Dogsoldat

Don't know whether to laugh or cry... Took my daughter Anna out hunting with me and saw two mulie does. Shut the truck off dug out the binos and started watching for a while. Kept looking around funny ranged them at 295 yards and kept on watching... worked my way closer from the truck and mr 4pt comes out stands where I can almost get him. Right about then my helper gets out to see why I'm taking so long... and their gone... start walking to maybe get around them some place and 15 blue grouse take off, 100yards later on a grassy ridge we find last years shed. sooo darn close... Later on a doe and her twins crossed the road so we watched for a bit went further up the road. Hiked up to the cut line in the old logging block, kept seeing a few sign here and there. Up near the top I look over and there are 2 deer with their heads together. Spike mulie and a 2 point sparring. Anna thought it was really cool once she spotted them. they kept at it for a bit till they realized we were there. Couldn't run away fast enough. Home again empty handed, but the youngest is quite the trooper. Biggest buck I've so close to getting yet.

Fantastic work as always. Truly wish I had a winning lotto ticket kicking around so I could buy a few of your blades.

Most excellent score! couldn't ask for that little beauty to be in any better shape.

Stan, that almost looks like the one I made fort he neighbour next door. never did take a picture of it though. 3/8" sq with a loop to hang it from, long skinny taper and a hand that could be the same.

Just a thought but can you put a shelf low to the floor on your bench and add a sand bag or three. Might be surprised how a little weight may anchor things.

I like what you did with it. The mounting hole in the blade is an interesting touch and the handle and fittings are very appealing.

Turned out pretty impressive. Be quite happy to have that in front of my house

wonder how the radius will work for drawing out? Lovely piece of steel though.

pretty much just like that Frosty. If I remember right its a smaller ballpein and a shorter handled claw hammer. So the whippyness is less of a factor. but should be great for top tools

lol little imagination required... figured with all the picture flipping I'd be ahead of the game

mostly done. needs to be set in place and bracketry tacked up. little welding and touch of paint and a few screws and hopefully happy neighbours

An Idea I've been toying with is making a drift the same size as a hockey stick cross section, always seems to be plenty at yard sales etc, and talk to the right group of adults or kids and there should be plenty of broken ones as well. I know of a few hammers in Dads shop that have been re-handled with them and they have lasted years.

Looks like your off to a good start, keep it up!

I'm beginning to wonder whether the whole birch incident was a mafia style get even hit...

Thanks for the input guys. Thinking the extra collars is the right way to go. I'll have to do some checking on spacing. The original panel is 6" between the uprights. Be the weekend before I have much time to play again. I'll have to check out that sheep paneling Charles.

Started the railing yesterday, slow but steady going. Not overly happy with my collar. First one was a touch to short, but the material played nice. second one was too thick of stock and wouldn't form the way I wanted. Doesn't move like A36, tough stuff even with a good heat. Poke around at work tomorrow and see what is laying in a corner. Bound to be something and third times a the charm... first one was a strip off a scrap of tubing, the little lip kind of rolled up when I chiseled the grooves. Made for a rolled bead along the edge. I know the center piece needs some support on the sides. Managed to break my dog wrench so made up another, went surprisingly quick. Not sure if the scrolls should be collared as well.

Just a thought, but take a ball punch to the eye and it will double as a bottle opener. Lovely work though!

Michael Scott Rohan, Winter of the World series. Anvil of Ice, Forge in the Forest and Hammer of the Sun. I'll let you guess why the title of the last book is what it is. Excellent read with the hero of the tale being a smith and all...

Without pictures of the pieces it's a little difficult to tell what happened. But I have seen videos of Brian Brazeal I think using a domed or conical punch to hot punch holes. wild a guess would be punching when the stock is to cold.

Thanks, that's nicely executed!

wouldn't happen to have a few pics of the installed railing would you?

could the top right hand one be for forming collars?

That first one looks just scary wicked as a slasher. It's just plain intimidating! the rest aren't quite what I'm into but they do look well done. What material are you using for the blades? Old leaf springs?

Off to a decent start. Few more goes and they will be looking even better. Spend a little more time refining the different shapes and those would have been that much better. I'll bet you wore yourself out drawing out the reins. Quite a bit of work there. Best advise I can give right now would be to watch as many different tong making videos as you can over and over, but especially Brian Brazeals. Pay attention to how he sneaks up on his finished shapes, that and his technique for drawing. But even better than that would be to try and find someone nearby. Keep at it they will improve.

Wish I could remember which woods were used for wagon wheels, one would shrink the other expand, and everything would stay tight.