituminous coals which have a higher volitile content are more subject to SC. -The finer the pieces of coal the more chance there is for interaction with atmospheric oxygen and more likelihood of SC. -Larger piles of coal (hundreds or thousands of tons) seem to be more subject to SC because the centers of the piles are more well insulated. It seems to me that in blacksmithing contexts and back when many homes had coal furnaces (amounts of a few tons at maximum) that spontaneous combustion is a pretty low risk but not zero. I have only heard of it happening in the context of large coal storage piles and steam ship coal bunkers (it is probable that the USS Maine blew up in 1898 due to a coal bunker fire overheating an adjacent magazine). I'd like to hear if anyone has any stories of SC occuring in blacksmith or home coal piles. GNM

I've seen the gold fever. They get crazy. You can pan for it lots of places. I've found a few flecks embedded in rocks here (Whidbey Island) dropped by glaciers when I was hunting for jasper and agates. An Army buddy (the guy that taught me to make moonshine, before he got kicked out for...go figure, DUIs) had a brother that used to pan streams on their land up near Dahlonega, GA. It wasn't worth professionally mining, and he didn't make much, but he could work four hours a day and make a lot more than flipping burgers. Seems like a lot of the really good mines started by people fixated on gold, or sometimes silver. Come for the gold, stay for the tin, mercury, copper, antimony, bismuth, lead...Bisbee got started that way in the 1800s, and they were taking copper out of the ground until the 70s. They also had that whole thing where they rounded up a few thousand men supposedly for being Wobblies and tried to get the Army to put them in a detention camp, but that's this whole other story.

Goods you figured out my plan. Hey an asset is an asset. This coal question might be another misnomer like the back flash suppressor that Frosty schooled me on so I thought I would ask.

Part of what I do in my business is cast iron welding, In my experiance the best way to repair a casting is metal spraying for the most reliable repair but it is expensive as most of the nickle rich processes are like stick welding and metal spray. I would set up the broken pieces as best I can with the smaller part being slightly proud into the bearing surface and set it up so it can be held in position probably by bolting, Then I would take it apart and do a weld prep that allows plenty of acess to the weld area. Then i would use a nickel bronze rod and using a cast iron tinning flux tin or coat the smaller part first to see if it will take a coat of the bronze and do the entire face of the repair. Then reassemble the pices and heat the whole casting up using LPG or a diesel burner after wrapping the whole thing with Koawool or simmilar and heat it up to 4-500 deg cent and tin the second area. Once this has been done then its just fill up the weld prep. When doing the tinning coat if the bronze does not freely flow then the area is not clean enough, not hot enough or not enough flux and any repair where this does not happen you are wasting your time and money proceding. with one of my repairs in the past the cast iron just would not take a tinning coat so I tried a coat using the metal spraying torch then continued with the bronze on that and it was succesful. Their is always more than one way to do a repair and I enjoy the challange of doing repairs no one else will try. after the reair has cooled overnight then the protruding smaller part of the repair could be machined or filed or some by other means back to where it needs to be.

No you have a point, I've mostly just used it as a fuller too, though I've only got about 5 years at the anvil. It is quite nice for bottle openers though if you don't have a huge drift.

Find mentors, and glean everything you can. (Applies to most skills…) Keep it fun, David

George Do you have to worry about spontaneous combustion due to oxygen absorption from the air? The oxidation causes a hot spot deep in the pile possibly causing it to ignite. I don't deal with coal I use propane in my foundry? Just curious thought this would be the best place to ask others opinion.

George, I paid the price of not being able to get something I loved- Trader Joe’s used to have a seasoning blend called Ajika- it was the best for eggs. But they stopped making it and I haven’t had it in half a year.

Not the "sole" purpose sometimes. But thanks for reading my mind.

The coal advice is true for most everything. If you find something you really like/need, buy two or more because they will stop making it. Buy as much coal as you can afford, haul, and have room to store inside. It will last forever inside. Do not store it out in the weather, water and freeze/thaw cycles will cause it to "slake." That is, break down into smaller and smaller pieces until you just have a pile of black, coarse sand. It will still burn but not as well and the coking ability will probably be reduced. GNM

A "bump" is a post or comment made by someone with the sole purpose of increasing the visibility of the primary message. Moving it to the top of the list. I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s. Semper Paratus

You are better off that way. I will respond properly when I'm not stuck in the doghouse.

I don't know what "Bumping" a topic means. Jer

The flat topped horn is sort of a farrier thing so I don't hold it against the anvil. I don't have a lot of use for horns in general, I can turn rings, scrolls, wall hooks, finials, etc. and true them up on the face well enough. After a dozen or two years I discovered about the only thing I used a horn for was a bottom fuller. Of course that's just me, I could be full of it. Frosty The Lucky.

Isn't that a head slapper. Obvious when you think about it but it needs something to get you thinking about it that way. Good search subject, thanks. Frosty The Lucky.

Not bad thoughts. Buy what coal you can because Coal companies are being smothered with regs and many are shutting down domestic sales to escape. Buy extra hardware, nuts, bolts, washers, etc. is standard practice if you've been doing any kind of mechanics. You always drop something you need. UNLESS you have another one on hand. I strongly agree with learn to take breaks BEFORE you NEED one! Working till you're tired, hungry, etc. need a break is a good way to make mistakes that take way too long to correct or hurt yourself. Another thing to add to this don't do it list is. Don't work angry. Anger distracts you from what you are doing, you know that argument that won't go away. Soo you miss something and injure yourself, someone else, ruin a piece, damage a tool or jackpot all the preceding. Frosty The Lucky.

I don't have much use for leaf springs though I have a bunch. I make springs for leg vises and I've made a couple hacks and a hammer face. I have one leaf I use for top and bottom dies for my smithin magician. There's always a piece around if something comes up but if I need to forge something I use coil spring, it's WAY easier than trying to forge anything from leaf. Frosty The Lucky.

I can't reply because I am on moderation for "bumping" a topic without any warning..

Another fire in a major historical landmark during renovations. I hope it isn't a pattern. Frosty The Lucky.

Goodness I'm not making any demands of nor grieving you. When I said I'll pester you when you gripe about long posts, you have a few times and might again. Aren't friends allowed to toss a little crap at each other? Write now and then is like telling guys to write if you find work at the end of the day. You go stretches without posting or PMing and I wonder what you're up to. Sometimes you get pretty down so there's a little concern for a friend in there too. Should I not? I can not turn off caring about people, especially friends. My dream house is a 2 story, false thatch, Craftsman with a corner tower, breakfast nook on the ground floor and reading room study on the second. Bedroom dormers and a fireplace. Though a stone keep with an elevator would work . Treasure hunter of course! Alan Quartermain with Mel Fisher's ship and equipment! Maybe MI5's "Q" to keep everything working above and beyond expected and inventing new stuff. I'll bet Q would have Mel Fisher's treasure hunter outfitted with hover mode and rigged for space in no time. A big chunk of Colorado's Front range would be cool but I think buying all the fossil bearing regions of China and kicking the commy scum out an airlock of Mel Fisher's space,treasure ship, would be even better. I'll have to check the bathroom window, the weather seal glue strip was stuck hard when I put last winter's weather seal on and it was 2 years old then. I'd try acetone but we have vinyl windows and don't want to dissolve the frames even a little bit. Another glorious day here, might make it into the 60s. We almost hit 60 yesterday and a boy can hope for today. We're getting the RV prepped to go into Anchorage to be de-winterized. We'll be cleared for old fart traveling soon! If I get a vote on destination I'm voting for the beach with all the jasper so I can take a slash at knapping stone tools. I've been watching Knap Time pretty steadily and am ready to see if I shave a handle on what he's talking about. Give Mom a hug for me please and don't forget Gina's ear scritching. Jer

I know its been some time, but I have some contributions. If you find good blacksmithing coal (burns hot, clean and welds nicely), buy as much as you can. There is no saying if you will ever find it again. Wipe your tools down with oil when the weather changes, unless you are in the desert. The changing temperatures can cause flash rust on big heat-sinks like anvils. Oil helps. (or wax or whatnot) Slack tub water works for poison ivy. This in no way guarantees that it will not cause an infection since it is dirty water. When you need nuts and bolts for a project, buy one extra. It saves a trip. Learn when your body wants to sit down, lie down, drink water, drink gatorade, go inside etc. Most injuries occur because you did not listen to your body's cry for mercy. Don't ruin a piece because you refuse to take a break. Eye protection. Everyone, every time.

I did not know I got low enough to be complaining about it. I suppose I did, but it seemed like an observation on my part, at the time. I won't make that mistake again. As for posting now and then, what is your criteria for that? I post erratically? I appreciate your dream library, I would like the same. Who wouldn't. It kind of reminds me of Billy's thoughts on the study he is building. I once was into chemistry and dreamed of the perfect laboratory. That probably would not have ended well, if it came true. Dreams of the perfect shop too. How about owning a big chunk of Colorado. Or own a fossil hunting firm? Lost wreck treasure hunting yacht? What is life without dreams? Pretty damn boring, I think. Btw, your mention about heating up that window tape would be good for the "tips-n-tricks" forum. A simple trick for that is also never take it off and the tape glue just degrades and it falls off.

The question isn't how we survived childhood; it's how many didn't. See Abraham Wald and the bullet hole map.

You can see it about 3/4 of the way down here:https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/webfeature/brand-i-borsen-fra-alarm-til-sidste-gloeder