Anachronist58

Hello Benona b. Yes, I make charcoal in that stove/forge, but only with the Aerobic (direct burn) method. When it is loaded with glowing coals, I shut the intake and exhaust valves, and combustion ceases. The unit you have pictured above, is certainly the way that I would go - do you need vast amounts of charcoal just for Smithing, or have you additional uses? Robert Taylor

SLAG, If that be a size twelve boot in the image frame, I would say about ten inches in length. Cheers, Robert Taylor

JHCC, I just joined your spouse two weeks ago in the search for the next Opportunity - Our thoughts prayers, and camaraderie are with you, Robert and Sheila Taylor

I have the bandsaw and the hammer thing down, but alas, the handle is yet poised to bite me. Robert Taylor

Must be a great feeling to be able to help out....

Just a bum on the street. For the moment. +/_ Thirty years in Aerospace, fifteen of those as a tool & cutter grinder, last 10 months as a prototype machinist/fabricator/problem solver for a military R&D program. Funny, Blacksmithing skills are useful in all of the above.

Wow Frosty, thanks. I will certainly give a wave on my way south today. Have to come back up next week for the second load of shop tools (and more serpentine and cinnabar hunting up in Happy Canyon), then home to look for work. Wearing my "Rather be Forging" shirt today to celebrate being laid off... funny thing happened.... have to hit the road now though. Stay tuned....... Robert Taylor

Been on a job in Santa Barbara since July. Time to go back to San Diego. Have to find another job. Will be good to be home, although we have become quite attached to new friends and family up this way....... Ah, bittersweet, this life....... Robert Taylor

Same here, never seen a crossfeed on the wheelhead - must be very well designed to be rigid, and not hop about in that configuration. Keep wanting to put my hands on it.......

Very interesting. Many quite intelligent people deploy abductive reasoning as a mode of pragmatic operation. That is why the empirical method is so important. Our magnificent brains tend to leap far ahead of what has been tediously worked out via scientific rigor. The geomagnetic flux is in constant turmoil, at the mercy of even the common metallic objects that surround our modern lives. Indeed, a weak influence. Robert Taylor

What!?

Here it is:

It's my daughter-in-law howling at the full moon - self portrait. Used to be a favorite tagging spot in the 60's for a long time, one of the giant boulders had the pi symbol, which was visible for miles. Looms over a Walmart Supercenter, these days! I could post a detail, if you like. I don't suppose anyone has checked the mantle yet!

Oh Darn! Somebody's dragonfly flew away and landed on Mrs. Taylor's bread box. You know what they say - Dragonflies are free to fly - Fly away, to California!

Hey Frosty, those rounded corners on the file will help to fillet the interal corners of the hardy, and help prevent stress fracture, no? Robert Taylor