Chinobi

USAKnifeMaker seems to have several returns on linen micarta for knife scales, looked to be in stock as well.

http://usaknifemaker.com/catalogsearch/result/?cat=0&q=linen

there is a 'bone' color that's probably a little too yellow to qualify as ivory, and they have a 'bleached melamine' linen micarta which is stark white, but IDK if that's the right product.

hit up amazon and get yourself a copy of 'the iron menagerie', its 16$ and has something like 15 different animal heads.  some are the same animal at different level of detail, so not all are unique species.

define "small", I like Delft clay for jewelry scale stuff, basically a petrobond type of oil clay, but that's just a standalone product, not as a component of a mixture.

its a moldable petroleum jelly based modeling clay that wont readily dry out if you leave it uncovered.  I imagine this is functioning the same way that silicone caulk would, as a flexible damper that is absorbing the vibration before it can get to the rest of the frame and then reflect back through the body.

let us know how that handles in the long run, as the clay doesn't 'solidify' like silicone caulk it will remain pliable indefinitely, so as you bang on it the layer may continue to thin out and extrude, so you might need to reset it after a while.

depending on how narrow the openings are that you are trying to get at you could look at an inside ring buff ( http://www.riogrande.com/Search/inside-ring-buff for example).  they mount on your average bench grinder/buffer and are indispensable for shining up the insides of rings and other things with hollow spaces.  just make sure you keep track of what compound you have on what buffer, and also mark them for use on steel only (vs sterling etc, if you also work with other metals)

if memory serves I have had some decent luck using the regular tiny cloth wheels that just screw onto the shank of my craftsman rotary tool (basically the same as the dremel) and feed it Tripoli.  you might chew up wheels faster on steel than on silver, but as long as you are not trying to buff out sharp corners and burrs you shouldn't consume too many in the process.  plus changing them out is as easy as twisting off the old one and twisting on the new one, provided the old one didn't catch, shred, and explode into a huge cloud of dust on you :)  there are also 'bullet' shaped or tapered tip cloth buffing bits for the same machines that are much stiffer than the cloth wheels and have narrower points, so they can get into tighter places.  but when they are chewed up you have to replace the entire bit, they don't just screw off like the wheels.

also, those 'sponge' looking abrasive wheels are bloody awful for metal!  they disintegrate WAY too quickly to be of any practical use!

if you do find any other good small wheels for rotary tools that are good for progressive grits of sanding and reach into small places please do share, I have been on the lookout for similar products off and on and theres not much out there besides the little interchangeable drums, and they don't last very long at all!  not to mention they are very rigid so they don't do really tight spaces, and wont conform to curves =/

neat :)

yeeeap, thatl do!  good hybrid weight/stirrup too :)

hit up his website in his signature line, class listings and descriptions there but they havent set dates for 2015 yet :'(

i like! looks like an interesting way to make reverse action tweezers too :)

slick! love that bolster!  maybe the next one do with a feather/W-ish pattern welded billet?

Rest easy and recover quickly, prayers sent for your and your family!

welcome aboard!  you have an absurd head start on the gear front right there!  im highly jealous of that grinding wheel :)

i agree, propane is probably going to be your best bet, its just that much easier to get and store.

look up the California Blacksmith Association, there are a number of smiths in central CA that would probably love to have you in their shop for some mentoring :)

lot of options for forges too, pack a lunch and read the section, you will find something that works for you.

is that the same category where the dude with the windmill 'stache is?

el google was not tremendously useful, would ember tongs be like a little hold down/clip on the thumb side of the striker to hold a piece of charcloth or other tinder so you don't have to use your thumb?

That's awesome! Now I want to see your mustache bent up into that shape :)

If you brought that up to fist scale it could moonlight as a set of 2 finger knuckles too :p

eye hook on the far side of your block to attach the chain, weight on the near side, or a stirrup to put your foot through is what i have seen in action.

KY, what flavor of dual purpose are you referring to for bushcraft?

check your PM when you can, if we are able to link up I can bring my post vise as it is purpose built for travel.  100lb London pattern (5/8th inch hardie hole) as well, but that's a pain to load in and out unless its for a full day, the vice can get set up in a few minutes without assistance.

I got an email from the forge with a similar subject and the exact same blurb, so I wont bother repeating it then :P

glad to see you are able to make the workshop Dave, I cant get down there this weekend :( please take lots of photos!

Start with quarters, prepackaged Mokume blanks that are consistently sized :)

Look up the alloy of the pesos first, they vary by denomination and year, I have a bunch and looked it up at some point, don't have it handy right now though. 50 cent pieces are the same composition as quarters but they are a lot larger, so you get a much larger stack for the effort

The folding approach to Mokume seems to be much more difficult than cutting and stacking and it is very difficult to get the folded edge to behave. There was another thread a while ago about it and he ended up with a nice crack right there.

Need. Forge. Time. Before I crack >.<

I like the twist, it looks good on this format and provides some extra grip. I think the wishbone approach may provide some more stability than the single sided hinge version, though a little more complicated

We aren't cool enough Dave :'(

Love seeing these course updates Basher!  Prime example of the massive benefits of direct instruction :)

cant wait to see the finished products!

Awesome! Thank you! I haven't crossed that product before, good to know and I will pass it along :)

yea that's what I was thinking, like a typical swiss army knife type.  I was turning the idea over in my head of leaving a raised stud on the spine of the blade that matches a recess in the frame so you would need to spread the frame open a little to disengage it. 

I enjoy this design more and more every time I see the pictures :) formally added to the to do list!

it just functions like a lockback right?  just push it closed and it flexes the frame to close?