Tobago

Great video and pictures! Thanks for sharing them and the challenge.

Excelsior,
Ted

I have a Milwauki Porta-Bandsaw and it can't be beat.

Excelsior,
Ted

Ted Tucker's book Practical Proojects for the Blacksmith is very clear.

Excelsior,
Ted

What was it? " God made meteorologists to make economists look good" or was it the other way around? Does it matter?

It's been a rare few days in a row we've had good or seasonal weather here in the east since the Spring. Maybe earlier.

Excelsior,
Ted

I don't do any commission or speculative work or sell any of my forge work but I do a lot of renovations on old retail sites in city neighborhoods.

In those jobs good enough is defined by the budget and often the people I'm doing the job for need to adjust their expectations (or the budget). I'm a novice smith and my stuff goes to my wife or heated up and beat into something else.

So I just about always stop at good enough because that's where my client and I agreed to stop. I don't envy a custom bladesmith or any smith is working on a signaure commission; it could be hard to stop.

Excelsior,
Ted

Let us know how you made out and where you went. Could make an interesting expedition for us other New Yorkers.

Excelsior,
Ted

I picked up a 4" leg vise in 2005 for $35. No markings, good condition.

Excelsior,
Ted

I thought I'd post this have just read the Can This Anvil Be Saved Thread.

A few years ago when I was asking around if anyone had an anvil they'd part with a guy I did business with said yes, he'd come across an anvil during a job and I was welcome to it.

He's a demolition contractor and had been bulldozing the scrub off a large rural field and running the slash through a mulcher when the machine stopped dead.

Turned out there was an anvil jammed in there. My anvil.

It's scratched up on what would be the port side, if you figured the pointy end was forward like on a ship, and it has a bent up foot. That doesn't affect it's stability and the face is fine for my needs.

Someday I'll figure out the picture thing here and put a picture up.

Excelsior,
Ted

In the rainy but ever beautiful foothills of the Berkshires. Dutchess, NY

That's great news. Good luck, enjoy.

Ted


Down in the New York foot hills of the Berkshires

This weekend I'm doing garage cleanup and some caulking around doors. Tomorrow supervise the son with a brake job on the old Volvo then some forge time.

I want to practice the HOfi Leaf Method.

Excelsior,
Ted

Started with a leaf (working on them not looking so much like weird putters), began a pari of tongs and made a knife blank.

Happy about getting a good fire going and really enjoyed the great weather here in god's country.

Excelsior,
Ted

This is important folks! Remember to observe National Talk Like a Pirate Day this Saturday.

All those pirate ships had 'smiths and it's really fun to tralk like a pirate, too.

Arrrgh, Excelsior, Matey,
Marlinspike Ted

Sorry, I'm late. Pepsi. Oh and I'd vote for a Milwauki hand held bandsaw. Great tool!

Excelsior,
Ted

Phil,

Ken made some fine points. Ask them what they want done if it's not fixable. Then do that if it becomes the case.

Excelsior,
Ted

Tom, if you get to the New York Metro area you're welcome to visit.

Excelsior,
Ted

Thank you all.

Son got it out and a replacement from the old diff. there was enough to get a bit on with vise grips after a good soak with liquid wrench and claping to the bench for a good solid purchase. Getting an unbroken stud out of the old differential was a bit more of a challenge. Very tight. Soaking with liquid wrench, and judicious rap with ball peen before torguing on a couple of jammed nuts got it.

I believe it came down to more patience than brute force as the penetrating oil got in there.

Thanks again.

Excelsior,
Ted

I was reminded of a kidhood hero after belatedly reading a note from a member of the forum.

Old Flick, the bartender, goes back to days of steel manfacturing, tube radios and Wanda Hickey's night of golden memories!

Bring up the cheap guitar music....

Excelsior,
Ted

This may the incorrect place to post this request but the old car is built like an anvil, slightly more complex but solid. this is a problen of moving old siezed metal.

My older son has a 1984 Mercedes 300D. It's not a collector car or anything, just an old diesel that he enjoys. Six years older than him in fact but that's neither here nor there.

Anyway it turn out the car needs a new differential. They seem to have a genetic problem with elongating the hole the carrier axle runs through.

He located a repacement differential in a salvage yard (junk yards are no more, takes the adventure and romance out of fixing an old machine) but the crew there breaks a stud on the hanger.

The assist he needs is how to free up one or mor studs in the original diff and how to get the broken stud out of the replacement.

The diff body casing seem to be cast aluminium with steel studs galled in there.

Any recommendations will be appreciated. Thank you all.

Excelsior,
Ted

Bring it up large!

Excelsior,
Ted

Oil of wintergreen on rusted nuts is what we used on firemain piping on ships. There's probably better stuff now.

ATF fluid always feels extra slippery and I can imagine the acetone is a good cutback.

Excelsior,

Ted

He has quite the mind. He played irish and some blues jazz as well and talks about a number of subjects and the people and events he's known. Your name came up during the forge welding. He knows everyone and relates what he's learned from his teachers and partners.

Excelsior

Bob Patrick gave a great set of demonstrations and talks, food was very good and plenty of it. The fellowship was great and the weather even held. On top of that the site is beautiful.

Bob treated us to Ashokan Farewell on the fiddle after breakfast Sunday.

I'm putting together my shop this summer in the free time between work the stuff that needs to be done around here. Years ago, close to prehistory, a navy buddy and I were studying old technolgy at the old house in Norfolk and blacksmithing was one of the things tried out. We used an old hibachi, shop vac, vise grips, large ball pein and a coil spring.

My darling wife has combined a few celebrations and signed me up for the Spring Hammer In at Ashokan Center in Olivebridge, NY. I'm truly excited to be going there.

Maybe I'll meet one or two New York or New England members of this group there.

Adios,
Ted