jayco

I don't think there are any clear definitions for either 'craft' or 'art'. At the least, I see no sharp distinctions. Unfortunately, I think 'craft' is associated with 'skills of the common folk'. Just as unfortunate is the idea that one must have a degree to appreciate 'art'. Maybe it just comes down to how one perceives something.....as to whether it's art or craft. If a work implies more than the sum of it's parts.....I kinda think of it as art. It's like looking at cloulds........if you see....a sailing ship?........or a human form?.....Or just cloulds.........are there any wrong answers? James Flannery

Luckily, so far, the nights have been cool and we've not had much trouble with skeeters and gnats and stuff like that,.....but when the nights get warmer,.....look out! I didn't make it to my shop to do battle with the giant bees today, but soon there will be confrontation.I still don't know if the bees were indeed attempting to build a nest in my blower pipe or were just attracted to the sound of the whirring blades. Even though I'm a 'live and let live' kinda guy, if they are hostile.........I shall be hostile as well. All this talk of bees reminds me of something that happened when I was a kid....... Have you ever heard that if you throw a rock into a hornet's nest it(the rock) will come back and hit you right between the eyes? Well, I'd heard that saying.....and thought..........'well that's just silly!' So....one day I happened onto a hornet's nest hanging on a low tree limb and decided to test the validity of the old saying. I was probably 30 ft. from the hornet's nest........I picked up a rock.....threw it and hit the nest dead on target. One second later.....something hit my upper lip.......and I felt severe pain. For an instant, I thought the rock had somehow come back and hit me. It turn out that the hornet is capable of retracing the trajectory of a thrown object back to it's source. I guess his aim was off a little ....4 inches low........but I went to school all the next week with a swollen upper lip. Some things you just gotta learn the hard way, I reckon. James Flannery

They don't have stingers?.........Do they?

Yeah, I could set up the camera on the tripod, I suppose. as long as I can find a place to put it where I won't trip over it as I run screaming from the shop........being chased by a mob of angry bees!

Frosty, I'm already thinking about tomorrow.......if I crank the blower.....then hear buzzing in the pipe...........I'll just have to keep cranking until the buzzing stops. If I were to stop....the remaining bees will simply climb out of the pipe.........out of the blower inlet.......and hunt me down! This could turn into a mini series!

Frosty, this saga is not over yet,.........tomorrow I get to find out if the bumblebees have set up housekeeping in my blower or air inlet pipe. I may become viewed as the 'invader'! Tune in for the next episode of........"Jayco vs the giant bees" By the way Golden eagle, you got the sound effects......'just right'!

I've got wasps crawling out from every crack and crevice........and bumblebees attempting a hostile takeover of my forge blower........while I,m using it! Every few minutes....one hits the fan. Going to have to install some screen.........

I picked up a bottle of boric acid today after reading several posts where someone recomended it as a 'flux booster. So I got to thinking....."Is this stuff safe to use in the forge?" I did a little net surfing and came up with this link; BORIC ACID So what do you guys think? Is it safe?

Welcome to Iforgeiron, Ryan. You're right, IFI is a great resource. Tons of information.......lots of friendly folks By the way, there are links on the 'home' page to help you find your way around this large site, and also to help you with 'getting started' with blacksmithing. Enjoy!

I never knew John Deere made an anvil. Just kidding. Maybe the previous owner just painted his tractor.....and had some green paint left over? I would, as Rich said,carefully check it out. A guy I know bought a set of plows at an auction. They looked really good.....fresh coat of paint and everything. When he got them home, he gave them a closer inspection and discovered that someone had carefully plastered the moldboards with a 1/2 in. layer of grease and then painted over it. Both moldboards were worn completely through! The new moldboards he had to buy cost $150.

darrync,........the forge you saw in my pic is an old 20 inch. truck rim. That's my main forge currently,.........I say 'currently', because I also have a couple other smaller forges that I use and like as well. The truck rim forge works well for me, since you can have a deep fire if you want. It's set up with lug bolt holes down.......making it very deep. I use coal as well as charcoal.I can, if I want, heap charcoal 16 inches deep and not have any spill off the sides. Of course there's a down side to all that depth. When I have a small coal fire, I have to insert stock to be heated through the cutouts on each side. When doing small forging, the tall sides get in the way a little. But it has been my main forge for 35 years.....yes, a heavy truck rim will last. There's a little cast iron 3 in. round firepot with cinder breaker underneath. I put 3 bolts through the lug bolt holes to keep it in place. The piece you see on top is an old 55 gal. barrel lid.........it just happened to fit....It keeps rain and moisture out when the forge is not in use. There were 5 fist sized oval slots in the wheel.........I arc welded some scrap plate over those. James

KYBOY,.......that's how I get a lot of my coal. The typical conversation goes something like this; Neighbor: "You use coal don't you?" Jayco: " Uh-Yeah" Neighbor: "Well, my mom's got an old 'coal pile' in the back yard that she'd like to have cleaned up." Jayco: "O K"

Welcome to IFI, KYBOY! Judging from your pics, looks like your forge does just fine! There's lots of metalworking information here, and friendly folks too. If you have questions, just ask.

Good work, Larry,.........I especially like the tongs! James

Dodge, thanks for posting that pic. Kind of brought back some memories. My dad used to carry one of those black handled electrician's knives. I'm not sure what brand his was , or even if it was military issue.....I was just a kid. Anyway, his sure looked a lot like the one that is 'open' in your pic. He was in the Army/Airforce during WW2.

Thanks Welder 19,........I stand corrected. James

I go to a couple of fleamarkets and one junkstore when I can. I seldom see a good anvil for sale around here. Occasionally, a post vise or a handcrank blower can be found. All kinds of hammers, chisels, & punches can be found here,.....usually pretty inexpensive. I used to go to some auctions, but usually there are too many bidders who want 'the good stuff' even more than I do. No bargains to be had.

Rawblacksmith,....if you're talking about the old gasoline 'blow torches' that were used years ago, I think the consensus is that they are very dangerous to use. I asked about them in the IFI chat room some time ago and that's what everyone told me. As i understand it, they were so unsafe, that they quit making them. be Careful!

I have two old champion handcrank blowers.....a smaller one (model unknown). It was my dad's, so I inheirited it. He paid $15 for it and a small champion firepot in the early '50's. The larger 'Midway' blower was found in an old barn and given to me. The little blower is in good shape.........the 'Midway' works, but is 'rough'.

rfb343,....The only time I can move like a ninja is when I drop something hot near my feet! I have learned to do the blacksmith's 'backstep' rather quickly! James

Thanks for the safety 'heads up', Glenn. Any kind of rotating grinder has a tendancy to throw things at you. I've had bits of metal come flying my way more times than I care to remember. And yes, small, sharp pieces are especially hazardous! I was in 'git-her-done' mode when I should've been in 'safety first ' mode. Next time I'm going to put these small, sharp pieces securely in a vise...and use the angle grinder. Might be a little slower..........but much SAFER ! Thanks.......James

I was cleaning up a bunch of little pieces for wind chimes, using my old bench grinder to remove burrs from the edges. The pieces were just a bit small to hold with my bare fingers( they get hot rather quickly). Also, I hate to use my good tongs or good pliers for holding stuff to be ground. I always bump the jaws of my good tools against the abrasive wheel, removing metal from the jaws. So, I just discovered another use for the little disposible tongs. By the way, has anyone else had a chance to try these? Any complaints? Any tips for improvement? James Flannery

Welcome to Iforgeiron, Jake! This is a large website with tons of metalworking information and lots of friendly folks. Since you've been smithing a while, you may have tips to share with us. Please do! This place is a great information exchange. There are more sections and features here than I can easily list. If you have any questions, just ask. ENJOY!