JimsShip

Thomas, that link was an excellent read, Thank you!

Very cool! My new one hasn't arrived yet, but i'm excited to get it! So many great conversations got started when I wore my old one, plus I like to think I help promote the site.

Brainstorming with a friend on future projects we'd like to try, the idea came up to turn something like the hybrid into a belt buckle, that way as long as you had pants, you'd always have a bottle opener, flint striker, and maybe tweezers! Anything else to add?

They are awesome! I like the open jaws. (and i'm a little jealous of the skull touchmark!)

I've always thought it was knuckle busters, because they go on your knuckles and bust jaws.

If you're close to your original instructor, i'd ask his opinion of who would further your skills better. he may say you need more work with him before moving on, or he may have an opinion on the other's teaching styles, and how you'd work with them. Good luck either way, i'm a bit jealous.

I like it. Consider the skull idea stolen. :ph34r:

That tab is neat too, did you just form the flattened circle and cut the tab, then shape? That's a unique approach.....

TWEEZERS! That's awesome.

I also found this comment, and was wondering about your thoughts on it- "If you quench them in water they can have stress cracks in them. Quenching them in oil means they will have a duller red spark but this spark last much longer and catches in the char cloth better thus igniting it with the first strike. First the striking surface is white (no fire scale) showing that it was at " Critical Temperature" when it was quenched in the oil. (The fire scale popped off) Then the handle was tempered to a deep blue so it won't be as brittle." Is this the best way to quench a striker? How do you temper the handle to a deep blue?

While searching for idea on the Googler for different types of fire strikers, I found this hybrid striker- I like the idea, of adding a pin to something like Vaughn made... (Credit to whoever owns this pic, I just browsed images without checking the websites)

Thanks! I'll drop him a note. I'm glad it would work out, I couldn't find a welder to cut a propane tank, and Frosty gave me the idea to use chimney pipe, but when looking for some, the stuff i found was way pricey, so this may make a nice option.

I have an empty quarter keg and was wondering if I could use it as a shell for a gas forge... It would be lined, do you think it will hold up?

That is an awesome design, very clever!

That color is very nicely done as well. (I didn't even notice the blurry frog) You should add how you do that to a video as well. (I love videos, I've always learned much easier by seeing something done than reading it!)

Yeah the math is a bit beyond me as well. I read some of the stickies on treatments and when they start talking molecular structures or grades os steel my mind starts to drift... I work basically with scrap I scavenge, and spark testing only works if you know what your looking at (THAT would be an extremely helpful video if anyone has time!) I just asked because I wasn't sure if I made a bottle opener say, out of a horseshoe, if I should be treating it to strengthen the tab or something.

This probably should be asked in another section, but since the subject has been brought up i'll ask it here. I mostly make small items (candle holders, keyrings and such) and after brushing or filing, i'd heat them a bit to allow the beeswax to coat nicely and then let them set to cool on their own. Should I be tempering or hardening or something else? I haven't made a blade yet (on the long list!) which I know will need to be treated, but for general stuff like this is there a another step I should be taking?

I just looked online, but there's nothing at Home Depot or Lowes. :(

Make sure you add the how to on this part in your tutorial!

I have a pile of large springs I scavenged from the dumpster of a garage door company, someone said they would work for fire starters. I've heard of spark testing, but what would i look for, the color of the sparks or the quantity?

Rawhide mallet. Hmm. I never knew they made them and now I need one!

I have never made one myself, but it's on the long list of need- to's! I'd need to study a bit more to see if i could actually use one. Nicely done.

AWESOME! I was wondering what you used to form the loop, I thought you'd have a special mandrel or something, but it's just the anvil horn. Nicely demonstrated. You use the wooden mallet for finishing, or is that to get the beveled edge on the loop? (I don't use a wooden mallet, i think i'm missing something important!) Also- I love the music, I could just listen to that all day.

That does look better, it looks great!

OK, I see it now. (I jumped right to the video!) Thanks!