Mainely,Bob

As far as tooling goes John, have you thought about investing in having a tool body made that would allow you to use something like off the shelf triangular carbide inserts to machine the angles you require? The carbide inserts will wear out but the body never does unless it`s abused, not that you`d ever do something like that.

And here we all thought you just laid your head on the nearest bench and went after the hair with a hot cut chisel, whatever hammer was handy and your eyes closed. Glad to hear you used some form or straight edge as reference at least. ;)

I learned how to weld from books and classes. I learned how to be a welder from working with real welders and fabricators who`s work I admired. One of the best bits of advice I got in this direction was when I asked someone who I considered a top notch hand at it what I could do to become a better welder. He told me that in his opinion the best way would be to get a job as a maintenance welder in a manufacturing plant. He told me that was the place where he learned " How to do what you really need to know to get a job done under some of the worst conditions and timelines imaginable, You`ll learn how to improvise and do things that will last using whatever is at hand". He was absolutely right and when others ask how to improve their skills as a welder I always pass his advice on and hope it serves them as well as it served me.

I think the video work is outstanding, very nicely done. I`d like to suggest a couple of things as far as the handwork and the making of the tool goes though. Like one of the previous posts I can`t understand why someone would go to the effort to hand forge a blade and then use a copy lathe to turn the handle when an accomplished woodturner could hand turn a better and more detailed version of the handle in 1/10th the time. Whoever turned that handle is not an accomplished turner as they used tools like the gouge and skew in scraping rather than shearing mode and that`s why the handle required all that sanding. Ditto the laser engraving. If you can use a touchmark for the forged blade then why not brand the handle with something similar? I also don`t understand why someone would carve flats onto a turned and fitted pin and then epoxy that pin into a socket on a tool like this, makes it harder to transport and store. This is one of the reasons a traditional slick uses a socket to attach the blade to the handle rather a tang and bolster. Epoxy defeats the purpose of being able to break the tool down to place it in a reasonably sized tool chest. For the non-traditional slick users I`ve met up here a simple screw thru a hole in the up side of the socket kept the handle and blade mated (and toes intact) yet removal of that screw allowed the tool to be broken down and stored. Frank also brings up some excellent points about the difference between understanding how a traditional tool was made and works and how a modern copy can miss the mark on some of the subtle yet important aspects of that tool. Traditional slicks were not flat in the blade, they had some rocker built into them as this would allow you to steer up and out of a cut when needed. The socket also was not in line with the blade, it was set at an angle to the socket so handle would clear the work while paring things like deck beams and knees in boat building and timber framing. The edge of a traditional slick was also ground with a bit of a camber along it`s edge which made it much easier to steer in the cut. I`d like to suggest that whoever is making the tools study a traditional slick then talk to someone who has used one extensively on the job. Someone who understands the history behind one of these fine tools as well as what it was designed to do and it`s full capabilities. Once they`ve done that then their finished tools will be as slick (pun intended) as their videos.

If you are at all interested in the mythology behind the spear and the one who used it do some research on Nuada Silverhand. You intend to put a lot of work into this piece so why not spend some time looking into the real mythology and magick rather than the Hollywood version of things. That being said, I`d go with epoxy as well as the mechanical fastenings. Thousands of knife makers, yacht builders and gunsmiths worldwide seem to think it`s worthwhile to do it that way.

We always knew you were a winner. Our Mom`s won`t let us hang out with just anybody, only the best will do. Congrats Mike. Enjoy the recognition, you`ve worked hard for it and it`s well deserved.

Nice work Tim. It`s the professional touches like this that really set your work apart from others. What made yo decide to make it in two pieces?

I don`t understand why everyone is so concerned about who originally came up with what and when. The point should be that if we stumble over something that is useful and has the potential to improve even one other person`s life we should share it. If you go out of your way to share and repeat what has helped you and it makes it better for the group or larger community then that`s like handing someone the key to growth and progress isn`t it? Why would we want to diminish that by arguing about who invented the first lock? I say bravo to all the Uris, Grants, Larrys , Glenns and Brians as well as everyone else who takes the time to contribute whatever knowledge, no matter how large or small, into the pool others may drink from. Why do we continue to allow the almighty dollar sign to always cloud and change the way we look at any exchange? Thank you Ken for taking the time to write your in depth post and remind us we`re a sharing community rather than a collection of individuals trying to climb up onto one another`s shoulders or knock others down so we personally can have the best view.

On foot pedals,if you want to use them then guard them. More than once I`ve seen someone get something crushed because they were using both hands to set something into a machine and something like a wrench or part was knocked off or tipped over and hit the pedal setting the ram in motion. While pedals are handy the ones I favor are the "kick" (vertical)type rather than a "stomp" (horizontal) pedal. if something drops and hits a kick type it`ll most likely bounce or roll off rather than lay on it activating the machine.Gravity can either work for or against you. Every time I see those unguarded, floor level pedals on your press Randy I shudder. A large paddle operated kill or reverse switch mounted at knee level is also a sound and flesh saving investment. As are valves that are plumbed so their "at rest" position is one that will return moving parts like the ram to a full open position. Another thing we found helpful for both operators and observers was to get everyone to understand the idea of "line of fire". If something is going to be kicked out of a machine during a process what is the most likely direction of travel gonna be? In manufacturing we painted or otherwise marked this area clearly so someone walking into it would know they were at risk. In the home shop this concept could be applied simply as not bolting down a press or any other machine so the most likely direction of travel is not aimed directly toward the main access door. or an auxiliary bench where another person could be working. You`d be surprised how many people miss this simple concept. Think of the last time you went to a public demo and saw someone forge welding. Did they take into account where the flux or sparks would fly?

There are HUGE differences in everything from wall thickness of the containing cylinder to pressure rating on the seals throughout. You also bring up a second safety issue and that is we are using these cylinders around red hot metal. When used in this type of work not just any hydraulic fluid will do,you need the type that is not highly flamable. One of the worst accidents I saw involved someone welding on a live hydraulic line on an extrusion press. The operator hit the lever to move the cylinder on the opposite side of the press where he couldn`t see the work being done. The welder heard the system kick in,broke the arc yet the weld was orange hot when the pressure hit it and it ignited like a flamethrower pushing the welder off the ladder he was standing on to do the job. He recieved 2nd and 3rd degree burns to his head,face and neck after his fiberglass hard hat welding sield melted. He was also paralyzed from the neck down after he hit the deckplates head first when he fell off the ladder. The company drained and replaced all the hydraulic fluids ( replaced with high temp,marine grade) in their presses after that as well as implementing new and better safety procedures, like lock out/tag out, for working around equipment. Too bad it took ruining a man`s life to make these changes. Be safe,it may cost more in the short run but your family will be glad you did it.

Glad to see you got both the table and the help you needed. Even more glad that there were no injuries to either people or gear in the process. That`s the measure of a successful move.

Plug it in and see what it`s capable of. Don`t let the naysayers scare you off. If we listened to them none of us would get anything done. Our entire machine shop was set up on a wooden pier over salt water and we never had any problem getting work done to standard. Not even when the heavy fork lift came down the pier and shook the building and everyone in it. You only have to start worrying when things refuse to turn. You`re an incredibly handy guy and should have no problem convincing them to return to proper rotational mode. :^)

David, you are a wonder. I can`t for the life of me understand why you would let the opinions of people you`ve never even met influence your life so deeply. My unsolicited advice is to grow some skin buddy. If you want to build something build it, and feel free to build it in any manner you dang well please. Even if my projects don`t live up to my expectations (and mine are the only ones that truly matter) they will still teach me something. If you are kind enough to share what you learn with others so much the better. The only real concerns should be ones of personal safety.

Just two small points from a SERE school grad. File at least a small section of the top of the blade so it`ll cut in both directions and if you can find a way to wrap the handle with 550 cord and still allow it to be untied and removed the knife and the cord will be much more useful. For starters the knife can be lashed onto the end of a sapling with the cord to form a spear. The cord by itself can be as useful as the knife. In some instances,even more so. Nice knife,I`d carry it even without the mods I mentioned.

I think you`1ll find that wax works wicked good on files chummy. :^)

Glad to see I ain`t the only one speaking with tongue in cheek on this thread. Still a wicked nice looking hammer though.

I would just soak the Mesquite in Waterlox and call it good. Mesquite is a very stable and dense wood and the Waterlox will penetrate and waterproof the wood. You really don`t need anything more than that with a wood like mesquite IME. When I say Waterlox I mean the old formula that is oil based rather than any newer water based low VOC crap they are trying to palm off as just as good. It Ain`t.

One of the great men in our community is gone and we all will miss him, his wisdom and his humor. Wherever he is now you can bet he`s moving metal. May the Gods speed your transition Grant and I hope to see you in the next life.

Feels good in the hand,pleasing to the eye and all scrubbed up and dressed in it`s Sunday best. I think it`s something to be proud of Tim. I have to agree that it needs your stamp on it so it can impress the ladies with it`s lineage which it can prove by showing it`s distinctive birthmark. B)

Most people think of wood that has been infused with resin when you say "stabilized wood" . Is this really what you`re intending to do?

Here`s what I did. I made an adapter that fit in the square hardy hole to allow me to use any and all of my chatter gun tools and not worry about the flare on the shank messing up my pritchel hole or fracturing pieces out of the face of my anvil. Anything that looks like a wedge or a cone will act like a wedge when dropped into a hole and hammered. An added plus is that same adapter can be used in a vise and doesn`t scar up the shank of the tool so it can still be used in the gun whenever I need it. Make that adapter big enough and with either 90 degrees or different radius corners on the edges and you can use it to do different things there too. Drill and tap it from the side and you don`t have to worry about the tool spinning on you as you work with it. I find having to constantly sidestep around the anvil chasing tool orientation to be a huge distraction. YMMV.

I would appear that may be a rite of passage for some and you can include me on that list a few years back. You are not the first to bring this up R Smith. In general the folks you`ll meet here are very helpful, opinionated but helpful. It took me a while to learn who to ignore and who to listen to. Everybody has a bad day once in a while,some people have a bad day everyday and they hang out here a lot. Ignore the haters and soak up the knowledge. Welcome to IFI., a little slice of Americana.

Want a truly ergonomic hammer? Make it yourself.

Talk to the last person you know who went to the emergency room of any hospital for a crush injury. They`ll tell you that $1000 doesn`t begin to touch what they had to pay even before they got rolled out of the ER and into the OR. Don`t be stupid, you obviously don`t have the experience needed to get this done safely. Either hire a pro or walk away from it, the life you save may be your own.

I am not Wiccan and neither are any of my Native American or Asatru friends yet we all are considered Pagans.