Double Y

Great step-by-step photos...I am very interested to see how the whole works comes together Nicely done

Check your inbox...I am interested in one. Thanks, John

Good heavens....if your just going to let them lay around in the snow, box them up and send them to Montana. I will keep them dry and warm by the fire!

I just wrapped this up this evening. This is a late Christmas gift for my wife's cousin. She just started taking guitar lessons. I used 5/8ths square stock. The feet are upset. The main beam for the "legs" are slit and drifted through. The back leg is a mortise and tenon joint to the verticle piece. The support for the base of the guitar is also upset at the ends and then punched and riveted to the verticle piece. I pineapple twisted the center of the verticle piece. I used leather lace to wrap where the guitar will rest on the base and the neck will rest. I torch colored the whole works and then used acrylic wax. Please let me know what you think. She is on her way out to pick it up this evening. I will let you all know what she thinks!

I always admire the ability to build, move in and it all fits! Excellent job

Nice work Rory.

Good to know....Thanks guys

I seem to remember this topic before, but i couldn't find it with the search function. Are window sash weights cast? My sister and her husband replaced the old windows in their house and said they have a pile of weights if I want them. I haven't seen them and from the age of the house (about 1910) thought they could be either cast or wrought. If anyone knows, please let me know. The weather has turned in the west. 40 above today! John

I couldn't focus my eye at all this morning so I went to a real eye Dr. He used the dremel like tool to drill out the rust and then put a contact in over the crater he created. Now I have antibiotic drops and steroid drops, and another date with the eye Dr. on Christmas Eve. He thinks it will be okay, but you only get two eyes and there aren't spares out there. So I will go back and see what he says. All in all, just another lesson that you can't be too carefull. Merry Christmas everyone, John

No this isn't a thread about forging an eye from iron...but ending up with iron in your eye. I was busy making Christmas presents this weekend. I did have safetly glasses and a dust mask on. However, I ended up with a sliver of iron in my cornia. I irrigated the eye several times over the weekend, but my eye was pretty much swelled shut this morning. I went to the walk-in clinic this morning and the nurse practioner had to use a 25 gauge needle to scrape the top of my eye to remove the piece of iron. She said I will end up with a "rust ring" in my eye. I wondered how many on here have ever heard or have a rust ring in your eye? I looked like a pirate all day. Had to go into Costco to get my perscription filled for antibiotic eye drops with a big old patch on my eye. My sight is still foggy, but she said that will clear up...lord I hope so! Remember to wear your safetly gear! Merry Christmas, John

I love to look at the pictures of everyone's setups, but have to laugh at the open air smithy's....it was 20 below here last week. I had both the furnace and the forge running! Love that bi-product heating when we get to those temps here in Montana.

Here are the pictures - I know I am bragging, but I am very proud of him!

I think my ABANA membership is worth way more than the price they charge. The discount at Grainger alone has saved me twice what I paid in membership. Take advantage of the discounts, they offer a tangeable benefit. The Hammers Blow and Anvils Ring are gravy to a great organization.

Jeremy, Thanks - do I put oil inside the clutch pulley, so the clutch lining is oily?

Update.... Two months later I finally have the hammer home, with some changes. My Uncle had a 50# LG, but didn't have the power in his shop to run it. That is a longer story about him living off the grid in a treehouse and the whole operation being powered by a GenSet...well maybe it isn't that long of a story! Anyway, we swapped hammers. I got the 50# and he kept the 25#. I got the hammer home on Saturday night, unloaded Sunday and by working evenings after the day job, I had the motor mounted and the hammer thumping along officially last night. The babbits are in good shape, but the clutch doesn't like to disengage. The hammer continues to slowly rotate when I let off the foot feed. Is that why so many have placed a brake on the flywheel? The dies are worn, but a good set to start on, so I won't ruin a good set. When the thumbnail picture thingy on here gets back up and running I will share a few pictures.

This is my little blacksmith. He is 8 and is a lot of help in the shop. Last night as I put him to bed he said, "Dad that was a lot of fun!" And then asked if we can do it again after school today! I think he is hooked. "Where are the Picts?".......

Outstanding! I know several people that would love one of those!

Great sign Gaylan

Nice use of a penny scroll for an eye.

Mine is a Miller 375 Spectrum. It is rated for 3/8ths but is better at less than 1/4. I have cut 1/2 with it but it is real slow at that thickness. It is 220 and eats 4.5 cfm at 90 PSI. I bought it on-line about 6 years ago for less than $1200. Great little machine. I picked Miller because of the consumables. The cups and electrodes are reasonable and readily available in just about any welding store.

My son is 8 and already has his own anvil and hammer, thanks to my uncle who is also a blacksmith. He uses it but with a short attention span (like all kids his age) he is off to other things after a short time. He is good help holding a torch and being a gofer in the shop. My daughter is 5 and also good help. This past week I was using my forging press. She sat behind me, with gloves and safety glasses on, and stacked the pieces as they came off the press. The pieces were cold and she had a great time stacking them in groups of 10. She had soot and grease all over her face...and looked darn cute to a very proud Dad!

You have a way of making the tools elegant and beautiful. Nicely done

I called and talked to the Veternarian. He jerked my chain a bit saying the sign was leaning over in the wind. It wasn't he just wanted to give me a scare...and he did! I asked where he wanted to move the sign to, he said he doesn't want to move the sign. He said he is going to try to distract his bride on the idea of moving the sign and maybe she will forget about wanting to move it. She does want me to come out and design a few other pieces for their house. So more work is on its way. All the best,

I was out there tonight checking bolts and dropping off "free" hats. The gals in the Vet office love the sign as is - where is....we will see if the bosses wife is satisfied. I have a friend who owns a crane business so I think moving it is do-able, just going to cost them some more. However, the wife does like my work as has other projects for me in their house. Thanks for the comments, it is always nerve wracking to show what you have done to people who know how this stuff is built. You can see the holes and problems. I am always trying to keep those holes and problems from showing! All the best, JL

The veterinarian (the Mr. of the house) okayed the location. He even helped pour a couple bags of concrete in the second footing. So he knew exactly where it was going. This change will be on them. I can do it, but it will add to the cost of the project. Not to offend, but.....if Momma isn't happy....then nobody's happy, seems to apply here.