Jump to content
I Forge Iron

tjdaggett

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    172

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by tjdaggett

  1. tjdaggett
    Master Tomlinson, I admire your work. That sort of continuous single-piece design is where my mind is right now as well.
  2. tjdaggett
    May you all receive coal for Christmas!
  3. tjdaggett
    Glorious. I just shared that with my boss. I've noticed myself starting to use "Strike while the iron is hot" for its intended meaning. Like, if my lady and I are already having a difficult conversation, why not have another one? I'm already doing the dishes; why not clean the stove?
  4. tjdaggett
    I hereby resurrect this thread.
  5. tjdaggett
    TP, how did you do it?
  6. tjdaggett
    Y'all are sweet. IDFC, thank you forthe wooden anvil idea. I now have a design in mind. Crazy Goat Lady, you can visit anytime. P.S. My goat was named Cloud. She was half Nubian and half Saanen, complete with Flying Nun ears. I named her kids Nimbus and Lenny (lenticular). I miss them.
  7. tjdaggett
    Thank you kindly! That takes a load off my mind. The fire marshal have his approval, so I don't want to screw it up.
  8. tjdaggett
    Do you use a spark arrestor of some kind on your chimney? Does the hat alone seem to do the trick? My chimney will be within ten feet of two trees, neither of which are on my side of the property line. I like my neighbor, so I ask.
  9. tjdaggett
    That is a beautiful spot, JW. I look forward to further reports.
  10. tjdaggett
    Several people on this thread have commented that they'd rather be forging than using their time to make charcoal from leaves. That's great! I have no problem with that. For me, I'm finding that part of the joy of this hobby is the logistics puzzle. I'm not just learning how to heat and form iron. I'm learning how to acquire fuel, burn it in a way by which my neighbors remain my friends, organize my friends into a labor force, and still care for my family. I'm having fun and I haven't even started forging.
  11. tjdaggett
    Frosty requested pictures of our new apprentice smith. My wife gave her stamp of approval, so here they are. I'm not sure yet how I feel about putting my child's name on the internet, so for now we'll call her little bean. FAQ: - She's about two months and three weeks old. - She is our first. - We'd like four more. - She was 7 lb. 15 oz. when born, 20" long, and possessed great big feet and hands. - She held her head up 10 minutes after arrival. I was holding her at the time and I freaked out a bit (safely). - For now, she looks like me. - I plan to have her smithing by age twelve, maybe earlier.
  12. tjdaggett
    I haven't had time to synthesize all of this what with having a new daughter, but I wanted to say that I love you people.
  13. tjdaggett
    Has anyone tried making charcoal from leaves? I was thinking about it while working under my gargantuan silver maple on--you guessed it--clearing the gutters and deck. Initially it seemed far-fetched. The more I think about it, the more it seems plausible. You take a steel 55 gallon drum, pack it firmly with leaves, drill a couple holes for the gases to escape, and cook it over a fire. I imagine you'd be left with something similar to fines. I see moisture and low density/return rates being a problem. Likely very inefficient. Thoughts?
  14. tjdaggett
    Is there a way to make charcoal without large quantities of smoke? It seems like a necessary by-product, logically, but I have illogical optimism. I'm in a suburb with a 50 ft yard (thank God) and I'd like to keep the good relationships I have with my neighbors. A wood forge or charcoal-making setup would be ideal as far as fuel supply goes, but it sounds bad for smoke. Even with great ventilation the smoke will still end up in my neighbourhood. Thoughts? Edit: this place really gets you thinking. I could, if smoke was a problem, go up to a relative's land 30 minutes from here and charcoal burn once a quarter. Make some kilns, perhaps!
  15. tjdaggett

    thrall?

    tjdaggett replied to pnut's topic in Bellows, Blowers

    Woohoo! That's the dream! I also keep telling my 2-month-old daughter that we'll have her forging in no time.
  16. tjdaggett
    That is gorgeous. Your description of its sound is relaxing even through a screen.
  17. tjdaggett
    I'm looking forward to seeing the result, natkova.
  18. tjdaggett
    He's still going. He uses the money from his videos to buy more of Australia. Really interesting stuff. I love that he works only with what he has in his--atmittedly expansive--backyard. Thomas, what would you do differently?
  19. tjdaggett
    Frosty, that is both hilarious and helpful. Thank you.
  20. tjdaggett
    ADHD, that is gorgeous, hook and tripod both. That's a project in my future.
  21. tjdaggett

    Amstbridgelight

    tjdaggett commented on Roy Ubu's gallery image in Members

    Amstbridgelight
    Gorgeous! Which street is this on? I'd love to see it in person some day.
  22. tjdaggett
    This afternoon I encountered the largest anvil of my young life. We showed up to Carson Park in Eau Claire, WI for the Independence Day celebration. My mom told me there was a forge I should see. Grandpa mentioned the lights in the coal forge to make it seem hot and I lowered my expectations. This is what I found. I was focused on family, so I did not get a brand/maker's mark etc. There was an 800 on the foot (bottom right) which I believe indicated weight in pounds. My 5'4" bride for scale. The hardy is over an inch wide; the pritchel is about 1/2". We found the sign humorous.
  23. tjdaggett
    Hello friends. A brother of mine has an idea. He'd like to have his sterling silver purity ring melted down and made into an engagement ring for his lady. It would have a stone set in it. Is this possible? What are the problems?
  24. tjdaggett
    Folks, As a few of you know, I am not going to have my own forge for a good long while. My wife and I are likely still a few years out from a house of our own. However, I'm collecting the core of my forge gear now in preparation for the day when I'll actually get to light the fire. My most recent acquisitions are a pair of F150 brake drums that I'll use for my coal forge and, even better, a heavy iron post vise that was a gift from some folks at my church. I would love to post pictures, but that will have to wait. Since I'm not going to be able to mount the post vise for a few years, I need to store it. It looks like it's pre-WWII, but it's in stellar condition. Next to no rust, perfect action, still got the paint/varnish on the majority of it. I live in Minnesota, where the humidity and temperature varies violently, sometimes within the space of a week. I have the option of storing the post vise in a relative's unheated, poorly insulated garage or their basement. They live on a hill, so there's next to no danger of flooding. Therefore, two questions: 1. Should I store the post vise in the garage or the basement. Does it matter? 2. Should I wrap, clean, or treat the post vise in any particular way prior to or throughout storage? Thanks as always for your input! I will try to post pictures on this thread soon. --SDG, Timothy
  25. tjdaggett
    Hey folks! This is not quite a blacksmithing event, but there IS molten iron involved. Tomorrow at the Franconia Sculpture Garden in Skandia, MN there is a free iron pour going on! As I understand it, artists will be using/creating molds and then filling them with the good stuff. The event is from 12-5. Franconia Sculpture Park 29836 St. Croix Trail Franconia, MN 55074 For a point of reference, this is about forty-five minutes northeast of the Twin Cities. I don't know if there's anybody but Stephen Olivo and me up here, but you are all welcome. For more details, just google Franconia Iron Pour. See you there!
×
×
  • Create New...