madax

The best of the season to all, and many thanks for all the info and chuckles I get from daily lurking.

   keep your ax sharp and hold the small end of your hammer.

I think the " bucket"  was a lard pail with a snug lid that some  used a  container for lunch fixins, then a "tea billy " after, was told this as a child a long time ago

Hi Glen is that bottom pic a breast/ chest drill , I have 2 , hard to keep pressure on small bits they break

can one remove chrome safely with lathe or grinder?

don't know what the method is called but cold chisal across the top of closed vise jaws is a quick eazey way to cut small bits af sheet.

What he said nice!  1 is NICE !!  More the same are marvelous ! Very well done !

ice then twirl bit with other hand, use new bit/sharp not the smallest has to pass blood , boreing out /reaming is toooo  mutch 

hi I have had that happen when I hung triangle from a chain, string made it sing.

in the eye of the beholder. in the first pic I see the makings of a small acorn like jig platform with those nice holes for bending/ straitening maybe pins and wheels scroll work. nice, lots of potential.

golf balls make great chainsaw file handles. ball makes it so one uses a new face on the file each time you pick it up. the fluorescent ones are easy to find in the snow and bush.

sounds like what we call a deadman might be 8' eye bolt  through a 4'/6' chunk of power pole burried 5'/6' down in the ground. pull reallllly hard or dig it out could be in bedrock if grouted in it will not turn. hope this helps.

nice tip for tricky fencing and pouring mud thanks makes some of my bunggie, tie down straps, string and rope collection obsolete on the job site

Back in 1986 we had a small smithy. My partner Pete had some experience me, not so much, was great fun. We met many smiths/tourists. someone said to try acrylic liquid floor polish on a cotton towel at black heat. Worked great except for fumes ,a nice flat black , non transferring  finish .

I agree fully.  Welded not as effective in my application. I prefer tapered eye as in pick/mattock/ adze.  If handle comes up through one simply pops it back in again and carrys on. I have hung my heavy froe with a 28" yew handle, 10" below the blade 18 up. This helps the leveridge  when splitting 6' red cedar boards.

hello 

  I use a froe most every day in my trade.  I have a few in varied sizes. My largest was repaired and the eye was welded closed . Now every few years the blade breaks at the weld.  I would try with it open and see, can always weld later.  A froe takes a heck of a pounding. I use a 5 lb mallet made from 6" x 6 inch long aluminim shaft. Wear plugs!

       hope this helps 

       Madax