jasonmichalski

The tongs on the right side I made to hold the flat knife blades, and the other I made as a do all for now, but I need to make some more this summer.

I use charcoal only and if I wasn't careful when I first started I burned and melted the steel. I started with a smaller forge and now I have a larger one based off the 55 forge design. I started by chipping the wood and burning it that worked , but as said before there was to much ash. Make your own charcoal, I do it in 55 and 45 gal drums. I like the smaller drums better. I seive the charcoal to remove the fines and brake up the bigger chunks and reburn the few unburned chuncks in the next batch.



The old small forge


air turn down low
air up higher

all on charcoal

Do you have more success with decoys that are natural looking or the ones that are "artistic" and brightly colored?
By success, I mean catching or spearing the game fish. All your decoys look great but I especially like the realistic ones such as the perch.
Thanks for all your posted pictures.

The perch is my top decoy right now, but I had fish come in to the red and white shiner and the my frist decoy the firetiger minnow.

P2161185 by jasonmichalski, on Flickr
I finshed all the carvings from last year and I'm starting on a few more. I traded one for a band saw and I'm selling one to a guy in MN. I'm going to make a few more for me and maybe 6 or so to sell for supplies and tools . I also plan on forgeing a few more knifes and maybe try a few more spears now that I've had more time on the anvil.

LOVE that drawknife!

Looker

Thank you that was the first knife I forged. It workes very well.

My 175lb Queens cross given to me by my Uncle he has no kids and he wanted me to take care of it, because his wifes grandpa gave it to him. It sat in a basement since her family moved from PA. 60 years ago from a farm that was a centenial farm then and the anvil was on the farm when they bought it, so that puts it in there family for 160+ years.

Lost my ID in the upgrade but I'm back

4" vise I pick up off ebay for $35.00. Wilton vise and stand my wife found for $25.00 at a yard sale. The mess is from the new smithy build. ERIE #123 vise and stand found outside after ten years @ my mother's gas station needed lots of wd-40, but its good now.

The upgrade took off my ID but I'm back.

I lost my ID in the upgrade now all my posts say guest, but I'm back.

Now they call my posts a guest post great.