SLAG

Gotchyah, Guvnah! SLAG

Bobasaurus, Excellent job Have you considered forging the blanc so that it has a slight curve in it? That is, the blade would be a little more curved than straight flat. Such a draw knife is called having a little a belly by wood workers. Modern manufacturers skip making such a profile because it is an involved extra step. And most woodworkers, these days, are either not aware of it, or do not know the practical benefits of such a configuration. That extra feature would further highlight that the tool is hand forged. SLAG.

Samuel Watkinson Collins and his sons, Renowned machete manufacturer. Respected throughout Central and South America. SLAG.

Anthracite coal and coke are more concentrated forms of carbon. Bituminous coal has as little as 60% carbon. (smithing bituminous, coal has 70% and greater concentration of carbon). Bituminous coal has bitumen in it. That is hydrogen-carbon chemicals called hydrocarbons. Anthracite has a much higher % of carbon and very little bitumen compounds The bitumen compounds burn more readily than carbon. That is why air must be continuously blown into the fire to keep the harder anthracite coal burning. Coke has even less hydrocarbons in it. Coke is produced by cooking off the bituminous fraction in the absence of air. (so the coal is not burned up in the process). Coking drives off water, propane, benzene and other hydrocarbon chemicals in its production. These are the chemicals, in the uncooked bituminous (soft) coal, readily burn in bituminous coal. So a continuous air blast is not necessary as it is for burning anthracite, or coke. The latter two require constant air. They will go out if the blast is stopped. Just a little metallurgy, and chemistry for those who are interested or wondered. Regards to "tout la gang". SLAG.

; JHCC, A most learned chap has said, in French, that a bull's patience is as great as its power. SLAG.

Lou, Are there church rummage sales in your neck of the woods? Oct & Nov. are good times for those sales. They start up again in the new year from Feb. through April. I find trashed tools, (such as hammer heads handle wrecked hammers, punches etc.) in boxes. Those boxes are often on the floor at the back, unwanted and unloved. Many people do not know the tools use nor its value. They go for a song. Some wrecked "tools' are high carbon steel and I readily repurpose them in the forge. A lot of fun at negligible cost. Have a happy Thanksgiving Holiday to all the American members of I. F. I. and their families. SLAG.

Aus, The hydrochloric acid will turn the zinc into zinc chloride releasing hydrogen gas. No poisonous chlorine gas will be generated. BUT do not let that hydrogen gas get near a flame or heat source. Like a lit cigarette. We could use vinegar instead of HCl. It does a good job but the reaction goes a little slower. Regards, SLAG.

Harry. There was a thread on mice in slack tubs, (earlier this year), with several suggestions for helping the critters get out of the tub. Or barring them from entering the tub in the first place. Google ifi slack tub mice and it should come up. Regards, SLAG.

Margaret and I have added Dolores, Lisa, and you to our prayers and intentions. Take courage, we are all in God's hands. SLAG.

After having looked at numerous CT creations, I must conclude that I am in the midst of creative genius. Brilliant and very inspiring. No kidding. SLAG.

Car manufacturers and many fabrication shops the item to be sprayed so that it takes on a static electrical charge. The paint is attracted to the static charged item and less paint overshoots. SLAG.

Hammer San, Fermentation has its limits as far as concentration of alcohol is concerned. The yeast works up to a concentration of about 12% before it pollutes itself to death. People can raise content of a fermented brew to much higher concentrations by distillation of the brew. So the government allows people to ferment, but it prohibits us from distilling the product. Farmers in rural Quebec, (and I am sure other places) use selective freezing to raise the alcohol percentage, by successive freezing of the brew. This is done by placing the fermented liquid into a tightly covered container. It is then put outside in the snow overnight. Come morning there is a layer of ice on the surface of the brew. (The water freezes before any alcohol would freeze). As some of the water is removed, the remaining brew gets more and more concentrated So the ice is removed and the process is repeated until the remaining brew is strong enough for the user's taste. Voila! No distillation is used so the B.A.T.F. has no still to find. This brilliant maneuver is used to make apple cider and spruce beer, and it can be used for other beverage preparation. Spruce beer is delicious and can set you on your backside quickly. SLAG.

Hammer Man, Lucky you that you have a gamelan suite near by. I enjoyed a Gamelan orchestra and dance troupe when I lived in Montreal. (the University of Montreal music school). The music is beautiful, (my opinion), and intricate. I do not think that there is such an orchestra in St. Louis. (I have to check that out). The music is an acquired taste, but It can grow on you Try this site for a beautiful sample https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQFlbqnvUqU The dance is stunning too. SLAG.

Frosty, A great Canadian sage, whose name I do not remember, once uttered this immortal aphorism, "Don't eat yellow snow !" Just sayin, SLAG.

Steve, Thanks. SLAG.

Mr. Hammerman, Your write-up above is excellent. Is there any chance that Glenn can pin it somewhere, prominently, on this site? Respectfully submitted, SLAG

Greetings, Concerning the above pie graph, I have one remark to make. Oh my GOD, you too !!! Maybe, I am not slipping into cozy senility. SLAG

Halite is the mineral that is common salt. That is sodium chloride, NaCl. Anhydrous borax is sodium borate. A sodium boron oxygen compound. The compound is hygroscopic. That is that it will pull moisture out of the air and form a hydrated salt. SLAG.

Swede G, Thank you for the information. I would love to buy some of your oak slabs. (the bigger the better). I highly recommend that you take a look at this article. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Nakashima Also, google pictures of some of his furniture. He was a gifted artist, and his work is, in my opinion, spectacular. Regards, SLAG. I can, probably, identify the species of white oak, if you can p.m. me a picture of a leaf and better yet an acorn of the tree.

Squawk from the Trivia Team: The shoe maker's, or cobbler's nails are called "shoe rivets". SLAG. Honorable TriviaTeam Panjandrum. That shoe last would be used for both building a new shoe and also, for repairing a shoe. I use them for replacing heels on my shoes. Years ago shoe repairmen began charging exorbitant prices for re-heeling shoes and I started doing my own. The job is trivially easy and I did a much better job of it.

Aus, This is a superb work of art. A unique, piece of work. Congratulations, SLAG.

CORRECTION: I meant to say James Watt not Sir Isaac Newton. Sorry for the brain lapse. SLAG Isn't dyslexia wonderful ?

T. P. Sir Isaac Newton was forced to use the sun and planet linkage for his steam engines because someone had received a British patent for the crank! And that someone refused to grant him a licence. The crank goes back to at least 1,000 A.D., and probably much earlier (why the Romans and earlier the Greeks had not thought of that idea is a mystery). In the 1700's, and earlier, a person could receive a patent if he was the first person to bring the invention into England. Novelty was not a requirement then. (that is, a prior disclosure). Any patent that has expired allows anyone to work the invention's idea. It is in the public domain. Getting an extended patent coverage term, is very rare and is only granted for some pharmaceuticals Jade has a peculiar consistency. The mineral is fibrous and the grain is interlocking. That makes it a very tough substance. It also makes it difficult to carve. Thomas is your local jade nephrite or the more common jadeite? Cheerful regards to all, SLAG.

Really good luck, overall your face is still fine. SLAG.

Those tongs closely resemble universal tongs disclosed in the Florida blacksmiths "clinker breaker" newsletter. Try http://www.blacksmithing.org/CB-Archive/1987/1987-04-cb.pdf to view a sketch of those tongs. Mr.Rockstar is correct, as usual, there are many tongs that were invented in the past. Try doing a patent search via google patents using the search term "tongs" or "blacksmith tongs" to view many such tools. SLAG. Honor out veterans.