gerald

Quenchcrack, thanks for the run-down. It's good to hear from someone who is (and has been for a while) actually in the production end of the steel business.

woods....................

I got the last three Volumes of the Blacksmith's Journal. I now own the entire series. I'm going into "INFORMATION OVERLOAD".

asylum............................

Positive..................

Judge.............

bloodsucker................

As far as blacksmithing, going to a master workshop in CO with Tal Harris as the instructor

cold....................

flake...............

Quote from Mike Singleterry, former NFL linebacker,: You can't control circumstances. You can only control your reaction to circumstances.

milk...............

Many of you guys are reading from the same page: Stress is self-imposed. What's the old saying? It's mind over matter .... if you don't mind, it don't matter.

Merry Christmas.

fight.....................

Remember, too, that acetylene usage for cutting and acetylene usage for a Rosebud are two different animals. The Rosebud really gulps down acetylene compared to a cutting tip.

lose...................

Trailers............

Cow......................

iron...............

Knife..................

Hair...............

Stag, Stag, Stag

Two ring stories:
(1) Back in the '70's I was in a towed artillery unit in Panama. We were in the field and one of my gun chiefs jumped off the back of a truck. His wedding ring hung and jerked the ring finger off at the middle knuckle. I thought he was going to bleed to death before the MEDEVAC chopper got there to get him to the hospital. His biggest fear : Being able to continue to play the bag pipes without the missing finger.

(2) Two friends of mine were loading an old flathead Ford engine into the back of a truck. As the chain from the hoist payed out, the engine rolled to one side and caught one's finger (with ring attached) between it and the sidewall of the truck bed. Ring was crushed onto the finger. Pretty painful. I wasn't there, but the other friend told me that trying to hold the hurt guy still while he cut the ring off was like wrestling an eel.

Slog, Slog, Slog

Vinegar seems to work well in taking the pain out of burns. Keep a bottle in the shop. Pour it on immediately after the burn, then soak a paper towel in it to lay over the burn during work breaks.