JHCC

A larger version of the one in your profile pic?

Yeah, but the froe needs a handle, but you need the froe to make a handle for the froe that doesn't have a handle so you should make a froe to make the handle for the froe so you can make the handle for the froe....

Anything that slows moisture transfer. Speed is the enemy of proper seasoning; you want the entire billet to lose moisture at roughly the same rate. You can use latex house paint, dip the ends in melted wax, whatever seals off the pores. Think of the wood as a bundle of rubber tubes, each of which is slightly expanded with the water inside. If the end grain isn't sealed, the ends lose their moisture faster and shrink faster than the middle; this can lead to cracking, both internal and external. If you seal the ends, the moisture works its way out through the sides of the billet, which takes longer, but dramatically reduces the risk of checking/cracking. Cutting the wood to rough dimension is a good idea, as thicker pieces generally develop more internal tension as they dry. Hickory is also a LOT easier to work while still green, so you'll be saving yourself a lot of aggravation down the road.

One advantage (perhaps the only one) of my long hiatus from smithing and the attendant loss of almost all my gear is that almost any project I want to do right now involves making tools first.

When I modded a hand sledge into a rounding hammer (like the middle pic in Charles's post, above), I filed a small flat onto the same side of the handle as the flat face of the hammer. It's an instant tactile cue as to which way the hammer is pointed.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned elsewhere (although I'm sure I just missed it) is that many hardware stores sell "horticultural vinegar" for use as a weed killer*; it's a lot stronger than regular white vinegar. Seems a good middle ground between regular vinegar and muriatic acid. *Don't do it. Vinegar only kills the leaves, not the roots, and it's horrible for the soil bacteria.

There's a third option, I think, and one of which I know I myself have been guilty plenty of times: the tendency of the newbie (or the relative newbie) to seek reassurance and approval, especially if they (consciously or not) aren't feeling particularly confident or if they feel that they have done something particularly creative or clever, but lack the experience and perspective to know that others have tried and failed that particular method before them. Unfortunately, when confronted with some straight talk from the IFI curmudgeons, it can be easier to be defensive than it is to be humble.

Reminds me obliquely of the term I heard for someone who thinks too much of themselves: FIG JAM. It stands for: "F***, I'm Good; Just Ask Me!"

I have had garlic ice cream, and it's AWESOME! Next year's garlic went in the ground yesterday, including three or four dozen bulblets that had formed on the flower stalks of a few of this year's. We'll see how they turn out. And Frosty, be careful about those galvy washtubs. The last time I had my eye open for one (for a Tim Lively-style tub forge), I ended up buying my current rivet forge.

Looks nice, but all your design elements are upside down.

Tempting. How big a bag?

If we're making reading recommendations here, I STRONGLY recommend "Evening in the Palace of Reason" by James Gaines, especially if you like classical music and European intellectual history of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Lightly tapping each prospective brick with a small hammer will tell you a lot about its structural integrity. A sharp "clink clink" means that the brick is probably sound. A dull "clunk clunk" means that it is probably cracked.

Anything else would be un-Seville-ized.

Two pieces of drive shaft, four mower blades, and an interesting bit of steel with all kinds of possibilities, all from the local farm implement sales & service.

Hey, if you want to drive up to Oberlin with a sack of soft coal, I won't say no. I'll even make you dinner.

That's nothing to turnip your nose at!

I get you; no problem. However, tingling in fingers can be caused by a lot of things besides white finger disease*; I myself suffer from a form of neuropathy whose flares are triggered by cold or muscle strain, but which is actually caused by a deficiency of Vitamin B12. Poor hammering technique can also lead to carpal tunnel syndrome and the like. * aka Raynaud's Disease, a form of repetitive stress injury caused by overuse of vibrating handheld machinery, for those who don't know.

Muscle soreness is one thing; tingling fingers is another. Proceed with caution! Find and fix the problem before it gets worse!

Unfortunately, the scheduling is ruled by the need to have the surgery and leave enough time for another sleep study and (probably) getting a new breathing machine before my health insurance deductible resets at the beginning of the calendar year. I've read all of A Song of Ice and Fire that's been published so far, but might be worth re-reading.

These are the risks we take.

One of the nice things about working for a college is easy access to interlibrary loan. I've got calls out for the three-volume sets of Jim Hrisoulas and Mark Aspery.

Especially the hammers, right? I come from a long line of laconic New Englanders. She, a voluble Southerner, has had more than enough of my silence! I've been on CPAP for several years now, but I suspect (and hope) this will be better for both of us. Thank you, everyone!

Have you tried eBay?

Me either. Double grrrr!