SmoothBore

Wagon tire rollers are fairly commonplace. .

And therein lies the harsh reality, ... regarding the application of archaic techniques, to modern materials. .

Most "fun" things have a certain element of danger. ( Motorcycles ... and Girls ... spring immediately to mind. ) That which does not kill us, makes us stronger. .

"Better" ... is dependent on your desired result. The bits in the photo appear to be "blind hole" bits, ... intended to make a flat bottomed "pocket", rather than a "through" hole. Spoon bits are used in chair making, in order to create "pear" or "bell" shaped blind holes, ... ( By rotating the driven end of the bit in an eccentric pattern. ) ... that are bigger at the bottom, than at the point where they enter the wood. This allows space below the surface, for a short wedge to expand the end of the male portion of the joint, as it is forced into the blind hole. Resulting in a "knob" on the end of the male portion, embedded in the blind hole. ( Think of the way a properly installed wooden hammer handle is wedged to fill the tapered cavity in the hammerhead. ) Since the making of wooden chairs predates the availability of modern hardware and adhesive materials, ... those early chair makers needed to be particularly clever in their choice of materials and techniques. Joinery, of the sort mentioned above, ... and the practice of embedding well seasoned components into "green" counterparts, ... ( To effectively "shrink fit" a joint ) ... were some standard techniques. A chair assembled in this fashion, would actually "tighten up" as it aged.

I'd bend that thin wall tube cold, ... preferably on a hydraulic bender. Fill it first, with very wet sand, to prevent the walls from collapsing. When you're done, flush out the sand with a garden hose.

My wild guess, ... is that they were used to drill the aligned holes, necessary to assemble "Windsor" chairs. In that application, there is no need to evacuate chips from a "deep" hole, ... thus, a short fluted section is all that's required. .

Amen. The guy who does the state inspection on my truck was telling me a similar story about his son. Typically, the boy's argument was along the lines of "I'll never need to know this stuff in the real world". And my response was, ... "The guy who can't do the math, will ALWAYS end up working for the guy who can".

While there are no guarantees, ... the end of the Carriage Bolt appears to be heavily chamfered. This is indicative of a blank that was prepared to receive "cut" threads. Because they are cut right up to the square section, I'd further speculate that, for practical reasons, this was done with a one piece "hand" die, rather than a Chaser Head. On a rolled thread, the end of the bolt does not require a taper to "start" the die, and most commonly, tends to displace material at the end of the thread, resulting in a more "flattened", ( or slightly "cupped" ) bolt end. .

Sure looks like "mass produced" hardware to me. The wooden "sweeps" on early Combines were attached with Carriage Bolts and "Knock Off" Nuts just like that. .

Traditional Root Beer recipes, ( carbonated with Brewers Yeast or Champagne Yeast ) are mildly alcoholic. And sadly, ... also somewhat carcinogenic. That's probably why "real" Root Beer tastes so much better that the pitiful, nasty imitation stuff, now available. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Yeah, ... I'm a "serious" Root Beet fan. Forty years ago, I did a through sampling of ALL available brands, ... and determined that Hires was the best in the world. Followed closely by "Moms", ... "Dads", ... and ( interestingly enough ) "Frosty". And life was good, ... until Big Brother determined that Sassafras Root ( the main ingredient ) was a mild carcinogen. As you all know, ... what that means, is if you force feed a lab rat a million times the normal "dose" of Sassafras bark, the rat will get cancer. ( Of course, ... if you don't, ... odds are, that the rat will still get cancer. ) But hey, ... what good is a Government Agency, if it can't drive small-time competitors out of Coca-Cola's marketplace ?

From a much simpler perspective, ... I'd say yes. In solid fuel forges, the material is immersed in a virtually "non-directional" heat. While gas burners always have hot and cold regions. Yes, there are ways to overcome those issues, ... but there is no doubt they exist. .

I once made a Brass trigger guard, from a partially flattened section of a 1/4" Brass pipe nipple. Turned the Ramrod "pipes" from the same material. Check out "Dixie Gun Works" for parts. .

I often do "bark on" handles, on Branding Irons. Use a "smooth" bark, ( like Maple ) and cut branches for any "bark on" project NOW, ( winter ) ... while the sap is "down". ( This prevents the bark from coming off as the wood seasons. ) Also note, ... the bark on the "handle size" branches, is much different from that of the tree trunk. I drill a close fitting hole in the handle, ( slight "interference fit" ) ... heavily "texture" the steel, ... and epoxy it in. .

That was my first thought, ... and a very sensible repair technique.

Some people learn best from some kind of formal instruction. But NOT everyone. It's entirely feasible to go the "self taught" route. .

The question I'd be asking myself, ... is WHY forge weld ? Why attempt to employ a process developed for use with wrought iron, to join modern steel of unknown alloy ? Sure, ... I "get" that you'd like to perform this process, in this fashion. But perhaps, it's just a bad idea. ---------------------------------------------------- I'm not singling out this particular post. This question of employing the wrong process, in order to simulate an outcome, ... troubles my Pragmatic nature. .

Well, ... how about Copper, Brass or Aluminum. Copper with Brass "fittings" makes a very nice job.

The Pratt Institute.

I would call that a "Gig", rather than a spear, ... but that's just a regional thing. To make one, I'd bend 3 progressively smaller "staples", and arc or mig weld them to the center point. No need for forge welding, unless you want to do it that way.

Good answer. .

I've been "teaching myself Blacksmithing" for a couple of decades now ..... And foresee no imminent change in status. --------------------------------------- I would submit, ... that those who think they've got it "figured out", ... aren't setting the bar very high. .

All the pot I've ever seen, had a good stout stem. No trellis needed.

Yeah, ... looks like a counterweight that can be locked in place with the set screw. You see that sort of thing a lot on bending brakes.

Not nearly so "artsy" a solution, ... but it occurs that the needles might work as "filler" rod, for TIG welding.

So, ... riddle me this ..... My right elbow hurts all the time, ... but I'm left handed, ... and NEVER hammer with the right. Just lucky, I guess. .