CBrann

WOW!! I am jealous and want that at the same time... I am not a train guy .. but .. the things I could do with that stuff... good thing I am on the east coast ... and unable to get near that... who knows what might happen...

I built a combination Mace - Bottle opener on a bet... lost the pics to a hard drive crash... A friend and I were talking about most unlikely items to combine... so we went back and forth and came up the the mace bottle opener ... He loves it ... get pictures of smashed stuff once in a while with no explanation... it is great.. for as simple as a mace is.. meaning a heavy jagged item on a stick that is swung at opponents ... there is a lot that goes into making one... you should put up pics of what you did get done for some suggestions of how to proceed better next time Cliff

I am just curious ... If you want to sell a mirror... and you are going to take pictures of it... and mirrors are reflective... wouldn't you take pictures at an angle so you are not in the shot... and make sure there is something interesting in the background to be reflected? ... At least it is not like the guy selling the teapot... just a thought.. cliff

From my reading, handmade nails, or cut masonry nails, shear through the wood fibers and bend them in the direction the nail is driven. Modern wire nails push through and separate wood fibers, easier to take out. From Eric Sloane's books, it seems like families would burn their homes sometimes when they were moving to retrieve the iron hardware... nails .,. hinges etc.. take it for what its worth Cliff

Now I have been to Australia... though I wasn't looking for blacksmiths at the time... I clearly remember every Aussie I met being reasonably fluent in "English"... myself being an American I also am reasonably fluent in "English" .. In my opinion the poster of that ad ... is .. fluent in "Gibberish" ... with a BS accent... I say "English" because the British are the only ones that speak English.. I think the rest of of speak mangled versions of it.. American English.. Aussie English... Kinda like how there is French in France ... but most other places is "French-ish" I got a good laugh... Hey if he gets that thing sold ..I'll have to change all my ideas about the world.

I always wondered what the geometry was on an adz... I have never used one, but I want to. It makes sense that the tool has a curve, since the human body prefers to move in curves and arcs. Well done! Cliff

If you ever wondered why the build snowblowers that fit on payloaders// is because of the rocks... not the snow.. they come up during the winter too.. and get... well.. .. ... .. its hard to explain... ornery would be a good way to put it.. in winter you can find rocks with a snowplow.. that you can't find with a lawnmower during the summer... At least with wasn't Limerock... ever been to Jonesport? Cliff

I got shakes ...quakes ... and shivers.. I am selling my house... and hauled all my gear down to my mother in laws .... most people do not appreciate blacksmith gear .. and stagehand order ... I am not sure what I will do... but .. .. I may start grilling with the small pile of coal fines and charcaol I have " Hidden" from my wife ... and re arrange the fork tine or something... maybe I can re build my grill ... ... a little fan .. adjust the aspiration of the gas.... ... it just might work.... hanging on Cliff

Mainely, Bob, Grew up in a place called Rockport, now I live in CT. And yes I have gone ledge trimming too, after a couple of years they have beautiful smooth contours.. just takes patience ... and a couple of blades... Cliff

My mower is not just a mower.. its a chipper I can push.... yes I know its a bad idea... save the safety speeches.. I was taking back my yard from bushes.. I cut them down and mowed over the stubs... I also found all the rocks in the grass... that being said, a new generic blade for most mowers is between 20 and 30 dollars... a new leg prosthesis is about $30,000... a trip to the ER is at least $500.. I have replaced 3 bent blades on my mower... don't take chances with bent blade... Its also worth mentioning I live in New England, where we get 3 crops of rocks a year... simple economics no? but an old lawnmower bade could be a new hoe blade.... or pocket knife ... or J hook . or ..the sky is the limit... just my thoughts and experiences Cliff

My only thing about grass, I work outside too, is that after a while in the same place the iron in the scale will kill the grass in a circle around your anvil... and forge... keep an eye out for smoke from errant hot work and flung embers and you'll be fine... besides.. lost hot work will send up smoke to let you know exactly where it is! clean dry leaves away from the base of your anvil and forge before starting the fire... that I learned that the hard way.. it had rained the day before .. and I wanted to work my forge .. not my yard .. I dropped one little hat off cut.. But like Frosty says.. little bits that get lost should be retrieved with a magnet or something before mowing!!!... they could end up in you shins... house walls... windows.. neighbors truck door... the list goes on... I found that after a few days my anvil found its.. "home" and behaved well.. I can't move metal as well as I could with a full stump in the ground or on a concrete floor, maybe a 5% loss of efficiency,.. but I can move my anvil and stay in the shade and out of the smoke... I have the advantage of being able to put my anvil and vice in directions that will do me the most good.

Monstermetal... I got pictures of fun not work.... and that was a fun day... just under 90F... had to keep moving everything to stay in the shade... as far as the concerts I am one of the guys that runs onstage during the changeovers and lugs all the heavy **** off the stage for the next band... after spending the day putting it all up there...then after the show I (Should say we I am a small part of a big crew) take it down and put it back on the trucks... done shows from Yanni to Billy Joel to basketball games to Korn to Big and Rich.. the list goes on and on... Cliff

You all are lucky... I call mine "the back yard"... I have a small shop area off the back of the house, but thats where wood working and finishing happen, ... forging and heavy work goes on outside... you can call it whatever you want. I refer to my house and land .45 acre as the Rez, on days off sometimes I don't leave the Rez.. it was for reservation... now maybe for residence... I look at it this was .. if you are selling a $20,000 set of gates and chandelier set up that is very ornate it was made in a studio.... a dozen axes at $100 each were made in a shop. In my mind decorative artsy stuff comes from a studio, and utilitarian items come from a shop. Now before you jump on me, I know it takes a lot of skill to make both types of items, but it is an appearance and inference thing. Would you buy a truck that came from the Ford studio? Did DaVinci work in a shop or a studio? Probably a shop for his inventions and a studio for his paintings... Yes I can waffle with the best of them, and I hold a degree in Theater... so maybe I have no idea what I am talking about... but thats what opinions are for.. BTW the winkie hole idea... though funny.. think about answering the phone like that... "Good morning this is Cbrann's winkie hole, what can we do for you today?" ... but the idea of a conversation got me laughing good!! That is usuaully how I name something. Can you talk about it in front of Grandma, or in a crowded elevator at work, without causing problems? Just a few thoughts.. Cliff

I'll say this. Most of you would fit in with me and the guys I work with. I work rock concerts for a living. I had a little problem. I got very few pics of me. Found 1 of me working ... hard to take pics of myself... going to keep looking.. but odds aren't good. The hard drive a had a bunch on .. died a hideous death... Cliff

There is a product I have used for wooden bowls... called salad bowl finish... both durable and foodsafe... haven't needed to put it on steel.

When your wife demands you eat something and you ask her to watch out the window to make sure nothing is on fire that shouldn't be. when she yelled for dinner I dropped a large hot piece into a pile o dry leaves.... I work outside for those of you who don't know... .I put them out... but it never hurts to be sure... Or you have set your dog on fire during forgewelding big billets... The old dog would lay on a carpet at the far end of the shop.. till that day.. then she would just poke her head through the door... and watch...

the rust could simply be water condensation from the forge smoke too... it is a fine orange rust correct? I get that sometimes , and have no acid in my shop.

Yesterday I saw a billboard that said "Blacksmith" over a pint of beer... after almost running off the road I saw it was an add for Guinness. It was the name for a black and tan made from Guinness and Smithwicks.... I got a chuckle.... cliff

Sounds like some people I grew up with... and me... It occurs to me that I would do the same thing... to make sure it works .... but from this story... I might lay on the floor first. and yes I know there is no cure for stupid... but the description is making laugh my butt off! Cliff

I would tend toward the blacksmith hammer. The stone hammers I have seen have rounded sides on the pein end. good score for you!

pkrankow.... Well a couple of things on that... you have to know where it is.... you have to write in it... and in my case .. my handwriting is horrific!! so I would have to be able to read it again later...so I have tried that before... on another note.. what kind of language do you use to communicate your ideas or intentions about working on a project... I find it difficult to get the clarity of concept in a process. ... words that will translate back into a finished project... I use the words .. draw, fuller, bend...etc.. but there is always something missing in my descriptions... usually the part of the process that I reworked.. that I just can't get onto paper.. cliff

You mean I am not the only one that sees 3 or 5 easier ways .. after the project is finished... and then forget before repeating the project the next time?

I am a fan of cross and straight pein hammers. They both have their place. I have enjoyed reading the discussion. I made myself a straight pein, because I could only find one for sale for about $70 US. I like to make tools, so I made the eye drift, hot chisel, then the hammer head. I made some mistakes. I made the pein to thin. about 3/16"... I use it for texture now. I did want to use it for long drawing, or middle of the long piece work. I may make another.. but a fuller or guillatine are more effecient in my mind for a lot of or heavy drawing. I agree with the "take some classes" suggestion.. wish I had. .. but at the same time..make, borrow or buy cheaply the tools you want to play with to get a feel for them. Each of us will have their own tool kit. I think the only mandatory items ... with broad interpretation... are a. Forge, b. Anvil, c. Tongs, d. Hammer... and 1 or 2 non negotiables that must be high quality !!! Saftey glasses... !!! If you learn about many different styles, you will find your own. ... don't be afraid to try things out, whats the worst that can happen? ... you need to buy more steel and coal... (I am leaving injuries out on purpose... ) and another day at the forge... Cliff

Wire wheels spend a lot of time figuring out how to throw things back at you... I took a small hook to the face.. a lot of bruising of nose .. eye and teeth.. but nothing else.. the NEXT!! day I bought a face shield... a day late... my teeth still dont feel right.. from 6 months ago... buffing wheels will do the same thing... glad you are ok.. your safety gear only needs to work once for it to be worth while... cliff

I actually have practiced a lot of the filing exercises from Weyger's book. I find them useful. There are some times where a file will do things a grinder or sander wont/cant do. also I enjoy working with hand tools, and it gives me more appreciation how much work went into the old work.. and how much more productive we can be with modern tools.