notownkid

I think the saying of "Patients is a virtue" would be appropriate here. When I worked in a tool shop we had jobs that required 100-300 items to be hand cut on a bandsaw. We usually had a jig that allowed for extra level of safety and it's easy to loose concentration doing work like that and injuries were soon to follow. Get an early start.

I as well would like to wish one and all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all those here on IFI, my former Military friends, My fellow Firefighters past & present, the Boys & Girls in Blue who seem to be talking more Heat than necessary at this time.

stop in to a commercial tool shop or manufacturing facility to ask if they will cut them on their horizontal band saw. More accurate, faster and most likely cheaper than a $40 blade.

We kept a small 4' x5' pump house from freezing winters with a 150w flood light bulb for over 30 years in Vermont, lots of insulation. Kept the bulb trained on the pump and tank unit. Some nights down to -30 degrees. Hardest parts was trudging out there 75 yds in butt deep snow twice a day to check the bulb.

what is his house current in his country?  We always had adapter when we traveled in some countries.  12 volt is quite forgiving when testing wires unlike AC.  Test off a battery or charger to avoid using the vehicle with the electronics that hate shorts.  I understand making do with what is available but sometimes it's better to wait for something closer to what you want, like a household fan of some type. 

chloride was used for years in Tractor tires as weight, got a couple still with it in them. (can usually tell as the rims are all rusted)   Use it to thaw frozen storm drains in the winter as it works in colder temps that straight salt.  A lot of states in this neck of the woods use a similar product that they "treat" the roads ahead of a storm to keep the snow and ice from building up on the surfaces, works great but Rusts the bottom of your cars and trucks esp. the frames in no time. 

LP heaters I'm sure will work and leave no trace behind unless you melt the calf hutch. 

Liquid Calcium Chloride spread around the outside and let it work.

Offer it to a farmer for Free if he will move it.

Try a LP gas heater on a gas bottle inside turning regularly & let it warm up the inside and walls.

Unless we have walked a Hundred miles in the shoes of a Blacksmith in every Country in the world I doubt any of us are qualified to make an intelligent judgment.  I personally will stay put for my remaining time swinging a hammer. 

Grass is always greener somewhere else esp. when it is December in Vermont.  

It is interesting that the 1911 Colt, & the 1903 Springfield are highly desired today and are still copied today (of course the Springfield was copied from the Mauser). In my case my interest stopped in 1963 when Winchester cheapened the Model 70. Up till that time most all High Power Competitive rifles were made on these actions after that they didn't hold up. Of course they are all made on AR designs now as the rifle fits people better out of the box.

Ox cart wise my Great uncle used to tell about working his horses all week 10 hrs. a day on the roads for the town. In mid Sept. he would take a Fri. off leave work a "little" early Thurs, hitch up his oxen to a cart and drive them over a couple mountains 25-30 miles and arrive at a Fair by mid day Fri. would Pull his oxen Fri. Sat. and Sun. He would leave Sun afternoon and walk them home and be at work Monday 7AM. .

The last few years he went I would load up the oxen in his cattle truck(he could no longer drive it) at 7am have him at the fair by 8:30 so he could talk with old friends, pull his oxen and have them all home by 8PM.(a lot more talking than pulling) He said at the end of our last trip together he enjoyed the old way better. He didn't make the next Sept. but I never drive that road I don't think of him walking his oxen to the fair. They were tough old birds.

Heard from Steve a couple hrs. after the above post and the second copy is on the way today. Looking forward to it. thanks Steve

I received one of two copies ordered today of Steve's book, nicely signed and as stated before a nice book, well laid out, right down to making the leather sheath for the knife.  This is destined to be a Christmas Present to my son so I couldn't read it (it arrived just in time) completely.  I'll have to wait until my copy shows up. 

Merry Christmas all and a Fabulous New Years.

Dale  

Prayers and thoughts here as well, Hard time of year!

Mine is giving to Charity, they have that one wrong. "They say it is better to give than receive", If that is truly the case then Someone has to do the Receiving for all the others to do the giving, Tough job but someone has to do it.

Use to work in a machine shop for a short while, one job was installing bearings into the Alum.
rollers that roll the doors open when you walk up to them. These were for a very well known American manufacturer. We used Japanese Bearings for a long time. one day during a conversation with another guy I was rolling a bearing on my finger and I notice it kept hanging up in one spot, looked and they were Chinese Bearing not Japanese. I asked my brother in law and he called the purchasing Dept. for the manufacturer and was told they knew this was an inferior bearing but their tests showed they would last for the warranty period and they would then be able to increase their sales of replacement rollers and increase profits.

Every time I walk up to one of these doors and it makes noise when opening I check the manufacturer and most often it's this brand. We were told they saved 25 cents per bearing.

I echo the rest so glad things went well and Deb. is home. Laughter is the best medicine followed by a loving care giver. You guys remain in our thoughts & prayers.

Welcome to retirement, I've been retired 3yr 8 months but who is counting? As stated above I'm busier now than ever before, not sure how I had time to work before. Everyone has something they need done and if your "Retired" you have the time to do it for them in their minds. Enjoy it, do what you want, don't set down!

There are, as of this AM EST 31870 members of IFI world wide, and in this group there are 1,000's of ideas of what they want to do in Blacksmithing. Some like to collect, rescue, restore, what have you original tools and keep them from the recycler. Others just want to make something, others want to and do make some very fine items that they share with us on IFI. Some are full time or in some cases very full time practitioners of the trade others of us are hobbyists doing when we can with what we have.

I do agree that in the last ten yrs. or so original tools seem to have grown in cost when offered on GL, Uncle Henrys, etc. to a level where it is wise to pass them by or leave an offer and phone number and see if they call when it doesn't sell.

All this being said we all do what we do because that is what we want to do.

There are, as of this AM EST 31870 members of IFI world wide, and in this group there are 1,000's of ideas of what they want to do in Blacksmithing. Some like to collect, rescue, restore, what have you original tools and keep them from the recycler. Others just want to make something, others want to and do make some very fine items that they share with us on IFI. Some are full time or in some cases very full time practitioners of the trade others of us are hobbyists doing when we can with what we have.

I do agree that in the last ten yrs. or so original tools seem to have grown in cost when offered on GL, Uncle Henrys, etc. to a level where it is wise to pass them by or leave an offer and phone number and see if they call when it doesn't sell.

All this being said we all do what we do because that is what we want to do.

There are, as of this AM EST 31870 members of IFI world wide, and in this group there are 1,000's of ideas of what they want to do in Blacksmithing. Some like to collect, rescue, restore, what have you original tools and keep them from the recycler. Others just want to make something, others want to and do make some very fine items that they share with us on IFI. Some are full time or in some cases very full time practitioners of the trade others of us are hobbyists doing when we can with what we have.

I do agree that in the last ten yrs. or so original tools seem to have grown in cost when offered on GL, Uncle Henrys, etc. to a level where it is wise to pass them by or leave an offer and phone number and see if they call when it doesn't sell.

All this being said we all do what we do because that is what we want to do.

Prayers and good wishes to you both Frosty, speedy recovery as well.

No it's not full at the moment. mostly as I'm trying to keep it somewhat open so I can do the electrical and have room to work building the forge. Between the big barn 3 stories, and the Equip. Repair / Garage there is enough stuff stored to fill it many times over. Trying to keep most items on wheels so center can be kept open to park my small backhoe in there. Most important to do in the winter.

I'm a pack rat as well Frosty and since this was started and neighbors found out what it was all sorts of old tools and blacksmith items have been dropped off. Some items I'll keep across the lot in the bigger shop and use there. When I get it sorted the extras I'm planning on moving to a young fellow just getting started as a JR.

NJanvil your right, it did get done and the decision to go for it came when I was driving home from the 3rd funeral in 10 days for close friends, I called the contractor from the road.

Thanks for the nice comments.

It been a year since my New Retirement Shop was built. It took 2 1/2 days for the contractors to build it and 10 months to get the floor in. Best laid plans and all. Should have been more accurate with the amount of gravel we put in before the walls were built. Everything additional had to be put through the front door with my tractor and be hand shoveled and raked around, no small feat for someone with back and shoulder limitations. Only have 2-3 days a month to work on it. Finally got what I figured was enough, rented a compactor and it ended up an inch short. Concrete contractor could do the job the following week or not until next June. We bought an additional inch of concrete and got the floor in.

It is 16' x 20' about 40% smaller than originally planned but time and increased costs kept shrinking the size. It will have to do the job, and darn lucky to have it. Decided to use 2 4' rolling doors for the 8' opening, it was framed for an overhead door incase the next owner so desires. 8' ceilings, would have liked 10' but that size building it wouldn't have "Look" good according to the "experts" in the family.

I have two cast forges one which I've been waiting to have a building for for 35 yrs. Have decided to build a brick forge in the spring. A HS classmate who is a retired stone mason and my son who use to do masonry are talking of building it in the spring. It's a replica of an French & Indian era forge at a museum in NH., which my classmate built 40 yrs. ago.

When the weather allows I'll do the electrical this winter to early spring and have it ready when the ground thaws to dig for the cable. Finished landscaping is slated for the spring as well.

We are hoping to be full time where it is located a yr. from now. Now it's a 200 mile trip every other weekend usually hauling a truck and trailer load of Farm equipment, museum items, tools, plus household items or what ever needs to move. This makes my blacksmithing time extremely limited, esp. when I'm always hunting for the tools I need in two different barns.

Hoping to attach some Pictures.

Granger should have them!

We use a much smaller version to filter the fine sand out of Maple Syrup after it is boiled down and before canning. Sand particles come up with the sap out of the roots the heavier ones end up on the bottom of the pans but the fine stay with the syrup.

I was given a set of # and letter stamps, 2 each in fact different sizes, which had been used in a Die making shop for many years and always on cold steel usually tool steel and they are in good shape. I'm sure these were the best to start with to have lasted this long. HF and the like just wouldn't take the beating needed.