Albert A Rasch

Dave, Having never even contemplated that there would be a juried show for smithing tools, I will defer to the others on that in particular. Having said that, I have attended shows for blackpowder rifles and the accoutrements like hawks and knives. I would most likely judge your hammer on the same basis as a 'hawk. First,is it a hammer and does it appear functional? yes. Ok, next is fit. do all the parts fit together well? Is the handle properly inlet into the oval? does the top of the handle fill the slot properly? Are the wedges in place and secured? etc. Ok now to finish: Is the metal finished, and in this case are the faces mirror, frosted, or finished in an equal fashion? Are all the facets balanced? Is the design balanced left and right, top and bottom? If the handle protrudes, is the wedge the same depth as the handle front to back, is the fitting seamless? is it a contrasting wood? Is the metal wedge square or otherwise balanced in its placement? did the smith take a few minutes to flatten and polish the metal counter wedge? and add a file design to it? Is the handle curly this, that, or the other (curly hickory would be a plus here!)? is the end grain finished to the same level as the rest or at least the same as the top? That's just some ideas off the top of my head.As some of the other guys said, it's a showcase of your talents, make it shine. Now, I think it's a mighty fine hammer as it stands, but it's not "Show Hammer!" I went and reread your post, and I noted this, which slipped by me upon first reading: Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen for review by jury, to try to get allowed into the organization. I f that's the case, I would definitely take into consideration everything said. This is more of a peer review to allow you to bear their stamp of approval as a guildmember. That's even tougher than a show. Take your time and produce the best set of tools you can. Without going Liberace on your work, add the nuances and small touches that differentiate your tools from utilitarian pieces. Borrow ideas from other crafts like gunmaking, blade and hawk smithing. Think of it as a set of ceremonial smith's tools for the guild. Now I'm getting ideas... as if I didn't have other things I would like to accomplish before I set out to make a ceremonial set of inlaid, damascus hardy tools... Best regards, Albert

Ahhh, That makes sense in the context I saw it in initially. They were talking about forging a stump anvil, and that makes sense now. Thanks for your time in answering! Albert

I've had as many as twelve hives, but that was before I came here.I was getting close to considering an extractor, and I may consider one if i get up in hives again. I have a lot of orange groves in the area, and if I was to place hives by them, I would get a lot of honey, which would necessitate more frames and boxes, but as you said, lots of honey too! I'll have to wait until I get back home and see which opportunities I will be able to take. i sure would like to raise my girls again. As a matter of fact, i am splitting a hive this spring during R&R, and building up another one that has pretty much gone to disrepair. I opened up the first one while home in January, and pretty much added 50% more frames. That opened up the brood space and will allow me to redistribute sealed brood panels to three hives. I have over thirty pounds of honey to put into feeders for them, so I should see solid build up in all three by July. the split will have to raise a new queen, but the original and the "wild" hive will be fine. I should also have a substantial amount of honey in the original by June as they will have a three to four week break without having to raise brood. If I may ask, what's your geographic location? and what is your queen raising strategy? Thanks! Albert PS: We harvested a few pounds of wildflower honey while I was home, and I am always amazed when I taste it. Delicious compared to the pasteurized and blended stuff we get here!AAR

Fellows, If you would be so kind as to define "Butchering" as related to the smithing trade. I did several searches and permutations thereof, but I still don't know what it means. Usually it revolves around something like: "I will butcher the shaft and then..." I had never heard the phrase until yesterday in a comment on a Youtube video, and then three times today here on the site! Thanks! Albert

Daniel, Both you and Alec are an inspiration. I don't see why you fellows shouldn't be on your own BBC show... Alec does a great job of explaining, and his somewhat demanding nature is a great counterbalance to your more relaxed attitude. I know I've enjoyed all of your videos (Downloaded every one so far!) and Alec's. You are both fine young men, which this world is sorely in need of. Keep up the good work! Albert A Rasch PS: Did you all see poor Alec get cracked in the privates? It's always funny when it's the other guy who gets it, but I still felt bad for him, even if I watched it five times, and laughed each and every time, and called everyone else in the office to watch...

Good tips Glen. Myself, I work them in pants and whatever shirt I happen to be wearing. (Do not wear shorts, long story...) I always wear clear safety glasses especially after an incident where I got stung in each eyelid. I do not use gloves either as I have found that it actually impedes good hive manipulation. Light colored clothes is always better. Again, if you have any hive that is less than placid, you don't need it. There are ways of resolving that issue easily and I can talk about that when asked. You should be able to weedeat around your hives without any bees getting overly agitated in the seven seconds you go around them. Common sense dictates just what you can do around your hives. That's also why you need to be attentive to what their behavior and temperaments are over time. I think the most i ever got stung is 12 times in one day, and that was mostly all at once. Other than that, I usually go months without a sting. (Except when I do it on purpose for my hip. Three to five stings in the knee to hip area and my hip won't hurt fr two to three weeks.) Slow, smooth and steady is the name of the game. And if you sense that the girls are getting riled up, cover them up, and come back later. Always work them in the daytime and avoid doing any work when it's nasty outside. They don't like nasty weather any more than you do! You might get an overly aggressive bee on occasion, but puff of smoke in its face or a leafy branch usually distracts and disorients it. Oh one suggestion, Always strap down the hive if you are going to move it in the bed of a truck. And I'm not sure I would plastic bag a hive on the move. On a sunny day you could cook them to death very easily. Get a properly cut 1X2 and place it across the entrance and tape it in place with duct tape. Again, moving a hive is another project with certain rules and caveats! Beekeeping is great and in my opinion worthy hobby to undertake. The dangers are no greater than messing around with hot metal and fire, though just like smithing, you are more likely to get yourself hurt f you're not paying attention. As woith all things, a good education both theoretical and practical will see you to success. Best regards, Albert

Hmmm, During the new wax season, basically when spring is about to bust open, you may need to check on your hives twice a week to redistribute the frames and add boxes. That's to maximize the hives growth potential, then while they're making honey, you may need to see them again two or three times a week. I've heard of strong hives filling a super (eight to ten frames in a box) a day.It really depends on the nectar flow in your area. One thing, I know for a fact that working a hive can be exhausting.Those boxes can weigh in excess of 60 or seventy pounds. I only use medium size eight frame boxes. No deeps, no short supers. Just mediums. They are still pretty heavy, but it makes it much easier to do it in sections: Pull half the frames, put harvested frames in their place, go cut out the comb on the first four, and go to the next box. With a top bar hive it's even easier. I don't have all my reference materials here, I left the portable hard drive with all my bee stuff at home. I have a ton of stuff that explains it a lot better than I can, let me see what I can find again and get for you. I'm dead serious though, if you have the opportunity, build yourself a TBH. Get some bees and give it a shot. You will learn more in an afternoon's placid observation of a hive with a bourbon and ice in hand, than you will with all the reading you can possibly do! Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but you will learn a whole lot by doing and watching! I'll have better answer for you later! Albert

Hello everyone! Not one of my catchiest titles, but descriptive enough! Borntolate and Neil commented on the many intersecting interests (Beeswax and Mead!) between Smithing and Beekeeping, and as I am an apiarist, I volunteered to start a thread on beekeeping for the blacksmith. It’s not difficult to get started with bees. Basically, you need a hive, and well, some bees. It doesn’t hurt if you know an apiarist, or join a local bee group, but I am entirely self-taught. In fact I only know one other apiarist personally, and he’s an Aussie here in Afghanistan with me! None-the-less I have successfully managed 12 hives, starting with some broken down wild hives. For a couple of laughs you can read about my initial misadventures in hive management and relocation. Probably a half dozen good lessons for the astute there. The first thing to do is get a basic education. There are many good reference sites out there, in addition to forums. My favorite site, and the one that I believe is best put together, with excellent and proven information, is The Practical Beekeeper at Bush Farms. Mr Bush is an expert in the old fashioned and hard earned way of observation and trial and error. His methodologies work, and work well. My favorite forum is BeeSource. Just those two sites will get you off to a great start. Ok, let’s assume you want to do this with little or no money up front. If that’s the case I would consider using what is called a Top Bar Hive (TBH). Easily constructed from just about anything, a TBH will allow you to get started with a minimal investment of capital. Short of getting some nails or screws, and some sweat to put it together, there is nothing else that will cost you money. Much like smithing, you can scrounge much of the materials you use. Here is a good reference to TBH building. (I do strongly suggest you invest in a smoker though! Lack of one won’t make it impossible for you, just very difficult, trust me!) Next you need to get some bees. Here is where being a member of a beekeeping group helps. There is always someone willing to help a newcomer get started. I have personally started hives for two people. It doesn’t take all that much effort, (Well, a little), but it pays huge dividends. Not only in community spirit, but it helps build up resiliant, locally aclimated bees. I’ve caught a swarm, but that’s one of those “you have to be at the right place at the right time” kind of things, and if you’re just starting it might be well-nigh impossible. The other option is to buy a package of bees. You will need to do some reading up on that to be sure it works out properly for you! But in essence you get a box full of bees, and through careful manipulation, you get them to move into the nice new hive you made for them! Please, please get them as locally as possible. If you live up north, whatever you do, DO NOT get bees from the south! You run the risk of introducing African genetics into your hive, and by extention your area. Don't be freaked out by the African Bee thing either. I have had one "hot" hive ever, and I solved that problem by rooting out that queen and squishing her little pointy head between my thumb and forefinger. After thirty days that hive was a placid normal hive again. Like any other kind of livestock, you have to take care of them! I do not use any chemicals, antibiotics, or feed supplements at all. I am a firm believer in survival of the fittest. That means that I supply them with a safe clean environment, I am attentive to pests that may bother them, and I create the environment that helps them thwart pests. We can discuss the particulars as they come up. Ok, that’s the basics off the top of my head. Questions? Your Apiarist, Albert Admin addition BEFORE working with bees, find out and KNOW if you are allergic to bee stings. If you are allergic, take up knitting. If you can tolerate stings, always have anti-vemon available and know the quickest route to the hospital.

I second Mr. Frank on that! Though I work out regularly I try to squeeze Tai Chi in when ever I stop for a few seconds. Helps build flexibility, balance, and coordination. Yang Long form.. Albert

Hello fellows! Let me clarify, the youngster is 18 and 6 foot 4 inches tall, and outweighs me by 60 lbs! But he's still my little fellow, though if he heard me say that he wouldn't talk to me for a week! LOL! Shoot, maybe longer... It's my ferverent hope that he takes to smithing, and I have good reasons for thinking he will. But like all kids now-a-days you have to be careful how you present the idea! Can't seem to be that I am forcing it on him. We do have a vacation planned to go to the John C Cambell Folk School for a week-long basic smithing course.I was told by the admin person that there are many young people that attend so that's a huge plus for him and an opportunity to meet other young people that do things with their hands and minds. There's also a Smithing group nearby our home that I would like to join, hopefully they will have a few younger members also. But I digress, What I want is for him to experience the satisfaction of starting a job with an idea, using his mind and hands, and seeing it through to completion and use. There's no reset at the forge, no escape key. You have to do it. Ok guys,I promised Rob I would put a post in on Smithing and Beekeeping in the General Discussion, Everything Else forum. I think that the title will be... "Beekeeping and Smithing - Crafts that go Hand in Hand" Thanks again for the warm welcome! Albert A Rsach

Fellows, I would be happy to answer any of your questions with regards to beekeeping. I you start a thread in the oddball thread forum let me know, or I can start one later this morning. It's not hard to do, but it is like any other livestock, you have to take care of them properly. BTW, There are lots of Beekeeping forums and websites, and again I can answer all sorts of stuff and what I don't know off the top of my head, I can usually find in ten mnutes! Albert PS: I'll start a thread in the "General Discussions" "Everything Else" forum a little later.

Bob, I just commented on something similar on another post about the type of fuel they use here. I have asked, and though I have not actually observed any smithing, the answers I have gotten throughout my travels here are the same whereever I have gone, "There's a Smith in the next village, valley, town! What do you need, I take and get fixed!" "No, No, I want to go see the Smith, talk smith buisness with him." "Ohhh... No good sir, no good sir. Bad people in that street, village, valley, town - you no go there! I go I get for you. Special price! You like brother to me..." Yeah, right. Brother you'ld shank if I turned my back on you and you thought you could get away with it. Usually, I have to draw an anvil and hammer and then they understand what I am talking about. So my guess is that the London Pattern anvil is known as an "Anvil." But this is Afghanistan, and I am willing to bet that anything heavy, flat, and hard is used. Remember, the Soviets left a lot of armored vehicles lying around here, so you can bet pieces are used for all sorts of things. I've been told that there was quite an artist blacksmith industry here before the Soviet/Taliban/American occupations. Best regards, Albert

OOPs, Double post... Albert

Oh, Yes that is so, my first forges were all home-brewed and i used home made charcoal in all of them. Coal is difficult to get in Florida. I mean it takes driving over yonder to do so. I'm hoping to get together with a Smithing Group that is fairly close and adding a substantial order to their coal order whenever they order, if that is what they do. Thanks again! Albert

Oh hell no! I'm getting the #$%^ out of here as soon as is humanly possible! There is nothing here, and I mean nothing, that any of us is going to do here that will make one bit of difference! All my plans are for when I get back home! Short story: I'm also a beekeeper. I'm working with one of the PRTs (Provincial Reconstruction Teams.) I suggest to the USAID officer that I could teach some classes in beekeeping as a volountary addition to what they were trying to accomplish. Well, he says, we already have a apiarist here, and he's doing that. Long story short, I get with said apiarist, who was really just a biologist, and he tells me they importing several thousand hive boxes and frames for traditional Langsforth hives. Langsforth hives are your typical white hives you think of when you think about bees. They also require precise measurements for all components so that you maintain what is called "the Bee Space." The problem is that there is no such thing as precise anything here in Afghanistan! How on this earth can an illiterate, donkey riding, Afghani farmer get frames or boxes made when he needs them? Where is he going to get dimensioned lumber? I suggested Top Bar Hives that can be made of almost anything from plastic drums to old pallets. USAID guy tells me it's not their problem, they're just following and administering the program. Just walk away Albert, just walk away... Don't even get me started on the rice growing program in the high desert area and the 6000 foot well they had to drop in order to get water... Best regards, Albert A Rasch

Fellows, Big, that makes perfect sense. The only way I can think of doing it with water would be to set up a trash pump in the pond, and pump that into the bottom of a drum... I was afraid that a water quench would crack the block, but that's because I just don't know enough. thanks for straightening me out on that. R, Good point. I have a very nice London Pattern anvil already, but I was looking for something with more mass and less refinement for my son and I to use. I can always revisit the idea when we reach the point that it makes sense to do so. Or my friend is visiting and we're bored... Best reagrds, Albert A Rasch PS: I downloaded dozens of Youtube videos while I was home to watch while i am here. I have a few of B Bs that are very educational. Love his rounding hammers and the theory behind it.AAR

Vaughn, I have asked, and though I have not actually observed any smithing, the answers I have gotten throughout my travels here are the same; Charcoal. It's the same whereever I have gone, "There's a Smith in the next village, valley, town! What do you need, I take and get fixed!" "No, No, I want to go see the Smith, talk smith buisness with him." "Ohhh... No good sir, no good sir. Bad people in that street, village, valley, town - you no go there! I go I get for you. Special price! You like brother to me..." Yeah, right. Brother you'ld shank if I turned my back on you and you thought you could get away with it. Charcoal is a huge buisness here, as it is in most backwards, last-place-you'ld-want-to-be places. Take care fellows! Albert A Rasch

Fellows, Good point on the condensation, that had slipped my mind. Because they're opened and closed all day long, that's not as big an issue here. But, you get a cold day, with a person working inside, and you can quickly see condensation on the door and window edges. You get three or four guys in there doing something, and the walls get ice crystals/frosted. If you store wet or damp things inside or you have it open throughout a damp day, (or you live in Seattle!) and then seal the doors, the moisture has no place to go. Remember, conexes are xxxx near watertight so if you don't have ventilation, you will have condensation/mosture issues. Once you cut it up though, the issues diminish. It's just like having an unheated garage. You have to protect what's inside. Many of the conexes that you read about have insulating materials sprayed on the outside to minimize the issue. You can't insulate on the inside, unless you do the outside first. Moisture will accumulate between the insulation and the metal wall and cause you no end of problems! Taking that into consideration, you can still come out way ahead, again if you plan for it. Conexes are secure and near indestructable. In some areas they are so inexpensive that even with the caveats we've discussed, they're still a bargain. If power is available, and you use one for storage, consider a dehumidifier. You can also place a exhaust fan in the back and run that off a thermostat/humidistat if it's a weekend shop that sees limited use. Best regards, Albert A Rasch

Fellows, I looked over the anvil forum, and this seemed a better place to put this. I've been corresponding with a good friend of mine for some time now on the relative merits of making your own anvils. It just so happens that several years ago I was the Safety officer on a large industrial construction project, and aquired several small pieces of 4140 plate in 2", 3", and 4" thickneses, in addition to a 6" diameter by 16 inch length solid cylinder of the same material. In our most recent conversation, (which also included ruminations on building a "B" bore (one inch bore) wall gun from high pressure fracking pipe, and the need for a rifling bench if we were to do so,) we were both commiserating over the dearth of a 300 to 500 lbs anvil in our possesion. Being fellows of a creative and adventurous nature, it was decided that we would go to our respective scrap yards and find ourselves some substantial pieces of steel, work them over and make us some for all intents and purposes, a couple of big heavy hornless anvills or big fat striking plates. But as they say, the devil is in the details. Some things are relatively simple, drill a 2 inch hole with a Cole drill from side to side, drill and broach a one inch hardy hole intersecting the 2" hole and another 1/2" one for the pritchel. Milling a radius along one front edge and finishing the striking face and top inch or two of the sides would complete the anvil. Now we get to the sticky part - flip the sucker over, drill and tap two large holes in the bottom and put a couple of eye bolts in. Sling it up on an overhead hoist, and start a good fire in an air fed 55 gallon drum. Get the face portion to non-magnetic, and lift, swing, and dunk in another 55 gal drum of motor oil. Assuming we don't burn the place down or get ourselves killed, the next step is to wait until the boiling stops, which if I recall correctly is about 600 degrees, and then pull it out and swing it into another barrel, this one full of water. Would this be an effective methodology? Or are you guys going to read about the two fifty year old guys who burned themselves to death before burning half a county to ashes? Thanks Again! Albert A Rasch The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles.

That's why it pays to query the experts here... Best Regards, Albert A Rasch

Thank you Neil, I had assumed its durability would be exceptional, after comparing to the other offerings. I've made a couple of makeshift forges in the past, but as i am on a mission to get my youngest interested, I am going to splurge on a few items and minimize some of the difficulties encountered with home brew stuff. That, and I want to build a traditional forge this time. Now, if I could only find a source of met coal I will have the next part of my plan squared away! Thanks again for your time and response!

Well done Gundog, I wish more 17 year olds had the initiative to go and make things happen! Other than not forging at 0600 hrs and waking the neighbors, and can't think of any suggestions. You seem to be thoughtful and purposeful, so you should do alright! Best regards, Albert A Rasch The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles

Fellows, Out here we call it LOGCAPing! LOL! (Logistical Civilian Augmentation Program) Place them square and 24 feet apart. You can order trusses and and roof over the whole thing or a 10 to 20 foot section at a time. comes out way cheaper than a steel building, gives you a 960SF shop between the two conexes, and if you build up the floor with a 5% portland to dirt mix and compact it, you have a virtually indestructible work surface.. Keep one conex as is and use it for storage, and cut into the other one to use it as a machine shop/woodworking shop, or whatever you desire. I've been planning on doing the very same thing when I get home. Best regards! Albert A Rasch The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles

Gentlemen, I am considering,purchasing the this firepot. (Well, almost convinced.) The specifications are as follows: Tuyere has a 4" outlet and mounts in two different direction Weighted ash dump and cast iron clinker breaker Fire Pot 11 inches x 14 inches x 3-1/2 inches cast iron Minimum Thickness 1" In your learned opinions, is this a good firepot for a general purpose forge. I'm thinking my son and I will spend quite a bit of time just learning and making tooling before anything more specialized or intricate ever comes out as anything but burnt metal... I do like that it is heavy duty and apparently built to last a lifetime. Now, forgive my ignorance, but will the inlet/outlet be too large for a hand operated blower? I do not wish to use an electric blower until such time as it is deemed necessary... if ever. I have read in many posts, articles, books, that fire management is the single most important facet of smithing, and a good hand blower helps to reinforce that. Thanks again!

Fellows, Just a quick hail and well met to you all! I've always been interested in smithing, and have accumulated over the last 35 years an assortment of smithing tools. (The Mrs says she has never seen so many hammers in one place!) I have a good anvil, a large post vise, and a few tongs. I've even forged a couple of tools over make-shift forges over the years, but nothing complicated. Now my youngest son needs to be involved in something creative and worthwhile, and smithing may well be the introduction into a noble craft, as opposed to some other less than ideal vocation. So the impetus has struck me to build a shop and get him involved. I am in the fortunate position to be able to equip a shop resonably well, but I am loath to just build it and say, "Well, here it is!" I think there is greatt value in building up slowly, and making what you need as part of an overall education. Making a set of tong halves, punching the pivot hole, and riveting it properly is an accomplishment in and of itself, in addition to completing a needed tool. I'm looking forward to reading and contributing what I can in the future. I've already learned quite a bit from reading a few posts, and I am certain there's much more to learn! Thanks again!