Momatt

Last night this was me and my son talking. "No son I will not play watch discuss or attempt to understand minecraft ( a computer game). I will however help you make a pick tomorrow and you can go mine gold in the creek or other peoples yards, but I get 1/3 of the gold. He shrewdly bargained me down to half the gold ( we better practice fractions).

Frosty those are Astm sized biscuits (Shelby tube) :-)

Well I was rendering lard yesterday, which leads to biscuits, which leads to me needing a biscuit cutter.

We run the CME auto hammers (CHain driven drop hammers). I haven't seen a rope and cathead use in many years though the rigs still come with the cathead.

Frosty you have a keen eye, AWJ split spoon for sampling. I was tempted to touch it with the file while on the lathe, but all those cobble score make it real, I just shined it with a cork belt. Thanks.

For me one of the best things about being a blacksmith is the ability to make tools you want. My boss is retiring and the company got him a large 16-inch wood lathe as a retirement gift. I wanted to give him something from me so I decided to make him a large roughing gouge. I used some 1/4 inch 5160. Forged out a tang got the roll started in a swage block and rolled it up on the anvil face. Its 1-3/4 inside the flutes. I turned a handle out of a chunk of cherry and used a cutting shoe from a drill rig sampler for the ferrule. Our company is a drilling and engineering company so using a company artifact so to speak adds some mojo. I quenched in hot veggie oil and tempered the edge to not quite straw while burning in the tang. Cuts pretty good these large chisels are great to tuck under your arm while you are getting a large irregular chunk round for safety.

I forged this out by hand, 3/8 inch on spine tapers all the way To edge, lots of heats to forge down the handle. I think I could split a beef carcass with it. Probably behead a few chickens, useless for much but fun to make. It's heavy.

Cool. I can't get 5160 to forge weld very well, at least to itself

What a great project, good work.

I needed to build an apple butter stirring paddle. Stirring the thick mash while cooking puts a lot of strain on the paddle handle joint. I took a old u bolt of a cultivator frame, stretched it out, forged a penny scroll and split the end. I think it made a very functional attractive little brace.

Ivan I think I used wrong terminology. I saw the same video tour, a huge fast press in stations forges it out in several steps. There is no hand work except in the final clean up though the smiths do initial their work. My carving axe and mini hatchet both have L.P. On them. I carve spoons and love the Swedish carving axe.

Brother asked for a short poker for his wood stove. Forged out a rams head poker scored before the twist and forge welded a loop and cut it for the end. Squished out a piece of 7/8 hex crow bar into the bulldog. Forge welding went good today on the faggot weld and on the loop. Boy when it takes you know instantly. Fun day at the forge

I have two gransfors and a john neeman axe. Gransfors are drop forged in large presses, neeman is Hand forged though they do have a power hammer. Frosty step up to the plate and make him one.

A mouse infestation can be so source of fun. I trapped one last winter using a miniature bear trap key chain with 3/4 inch jaw spread. I made a silly video of the antics. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6w6gWyvLYtY

Piece off a weed wacker turned into a schnauzer opener

Here are a few I made. I got a request for an aredale once a friend saw the bulldog. My bulldog following Lyle 's pattern. Not so good as his but reminds me of my dear departed bulldog Bernice.

After reading this great thread I tried a few. The rams head one will go to my nephew since he like rams heads and is also turning 21 next week.

I needed a brace for an apple butter stirring paddle I am making for use in a 40 gallon copper kettle. I got the brace idea from Bart at wolfshield forge. Used a u bolt off a 70 year old cultivator frame. I can make it good but not pretty.

I just found aspery has a great instructive video showing how to do this. Thanks for the steer.

I am going to try this. Is the top ring tapered to match the radius of the kettle?

Hi all, I want to make a stand to hold a 20-gallon copper kettle over an open fire to make traditional apple butter. It looks like antique stands usually had angled bar stock support that matched the angle of the pot taper such that you dropped it in from the top and the taper grabbed it. Since the copper is thin and has a lot of weight I think it is important to spread that force out vs having it all bear on a piece of round stock. This is an interesting problem to forge that ring and I don't know how to go about it. I guess if I calculate the upper and lower circumferences needed I could cut out triangles until the remaining length that was left in the lower circumference was what I calculated then bend each shut. Does anyone know the traditional method to do this? I imagine barrel hoops are a similar problem.

Profiles forged, bevels ground. 0.25 inch 5160. Mammoth ivory scales. Presents for an uncle and a cousin who have the same birthday. Since they are thick and short I tempered lightly should be very hard 6o to 62. I hope they will stay sharp to skin several deer at a go.

Whoa John, I did save those bones, I have 3, maybe I'll try that for laughs

Fellas I could use some suggestions. I successfully slit or punched through a 3 inch thick bar I want to make an axe. I made an eye drift but its wider than my one inch hardy hole by a good bit. I do not have a swage block. any suggestions to drive the drift through? I have a small post vise.

Nice work. I have made some small basket froes from rasps. I cannot get leaf spring to forge weld. Do I see the tell tale signs of mr Lincoln on your weld? You may find you use it more than you think. I rive all my tool handles before heading to the shave horse or lathe.