JHCC

Considering how many "experienced" teachers had no idea how to deal with my ASD son, this rings very true with me. The head of Special Ed at his middle school had four decades of experience -- but she was trained in intellectual disability special ed and approached every student as if they were "retarded".

I was thinking along these lines as well, but was blanking on the mining term "face" (note to self: go get some more coffee). Probably not for digging through hard rock, though; perhaps clay or the like. I don't know a lot about tree planting implements, but this would seem to fall somewhere between a dibble bar and a hoedad.

I'm just hanging on to see if he ever does, in fact, make some tongs out of rebar.

Seems short for a digging tool, unless you're talking some kind of oversized dibble. Might have cut down from something larger, though.

Sometimes, not always. Some people are very demonstrative and easy to read. Other people are much more guarded, and it's hard to discern what they are thinking or feeling. It's also very easy to measure what you think you perceive against how you think people should show attitude or ability; observer bias is a real problem.

Varnish isn't going to give you "fireproofing" -- the resins therein are usually pretty flammable in themselves, even after the solvent evaporates. A decent homemade fire retardant for wood is a solution of two parts borax to one part of boric acid (e.g., Roach Prufe) dissolved in water, sprayed or painted on, and allowed to dry. If you're doing forge welding, you've probably already got the ingredients on hand.

Re-clayed the JABOD. The previous version was a thin-ish layer of adobe over sand, and it was starting to break apart. Dug out a large area around the firebowl and put in a much thicker adobe layer. Also replaced the tuyere, which was made from some thin-walled pipe that I just had lying around. Too thin, as you can see, and it burned back a couple of inches. It’s been replaced with similarly sized schedule 40 black pipe, which should be more durable.

Older paint can contain lead, and burning any paint releases nasties into the air. Unless you’re positive that it contains nothing toxic, consider chemical stripping (with proper PPE).

Definitely something to be thankful for. Please give him my respects.

Because we don't know you, and we don't know how you feel about your dad. Some people look down on certain professions; some children have no respect for their parents. Glad to see you're not either.

Related, but slightly different usage. In that case, "just" = "simply", the same as in your earlier " that JUST the way I said it".

"Just" is often used as a put-down, as are "only" and "merely". The implication is, "There's something more, and he's not it." "He's a truck driver, so he isn't home much" would perhaps have better conveyed what you meant: a simple point about scheduling, without any implied value judgment.

I drove a furniture delivery truck in New York City for a couple of years. Certainly gave me a healthy respect for anyone who drives anything bigger than a minivan.

Ooh...pretty....

If it's truly tin, a magnet won't stick. However, it's probably galvanized steel and therefore should NOT be used for anything involving significant heat.

For the love of Yellin, please make sure that you wear proper protective gear when using it. You only have one set each of eyes, ears, and lungs; make sure to use goggles and a face mask, earplugs or other hearing protection, and a decent dust mask.

I actually had the reverse problem yesterday when testing a RR track bolt for hardenability: the file skated on the first stroke and bit on the second and subsequent strokes.

But, as noted above, for a lot more money.

That's a horrible idea. Chop saws and miter saws run at very different RPMs, and miter saws don't usually have clamping mechanisms to hold the stock in place during cutting. Recipe for disaster. For 1/2" stock (round or square), a hacksaw is probably sufficient. I've done lots of cutting with an abrasive cutoff wheel in a 4-1/2" angle grinder, but I've lately fallen totally in love with my portable bandsaw, picked up for $40 used. Less noisy, faster, and less grit floating around the air.

Yes, that's correct. For example, if a steel supplier has an order for 1/2" round cut to three-foot lengths, they'll get six from a standard 20' stick, with a 2' chunk left over. The 2' chunk is the drop. @ThomasPowers recommendation for rusty and bent is also good; I have a 20' stick of 1/4" round that was basically a noodle and that I got for even less than the usual drop rate.

No, that's exactly what you're looking for. It's not what you think you're looking for, but it's what you need to know.

I'd want to know a lot more about what the guest meant by that and what criteria he used to make that judgment. Is that an assessment of their skill? Their ability to learn? Their hand-eye cordination? Their physical strength? Their artistic ability? Their determination to succeed? Their skills at salesmanship and marketing? Their bookkeeping ability? Their capitalization and accounting structure? Frankly, there's a lot more to being a professional than simply forging ability; witness @TechnicusJoe's recent decision to leave professional blacksmithing and to remain an (extremely skilled and highly talented) amateur. Honestly, I find it hard to believe that anyone can objectively disqualify anyone else on the basis of ten minutes' observation, although you can certainly get a strong idea of where they are right now and what areas have the most obvious need for improvement. By way of comparison, my wife is a professional musician who has taught violin students at all ages and skill levels, from total beginner to graduate and post-graduate study. She'll tell you in a heartbeat that some kids pick things up immediately, but don't have the interest or the staying power to stick with music long-term. Others with less obvious talents, on the other hand, have the dedication to music, the commitment to practice, and the desire to take their study as far as possible, and these are the ones who end up turning pro.

I've read that sticky a dozen times, and it's extremely useful. It's getting into the details of the metallurgy that makes my head hurt. The good news is, each time I read about, for example, how to read an iron carbon phase diagram, my head hurts a little less and I understand a little more.

This is the kind of thing that is simultaneously fascinating and headache-inducing.

Good point, @Glenn. Especially relevant when blasting something covered in lead paint: finer particles increase solubility.