mesquiteforge

Just built my new shop and I have a roadrunner that likes to pick up bugs that had been attracted to the lights from the previous night...he poked his head in the shop today-he may have liked my choice in music-but he's kinda fun to have around...along with a bunch of deer(whitetail and axis), a few foxes, opossums, raccoons, porcupines, skunks and a infinite supply of scorpions and redheaded centipedes..

I have always used a light coat of food safe mineral oil applied to warm/hot stock. Vegetable based oils can get rancid if not used for a period of time and cause off flavors in the food in some cases. The mineral oil I use is made to treat cutting boards and butcher blocks.

Awesome start!!! I have the running gear from a late 1800's Deere Wagon that was used on a local ranch. I have plans to do a similar project and build a chuckwagon...just trying to find the time and energy to make it happen. I'm looking forward to seeing your project through to completion.. Keep up the good work!!

I found a cordura(nylon) farriers apron with leather patches on the thighs a few years ago. I bought it on ebay from user "rjshoeing", in Waller, Texas. It was under $60-70. I have tried full bib aprons and it is just too blasted hot here in South Texas to wear a full leather apron. For most light forging I just rough it out in my jeans or Carhardts.

I go with the idea of painting all of my equipment in the same colors. When you go to hammer-ins it makes it easier to see whose stuff is what when it comes time to pack up and leave. I painted my forge red and black(Krylon Crimson Red and High Heat Black) and paint the handles of my tongs, hammers, turning tools, etc. red. I have a Champion Blower on a Buffalo Forge. I have no clue what the original colors were, but generally think that they would have been the basic colors-black, red, green, blue-like the first cars.

I took a lot of Agriculture Mechanics classes as electives in high school. I had been around welding my whole life, but never had any experience with galvanized. My instructor gave me a pile of pipe and asked me to make him some gates. I could weld like the wind blows-especially with the brand new Miller MIG welder and auto darkening helmet. I was welding in the back corner of the shop in an area that was not ventilated. I built six 16 foot gates and two 12 foot gates in about a hour and a half of work. I was in great physical shape at that point in my life. In fact, I had to travel that evening to an out of town basketball game-about 3 hours from home-on a school bus. Less than 2-3 hours after welding, I felt dizzy and nauseous. By the time the basketball game was over I could barely stand up. I had trouble breathing, felt like I had a D8 dozer parked on my chest, and felt like I could throw up any second. Symptoms were almost flu like. Every joint in my body ached. After riding on the darn school bus all night and fighting the urge to hurl- I finally did throw up when we got back home about 1 a.m. I continued to be sick all night and well into the weekend. I can tell you from experience, this is one mistake that I will never make again. It does not matter what type of metal/material you are heating, cutting, grinding or welding-you must operate in a WELL VENTILATED AREA and if at all possible avoid using highly hazardous materials to construct projects. In this day and age there are great resources for respirators(especially if operating in a confined area) and venting devices (simplest of which is a box fan). If you are required by your job duties to work with these materials-then in many instances your employer is required to supply or compensate you for proper PPE. OSHA/ANSI have standards covering this topic in great depth. When handling a gun-always treat it as if it is loaded-so when welding treat every metal and consumable as if it will kill you with one whiff. As with many other topics-Prevention is the best medicine.....Sorry for being long winded-but this one hits close to home for me!

Hell-Advice is why I am here....I consider myself to be a sponge-floating around where ever I can and soaking up as much knowledge as possible. You never, ever, stop learning. In this craft-you can glean ideas from the most unlikely places. I am relatively young-a lot of people my age talk too much and do not realize what great amounts of knowledge surround them. Welcome any advice-regardless of how it comes to you.

Westin La Cantera-the only hotel I have ever been lost in...It is a really nice place-but built like a maze. My previous employer had company parties there several times per year. I am not a golfer, but I drove a golf cart around the course-pretty incredible stuff. It may be too cold in January, but they have one hell of a resort type pool too. Probably the nicest hotel in San Antonio. Have fun and safe travels.

There are a few of the members of Balcones Forge in Central Texas that have acquired them through William Bastas over the years. I had the pleasure of using one at a Houston Area Blacksmith Assn. Fall Forgefest. It was a very well balanced and well thought out hammer that belonged to the President of the Balcones Forge group(Rudy). I did not have my Hofi at the time so it was hard to compare after use. Both have their merits and are somewhat similar in design. The piened end of the hammer head is more tapered on the Bastas hammer and is easier to get into nooks and crannies when doing delicate work. Great hammer-congrats on owning one-kind of like a "Holy Grail" of blacksmithing hammers.:cool:

I have been planning a small shop for some time. My plan-which may work for you-is to build the shed on strong enough timbers to support the entire structure without relying on the strength of the walls. Then the walls will be hinged on top to allow them to be pushed open-giving you and extra 7-9 feet in each direction when the walls are propped up and you are working. When you are done, pull everything inside, drop the walls and it's secure against the elements and theft. In my climate, the open walls provides plenty of ventilation too. My brother-in-law built a hunting cabin similar to this idea and it works really well. If I can get some pics, I will do so, but it could be a while.....

Klein Tool's Lineman's Canvas Buckets are great for hammers, tongs, punches, chisels, etc. Copyrighted photos replaced by a link