jeremy k

Ralph - Could you post a few pictures of the latest kinyon style air hammer your talking about? I would like to see the tube in a tube set up. If you cannot - no big deal. Thank you - JK

Pascalou - Very fine work you've done . It looks like you have some nice forming tooling made for getting the shape you want. May I ask how many hours you have into this piece of art? - JK

chief mcgee - Just for instance, The Little Giant 100lb hammers recommended foundation plan is 39" wide x 58" long x 36" deep. The recommended shim between the hammer and the concrete is - 3/8"-1/2" cork or rubber belting. When I figure out the exact spot my 100lb LG will go - it will get a footing like that. - JK

I hope today I don't get another BILL

Sorry I was looking the Atlas Metals website overseas...Atlas Metals :: Chrome Bar

Have you tried Atlas Metals? - JK

Glenn - LOL I couldn't find any forge welding calculators though. - JK

Strine - I wouldn't have gotten so involved with blacksmithing if it wasn't for the want to do things the "OLD" way. Sure, I do have modern tools and use modern methods(only because that's what's required for my business). I set up for doing blacksmithing (still working on that - never ends it seems) so that I may be able to make some things for myself - THE OLD WAY by hammer and anvil. As to preserving the craft - most of you know that I have been rebuilding a couple power hammers for my own use and also a usable piece of nostalgia(early 1900's). As I move metal on the anvil with a hammer - it always amazes me that it can be moved just like working with clay although there are some challenges due to the heat of course. Thats what's interesting to me - the challenge of working hot metal to get the shape you want. I do what I can to show people that stop by how things are and were done. Yes there are lots of things I haven't mastered, like everyone...... I'm still learning and having a great time doing it. The work I do, I try to make it the best possible with the capabilities I have at hand. - I wouldn't trade my doing blacksmithing and or experiences with other smiths for nothing. - JK

Duck! - here comes a STORK.

Look out for someone that will RUSE you.

I burnt my eyes once real good from a surprise arc flash from stepping on the foot pedal of a tig welder to soon, as I was getting ready to weld some 8" pipe - Miller 44G welder set at the max. We were welding that with 3 passes - 1/4" tungsten and 3/16 filler. NOT GOOD FOR THE EYES 4 days off work - luckily eyes are ok now. I surely do not want to do that again though. - JK

I used to listen to Dire Straights - Does that mean I getting closer to being older the DIRT

Evfreek - Yes I meant to have the wheel turning toward the edge or "off" the edge. Hard to explain, somewhere I used to have a very good pamphlet on grinding that had pictures of "do's" and "dont's" - haven't been able to locate it as of yet. If I remember right that pamphlet was from back when I went through the auto-body class at the vocational school many years ago. With a little research, I'm sure one could find similar info on "how" to correctly use an angle grinder(whether it's with a hard wheel or wire wheel). - JK

One thing I was always told......ALWAYS GRIND (or WIRE BRUSH) OFF AN EDGE. There could be a whole chapter on how to grind or wire brush using an angle grinder as a power source. Mostly I'm talking about the areas that actually make contact and how thats related to the direction of the wheel and placement of such. - JK

I'll agree that this is an interesting read. It all boils down to innovation of new(or should I say different) methods that were born from older ways and refined by someone to make it easier on them for which tools they have access to them at the time. The world revolves money(or bartering mat'ls per say)- That is a known fact for hundreds of years. It's always been kind of a competition to do things faster or better while having the cost remain low - so - one can get ahead in life. I can appreciate all the time that goes into something that is made strictly from hand - no power tools. Yes - I do know that some things are quicker by hand. Although if the old smiths working in their shops years ago were so stubborn to keep doing things by hand they wouldn't have boughten line shafts and gas engines to run a post drill,grinder or a power hammer, to make it easier on them to be able to get rid of some costs(say an employee). Everyone does what they have to to make a the almighty buck - that's life - I accept it. I do like the looks and the feeling of doing things with just an coal forge, anvil and hammer - it's a sense of accomplishment when done and without the reliance of modern equipment. The blacksmith way is seeing it done and then knowing there's 10 different other ways of doing the same thing to get the same results. - JK

Jr - Thanks for taking pictures of the their Hawkeye Helve . I can add them to the few pictures of other Hawkeyes I have in the folder. - JK

Ok Mike - there are some of the tongs that are broken in the jaw area, they will be put aside until I repair them so they "CAN" be used. - JK

This is a picture of a 6-1/2" post vise and a bunch of tongs I recently picked up. I've been looking for a wider vise for doing heavier vise work (chiseling and such). The threads on the vise are worn although I will be able to get years of service from it. The tongs are mainly for larger stock up to 2-1/2" - some are good and some will be set aside for looks next to the forge. - JK

I bet with this work game, lots of people have dug out their dictionary to PICK the next word

I'm not sure of the time - I guess I need a WATCH

Sometimes it is safer to work SOLO

were the flooding is, there is alot of SILT