SLAG

Registered trade marks that cease to be used can be expunged from the trade marks registry. Anyone can file such an expungement application with the trade marks office. The trade marks office will then send a status request to the owner. They must provide proof of use. Inadequate proof, or non response will eventually result in the office removing the trade mark from the record. Trade marks are not a state jurisdiction. The constitution assigns trade marks authority to the federal government. Registered trade marks appear in the trade marks registry. That registry is open for viewing and searching by the public. There may very well be a separate registry for specialty marks. But I am not an expert in U. S. trade mark law, and do not know. An example of such a separate registry, in Canada, is the registry for pharmaceutical pills and capsules. Each of these, is unique as to shape, color, and marking in order to allow medical and pharmacy personnel to identify an unknown pill. There are other such registries. (silver hallmarks is another example). But those secondary registries, also, can be searched at the trade marks office web site. SLAG.

T. P. where can we find the registry for cattle brands? I do not see why such cattle brand marks cannot be trade marked under the trade mark act. The brand mark is proprietary, and in use. SLAG.

Fear Not, I have plenty of that medicinal to share with you too. SLAG.

Oh Bearded One, Where is Bland Yankee located? If it is near St. Louis I can help you consume that Bourbon. Seriously, there are members from all over the world on this site. And there may be some near you. Regards, SLAG.

Greetings all metallurgy, & technology enthusiasts This news item, just in! Doctors Bradby, and McCulloch et al. have done it again. They have made a new form of hexagonal crystalline diamond that is much harder than the standard cubic crystal diamond. (the one in wedding rings). Those newly discovered crystalline diamonds were recently discovered at the sites of very violent meteor impacts. The natural Lonsdaleite crystals will serve as a new indicator of such impacts. Do NOT take my word for it. Read the details in http://phys.org/news/2016-12-diamond-harder-jeweller-ultra-solid-materials.html Regards, SLAG.

Wonderful work, Very impressive. Also, the gift and bourbon combination is icing on the cake. I am glad you have joined the gang. Your talent is evident. Keep the project pictures coming. Regards, SLAG.

Mr. Beatsy, I forgot to mention that you may wish to improve the adhesive (stickiness) property of your titanium-water mixture by adding a little adhesive in the water solution. You could use a little gum Arabic, or guar gum . Simpler and cheaper would be just a little table sugar dissolved in the solution. Titanium is not particular toxic as zinc is. Also. the mixture (solution) should dry shortly after application. The water is not toxic as the white-out solvent might be . But there is very little of it to be worried about. SLAG.

Mr. Bsty, Artist grade oil paints are a cheap substitute grade of oil (& acrylic), paints. The more expensive studio or professional grade of paint has a lot of pigment, or metallic pigment in them. The artist grade has as much as 60% of their composition consisting of metallic soaps. Zinc stearates, zinc oleates etc. (read: very little zinc content). You would be better off making up a mixture of zinc oxide in a water suspension. But zinc is potentially toxic. So try the more opaque titanium dioxides instead. (some art supply shops may carry it). (I make my own chalk pastels with it). Titanium dioxide is more stable, and widely used. The paint and wall paper stores may carry titanium dioxide pigment in the can. Titanium should be very inexpensive. Good luck with it Yet another example of "Better Living Through Chemistry !!" SLAG.

An echidna is an egg laying mammal. The Platypus is the only other one that I am aware of. Try https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echidna for a fascinating read. SLAG.

Glenn, What a wonderful open-ended question. The sky's the limit. SLAG.

S.A., Crummy news. I suspect that you have a ventilation problem. Also, perhaps, very dirty type of coal. Have your physicians discussed chelation therapy? (it's pronounced kee lay shun). Those chemicals scavenge heavy metals from the body. (e.g. E.D.T.A., etc.) At the very least, ventilation should be drastically improved in your smithy, and your coal source switched out, . A gas forge would probably be worth switching to. Propane or natural gas do not have heavy metals in them. Heavy metal poisoning has been a potential hazard from the beginning of smithing. (has anyone on this site noticed that all the ancient gods are depicted as lame? They include the Roman God Vulcan, The Greek Hephaestus, and the Celt Waylon). Hope things improve, soon SLAG. Cadmium, beryllium, arsenic, lead, and mercury are particularly poisonous.

Das, Another superlative sculpture. Bravo. SLAG.

Theory is not fact. It must be proven to become fact. SLAG.

T. P. is correct again; as per usual. The Internet's false news fad seems to be all the rage these days . What with the two million voter fraud and Mrs. Clinton's alleged pizza parlor child molestation ring. It's the truth by Gadfry, I read it on the net! Just saying. SLAG.

Margaret and I are praying for Sandy and you. Hang in there. SLAG.

Woodcraft Corp. sells a wooden chess board kit. It is not elaborate. But I believe that the pieces should not have to compete with an ornate chess board. The contrast would be striking because the pieces are very nicely done. Just my opinion. Regards, SLAG.

Were the unwashed potatoes bituminous or anthracite potatoes? SLAG.

QUESTION !!! For the naughty ones on Santa's list. Is it bituminous or anthracite? SLAG.

It a measurer of the thickness of metal. It has a name but it escapes me. SLAG.

There is another way to approach this problem, with a solution. People who do copper enameling, coat areas of copper that are not covered with enameling solution with a product that prevents the coated copper from oxidizing during heating in the kiln. The solution prevents oxidizing of the coated copper. After firing in the kiln, the resist coating flakes off leaving bare copper.This treatment prevents black copper oxide from forming, in the first place, so there is no longer a need to sand it off. Try telephoning ceramic supply stores for the product. Or search the net. SLAG.

CTB, Vermont granite, perhaps? Or marble or slate? It should be thick though. You are not too far from some of the quarries in that state. Off cuts or broken stones should be cheap to buy. It's almost garbage for them. Material to be disposed of. Come to think if it, you might get some for a box of donuts or a sculpture for the manager or shift boss. Mr. Kokopelli is a fertility God? Does he have first dibs of the nubile young maidens. Sounds like a job opening that I might have considered some years ago Regards to you and the gang. SLAG.

Just a thought. The sculpture is very creative and well done. I think that you could quadruple your selling price, (should you wish to sell your oeuvre) by mounting the creation onto a thick slab of beautiful hardwood. Some of the woodworker supply stores sell such slabs. Alternatively they can be purchased by on-line mail order. Give it a try. You could very well be pleasantly surprised. Regards, SLAG. P. S. Who was Mr. Kokopelli ?

In Canada a chuque is a brimless hat. It is usually made of closely woven wool It is a wonderfully warm and comfortable hat, that folds into a very little space which fits in a parka, (or ski jacket). pocket There is an Italian twin handled chopping kitchen utensil called a Mezza Luna that has a similar blade shape as an Uluh. It is usually a little larger than an Uluh. It is an excellent food chopping aid which is particularly handy for chopping vegetables. (especially salad vegetables). The knife is used in conjunction with a wooden bowl which conforms to the blade's lunate shape. The British celebrity chef, Nigella Lawson uses it in her numerous cooking show series. Regards, SLAG.

Mr. Hppybtm, Glenn's idea of making a preliminary punch and then impressing it into clay in order to work out depth shape and size is a good one. I have a suggestion to speed up the process. Test the concept by using a hard, tight grain wood. It is easier to carve than engraving steel and it's quicker to test and modify. An ideal wood for the purpose is boxwood. It was the traditional wood used by craftsmen for woodcuts. Hard maple will work just as well or some other fine grain hard wood. You can then use fine files (for example, needle files, or small riffle files, or a rotary tool to cut into the wood). to carve the design. Just a thought, SLAG.

Cute little fellow. He looks fully wired up for sound. All the best for a wonderful life. SLAG.