Dave Shepard

That reminds me of one of Jeff Foxworthy's redneck lines about financing a tattoo, "..one more payment and this baby is mine". Dave

Here are a few of mine: Dave

First, you need to decide what you are going to stock. Beam hooks? I could make you 600 a week. Something more complicated? Well that depends on how complicated. Are you looking to basically buy wholesale and then mark up? Dave

Hammer, tongs, ASO (anvile shaped object) fire. A friend of mine has seen people in africa beating out iron with two rocks. You don't have to have very much to get started, but once you get better at blacksmithing, you will want different hammers and tongs and punches etc. for different jobs. With a little creativity you can get into blacksmithing without spending a ton of money. Dave

The shop at the village is always clean. My home shope is never clean. Dave

Be very careful with bronze, the fumes are toxic. My grandfather was a foundryman, and he got yellow metal poisoning several times and could no longer cast it. He cast iron at work, and aluminum at his foundry at his house. Dave

I don't like snakes. Seldom see anything other than garters around here, but there are rattlers and black snakes as well. Dave

I would second Glenns idea of getting it on the fire and coking it. Whenever I am forging, I am always making coke. I have an area at the back of the forge where I can shovel the extra coke to, and when I, or any of the other smiths go to start the fire, we just drag some of the coke into the firepot. This way you will always start a fire with coke, not coal. Dave

I have a system that has the same result as rthibeau, but without the complicated math. I charge whatever I need to pay bills at the time. You wouldn't want me to make you anything this week, my truck just ate a $5,000 tranny. Dave PS, I don't actually sell anything, but maybe I should, I'm tired of doing everything for free.

I prefer to use oxy-acetylene, but, propane is much cheaper and safer. Acetylene is an unstable gas. All you need to convert an oxy-acetylene rig to propane is a new tip and the right grade hoses. A friend uses propane and uses one 20 pound cylinder to something like five of the big oxy cylinders. There is a trick to lighting propane but it's no big deal. Dave

What does everybody do to finish their work? I know some people use beeswax, or beeswax and linseed oil. Any favourite recipes? Thanks. Dave

That makes sense, for a peavey, but the ring dog is different, and works differently, and better than a peavey. So I take it that I should just get a larger diameter mild steel rod? The log weight calculator I used has this log at 70.68 cubic feet and 2554.48 pounds, green weight. I saw a lot of larger trees, sometimes we have to split them with the chainsaw to get them on the mill. Dave

I could feel the hook opening a little when I tried to roll a 36"x10' pine log. It didn't distort, but I think it might if you had to really put some effort into it. I was just tryig to think what I had for round stock, and I know we have some coil spings hanging around that are definately over 1/2inch, and if I am going to use spring steel, I also have the option to temper it. Just an idea. Dave

So, I was thinking of making the next dog out of coilspring, and tempering it. Any thoughts? I can see where the half inch mild steel is not going to be enough if I really have to work this thing. Dave

I'll check out that blueprint. I was going to buy a pallet of the good coal, but unless they get rid of the junk they have, the good coal will get contaminated. The junk didn't show up until the end of the year last fall, so I am the only one who has had to work with it. Once the other smiths come back next week, there may be enough complaints to get something done about it. Dave

I kinda thought that would be the verdict. Last fall after the main season closed down, and I was the only smith there I bought a couple bags of smithing coal, but starting this weekend, the other smiths will be back, and they will just use the coal out of the bin. We probably use 2-300 pounds per week, and I can't afford to buy for everyone. Oh well. Dave

I could use some suggestions for trying to weld with really poor coal. We got in a new batch at the Village, but it has rocks, hard coal, and is just really poor. I had no problem in the past with welding, I just did the usual clinker check and made sure I didn't have any green coal in the pot and all was fine. This coal is so bad that the clinkers don't settle into one chunk in the bottom, but seem to be all through out the fire. Also the coal doesn't seem to be coking right. Any suggestions? I really don't want to have to supply my own coal. Dave

Didn't realize there was such a demand for such a thing, what with todays hydrualic iron workers. It was offered to me by a friend that does a lot of business with the local scrappers. He drags things home like this becuase it is a shame to see them scrapped, but if nobody wants them, he has no choice but to take them back as he has limited room. Dave

Wow, the last time I saw this thread, it was only two pages long, (busy winter). Here is one I couldn't pass up. It was headed to the scrap yard, and I think it had been rescued from there already. It cuts angle to length, notches it, and bends it square for welding. Dave

The ring dog can also be used with the crowbar of your choice. Although the ash pole is lighter. Dave

The ring is 4" and the hook is 10". I made it out of 1/2" mild rod. I think I would definately use a heavier rod for the hook, the ring should be fine as 1/2". I just went out and played with it on the log pile, and it easily grabbed a 10" log, and also a 36" log. I could feel the hook opening up a little when I rolled the big log. A modern peavey does not have this broad a range, usually they either work well on small logs or big logs, not both. I am going to make another beefier one next sunday. Only problem is I won't be able to weld it, the coal stinks at the shop. I have been buying coal from Aubachon Hardware, but I hate doing that when they are supposed to supply the coal. When I get a new one made I'll let you know how it turned out. Here is a closer pic. Dave

I haven't used it much. I think it would grab most any sized log, although it may not work for really small logs, under 10" or so. I think the hook is pretty strong, but then again, the lever is only 64", it might not hold up to a six foot lever. Dave

Thanks ApprenticeMan. This one is not wrought, but I do have a ton of old wrought silo hoops laying around. The ring on this one is not welded very well, actually, it isn't welded at all. The new coal we have at the village, is more like dusty rocks, it doesn't weld at all. The first dog welded up well though. I like making welded rings. Maybe I'll go to the village tomorrow and make some! Dave

Here are a few of the things I make for the visitors at Hancock Shaker Village. There is a ringdog on the left, some assorted hooks in the middle, and a pair of hook pins for timber framing on the right. The heart hook in the middle was one I found in the cabinet makers shop, and I copied it. It needs to go back in the fire, it is a little uneven. Dave

Last fall I made a couple of ring dogs for turning logs. Most people I show these to have never heard of such a thing. This one is a little light, so I may make another one using some 3/4" wrought silo hoops that I have. Dave