LDW

The meeting normally held on the second Saturday will be rescheduled on the
third Saturday, Sept 19.
Benny Crevitt will be demonstrating for us. His demo will include smaller
items that sell well at craft shows.
We will go to the forges and actually make the items with Benny's
supervision. We can continue to do this until Benny gives up.
This will be a great hands-on meeting. Don't miss and don't forget to bring
something for iron in the hat.

Keykeeper is correct, at least I think it was half scale. Clay Spencer is in several of these photos. That tire hammer was given away in a raffle half way through the auction. 781, the demonstrators were Mike Linn and Ernie Dorrill. I will add some text under some of the photos as soon as I get time.

Several of us from the MS Forge Council traveled to the Alabama Forge Councils Conference this weekend. I took a bunch of pics and here is a link to them.

Picasa Web Albums - Lyle - 2009 Alabama ...

We had a great time and thanks to everyone for making us all feel welcome.

If you do a search for Piezo Ignition Kit, I think you will find what you are looking for.

I watched someone forge an aluminum leaf one time. He checked to see if the aluminum was up to temp by touching it with a pine limb, when he wiped the stick across it and it left a black streak it was at forging temperature.

The way I make them is to do a square taper then center punch the center and round two corners for one style or all four for another style. Oh, and if you are going to be heating the eye area do the eyes last so you do not burn out the centers.

Morlock, I know where you are coming from, but, I watched Jim Batson draw file on a large bowie knife one time, he cleaned it up good in about 10 minutes. It may seem elementary, but I did not realize this till he said it. The larger the file the coarser the cut. Start with a big file then work your way down in size and it will get smoother. I like a belt grinder too.

I have been waiting to find an old pick ax to make a drift. I just cant bring myself to take a good one and do it though. I was looking at one a while back and realized it would be very easy to make a drift for your handled tools, out of the pointed end.

Thanks for the post. I like the idea of chiseling a straight line cold with it. I just happen to have an old punch press sitting around. Would be great for marking the larger crosses.

Let me try again, sorry I took so long. http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f14/cable-damascus-11860/

Here is a previous thread where I posted how I weld it. Good luck with it.

I agree with me miller. I have done it before and it did not make much difference. What I have found for cable to dress it up, is to do an accordian fold to it. That way you have the ends of the cable on the side of the blade.

These are the pictures during the 2 day Colonial lighting class by Bob Alexander.
Picasa Web Albums - Patricia - Colonial Ligh...

This link is to the pictures taken during the conference.

Picasa Web Albums - Patricia - MFC 2009 Conf...

We ended up having a lot of items for the auction and raised a lot of money for the MFC. The class was wonderful. Bob did an excellent job of teaching as well as demonstrating.

I am looking forward to the class on Colonial Lighting, and to meeting Bob Alexander. I have heard some good things about him. Thanks for the post Charlotte.

Here is a series of photos I did a while back. I have just always assumed when you got it hot enough to forge weld it would burn anything else out of it. I put this knife in our auction at our conference last year and included this series of photos with it.
Picasa Web Albums - Lyle - Birth of a ca...

It is not wood, I think its plastic. It says its a Mark 1. This one was my father-in-laws. It was issued to him when he was in the Marines, around 1944.

Dodge I finally found the knife I was telling you about. You were right the smaller one is not a ka-bar here are some pics of it. It is 9.5 inches long with a 5 inch blade.

I don't know if this is what you are talking about or not. But this is a link to one I did a while back. Picasa Web Albums - Lyle - Birth of a ca... I think I posted this under a picture of the knife in the gallery.

I have two k-bars myself. One was my fathers and the other one was given to me by my father in law. They were issued to each while in the service. Both say USMC but my father was in the Navy and his is larger than the other one that was issued to my father inlaw, he was in the Marine Corp. I have made a couple knives and used leather discs in the handle, I found it is easier to clean up and shape the disc with a wire brush on a bench grinder. Thanks for your history on them.

jw223 you just through something new at me. I found this info. http://www.thesheetmetalshop.com/pdf_manual/Pexto/Pexto1922_sectN.pdf I have been needing to do this myself but was not sure how to accomplish it. I needed to form an edge like one of these to keep a copper cylinder from pulling out.

Welcome aboard jw223, I work in a sheet metal shop (copper) as well during the day, and hammer steel for fun. The two go together nicely.

I watched a fellow make a snake, and he textured the body with one of those sheet rock hammers that has the dimples on the face. If you used one of those then smoothed it a little with your forging hammer it may have some effect. just a thought.

I was told one time that because of an ANSI standard, lawn mower blades are not to be hardened when they are made to keep them from breaking and go flying if you were to hit something while cutting. I don't guess this means they are not higher carbon steel, but they are not supposed to be hardened while in use. As a lawn mower blade.

All I ever use anymore is muriatic acid on cable. I use it full strength, just remember to stay outside and up-wind. A deep etch brings out the de-carb lines beautifully. You get a totally different look if its done with the acid heated to about 140 degrees F. Its some bad stuff though. Wouldn't recommend it if your not going to respect it.

Here is an article I found, by looking up one of the members of our group that has made some flintlocks. THE GUN MAKERS FAIR Kempton, Pennsylvania by Bob Heath [01/02;S;201f5]