Dragons lair

If and when I use a hammer hand glove I use either a elkskin tig glove or a golf glove. Other hand gets a lite/med weight mig glove. Tong hand is flip off. Hammer is snug( 1 or 2 trys at picking up hot iron will convince ya to use the other hand) No control? Pro golfers can risk a huge payday due to control. Oh yah an old smith might think calluses are great. How about your lady? My grand dad used to say calluses say you are working hard or working wrong. Ken.

Ain't no better indoors. Tried nite forging but the bugs are too bad. I am in the WNC Fairview not the central one If ya are close to the Asheville area PM me for local guild info. Ken.

3 good reasons why not. 1 Yard boss will not allow it. 2 DSS and or local law frowns on it. Worst of all you won't find anything but she will spot everything leaving you to explain how your 2 yr old found it all. Bad enough bringing your spouse and being outdone. Consider your chain yanked. Ken.

If your going to spend the money for the hammer and don't buy the vidio you will probably be disapointed. I got mine not for bragging rights. At 65+ yrs ya start thinking about how long ya can swing it and how much it's going to hurt. Get the vidio watch and pratice. At his age and with his health I think he could out hammer 1 2 or 3 of us put together. Ken

Would help if ya posted a location. That said there are a lot of schools in western N.C. John Cambell. Penland and several Tech Collages. Blue Ridge. Haywood are just a few. Don't know about degrees but will second or third what others said. I would rather work small group or one on one with a master rather than listen to a teacher in a classroom

I am with Phil on this one. I have a spare 3/8th and a 1/8th jewelers chuck. Pop one in and good to go. Ken.

I think your selling the shop short. Call your local tool rental see what they get. I get offers all the time for my mini trackhoes. $100 bucks for a weekend. Last paid shop I worked in the owners bro wiped out 4 large lenox BS blades in 15 mins thats $180 or $720 per hr plus he was getting paid. Had an old farrier friend finally had his tool steel topped H-B surface ground. Perfect till some one bounced a 2.5 lb hammer off the face. Theis was someone he knew and worked with every day. Just a thought my friend. Is $10 per hr worth chipping(damaging) your anvil worth only $10. I have a CNC plasma table. Anyone can play with it. Its 10k a minute. If they break it I gotta replace it. Cost this yr $600 Turn it on and it won't work. My bad. Not saying all are bad Just be careful who ya let play paid or not.

My vulcans did not have that defined face plate. Also wonder about the weight with 10 cast in under the horn. Just FYI sold a minty 60lber $1.50 a lb and a minty 100lber for$2.00 a lb. My advice on vulcans is get a big one Forge at as high a temp as ya can and use a smaller hammer. Ken.

One thing i haven't heard yet is. Who pays for damaged equipment? A major failure on a power hammer would wipe out any gains. Ken.

OH WHA is me can't figure how to remove a brake drum. just cause we are going back in time don't mean we have to leave common sense behind. A little penetrating oil and tapping with a hammer will remove most drums. Sad to say If ya can't replace brakes and wheel bearings on the road ya may need a new hobby. Ken.

Realy rare if I read my AIA correctly. Ken.

Just when ya think ya seen it all here it comes. Guy stopped by today had added an electric starter to his portable generator. Had built a nice box to house the ign switch and a gage. All wiring nicley done with masking tape. Twist the wire and tape no wirenuts or splices or solder. Oh yeh he came by to have me weld rubber feet on the bottom cause it vibrates badly. Told him I'd weld it for free but charge him $150 to re wire it. He left. Ken.

Hi John, Will catch up to ya again one of these days. Took the wife down for the 2nd glass class and again to pick up the annealed piece. Got to visit with Tim and Carrie but you took both days off. Ken.

Just an added note. That would be printed circut board etchant not the nasty toxic pcb found in transformers. Ken.

Had to do an art piece for family. Needed to arch 2 20 foot 2x2x11ga sq tubes. Asked my suppliers if they could do it. No but knew of a place about 110 miles up the road. Called and asked if they could do 2x2. Said as tight as ya want. I have one of those bottle jack benders. I would be looking for someone with a rolling machine. Ken.

Kudos my friend, Can I send my anvil repars to ya? Just kidding. Benn there done that. Nice fixit Ken.

So sorry my friend, " I really woun't use it" wHY THE H--L NOT. You are depriving a working smith from having and using a vintage tool. I have 75- 122 yr old firearms they go to the range rain or shine. They are tools to be used as intended. Not as I have one. Ken.

Cliff, I just gotta jump in here. As an OLD conn yankee who lived in the oldest house on the old boston post rd. Dad and I wired several houses. Never saw a connection with friction tape. Where did you find friction tape in a house wireing? WE didn't even use wire nuts. Ken.

Tim, Hate to screw up your vision. You will more likley find me leaning on the anvil with a bourbon and branch. Trucks usually too dirty. Coronas too warm. Only after 5 But then its 5 oclock somewhere. Ken.

Clifford, Look on flea bay and craigs look. Look for a local machine rebuilder. I used one in SC to locate parts for an old wilton variable speed drillpress. They could not find a manual for it but arranged for a photo copy. Hope ya score one. Long shallow tapers need the proper tooling. Ken.

I ran the yellow page ads for yrs. Welding,fabricating,CNC cutting,blacksmithing. Cost over 7yrs over 5K Income under 1K. Now the 3 block ads will be 1 one liner. Word of mouth and leaving cards everywhere works for me. Have a deal with 2 portable guys I refer them portable work they send me CNC and aluminum work. The web seems to work if ya can build your own site or get it built cheap. Ken.

For heat your gonna want HOT but concentrated. I use a huge electric iron for that sort of stuff. Torchs spread the heat out and can/will cause the area ya just finished to melt out. Never had any luck with sandblasting was told it leaves minute silica dust. I just use scotch brite or a wire wheel. Don't like acid flux I use the rosin(old electronics tech) Powdercoat bronze? At least advise them clear powder is available. Last piece I did was a weathervane. Arrow was 6 foot long 3 inch dia. 3 dimensional letters 12 inchs tall. Took a month and payed $4,000 Ken.

Close ups of the ajax show its been welded up both the table and edge. I would fix it then use both. I prefer having differant sizes( 60 88 142 194)to having 2 the same size but thats just me. Ken.

ev I would tend to stay away from any hard surface product. most I have seen give a hard thickness too thin to be worth much. ken

Streight pipein is illegal most places, May have to list it as an outa the house outhouse. Grant watta ya gonna due when ya get to my age(old)? Gotta admit Frank on that would have benn a better poster Than the zappa crappa one. Ken.