Double Y

I live in the country and my closest neighbors are my in-laws. They like what I make and my Father-in-law often helps. We also put up hay and run some cows, so there are plenty of things to make noise. HOWEVER, the neighbor across the hayfield did stop by and ask what the noise was....when I first started running my tumbler. My tumbler is a 100# propane bottle layed on it's side with +/- 30 pounds of fencing staples for matrix. I can't even go near it without hearing protection.

First rate!

To attach the screen I welded bolts to the backside of the frame. I used 1 inch pieces of 1 inch angle iron with slots drilled in them to attach the frame to the stone. I measured the location of the joints between the stones so I didn't have to drill into one of the stones and possibly crack one.

The latch swings from behind the two halves of the books and catches the other half. I wanted the latch to be understated.

This is a fireplace screen that I have been working on this fall. The fireplace is natural stone and not symetrical so it was interesting to make fit. The frame and doors are made from 1/4 by 1 1/2 bar. I forged the arches, but arc welded the frame together. The screen is in the library of the home. They deal in rare and first edition books and wanted a book theme. The books in the corners are forged from 16 guage plate. The book handles are forged from 10 guage and 20 guage plate. After Harold Hiborn was nice enough to pass along his recipe for blacksmith wax finish, they changed their mind. The went with an oil rubbed bronze powder coat. The powder coat is supposed to take heat up to 400 degrees. Thoughts and comments are always welcome. All the best, John

Thanks Frank, but the family doesn't want paint...so I am searching for a good finish that will stand up.

Outstanding work. I have been around horses my entire life and am amazed how you are able to place the steel scrap to mimic the placement of the muscles. I can't wait to see the finished product.

Is the secret - with a nod and never to be used to cause anyone heart burn for legal reasons - 1.5 cups melted beeswax & 1 cup turpentine & 1 cup linseed oil & 1 teaspoon Japanese drier?

This years ABANA convention was very education and inspiring for me. I spent quite a bit of time watching Jill Turman's demonstration along with Brian Brazeal. They were fun to watch and fun to visit with as well. I took some of the inspiration from Jill demonstration for two projects recently. The first is a mailbox stand. The pictures show fence in the background that I built and they wanted a mailbox stand to attach to the collumns. The main support is 1x1 solid stock and the other pieces are 3/4 x 3/4. Pretty substantial, as it weighs in at 40 pounds. The mailbox for size comparision is 11 wide by 22 deep. The second bracket is for my Dad's Saddle & Boot Shop. The sign will be acid colored and clear powder coated. The bracket itself is made from 1/2 x 1/2. The piece against the wall is 1/4 x 1 1/2. The bracket is at the powder coater and will be black. It is about 36" by 24". The "taffy pull" scrolls are something Jill demonstrated. She is a wonderful teacher and was fun to visit with about the business of blacksmithing as well. Your thoughts and comments are appreciated. John

At the ABANA conference in Rapid City, the School of Mines gave a demonstration of their Friction Stir welder at the campus. It is AMAZING to say the least. They could weld with not distortion. Weld Aluminum to Steel, Plastic to Aluminum...it is amazing technology. It was well worth the time of the tour.

Thanks for the comments. He is a great young man and I am very very proud of him in all ways. Please use the idea, I can't be the first one to come up with it and I stole the begining idea from Brian. So use it all you can. Yeah it is a dreaded shoe! But what better cheaper waste piece to practice on! All the best, John

This is a project my 11 year old son came home with from his first year at Catholic School. He had told his teacher he does some blacksmithing with his Dad! That made me about as happy as a Dad could ever be. We started with the basic step that Brian Brazeal does when forging a heart from a shoe. I think he did a dang good job!

The fireplace will be used. It is a true fireplace and they want doors that will be attached to the rock work. I built railing for their decks this summer and powder coated them, but for inside the house they didn't want powder coat. Will linseed oil stand up to the heat? Thanks for the stainless idea Thomas, I'm not sure I could get them to swallow that bill!

I have a commission for a fireplace screen. They don't want black paint. I did a search and came up with Dave's fireplace screen thread, but would like a few suggestions. What finish do you use on fire screens that won't burn off easily? Thanks, John

The Lazy Y Hanging a Walking Y is my registered cattle/horse brand here in Montana. I have usee it as my touchmark since I started doing metal work. Thanks for looking and the comments. The knife is heading to have a sheath made today. My father is a boot and saddle maker. He makes any sheaths I need so we both get some business! John

You would be starting in a great spot for a tour of the western U.S. and blacksmiths. I would start with Mark Aspery in CA, then go south into AZ and NM to see Frank Turley and Thomas Powers. Redwoods in CA - lost wages in Nevada - Grand Canyon in AZ are logical cool things to see. North through western CO - avoid the blank area of eastern CO if you can help it. WY is the cowboy state - find a Mint Bar and stay a few days. Kiwi's will feel at home with these folks. Hit the Rushmore state and plan to explore the Black Hills. Absolutely great people in South Dakota. Circle back into Buffalo, Sheridan, and Cody WY. There is a blacksmith that gives leasons in Buffalo. I was raised in Eastern Montana and it is wide open country, but the people are welcoming. Miles City is the Cow Capital of the world and a spot to see. I'm in Montana and know nothing, but am a place to swing through. I may put you to work if you show though! My wife and I spent our honeymoon in N.Z. and had the best time. We had the feeling we were seeing family at every stop, even though we had just gotten there. You have to hit Yellowstone, though the smells are just like Rotorua, but it is still very cool. The Beartooth Highway is specatular. Glacier National Park is another stop in MT. The Going to the Sun Highway is an amazing drive. The Flathead Lake area in Montana is beautiful as well. I am a member of the Northern Rockies Blacksmith Assoc -http://www.hallowellco.com/nrba.htm - there are members around the state including Moris Hallowell in Livingston, MT. His place would be worth a visit. Then it is on to the Pacific Northwest and the home of the Northwest Blacksmiths Association. I am also a member there and the Seattle area seems like a hotbed of blacksmiths. You have missed Grant Sarver, who passed away this winter...and will be missed deeply. But his work lives on in tools and the people who knew him. I would make a point to see Larry Langdon (Monster Metal) in Seattle. That would be a must stop for me. Look at www.blacksmith.org for more info. Then you are on the turn to NorCal and back to San Fran.... The more I think about this, I may have to make the swing myself! I wonder if I can sell my wife on this HAHA! All in all, do a bit of searching here for blacksmith associations and then make some contacts. It will be a tour not to be forgotten. John

I bought a load of blacksmith stuff in one stop this summer. It included an anvil, a buffer, some tongs and a tool box full of knife steel with some blanks cut out. I finished one of the knives and put it up on ...well my facebook...and it sold. This is the knife. 8 3/8 long - 3 3/4 blade - 1 1/8 wide - 3/16 thick Hollow ground Clay back heat treat, quenched in peanut oil, triple tempered Stainless steel pins with paduak scales and hand rubbed tung oil finish Comments? Thoughts? Thanks, John

This is one I made... John

From the title I thought someone had gotten full of themselves... :)

Love the video! Welcome to the addiction seems inappropriate to a guy with your history with working metal. This is a pretty cool group and helpful...most of the time...until you do something stupid then they will call you on it. Merry Christmas from Montana John

Jamie, I went to PBF website and looked for the instructions and didn't find them...where did you find them? JL

Iron Striker The motor is a horse and a half, 3450 rpm and is working well without the VFD. I tried one of the speed controls for a router on the motor, but blew that up. I imagine you have much more control with the VFD and I would love to have one, but for now this is working great for me. John I wrote that I used the H - E - double hockey sticks out of the grinder in my previous post and that was X'd out...didn't mean to offend anyone, I appologize if I did...

https://picasaweb.go...648/BeltGrinder# This is a link to photos of my GIB. The GIB is designed to use a face mount motor. I wanted to purchase one of the motors and VFD's from Wayne, but couldn't afford it at this juncture. So I bought a motor off Craigslist and cut and tapped holes through the bottom to attach my motor. The motor works like a charm and the grinder is a superior tool. In the photos you can see the spring at the back. I had trouble getting the belt to track. After contacting Jamie I put a heavier spring on and it is going good. The secret here is to have the belt bloody tight. The only short coming to the GIB is no instructions at all coming with the frame. I normally throw out all directions anyway, but with this build it would have been nice to have at least a couple photos to work from. I ended up going back and forth to the house to dial up Polar Bear Forge's website to see how others had configured the grinder. I used the XXXXXXXXXXX grinder yesterday and it is a dream to work with. John

I took the family to....Las Vegas and took in a Jimmy Buffett concert! Much celebrating and people watching, but the forge was cold all weekend. Gotta raise the kids the right way. Singing Margaritaville and a Pirate Looks at Forty word for word. It was a proud day for me!

I have a 6x48 craftsman belt sander and a 4x36 cheapy. I have two problems with those sanders. The slow rate of speed and the difficulty accessing the edges of the belt for a nice plung grind. Maybe I just don't know what I am doing...that is very possible, but from what I have seen online the larger contact wheels on the belt grinders make it easier to achieve a hollow grind and the plung lines I am looking for. Any thoughts on the grinder in a box from Polar Bear Forge? He is a South Dakota boy and the pieces are U.S. made. Personally I like that. For $250 you get the major components then have to purchase your motor and wheels. Price wise it comes out similar to the Coote. Thanks, John