Brian C.

Coal Forge,

I know that I am overlooking the obvious, but could you give a little more info or photos on how you did the clamp?

How is the tubing positioned before striking?

Thanks for bearing with me. :?

Glad you werent hurt Jr. Think of how much worse you would have been embarressed if they had called all of your friends in the big red trucks to come and get you. :oops:

Gobblerforge,

Maybe "Honest " Bob Cruickshank could incorporate a bolt chiseling contest into the saturday nite forging festivities at QS? :lol:

My surgery went well . Having a spinal was a weird new experience. Hope this works because the pain after the fact has been a real buster :cry:

Getting a little better each day. :wink:

I will be having my 6th knee surgery monday. They are going to transplant some of the good cartiledge in the knee to fill in the damaged areas of same. The good side is that they are supposed get good results . The down side is no shop time for 6-10 weeks :x

Meco- If I remember correctly (and that is at best a WAG :wink: ) you chisel a line down the center of all 4 sides for the length of the area to be twisted. Then make a full twist, then hammer it back to square, then chisel your lines again, and twist in the opposite direction. As I said, I am working from memory here, your mileage may vary. Good luck.

Dan,

Sounds like you have a nice set-up going. Just a piece of advice for what its worth, my Dad was a self-employed craftsman fro 50 years and he still says that he wished he had gotten to college.

Got back from Quad State this afternoon. Had a fine time as usual. Really enjoyed the new short 1 hr. demos that they set-up this year.

Saw a lot of old acquaintences & met some new ones. Saw a few name tags I recognized, but didnt get a chance to meet (Ed Thomas & Beecher Allen, maybe next year). 8)

I am junking an old lawn mower & was curious as to what type of steel these are & if it would be any good for forging :?:

Hang in there Ralph. Cathy & I are still pulling for you.

Wifes surgery went fine. No problems. In & out in 2 hrs. :D

Ed,

I will be there. I will be the fat guy, with gray hair & mustache wearing jeans & a Dickies cap. Should be easy to find, Huh? :roll:

Taking the wife up for her 1st knee surgery this morning. Me being the veteran of 5 of them, I have been coaching her. :lol:

Has anyone made any plans for the Paw Paw Wilson Memorial toast/ceremony at Quad State that has been talked about here & the other sites :?:

Flying to Chicago this afternoon, #1 son is graduating from Great Lakes Navy boot camp in the morning. :D

Jr. that looks pretty neat. Any chance of doing a blueprint on the critters? :D

Been there. Last fall I was sitting at a red light and some clown rear ended me. I saw him coming, but had no where to go. He told me, " I own that restaurant there and I was just looking at the window to see my wife". I replied, "No you werent, you were on the xxxx cell phone, because I was watching you in my mirror". At least he admitted it at that point & we settled it on the spot.

Words Edited

Well said, Chief.

Does anyone have any ideas on reducing scaling. My NC Tool Whisper Momma is bad to scale up the stock, & the thinner the stock-the worse the scale.

I do not wear gloves either as a rule. I tried a leather glove on my hammer hand one time and as it became worn and slicker, at one point the hammer came out of my hand & flew across the shop (could have been just bad beginner technique :oops: ). Like JimG, I often use a big weldors glove on my tong hand when holding a punch or chisel.

This is just my preference, your mileage may vary. 8)

Some months back I posted a note reference the wifes 13 year old cousin with lymphoma. We lost him at 12:30 a.m. yesterday. Prayers for the family would be appreciated.

My other post regarding the passing of Jim Wilson prety well covers it, but I would like to add a few things.

He was a constant source, sometimes daily, of information about blacksmithing. I had a million questions for him.

We talked on the phone & compared notes regarding our time in law enforcement.

I was honored when he found out that I was a Freemason, and thought enough of me to send me his step-fathers Masonic jewelry.

When his book was published, he unsolicited gave me a copy with a wonderful inscription.

Although we only met face to face on two occasions, he was my mentor in this hobby of ours.

It was my great privelege to have known him, I wish it could have been longer.

It would be my honor to participate. Keep us informed.

Jim Wilson was the first blacksmith I ever corresponded with. After our first e-mail contact I mentioned that my wife was having cancer surgery the following week. Within an hour he was back with an e-mail asking when & where her surgery was. He told me "you tell your wife that come tues. morning, there will be a crusty old blacksmith in Winston-Salem down on his knes praying for her and the surgeon"

That my friends is the kind of man my dear friend Jim Wilson was.
We have been in almost constant contact for four years and I will miss him so bad.

Dawn AND yourself are on the list Ralph. You know that I am the spouse of a survivor & it was tough , but I cant imagine the stress of being the patient instead. Hang in there. :D

Hang in there Jim, Cathy & I are pulling for you.