Albert A Rasch

Ok, One last thing: maybe... I found this, and though slightly off the etching topic, it might be of some use too: Coloring Metals http://chestofbooks.com/reference/Henley-s-20th-Century-Formulas-Recipes-Processes-Vol2/Coloring-Metals.html#.UQoRemerp8E Etching Metals http://chestofbooks.com/reference/Henley-s-20th-Century-Formulas-Recipes-Processes-Vol2/Etching-Fluids.html#.UQoZZWerp8E Regards, Albert

Roger Hillbilly, Always happy to help out! I've done a lot of reading over the years, and i find that many times one thing is interrelated with another. As you obviously know, there are tips and techniques from one trade that are applicable to another. So it's just a short mental hop from one idea and application to another! My latest mental gymnastics is Mokume Game. I really wish someone would coin an American name for that. like DMS Dissimilar Metal Sandwich or something... Anyway, I'm preparing to give that a try this next R&R with my son. But rather than use it for knife guards and such, I am contemplating firearm applications... But as i was saying, i enjoy the researching, and it adds to my store of accumulated knowledge so it's a help to me too! Thanks again! Albert

Hillbilly, I think, and again i'm just thinking, that Phosphoric acid will combine with the iron oxide and give you a different result than what you are looking for. I want to say that "French Grey" is the result. I know that phosphoric acid is used to remove rust ala Naval Jelly. Give me a sec...LOL! I found this: Phosphoric Acid etches steel and leaves a dull gray phospate coating behind. Many refer to this as French Grey. Phosphoric acid is used in the auto body business to stop surface rust on bare metal before painting it. It's commonly known as Conversion Coating. And an interesting thread: A much safer alternative to hydrochloric, sulphuric acid etc is boric acid, often sold as a pharmaceutical, I believe it forms part of many skin preparations. It is not expensive, about £5 for 500gms, and made up as a saturated solution, about 5-7% solution in distilled water at 70-80 C, it lightly etches steel to give a silk grey finish over an hour or two depending on temperature. It also removes rust and other oxide finishes very gently but completely. I have used it several times to remove the thin brown rust coating on lock plates and actions and although the finish is a bit drab for my taste, it may be what you are looking for. There doesn't appear to be any after rusting, a problem with many stronger acids. Used on Damascus barrels it will produce a differential etching of the steel and iron to prepare the barrels for browning. I prepare all my damascus barrels (thoroughly plugged of course!) and damascus snapcaps with this solution. After degreasing with 'whiting' I lay the items in 70-80C solution for anything from 30 min to 3 hours depending on the finish I require. The carbon in the steel remains on the etched surface and just needs wiping off before thorough rinsing and then straight into the browning process. It is pretty safe on one's skin although I always wear light gloves as it tends to dry one's skin out. here is the link, because the thread is pretty interesting: http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=printthread&Board=1&main=14958&type=thread&PHPSESSID=0bffbea8e40dd06d53422668850aaeb5 I hope this all helps and gives everyone ideas to experiment with! Regards, Albert

Bentiron, And right you are! Didn't even occur to me, but that is right on! I think I will have to incorporate that into one of my stories... Aessinus, I'm glad you're amongst us, as a transplanted Yankee, sometimes my fluency in Southernese isn't what it should be, and I get gigged! Those are the kind of mistakes that can get you in real trouble! LOL!! BTW, your screen name? WoW? Best regards, Albert

John, Great link, thanks for putting it out there! Fantastic work and great design. Albert A Rasch

Sam, I like that they are as well finished as the work that I am sure goes out your door. I'll have to search out your other posts to see what else you have created. Best regards, Albert Note to self: If Sam reads Otto Schmirler's book "Werk und Werkzeug des Kunstschmeids", then you do too.

I'm partial to the lowest left piece. Looks like something a "Provincial" like myself would have carried. Thanks for sharing! Regards, Albert

SC: A friend of mine has a website, and a list of free publications relating to Smithing. I thought you might like to take a look at them: http://smith-forge.org/autoindex/ This is particularly good: It's ABANA's Forging Fundamentals, and takes you step by step: ABANA Forging Fundamentals regards, Albert

Fellows, if you really want to see/read some heated history related arguments, check out any primitive arts/muzzleloading/reenactment sites. People have actually been known to come to blows at events (so I've been told) over time period authenticity. I once asked what I thought was an innocent question about French and Indian War era Colonials and bayonets, and you would have thought I was questioning the merits of a Beck's rifle. (That's serious btw.) The long and the short of it was Provincials like myself would have no business possessing a bayonet for my fowler.As bayonets were the property of the Crown, I was obviously a scoundrel, and wouldn't be welcome at the rendezvous anyway. Provincial? Me? I'm not sure they were kidding either... Regards, Albert

And thus does another bitter rivalry begin... "And in today's breaking news, a Hammer-In erupted in violence when angry Smith/Academics produced butcher tools and said... " Albert

Aessinus, Thanks, and I am pleased to be here amongst y'all too. Regards, Albert PS: For those of you that aren't from the South, "Y'all" means "all of you." Southernese, it's not just a language, it's an attitude.

Grundau, Check this article out and tell me what you think, it might change your management strategy... Swarm Management The key concept is managing the brood space so that the bees can continue to expand there colony. Instead of managing the Nucs to stay within certain size constraints, it suggests managing the hive to maximize growth and storage potential. That drawn comb and honey will be just the ticket to help checkerboard come white wax season. or to expand a Nuc from Nuc to colony. I'm all excited for you guys, i wish I was home managing my hives again! Hmmm, I just had an inspired thought... As soon as it warms up here, I'm going to put out sugar syrup in a ziplock. If any bees come to get it, I'll follow them back to their hive, if it's on base. I can cobble together a TBH in no time. Anybody ever have poppy honey? LOL!!! Best regards, Albert I remember reading several articles by Palmer. Good guy with good ideas, I'll have to catch up on his writings.

There's a famous cowbell maker out of Brooklyn New York if memory serves me correctly. I believe he was from Puerto Rico, and made them for bands including Santana. I guess i ought to look that up... Hold on a sec... Cali Rivera BRONX NY, I was close! Radio Diaries i remember reading an article about him and about the construction of the cow bells. I just don't recall where or when... Regards, Albert

Wow, I was all nervous trying to find the link! I knew I had the article saved, and I found it, but finding the newest posting was a bear! Ok, it took me longer to type this out than to actually find it, but you get the idea. https://docs.google.com/document/preview?id=18MIvJwHhLh87zYiUDOQ4RkZKw7b42sUhVKz_9HMDdv4&pli=1 Damascus Restoration. Using something like HCL will strip far too much of the iron if I read it correctly while typing this. i hope this helps you! Best regards, Albert

I have a very good article on refinishing damascus barrels in my files. The long and the short of it that there is a very good reason for using Nitric Acid.I don't recall why, but there is! Give me a couple of hours to find it! Albert

RE Golf balls. They make excellent knobs for lathes too! Or any kind of tooling like cam locks, shifters, etc for that matter. Toss the liquid ones! I've never seen one though... might be fun just once. Best regards, Albert

The point of impact is rather small, and what you will find is that the anvil's curvature will act somewhat like a fuller, concentrating your blow at the point of impact. One thing it will teach you is how to aim and hit the right spot! You miss the spo that exactly sandwiches the metal between the rail and the hammer, and you will feel it immediately. The key is to manage your fire, heat up the metal without burning it, and hit it properly with the hammer. The rest comes from experience and observation. Regards, Albert

Nice! I've lately taken to putting my hives on a stack of three CMU blocks. In order to keep them that much higher from the ground. It does make it a little more difficult to move the supers, especially if they've been propolized together.I'm thinking of going to steel stands though, because i would like to start using screen bottom boards in the summer months. that and I am going to get guineas. I'm thinking, and this is just a thought, that guineas will eradicate the African Hive Beetles since they pupate in the ground. Keeping the hives a bit higher will minimize the potential loss of bees to the guineas. (There are equally adamant sides to the guinea story, some say they eat bees, others say they don't! I guess i will find out wont I!) I've also pondered how to put stop the ants from infesting the hives. One thought is to build a bottom board with a that has bolts for legs, and set those bolts in small flat cans like tuna comes in and fill the cans part way with oil. That should keep them from climbing up. Let me add a couple of links here: This gentleman, Walt Wright, is probably the foremost experimenter today. He's a hobbyist not a professional but he knows his bee stuff! “The fact that you will find none of this information in your favorite reference book does not make it any less true.” Walt Wright Read the Checkboarding articles first, and then make your way through the others; a wealth of information you will find nowhere else. This article is just as interesting : On the Spot Re-Queening Similar to the method I've used, but a little more sophisticated and thoughtful. Once you get past the simple splitting of hives to increase your colonies, this is the technique to use. Grundsau, when you say, I'd like lots of Nucs to support the main hives, what do you mean by that? Are you going to allow them to grow out as hives, or are you planning them as brood makers to build up the other hives, or as back-up hives just in case? Good stuff being shared here! Regards, Albert

Steve, Got to tell you all, I don't tell them much about us at all. Even when they ask. It never ceases to amaze me how many people in this world hate us, absolutely despise us, and can't wait to get a chance to come to the USA! They all know that for all our faults, this IS the land of opportunity. When do they ever stop being our little ones? LOL! My mother still to this day, (And I am 51 now!) calls me the "Little One!" It used to be embarrassing, now it just reminds me nothing is forever... Good stuff fellows! Regards! Albert

SC, i don't have a lot of experience, but I've been attending to the world of smithing for many years. if I may make a suggestion, get out that old blade, heat it up and flatten it. Flatten it until it is as flat as a piece of paper, or nearly so. Then bend it ninety degrees somewhere in the first third. make that ninety as square and even as possible. Now flip it over and put another ninety in it so it looks like a staircase. When that's as perfect as you can get it, heat it up and flatten it again. Now try folding it ninety degrees the long way. Flatten again. if the blade is an old worn out one, then the end will bee somewhat rounded. try to square it up. All of these exercises will make you a better smith, and teach you the principles of moving metal. And at least it will keep you occupied! Regards, Albert

Howdy Fellows, Beekeeping too. I think it must be something about the smithing then.. One of my dreams is to buy an abandoned apple orchard and bring it back to life. Then make mead and hard cider! I do some wordcrafting, photography, woodworking too.Of course I fish quite a bit when I can, make charcoal, and pretty much make a nuisance of myself to the Mrs. Keeps me busy in the off time.... Regards, Albert

Dan, There is something about your place that makes it perfect place for a hive! If an apiarist could isolate the queen, the hive could be moved to TBH without too much fuss. Ok, maybe a little. But you get the idea. Then it's just a small step to barrels of mead aging in the basement... David, You are absolutely correct, and though I don't much care for revenuers and government inspectors, some states are pretty stringent about such things. The problem is that most state functionaries are clueless. CCD Colony Collapse disorder is related to a number of man-made causal agents. Our Ag people are actually part of the problem. Apiarists, and especially hobby apiarists who tend to have an emotional attachment to their hives rather than an economic one, are more likely to tend to their hives in a holistic manner. Your Ag departments tend to go with the chemical approach as do the commercial apiarists whose livelihood depends on pounds of honey not quality. I don't have as many hives as I used to, but four years out here has caused my bees to think I don't care for them anymore. None-the-less, I still have two hives of locally adapted bees that have never been fed, never been treated, and to this day still yield good honey. That's my brood stock for splits this spring. The best way to save bees is for beekeepers to manage their hives for resiliency and local adaptations. Breed your bees to resist the local diseases. Always have a hive that you allow to swarm every year to help populate a feral bee that is acclimated to your area. They will repay you years hence with their own swarms for you to collect. Best regards, Albert

Wow, thanks guys! Imagine that, I am not kidding, I have never, to my recollection, heard the term until yesterday, and I have collected smithing books for thirty years, and even more reference material since Al Gore invented the internet . Looking at Mr John's tutorial, I recognize the tool from illustrations, but if you had shown me that day before yesterday I would have called it a handled hot cutter. The side sets I was familiar with, if not their appropriate use. Thanks again for elucidating on the subject, As always I appreciate the time, energy, and effort you all put into helping out! Regards, Albert

Stuart, Flattery will get you everywhere sir, and yes, i have been known to turn an appropriate phrase on occasion! To answer your initial question, no I have not seen a single blacksmith's shop, or more likely a storefront in the ruins of a dilapidated mud hut in all the time i have been here. It's not from lack of trying either. When my jobs allowed me to travel outside the wire, i would often ask if anyone knew of a blacksmith's shop. Usually this involved drawing a picture of a London pattern anvil and a hammer. At which point eyes would light up and I would be told, "Yes Yes! My brother, cousin, uncle, best friend is a blacksmith! He lives on the next street, village, town, valley. What do you need, I take for you!" "No, no," I would say, "I want to go to the smith myself, and talk Blacksmith business. I practice some blacksmithing back where I live." "Oh no sir. You no can go! Many, many bad, ugly, fat people over there. I go for you! You are like brother! I take good care of you!" I'm thinking, just like Joseph's brothers took care of him, and I don't even have a coat of many colors. Anyway, I have asked what they know of the smith and his trade, and my understanding is that most of them hammer out simple utilitarian pieces. Like at home, the Chinese sell almost everything here for less than the people can make it for. Seriously. There's a fair trade in sheet metal work as they make a lot of stuff out of old sheet metal. Conex metal is pretty popular, and I can tell you stories about that! Referencing the article you kindly provided, The Herat area is an interesting mix of Persians and Tajiks, who by the way, make some of the best Asian Techno around. And that my friends, is yet another story... But as I was saying, it is also rather civilized as compared to the Pashtoon dominated regions where ignorance and mysticism are the rule of the day. Herat has always been well known for its Persian rugs, it does not surprise me that foundry work may have existed in that area. A bit to the north and east lie substantial coal deposits not easily accessible from the south or east, as mountain ranges cross from northeast to the southwest, essentially creating an effective barrier to movement. But Herat lies at the terminus of those ranges and could easily access that coal. Thanks for pointing me in that direction, and thank you for the kind words. I only hope to encourage and nurture my son's ability in that field should he choose to follow it. I'll happily settle for being his assistant! Kindest regards, Albert A Rasch

Michael, Get a ballpeen hammer and a piece of 16 gauge steel. Hold the metal against the anvil and over the hardy hole. Strike the metal with the ball end of the hammer just enough to move the metal, You don't want to dimple it. Keep doing that moving the metal small bits at a time. You'll see what happens and adjust accordingly. Before you know it, you'll be making bowls! Best regards. Albert