sandpile

Never let it be said that you Aussies do not have enthusiasm(sp). it takes a lot of want to, to have fun in these conditions. I have Rodeoed on this kind of ground conditons. You worry more about a bull or horse falling on you, than him bucking you off.BOG. Chuck

If a few more people would have the desire for knives, I could have me a big swage block. I now have three anvils, one light enough to carry around and two for the shop. Well, I have another ASO that is ten lbs and sits on the knife bench.Grin. I have SWABA swage block spoke for but have not gotten it as yet. Chuck

RICK-- It may be too late to add my two-bits. Use the least force you have to. Meaning, go with the WD40 or alcohol to start with. Pipe cleaners afterward and then maybe another soak. Good luck chuck

Wood tick- All the above is is mostly right. BUUTT-- Lefthanded JOHN simplified it for you. If you have no tongs to handle something like this. Weld a handle on it and go for it. Just remember what JOHN said. chuck

MCraigl-- At least you still have your priorotys in perspective. Just don't forget about the fishing and hunting. Forges are meant for the winter, when the snow is hip deep. I forged a W2 blade a few minutes ago. 102 in the barn and had the forge going for about 30 minutes. That was plenty for me.grin. Put the blade in the annealing bucket and run for the A/C. Welcome aboard. chuck Bennett

Hello Bob-- On your vice repairs. Take that sucker to a monthly meeting of your peers. All of you look it over and chunk it in a good coal forge, heat her up till you think it is ready to weld and heavy hammer the jaws to match what you drew on a work table. Take the cold beer with you and celebrate when it is back where you want it.GRIN. have a gooden chuck

RICK--You are showing the signs of some one wanting to experience an adventure. This is the same the thing that pushed our Western border all the way to the Pacific ocean. Nothing new about this. I have been problemed with the same feelings for the entire span of my life. The first and foremost thought to carry with you. At all times when studying, learning, and putting to use. Your new skills are to be tempered with your own common sense. Remember that the strongest card in your deck is common sense. Keep in mind that some of the so called Gurus of the wild will over load you with hype. You can learn from everyone of them but you will need to keep your own counsel on what is probable and feasible. I have hunted and fished all my life. I have been caught out in horrible weather. Capsized canoes in bad water. Been in the Pine forested mountains when a fire isolated us. Got out of that one by finding a mountain meadow wide enough to keep the fire away from us. The meadow eventually burned, but we were able to move around on it, till we could cross back over the burned out area. Close, but common sense got us out of that one. I take several of the outdoor magazines. I like the OUTDOOR LIFE real well. In this months issue(AUG) there is an article on survival. I just glanced at it but will read it tonight. Good luck--Good commom sense to you. P.S. The list of survival equiptment above is good. Add to that a colored book of edible plants. Chuck

AUSSIES hey It is good to see so many folks from different countries showing up. Y'all are sho-nuff welcome. Put up some of your work. It might be a little diferent than what the rest of us are.doing. Welcome chuck

ED- I went back and re-read the entire power-hammer topic. Either I was on the wrong page, or I did not interpretate it the way you did. Lots of good info. My time was not wasted.grin. Chuck

JIM-- That is the type of pattern welding I am interested in. It has a central theme to focus on with a definte steel for a cutting edge. Beautiful work. Thanks chuck

RIVER-GAZER. First off we have no desire to disconect from you . Secondly-- You need to go to BOB ENGATHS tutorials and DON FOGGS same. A pleasant alternate route would be to purchase Dr. JIM'S books and bone-up on them. These two sites, and books will stop all your misconceptions and get you started on a successful blade-making trip. Could last a liftime if pursued in the proper sequence. Good luck Chuck

ARCHIE--Welcome and glad you got your citizens papers this year. Congrats. to you. There is no way that I can say how much this country and the folks that fought to get it and the ones that fought to keep it, means to me and my family. At 65 I still get goose bumps every time the flag comes by or they play the National anthem. Greatest feeling on Earth. Chuck Bennett

IRNSRGN--Whom, besides your esteemed self, belongs to the PBA and how much activity do you expect on the forum?? I might be able to go to some of the events, if it is not too far North and East. chuck

RIVER-GAZER--Me thinks you have kissed the 'BLARNTY STONE'. Having ago at the humorus side of life. Grin Chuck

DAWN I hope and pray for y'all to remember all the good and caring that Ralph put forth. I don't know how you could have a better Angel over looking your family. GOD BLESS. Chuck/HELEN

IRN-- What if I sneak in here. Me not being a member.grin. You going to have run me off or can I visit/post without being a member?? Chuck P.S.How much and how often are the dues. Do you accept Carta Blanc, American Express.(they are still availible aren't they)Grin. seriously,, tell us about your group... Chuck

Mcraigl-- I know what you mean. I am that way everytime I go to JIM KEITH'S shop in TUCUMCARI N.M. He assumes a lot. He assumes I know of what he is speaking.Grin. I have learned a bunch from him, but am just now getting to where most of what he says soaks in. Until I had been at this b.s.ing for a couple of years, a lot of what he was showing and telling me was NOT comprehended. I wish I could go back through some of the earlier sessions. That is how you learn. Pick up a little at a time till finally a light comes on. Chuck

MCRAIG-- You just keep pudling along. Looks to me like you have a working pard. MIKE is not going to let you go far wrong. You can get the flap-wheels in finer grit for the 4". Just keep on keeping on and you will be there before you know it. I would quench the tie-rod in oil first,(could be 5160 or 9260 if from a newer model) then if it does not harden to suit you, try hot water. Draw(temper) it pretty hard. I would not want the blade any harder than a middle 50s or so. A little longer grind on th edge. not quite so abrupt an angle. Looks Great to me. Good luck. chuck

HOLLIS-- Ole Pard--Go to Admiral Steel. Order some O1 in 1/16" thickness and make your own. Using the Wedding blades for patterns. You can make just as good a knife as Heinkels. Proflie your blade and and go ahead and heat-treat it. Then with a slack bucket right beside you, grind/sand the edge into it. Dunking it in the water after every pass. Don't color the steel at all. Drill for pin holes before hardening. Use good epoxy on everything holes, pins, steel and wood. wipe off excess and clamp it up. Grind the handle accept your hugs.Grin. Chuck

Could not find the way to the razors.Grin. I have made razors with deer horn handles. I use O1 or A2 steel and hollow grind them just like a fine hunting knife. They are the simplest cutting instrument to make. Just have to figure where and how long the notch in handle needs to be. Chuck

I have seen wood and steel ground on the same grinders and sucked out the same hose. If you are afraid of it, you should put a varible speed on the vaccum and slow it down for the steel. After it cools turn it up. If you have as much as eight foot from the closest grinder to the pot it should not be a problem. My 2 cents worth. Chuck

LEAH-- Heart felt condolances for your family. It is great that you are comfortable with your DADS passing. I hope your MOM can be so fortunate. He must have been quite a man to leave his daughter with some many good thoughts and memorys. Our thoughts and prayers will be with you folks. GOD BLESS Chuck

Mine is a bit different than most. I have 40x50 barn and the knifeshop(12x24) is in South East corner of the barn. Blacksmithing, forging, bladesmithing part is in the front and west side of the barn. So we have a shop and barn.Grin. You don't even want to know what the back of the barn looks like.BOG. Kinda looks like someone landed the PIPER in it.grin. Chuck

GAREY-- You got to like this one. Nice knife, nice sheath, good finish work on both. Congrats on a slick job. Chuck

PASS-DOWN hatchets. When I was a teenager. There was an old blacksmith in our hometown. Where we traded(Dumas Tx). I had rode a colt for his sons kids. This was a good family and I did not charge them for the training of the colt. The old man asked me what kind of axe or hatchet I had. He looked at it and said "That won't do". He went to the pile in behind his forge and picked up a piece of what looked to me like scrap. He put it in the forge and started shaping it. Told me to break three inches off of a shoing rasp and grind the the teeth off. In just a few minutes he had upset the middle and wrapped it, drifted his handle hole back out. After flatting the rasp, he the wedged it in and forge welded it up. Roughed it in on the anvil with a flatter. Stuck apiece of wire through the hole, handed it to me and said "Take it home and grind, file and sand it to suit you and bring it back for the tempering and draw. Maybe thirty/forty minutes total time for him. I remember he brought the whole head up to color and quenched it. I re-sanded the head and he drew the whole head back to a purple color. This would have been in the middle fifties. It was the best hatchet I ever owned and it was stolen the first night I was in DALHART, After I moved here from N.M. Sad, but thats life. Chuck