sandpile

Shrine- good looking working dog. Alert and inquisitive. Shows quite a bit of Dingo, huh.

Chuck.

LEAH--Call Sid's daughter. She is one of the nicest folks you will get to visit with on a business phone. She has a list right in front of her. You can get the number over on JOCKS PLACE.

Chuck

They have pretty well covered everything except the ram/toggle slots.

Where the toggle bolts are pushed in and twisted to pull up into the ram. There are oil holes for the dripped oil to get to the T part of the toggles. On a lot of these old hammers, these slots where the toggle bolts ride in the ram wear up into the ram. Every older unrenovated hammer I have seen has too much wear in these ram/toggle slots, to tune them right.

I have an older 50 with the same problem.

Chuck

This post has nothing to do with Andrews posts. It is more along the line of Gobblerforges comments.

I have always been interested in training horses and dogs. Starting out at a VERY young age.

I moved to Santa Fe NM. when I was eighteen and about a year later met an OLD codger. He had been in the U.S. Calvary since a teenager. Retiring when they kicked him out. He was about 80 or so when I met him.

After he finally decided I was legit, wanting to learn all I could. He started talking. Telling me things that never had occured to me. He was continuely stating that he did not know much about training horses. He was amazing in the amount of knowledge he casually dispensed, in a conversational manner. ---meaning-- if you were not alert and paying attention you might miss what he was wanting you to see and understand.
Completely changed my outlook on training anything. Kids, horses, dogs, friends, and my wife when I married.

After 55 years or so of training things. I now understand what he meant, when stating he did not know much. The more you learn-- the more you realize that you do not know much after all.

Just some thoughts

Chuck Bennett

I don't know just how much to put in this. We are also doing this over on the Don Fogg site.

I was born into a ranching family that did enough farming to feed the livestock. My Grandad was a forced blacksmith. Meaning we could not afford to have our stuff fixed.

My family and friends are my primary concerns. I spend abit of time taking care of them. But it seems like they are always doing more for me.

After reaching manhood, I did any thing for a honest living. Including horse training, horse shoeing, and gathering wild horses.GRIN. I had a pet horse that went unbeaten in a horse race for ten years. He is the one that gave me my start in business. I packed, guided, outfitted for deer, elk , bear, and mountain lions. Later getting in the oil and gas retail and wholesale business.

All this time I continued to have a set of cows(ranching). I have had places in Tx, Nm, and Mo. This is my alltime favorite business.

I make knives , spurs, buckles and bits. Have started to get more serious about the blacksmithing. But as usual with me, I spread myself too thin to be a master at any thing.

I now work 20 hours a week for the prison system here in the panhandle of TX. This furnishes the health ins. that has went out sight.

Chuck Bennett

MILLS welcome.--I did not realize you had not been posting over here. Glenn and JR. and the others make this site worth visting.

Welcome aboard.

Chuck

P.S. Helen and I made it 43 years as of the 12th. BOY-- time flies when you get interested in your work.BOG.

SHRINE, I am in your debt. Many thanks for the hours of enjoyment that I will have reading the Banjo mans story telling.

When as a young and very foolish man, I too did not know how to pull the slack from a set of bridal reins.

In the different places, that we gathered horses it seems that they still make idle talk of when the bunch I ran with were running the broomtails. They let on like I was the one to go to the front, but in reality, it was the horse that I was blessed to have at that time. He would stay on his feet in the roughest of pursuit. Always striving to go to the front and bend the loose horses to make them go inside the drift fences that we had set up.

He was truly a courageous animal. I saw him run with out a spur or quirt, until he was blowing a red mist from his nostrils. If this was before he got the wild bunch headed and I pulled him up, he would fight his head in an attempt to stay in the chase.

A man is blessed only once in three liftimes with a horse of this caliber.

Two of my co-horts, from long ago, called after seeing the Snowy River film. Saying that it reminded them of my old horse flying off a N.M. mountain.Grin. Sure glad he did not go down.

Thanks again

Chuck

MONICA-- How her you doing?? Still thinking and praying about you. Let us know how you are doing.

Chuck

Me being what I am. Cowman, horsetrainer, father and grandfather. I have to go with the one John Wayne made with all the kids. I can't think of the cooks name off hand, but he did a superb job in carrying the kids. One of the kids in the that movie went on to be a nine times world champion roper.

I caught mustangs back when I was young and REALLY liked The Man From Snowey River.

The other movie that this same young man made was PHARLAP or something close to that and he was just as impressive in it.

Chuck

Good for you, Freddy.

You got lucky on this one.. Probably you are pretty well up on your people skills. You might consider giving the man in the store some of piece of your work just show him you are proud of him.GRIN.

Chcuk

DR JIM Hello-- I have some 2" or so diameter shafting in 12" length. It probably is 4350 or 41 40 or some such number. I might be able to find out exactly what it is. It came out of a feed truck in the feedyard.

You can have a couple of pieces, just for the freight. If you are interested.

Glad to see JULIUS up and running.

Chuck Bennett

HELLO, GERALD FRANKLIN--Glad to see you join our group of BSers(blacksmiths too)GRIN. I was wondering when you might chime in. Glad to have you aboard.

I do some blacksmithing and spurmaking, but really have more experience in the knife making field. I have more experience with a cow or horse than anything else. I started all this other when I got too stove-up to take care of my place and livestock, like I wanted.

I don't know where everybody has been for the last day or so. If they had seen your post, they would have come right back.

I am planing on coming down to your place for the March meeting. I think maybe Jr. Strasil from NEB., and Tommy Dean from down in the edge of Tx, along with your own Larry Mills will be there also. They are on this forum and over on the Forgemagic.com site, also.

My life long(53 years) friend lives over close to Durant. He is also a registerd Angus breeder. His name is Sam Adams and his wifes name is Sammy Jo. They have been down there fourteen years. You probably have run into him or heard of them. They are good folks to know.

Hope to see you on the 18th of March.

Chuck Bennett

You may have some age on you if--You can remember seeing the old men arguing over the seats on the bench at the court house and post office. So they could watch the women get out of the suicide doored cars.Grin.

You might be old if you can remember how the ol bittys talked about the new girl in church. "DID you SEE the LIPSTICK SHE was wearing??"

Those same ole biddys would fall out, today.GRIN.

If you are old enough to remember going to the show, drinking a coke and eating popcorn-- all for the grand total price of a quarter.

Chuck

Monica-- We have you covered.

Good luck.

Chuck and Helen.

You might be little long-toothed if you waited every week for the Louisanna Hayride to come on the radio.

You might be a little aged if your favorite all time comedian was RED SKELTON.grin.

You might be older than dirt if you can remember rolling around on the rug(before carpet) laughing at AMOS & ANDY. Coming through on the battery powered radio.

You might have some age on you if --You at one time thought someone from OKLAHOMA was from JAPAN.GRIN.

Chuck Bennett

HAPPY NEW YEARS from the Pandhandle of Texas.

JR. Ole Pard. That is right, every piece of it.

I have a boy working in the ER at the biggest hospital in San Angelo Tx.

A little closer to home. In 1976 our home burned, not completely because the train finally got off the crossing. I contributed pretty good to the volunteer fire dept. in our small town. These guys managed to save a lot of stuff for us. Things that you can not buy back. They appologised for the delay of the train. I told them no-problem, you got here faster than I thought was possible.

My appr. does not stop there. Five years ago I woke up at five in the morning, knowing I was having a different type of heart attack. I had had the crushing pain types, this sucker was going up my neck!! I had read in the medical books that this is how some Main(Widow Maker) Arota blockages start out.

SCOTT LEATHERWOOD the head of our EMT/INSTRUCTOR just happened to be on the Meat Wagon. This young man is at the top of his game. He and his helper JENNY KIBBY came ten miles out fetched me to the local Hospital. Buttoned up the hatches and got ready for what was coming. PA. SEAN GREENE and A local Doc., RANDY HERRING. All came in and started setting up for a tough fight. I knew enough to know that all the folks that had recieved recognition for their expertise were in the ER.GRIN Little did I know. This started ten miles from town--then 70 airmiles to Amarillo.

I coded twice on them and they finally got me stable enough to attempt a Life-Flight. I coded on the little guy in the blue jumpsuit. he radioed back to home that he had lost me. Then changed frequences to match AMARILLO ER. He Shot E&E to me and give me three shocks. I made it back long enough for them to land and get a stent in place. Because of his last transmission to Dalhart, I have taken quite a bit of teasing--thanks to the LORD.GRIN

Thanks to a well established game plan, a great gang of young men and women. The GOOD LORDS help and the luck of the Irish. I made it through for my family and especially a five year old Grandson.

My family and I have special place in our hearts for the folks that devote a very large amount of their life to helping others. They do this because there is a need for them and they are strong enough to stand the stress and the strain on their personal lives.

I just thank the LORD everytime I hear the sirens. I know who is on the different vehicles and know they have went away from home for a lot of their training. Hours and hours of practice in their different jobs of fire and rescue.

These folks cannot be comended enough.

I too am going to put this in the local paper. Thanks.

Chuck Bennett

For the life of me, I can't understand a lot of the guys talkng about my wife will not let-I have to wait until the right time- She can't know about it. For the most part I think they are just putting out some Bull.GRIN

I have carried everything from a four-year old Billy goat to to a fifty lb Little Gaint home and never thought about asking anybody if it was alright. I know not to go the the girlie bars or break-wind in church. But for the most part I don't have to worry about what Mom is going to think about something.

If the price tags get a little high, I might hear, better let up for a little while.BOG.

Chuck

JAMES-- I am totally in the dark on this one.

I am sure that is why no-one has responded. maybe some one will see it an answer later.

Sorry

Chuck

JR.-- I hope I did not upset you. I kiped your poem and put it up on the ForgeMagic Blacksmith Forum.

It was tooo good to leave it on just one forum. Let me know if I need to start wearing a football helmet and shinguards.Grin.

Thanks

Chuck.

I can make a passable approach to most techniques, but my welds are all still Millers. :roll: :roll:

Hello JR.-- I hope that is not TIO'S thumb/hand.

That is a pretty nasty cut for a piece of angle iron.

Chuck

UP SWEEP on blades. You did not give us much info for the replys.-- We have to assume that you are working in the smaller sizes.

WOODY is right for the first stages of the drawing the metal down to start looking like a knife blade. After you have gotton your basic shape of the knife profiled and you are ready to start drawing the bevel down the sides.

Reach across the anvil and put about 20 to 28 degree forward or down drop in the blade. Do this just about an inch or so in front of what is called the riccasso. As you draw your bevel out this will work the bend back out of the blade.

THOMAS is right in the final stages of shaping the blade. you can straighten a small bow by turning your blade on its back and gently tapping the bow out of it. The spine has to be yellowish orange to start, letting the edge drop some heat before you do this and the back will still be a red, be real gentle with your leading edge. When you let the color run out of the edge it is tougher and will not mushroom so easily.

Another word to the wise always forge thick and grind thin--ALWAYS. You will have to normalize the blade a couple or three times and anneal it before you start your hardening procedure.

That will keep it from warping so bad.GRIN.

Good luck.

Chuck

It has been a pretty hectic time around here.
One pair of spurs to a feed lot cowboy in Spearman Tx. Done
one pair of spurs to a real good kid in Goodwell. Ok.--Done
Six Conchos in progress for the local saddle-maker. 50 % done
Buckles for the same with a total of six. 50% done
Knife to San Angelo Tx. --Done
Knife to Ft. Worth. Tx. ---Done
Knife to Camargo, Chi. Mex.---Done
Half-a -dozen each of nutcrackers and steakflippers.(Kinfolks gifts) 30% Done

I am always glad when XMAS is OVER. I just wish the folks would order some of the stuff in July.BOG.

Chuck

JR. Tell CARRIE we still have the prayers going up for her.

It seems there has been a nice turn-around since we last heard any of the news.

Congrats and GOD BLESS

Chuck

J. F> I have you and the rest of your large faimly on my list.

Thank GOD that you have been blessed with such a large group of family. I am sure they will continue to hold you and help you through this trying time.

May GOD stay with you .

Chuck