fat pete

heat treating a chisel i think is non productive, if you are using it on a hot piece of metal....if its cold chisel then I would treat it.

Nice...thx for the work in progress pics ...eye opener ...excuse the pun

happy New Year to all .... I believe focus on the good stuff this year instead of all the bad, negativity that seams to prevail....i hope this makes me be a little more ambitious .... I had a fair year testing the waters selling my stuff so if i can organize a little better and work a little harder maybe things will go a little more better BTW nice site Glenn good work! and thanks!

A copy of Mark Aspery's book "Mastering Fundamentals of Leafwork" is my Christmas present for this year. It sounds like a really good book, and look forward to its delivery from the author. If you wish to look further at the book: http://www.markasper...t/Book%202.html thats what i got ...i got the books and they r great.....he gives a couple of ways to make leaves and a couple of different leaves... realy nice books...nicely made

that will work so you can make your own tongs... remember with hammers mass moves mass...plus look at what the metal does when you hit it...whats the mark look like....these are hints to show you what kind of hammers you want

you definately do not want the "galvanized stuff to burn off" it will make you sick if you are inhaling the stuff...but as long as you protect it from the high temp u should be alright....the only thing wiht the aluminium is it melts way lower than what your forge produces ...again as long as its protected from reaching those temps you will be fine

you pronnounce it "bo dark"

viniger is great for removing scale...couple of days and the mill scale goes away too .... makes a gooey mess but you just rinse it off....it will rust like in a couple of minutes after you get it out of the vinegar...so go right to work on it....cup wire wheel is the best after that...rr spikes are good for practice and to make other stuff outta....kinda novel

you got my best buddy...hope it all works out ok...take care

i hate it when you get 9/10ths thru and boom call the life saving skills out...sometimes it makes it even better....

on the seventh day of christmas my true love gave to me 7 steel punches..six paying customers, five brand new files, four hammers swinging, Three Golden Tong Rings, Two swage block for forming, and an anvil on a big ole stump!

that is one sharp looking forge...i would want more draft tho.....or an exhaust fan somehow.... i like the smell but........

put them in a "can" and seal it shut....for the "can" take a piece of square tube (thin stuff) weld the end close on one side and make a lid for the other....the "can can be made outta one piece of square tube by cutting of a section a=on three sides, then you score the last side standing so it folds easier...do that to both ends...fill it with what ever, a little bit of borax....close the lid and weld it shut leaving a litlle pin hole...when you see flame comming out of the hole ..remove it from the fire...forge the whole closed, tap it shut... and back to heating it and lightly tapping it into shape as you go....when it feels solid ...forge it...the "can" will burn off mostly and you will be left whats in it...some guys add a little powder metal to fill in the gaps created but the shapes of thing you stick in the can.... grind it off at the end and etch....see what happens

i know what that is ...parrafin...get my wife to can....ha

check the blueprints ...hofi made some

you need a couple of books to guide ya...try a Blacksmith Primer .. Randy McDaniel...easy to read and nice and simple to start....go to a few local meetings... just beat metal and have fun

Cold or melted wax on warm i got min wax but its dark...butchers wax and thats auburn....bees wax... never used it, so i am not sure of what color it will be...but i possess some maybe i should go get some carnuba car paste wax or ....what?

its such a cool contrast and the lines are so dramatic that i want a clear finish .... i guess controling and protecting the etch is the goal...wouldnt wax kinda blur the lines

i love the applause at the end....

thanks guys i am gonna give the windex and water then oil and we will see what happens....water is a little difficult in the shop right now....it kinda got hard....lol

well .... the billet was pressed into a paperweight...so no grinding....we left it in Vinegar for a couple of days and he then annealed it....so when i got it i put a wire wheel to it and got all the soot off...then i etched it ....looked realy good...i want that look....really good contrast so oil works like the baking soda? neutralizes the acid in the etch? thats what i think happened , i didnt neutralize the acid enuff...right or wrong?

ha i dont even think there are many guys that could carry a piece of aluminium that big....i think the original balsa wood comment was prolly what you want.....the other comment on weight, i think is very useful to you....sheet metal wouldnt work either...

I gotta say the roses at the corner store ... just one at a time... works wonders the one you made is very cool nice imagination....just make sure the petals that can be touched are soft feeling...they always put them to their noses and inherantly rub the petal on their lips...that spot gotta feel good to them....I was told this when I was way young ...I employed the tactic for many years and believe me it works! I am married (happily) now and it still works for what ails ya

i have a piece we made out of some pattern welded nickle and 1060...gives a good contrast after its etched..the prob i have is when i etch I put it in the ferric chloride for a bit...then i dip it in a baking soda solution...then regular water...i then hand dried it and even used a hair drier to realy dry it...thne i clear coated it it. After I etch something and dip it in the baking soda it should not immediately rust...am I correct? I would think it should only rust if I wouldnt nutralize the acid... Its actually rusting under the clear coat...bummer cause it looks so cool out of the etch...but it dulls afterwards. How do you keep the original colors after you etch...they r so dramatic...I am trying to perserve the drama