arkie

If you have skunks in the area, a different kind of trap is used (shaped like a tube to restrict their "spray" ability), but then you can't forecast the errant Pepe le Pew wandering into the area...... That remedy requires a method not suited for family forum.

SinDoc, for bait I use some tuna or salmon from an expired can (we don't eat much of that), peanut butter, bad hamburger meat, anything smelly and/or attractive to a carnivore. They were climbing a pole and tearing up one of my bird feeders, so I guess sunflower seeds would work too! Randy, I have caught coons up to about 40# and the Havaharts withstood all their anger and abuse.

Don't "sell yourself short" as the saying goes. You might just be a better smith than you realize. If a potential buyer is happy with the appearance, quality, functionality, etc. of whatever you might have made, then the buyer is the one you need to please. Go ahead and take the leap and sell some of your stuff. You will feel gratified that you have forged something that another would like to possess and the buyer goes away happy. I tell folks that if they are unhappy with their purchase of something I have made, to bring it back and I will do my best to make it right.

Sounds like that ole coon just needed a glass of milk! In all seriousness, get a Havahart coon trap. They are great. I have two and use them all the time with problem coons in our area. I take the trapped ones about 2 miles away and turn them loose at a place near a creek.

Jennifer, thanks for the info. I suspect now that some of us who may run across some WI we might have thought was "trash" and beyond help may now turn it into "treasures", LOL

Great idea.. congrats on getting it marketed. Now.....design some more with different radii for different dishing projects!!!!!!

Beautiful hammer! Jennifer, just curious...is it possible to work that badly corroded and rusted WI back to usable stock? It would take a lot of work at welding heat and most would be lost I assume.

Charles, I haven't heard that term used for decades....my Mom had one!! When I was in the service living off base in San Antonio, we did our laundry at a place that had a big sign over the door..."The Warsh House", LOL. (We always called it the warsh house, too!).

That's a great price even with a somewhat low BTU and high ash content. According to sources here on IFI, the Phoenix Mine in Vinita, OK is "importing" Utah coal to OK (since they are not mining now) and selling it for $225/ton......the Phoenix Mine price pre-shutdown had been around $70-$75/ton

The one thing that grinds on me is advertising. In many cities, there is ONLY ONE (often called a monopoly) electric utility, gas company, phone company, cable company (if cable is offered), and/or internet provider. WHY do they have to advertise a monopoly??? It only serves to add to the cost of utilities. Why not have a monopoly divert their advertising costs toward a reduction in rates?? (off soapbox....)

Thomas, sounds like your electric co-op is run by folks who have climbed to the apex of the Peter Principle pyramid....

I bet moose hide is one tough leather!!!

Considering how cats dig and bury their poop, claws to me are close to being lethal for starting infections! Some things the outside cats eat make their teeth about the same. When I got cat scratches from our cats, I treated them with the medical barrage. Hoping for fast healing, Frosty.

What DAS and Randy just said.....There are plenty of youtube videos out there showing what can happen when disassembling strut assemblies without the proper tooling/equipment and experience....saw one that shot out of a shop bay door, across the parking lot and through a parked car door.

I don't know if they are still selling any of the old wrought iron from the Old Globe grain storage elevators, but it might be worth dropping them a line of inquiry. I appears from their web site that they are currently only marketing the wood from the elevators. Google "old globe wood". There is an inquiry place on the web page. I bought several pieces from them several years ago. Their WI consisted of the thousands of feet of round rod and rectangular/square bar that held the giant grain elevators together.

Beautiful work. I can't decide which I like better, the blade or the handle!

Turby, there is a boat load of Texas members here on IFI. Several in the N. TX and E. TX area, Austin, Houston, etc. I don't know how you would search the membership to find them, but maybe someone else, Glenn, or another mod may be able to help you find them.

Great job. Vise looks wonderful.

Jen, you've got that machine looking nicer that a new one from the factory!! Great job, well done!

Limited space, small clean gas forge, small anvil...no need to stand and punish your back! Glenn GS Tongs got it down right! And, he does nice, functional, clean work.

I missed that Randy...sorry.

Hay Buddens have the serial number on the front foot under the horn, but the weight in US pounds is stamped on the side under the name stamping.

I don't care what they say, it looks good!

Purple Bullet, you "done good" on the BOP's.....

I would remove heavy rust with a wire brush to make the process more effective, but no more than that.