Michael Cochran

Not bad, Randell. Those are good items to have handy and truth is ive never thought about making one. I usually just grab a receipt or whatever random scrap of paper I can find but I think that's going to have to change.

Those could be done easily enough without a specialized tool such as a bender. It'll just take some practice to get it consistent.

Sheet would never be able to do it, you probably mean plate. I didn't think about that. Using 3/8" plate might do it.

I have debated buying some for the very same purpose. I don't recall hearing of anyone using them for blades before but I thought as you did, surely they could help more accurately gauge the temps.

Only if you're willing to give up instead of continuing forward.

Would you be willing to share more details on that project? Maybe start a different discussion with it so it'll be easier to follow along.

Frosty, the nail gun wasn't in his workshop. It was on a job site lol. I know a guy near me that uses pine pitch when assembling his knives. I haven't tried it myself but it worked for so many people before him so I don't know why it wouldn't work for anyone else.

Looks like a passload 16d. Good nails for building but not so much for finger inserts I had one myself one day in my left hand bird finger from very similar corcumstances. My finger was right there (a couple inches away from the nailer) and not as far as yours. The part that hurts the worst is when it's pulled out.

I definitely didn't go that route. I've been using all the old books I could find online but I don't like having my phone or tablet near the forge or anvil. I have printed select pages a few times to have handy in the shop.

I was at tractor supply this evening and glanced at the book rack as I went by. To my surprise I found "The Blacksmiths Craft." So today, after about 4 years or so going off what I've found on the internet, I bought my first blacksmith related book. I've seen it suggested to many new people and thought it wouldn't hurt to have since I still know so little.

There's an auction local to me that I have seen the auctioneer run the price up on some items. Either he's bidding it up because he wants it for himself or because he knows what it's worth and he's trying to bid someone up for the sellers (and his) benefit. It took some time to figure that out but once I did it was helpful.

That's a good one. I bet his face was priceless after the stars faded and he realized what happened.

Kozzy, thank you for posting that picture. I love seeing old pictures and even more so when they are full of so much detail as this one. Mad a side note does anyone know if there is a topic here showing more of these type pictures?

You could get those countersunk bolt heads and weld them in place from the top. Bolting them that way (nut on the bottom) you don't have to worry about your work hitting bolts not that you should have to worry with it too much anyway.

I haven't had luck with them yet. I had one place that said they were getting ready to toss one but wasn't quite time. When I went back they didn't hold on to it like they said they would. I hadn't found another yet that had them. Truth is it was a casual search and not as hard as I should've been. But I think that my $17.20 for three came pretty close to your $5 each. When I saw them at the flea market a couple weeks back I knew I could do better than the $15 each the only guy I found with them wanted for them. If these turn out as good as they are reported to be I'll be increasing my effort looking for a better source. Of course they're all over eBay with a 'Best Offer' button so that's still an option.

I had some jackhammer bits in the mail when I got home yesterday. Got 3 on eBay for $10US plus shipping. Now I might be able to forge some better drifts

@ryancrowe92 have you made the tongs yet that started this thread? I only ask because I haven't seen them and I'm curious as to how they turned out.

I used to use those daily for a few years and only had one accident. It was actually towards the end of my construction career. I had a knee wall I was building and had a nail redirected by a knot in the 2x4 I neglected to pay attention to. The nail shot out of the side of the board and into my finger. It went about half the length of the nail before it stopped. The boss laughed and the electrician gasped. The funny thing is it didn't hurt until we borrowed the electricians pliers to pull it back out. About 1/8" over it would've hit the bone.

I've thought about doing that myself. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who had that idea (my wife kinda thought I was a little crazy when I mentioned it lol).

I have to agree. The fast and slow motion in video is overused these days. I'd rather see the whole process or enough to see what's going on in a step and then cut the camera off until it's closer to finished if need be. The slow motion is good for some things but again I think it's over used.

I second Frostys suggestion to use plans. I tried winging it myself and using what I had laying around. It didn't work out well to say the least.

I can't comment on that. How big is you column?

I plan on doing that as well. I'll need to aquire more to have enough for both.

If you have a way of legally acquiring rail road rail of some length you might try that. That's my plan anyway.

There are plenty of resource here on forging blades. Some come from the classes that Steve Sells and Rich Hale put together and some from other discussions. I'd also suggest getting some books to supplement the discussions on here.