Old N Rusty

I respect a good craftsPERSON (see PC !). If you dig with a shovel,make it your art, do your best! Lay a brick , know it is right , true and square. bring your grandkids around and say "I built that wall". We who do work with our hands, must be at our best, or it shows in our product. This thread is about refining the technique of hammering. It should help those of us who have been at it a while get better, and show the beginner a way to sidestep the errors, and forge ahead. Do what feels right for you, just remember hold the wood bit, and hit the metal bit on the hot iron.

are you the carpenter with black thumbnails on BOTH hands?

I problably got it all wrong as i only had tools and books to teach me. My hammer technique is to use ALL the stick, so the end of the handle makes a nice callus on my palm. Thumb up, seem to lock my wrist. I want a smooth hit starting way up on the arm and a slinging snap on contact and I am trying to loosen my grip without losing control , many years of bad habits ARE hard to break I always gripped it hard till hand cramps forced me to re-think it. If it hurts, you are doing it wrong.

Bees wax can be found on the alter of any Catholic church all the candles must be be...ZAP!!

Go to the nearest rental outfit and ask for old paving breaker bits, often called "jack hammer bits" they should be free for the asking. Good steel there.

I am suprised no one mentioned coke. In another post i saw coke and coal is available in Ontario. Coke does not smoke like coal does, and other than the necessity of keeping a near constant air blast is a very good solid fuel. Petroleum products are getting expensive, and with propane , a gas that is HEAVIER than air, an explosion is possible from a leak, or just not turning off the valve... blow up your house, and everyone, neighbors, cops, and yourself will be upset.

$6,500! where is the GOLD parts on it?

Wicked!!! that would scare me if it suddenly appeared at my door. and scare off the Orkin man too!

Texas Refinery Corp. sells "Quick Dry Anti -Oxidene Coating" this is not a paint, it is an asphalt coating for steel. According to their website it offers superior rust prevention than ordinary paint. For those who do exterior ironwork , it might be what you want to coat steel with.

Evfreak and all who cannot get steel locally , call King Metals 800- 542-2379 for a catalog they will ship 10' bars U.P.S. the Prices ARE high , but you gotta charge more to cover this.

My Dewalt battry drill chuck closes up tight enough to chuck a pin and can be S....L.....O.....W

Snow?

I feel sure I can fixup my old CRAFTSMAN bug zapper with a 220 V dryer cord, and make a induction forge out of it, never thought about cooling though, maybe a bucket of ice water and an aquarium pump would work. The bug zapper has made many an evenings entertainment on the back porch, and i will miss the sheer joy of hearing a june bug fry.

Looks to me like a minor squall y'all having. That observation is from a Katrina survivor. Now are you gonna call on F.E.M.A. to support you for the rest of your life?

Sir Ian, I am glad you were treated hospitably by the crew of yankees you met . On your next trip to this side may I suggest you do the SOUTHERN route, enjoy some really good food, fine company, and if you time your trip to land you in Louisiana for Mardi Gras , the best ,most mind blowing PARTY you can EVER imagine!

Use an edible oil like olive, or crisco, or even pam spray on eating stuff, a word of caution the spray oils like pam are FLAMMABLE , and if you are not careful around the fire ... WHOOSH!! A flamethrower in your hand! for items that are not eating irons I like LAMP OIL heat the iron a little, apply oil heat again, but don't burn off the first coat . ,Heat again, oil , and wipe excess with a rag. Bees wax works too.

A peanut tree!

Prayers from the bayou.

Could a sterling engine power that fan? Or is this getting close to the "perpetual motion" thing.

Virginia has permafrost? That settles it for me! I will Never ,never , be seen north of Shreveport La,

Very good!

Having an English wife, and having been over there many times. I have a pretty good idea of what the value of your Lb. (sorry this comp.don't have a sterling symbol) is. I was most impressed with the prices for the examples shown. VERY impressed! Americans, multiply the number on those price tags by 2 to get a rough idea of what that is in $ !!!!!

Jake, look on google for the " old state capitol of Louisiana " Gothic on the Mississippi.

That is some fancy rigging for a blower! For a better anvil look around for a piece of forklift tine, If there is a carsmasher near you you might be able to find a really nice size tine there they seem to break them regularly. I have one piece about 60" long of which I sell 12" pieces of tine 6" x 3" approx. 68 lbs and MAIL them anywhere in the US for $100.00.

Greyhound bus ships stuff all across the US cheap, you might have to wrap it in cardboard.