Charles R. Stevens

So she was watching the Duke’s wile you were watching the Adams’.. Otis is fine name.

Not to mention bending stock the hard way…

Looks like a floof to me!

Remember brother, even as soldiers, violence is fundamentally wrong in society, and absolutely forbidden against our loved ones. We operate in the grey area where violence is forgivable when used to protect our selves and others. becoming angry isn’t wrong, it’s how we express it that maters. For myself it is physically and emotionally draining and even sickening. fundamentaly we fight for the other idiot standing next to us on the wall, let the the politicians and generals worry about the erosions they sent us there. now this isn’t to say that putting a bunch of young guys together in a situation where standard morals don’t apply can’t leaf to regrettable stupidity, but that’s another topic. Forgive yourself and move on.

Oddly I develop tendinitis in my tong arm.

A buddy of mine has his doctorate and teaches at Tulsa. He used to work for Devon. Shaping shoes is harder than many smiths think, so between your experience with shoeing and jewelry you have a leg up.

Don’t forget to rivet a little shelf on it to hold a bit of soap stone, hoods make great chalk boards

I am not a fan of brake drum forges just on a cost benefit analysis, I would suggest a 55 side-blast, JABAD, English style side blast or a plate steel side blast. In my opinion these are cheap and easy to build and burn a wider range of fuels more efficiently. this isn’t to say that brake drum/rim forges don’t work, especially when lined with clay to make a workable ducknest, just that I think it takes less work to go the other way and they are more versatile. .

Not in my files and the blue print is missing the images. Perhaps Glenn or some one else has a picture.

Try a bullet grate, especially if your pot is to deep for the class of work you are doing. Take pipe cap that will fit over the hole and drill a 3/4” hole in the center. I like to put a short nipple in the cap, even if I have to file the treads down to fit down in the tuyere. So it raises the heart of fire and the slag runs down the sides forming a donut that is relatively easy to remove and keeping the air grate clear. A 3/4” opening is good up to 1”. 3x1/2 holes get you to about inch and a half, going back to either an “S” grate or such

Proud of you, brother. I have two step-children struggling with addiction. I can’t afford anything that inhibits my control, best my demons remain fettered. We really don’t want to let them out to play. I am lucky to have dodged that bullet. PTSD is a strange beast. It’s to late for us but Dave Butlers work lead to changes in the way we are trained. At least modern troops are being told that the symptoms are to be expected, it’s normal. Thus they are not crazy. it’s not just psychological, as there are actual observable changes in the brain that accure, and some of those changes are worse the younger the person is at exposure and the longer the exposure. treatments are improving as well, tho mostly in the area of identifiable triggering events. For those of us who had long term, systematic exposure at a young age not so much. You learn to embrace the hyper vigilance and emotional blunting wile exempting the fact that your startle response is a source of amusement for others. For me the worst is a pathological inability to back down from a threat and the visceral effect of becoming angry. At least I don’t turn green...

Well then they wouldn’t have hay down them then, I suppose.

Is rusty barbed wire the new coal?

I like how your wife operates!

Might be worth it to have y’all swing buy the house!

La La La, I need brain floss!

How did you know I like to wrestle in the mud!

I believe the USS Texas has been moved to dry dock in Galveston for refit before going going on display there. Perhaps we could actually get her forges fired up. Looks like some one got his willow twisted!

Don’t forget your chaps, saves the knees as well. not, not a chore for overalls!

Great place for a bunch of troglodytes like us…

Beating hot steel may be the healthiest coping strategy we have…

Generally when the smoke clears of flames stop coming out the vent you shut down the air and let the charcoal cool. As to fuel, generally about 1/2 as much as The wood your converting with other styles, it mite be less with the rocket stove.

Wait, you can’t teach pigs to sing?! emotional control is not been easy for me, it’s as if they turned the gain on my emotions up to 12 on the assembly line. I have spent a large chunk of my life learning to control them. Needless to say Spock is a hero of mine. unfortunately I am not southern enough for “Bless your little heart” close I come is to walk away nursing a headache.

You and Slag are another level, George. I will argue with a fence post, but diplomacy isn’t my strong suit. Heck, if it doesn’t come out of my mouth my face plainly says it!

Some like longer hooks (real tall folks) others just wear gloves and grab the strings. I have done both and prefer hooks for more than a couple of tons.