jlpservicesinc

5 hours ago, Frosty said:

Interesting, I've found if a spectator stops they'll watch for about 5 minutes and if I can get them invested in a project up to 15 minutes. That's a HIGH length of time though, 5-7 is a high average. Most folk slow down or stop briefly and move on. Kids flock. Since I stopped hauling my shop forge and use a brick pile forge I get a LOT more interest. Spectators can wrap their heads around a: propane tank, reg, gauge, hose, some plumbing and a stack of bricks as something they might actually try. I'm a long time fabricator so the shop forge I built is WAY more than anybody is likely to need, I've been using it more than 15 years and use maybe %50 on occasion. Anyway, a beast like my shop forge would cost a couple grand to have built and the farrier's propane forges are a few hundred. Most folk really just want to give it a try nor invest in a career.

I set up under an awning off the pickup's bed. It gives me a handy place to lay steel, tools, etc. and keeps anyone from walking up behind me. I have a steel table between the anvil and audience, the vise blocks my right flank and I can motion folk back if they try. We don't get swamped, it's usually a small steady flow. Easy demo.

What I discovered makes a good demo is bringing a beginning student and giving a lesson. You have to keep an eagle eye on them so they don't put a spectator in danger but it really helps tune their attention to safety.  It also has the student explaining what and why they're doing what they're doing, nothing will teach you faster than teaching someone else. Seriously I've seen 2-3 lesson's worth of progress in an afternoon at a demo. It also really gets the audience involved watching some doing things they're never done.

I'd LOVE the opportunity to help someone like your VOC teacher at a demo or heck anywhere. What a sweet day that must've been.

Next(?) time I'm down your way I'll take you up on painting the chimney, bricks are easy, a LOT easier than a person might think. There's a trick you know.

Frosty The Lucky.

Sounds like you are a great Demo'r.. God bless you..  First few years I think I was a better public demo'r but that changed.. 

Now.. 

I'm not a great general public demo'r..   I pick something to make and then set about doing it just like I'm in the shop and at the same pace..  I'll answer questions when asked but don't do a verbal repose as I work.. Not much of a talker.. More a doer.. Besides that when I was younger I was extremely shy and you could say even withdrawn.. took, a lot of years of doing public speaking, teaching and such to get more comfortable.  First demo was in 1988 at 20 years old.. 

So my skill set now is adjusted for the action taking place. Teaching is a different thing totally vs demoing depending on the goal/action at hand..  I also find that demoing for other metal workers is so much different than demoing for the general public...The level of conversation is at the trade level which if far more appealing to me..  .  Also since I'm not much of a talker just after a few hours I can't talk since my throat isn't used to all the exercise so I'm usually hoarse. 

I used to do about 8 to 10 demo's , 3 and 4 day venues a year back when I was trying to promote business..  I used to find them exhaustive and the same questions over and over again..  " do you ever get burnt" was the favorite and still is.. and the trailers weren't up to the quality of this one.. 

Now it's different because I do the demo's for fun but only still know one speed..  "Strike when the iron is hot""   So the only time I slow down my pace is when teaching and I'd never risk having a student demo at a general public event..   To many things can go wrong and if at a trade event people know the dangers vs in public.. 

Back in the early 90's I had a situation where I had cut off a nail like object.. It was about 3" long and it flew 10ft straight as an arrow, straight into someones leg right at knee level..(back before I had a trailer so all the equipment was on the ground) Stuck in really well for about 1 second as everybody looked in disbelief and fell out. It was at black heat so it cauterized the wound right off.. But then the guy reached down and picked up the hot metal and burnt his fingers..  That whole episode could have been the end of everything I had worked for.. Luckily I knew the guy/kid  and he didn't really care or at least that's what he said..  The next year he showed me his scar on his knee proudly..    The night before my best buddy and crazy striking dude ( he could hit a rate about 200bpm) with a 10lbs hammer he was standing back in the crowd and i had forge welded something.. Next thing you know he ended up with flux in the eye and he was about 20ft away.. Was about 9pm so it was dark out.. He had no idea what happened.. took to the ambulance for an eye washing..  (he never struck for me again) 

 I took both accidents very seriously..

Since then I've done 100's of demo's and have never had something fly off into the crowd or someone unintentionally get hit with anything I have been working with on accident..  

Also after the first few years I built my first demo trailer which started the process of moving people back from the line of fire..  and each trailer has moved the people back a little further..  As long as they can see and we can talk I'm happy with the armor the trailer affords.. 

Anyhow, I offer 2 levels of demo's..  Public (which is general public, fairs, town days. field days an such) and   teaching..  Really I prefer the teaching vs public but now I don't do demo's for the business they create.. I do them for the fun of it and also to make stuff I normally wouldn't make because I'm to busy otherwise..  

 Sadly about 20 years ago I stopped forging stuff to just forge stuff  to only forging stuff when it's a paying job or something I need to make for other projects.. Demo's now give me opportunities to make stuff and promote the business but in a I don't care attitude..  I don't blacksmith because I have to, to pay the bills like before when I was doing it professionally 24/7..   I do it because it's part of me and really, really enjoy it..  Took me a long time to come back from being burnt out took off nearly 10 years as I had writers block and no vision..

Anyhow I love to watch people demo and your demo sounds like you put on one heck of a show..  I'd love to see it in action.. Maybe inspire me to do something different..  So do you have any coming up? 

My last one of the season is Sept 24th here in Town..  Be the first demo where the trailer should be completely finished.. 

21 hours ago, Frosty said:

I'm glad you don't over think things like some of the guys here. Darlin.

I don't do many demos, certainly not enough to justify building a trailer special for the purpose. I think the only thing you've forgotten are bleachers. No joke an elevated spot for kids to see what's going on from a safe distance and a place for their parents to take a break might be a real plus.

I rarely weld at demos and if I do I turn around so I'm between any flux spray and spectators. It's been a long time since I used enough flux to make a properly showy spray, I hardly get a pop now. Non the less I don't take the chance.

I find the audience likes twists, they can see directly how heat softens the steel and the transformation in real time and slowly enough to grasp it entirely. Folk seem to like seeing just a plain old simple twist more than a pineapple, cable, cube twist or other fancy twists.

No I'm not signing off without saying just what one FINE demo trailer I think that is. Your years of experience, thought, planning and a summer's worth of work show in every detail. I do think you should paint the stack like brick or stone masonry though for the cool factor.

Thanks for sharing, I'd be setting it in parking lots up just to show off.

Frosty The Lucky.

Oh, you..  the bleachers.. Well It did cross my mind..            I did get down on my knees  and adjusted the height of the side wall as I built it so the little ones can still see me working..  At one of the shows they did give me a set of bleachers..  it was pretty nice.. 

Once i get it all done inside and it's cleaned up I'll run through all the neat little things  and take some shots from the outside of me working.. 

Your right about twists they do love them. They always ask about a blacksmith's twist or basket handle..   I've found unless the person has a real interest in blacksmithing  you get about 1 to 2 minutes about max..  Sometimes if a person watches awhile 3minutes or so.. I'll tell them if they want to come back in X time frame I'll be that much further ahead.. or if they would like to see the finish product to come back at X..     I have had a lot of return people..   

Last show I had one guy who came back 5 times  and then came back to see the finished item just before he headed home.. Said he couldn't leave without seeing it..  I said where are all your friends..  " At the car".. he replied.. I also gave a lesson on forge welding to the head teacher of a VOC school who had like 22 kids there with gas forges and anvils.. Pretty cool and I gave a lesson to a young guy from Washington on plate armor making.. 

As for the stack..  The original plan was to have the trailer vinyl wrapped in a stone blacksmithing looking thing..   but after working on it and feeling the difference between Primed metal and the white color the white won out and it won't be getting a vinyl wrap.. 

As for the stack.. It's going to get a  JLP in classic lettering on 4 sides like the old chimneys of the day in silver paint..  " if you really want to see it with bricks on it, You are welcome to come and paint but you have to promise to paint it all" I will supply you with paint, brushes and a meal or 2.. 

9 hours ago, aessinus said:

That is really a slick rig, more impressive as a one-person build.   You should be proud.  Hope your paint dried before the rain.

Thanks.. It's taken forever..  It was an inspirational build as it certainly was not as I initially intended..  I had planned on a simply fender swap.. Ma, look at me go.. LOL.. . 

No on the paint.. the whole roofs paint got ruined.. I'll be able to coat it again it just means more time.. But as the saying goes.. Paint runs don't rust so maybe I'll just have to look at it as another paint run.. Though I am on coat number 8 I think..

I did the side and inside yesterday and it looks great..  Had enough time to dry before we got more rain..  Was plenty hot so really speeds up the oil based paint.. 

Thanks guys.. The bigger one is for hot dogs and marshmallows.. Have very little curve to the tines.. 

Nice work..

Few questions.. did you setup a jig for framing and welding?

Couldn't tell from the pictures.. Are the sections bolted onto the uprights? 

Nicely done..even more impressive using spring stock to make them..

12 hours ago, ausfire said:

That's one stylish toast fork! Love the symmetry and the fine finish. A lot of hammer work from  1/4 X 1. Thanks for posting, Jennifer.

Thanks,,

Not to bad forging wise..    maybe 30minutes of forge time.. 2 minutes with the file and another few with the wire brush.. This was made in the old blacksmith trailer and the floor would bounce about 1/2" with every hammer blow..  

Your welcome.. 

Since you guys are liking these.. Here is the fork, as forged and here is a pair.. each fork going to a different person.. 

Your not alone.. A hoop or loop knife is not as well known..  it is much more dangerous to use but if simplifies cleaning up frogs, or any area of the hoof where you need a dedicated round shaped knife.. 

This is a larger one with a very wide tip good for draft sized feet.. 

7 hours ago, TwistedCustoms said:

jlpservicesinc....no other websites, who has the time. Other than about two dozen supply houses I have bookmarked, ( some of which I learned about here, thank you IFI and co.) this is the only place I spend time online. I like the company much better than the FB crowd and being bombarded by pictures of cats with clever captions. If I get to hunt this fall I'll take some pics of the gear. Hickory flat bow drawing 55#@28" cedar shafts with right helicoil turkey fletching and forged two blade broad heads. The cutting diameter varies a few mills because I file them all till they weigh 125 grains. Getting the weight right for the spine of the shaft is more important to me than whether the wound channel is 1 7/8" or 1 15/16" and the deer don't care. As long as my broad heads are in the picks maybe it won't be too far off topic for this sight. I'll throw a fire striker in just to be safe. Be sure to update us when the mobile smithy is complete.

My understanding is anything bladed..  Arrow broadheads apply..   Making bows by hand is an awesome skill set and to me well worthy of a share..  It's like hammer handles..  I make my own and without them a hammer is useless.. 

You said a mouth full with lack of time.. I also suffer from lack of website.. 20 years ago I started to learn HTML to make one and got about 1/2way to publishing it and then I had a computer crash and wham.. all gone.. 

I look forwards to see your examples..  I like google+ for pictures and such vs FB which I find impossible to navigate..   

You bet.. I'm just about done with the mobile setup.. Just little time suckers now.. Drawers, file holders and foot hammer..

One other thing.. I failed to mention..  This is a public demo rig..  vs  a hammer in, or blacksmith meet.. 

21 hours ago, aessinus said:

On top of a demoing summer, you have been busy.  Quite the trailer shop.  Your fab skills are to be commended.  No I'm not suggesting you are a welder!

I applaud your efforts & It looks like you have thought it out well (You will never change a thing, smiths never do).    The anvil stand & vise mount are just awesome!

Yes, thanks.. It's been crazy busy.. This trailer has eaten the summer up in full fashion.. I haven't been swimming once this summer..  I started the trailer back in early May, 5/14 to be exact. Been so long now it's all blended together.. 

Today I made great progress on the drawers and got the finial coat of paint on the roof.. At least I hope it's the finial coat.. Sadly I wasn't able to do it earlier in the day as it was still wet and humid.. So I waited to this afternoon.. Now we are supposed to get rain tonight and the paint was still tacky I hr ago..  

Thanks.. It has been one of those projects where I was going to just do this and it morphed into what you have seen.. I figured it would be a down and dirty trailer build and it took on a life of its own.. 

Large hoop hoof knife..  Birds eye maple handle.. Audi coil spring stock..  Copper rivets.. 

3 minutes ago, Frosty said:

I think we have a different definition of "straight" JP.

Every hoof knife I've seen has been what I call a "Hook" knife, just like that beauty. FYI, The last time I held a hoof knife was probably 15-20 years ago when I showed a work mate how to clean up his horse's hoof, a sharp rock had split it. Our horses were shod and though we had a couple hoof knives we never needed to use one except when the farrier showed me how.

All that windyness is to say there may be "straight" hoof knives and most modern ones may be so curvy this one is "straight" by modern standards.

Now I'm missing Banjo, not the work, just the critter. Non-horse people don't understand how much of a personal relationship you develop with your horse. <sigh>

Frosty The Lucky.

Ah, you ruined the surprise..   the next thread will be a hoop knife... It is a hook bladed knife but the blade is straight compared to the hoop knife.. 

I used straight in the essence of a hoof knife.. some have less belly than others and this has a pretty deep belly..  

it is true the relationship between horse and human kind can be pretty amazing..  All critters speak if listened to.. 

title says it all.. made from Audi car spring.. 

10 hours ago, aessinus said:

Awesome work.  All done at a demo?  Don't get nervous around crowds apparently.. Kudos for that

I don't even see the crowd's..  to busy working...

Kind of feels like a fish in a fish bowl..

10 hours ago, TwistedCustoms said:

Very cool, I would love to have that one sitting on my shave-horse. I have bow staves that need thinning and no time to play with archery till January but the sight of that knife warms my soul.

Love bow making... website? Pictures?

5 hours ago, Frosty said:

That's a nice looking draw knife JP. How's it work?

Frosty The Lucky.

Thanks..  Works great..  will shave so fine and smooth it makes snow flakes..

57 minutes ago, FlyingXS said:

Wow you have put a lot of thought and effort into this.   As a transportable smithy it looks fantastic. For use in demo situations I have a few concerns.

Isn't the audiences view limited and obstructed? Yes they can see your working in there but not really see what/how your working?

it would be more difficult for the audience to be engaged as there is physical barriers closing you off from them.  Being on the ground in front with a simple rope barrier has an appeal and less of a psychological effect than walls even partially open.  I mention this as I used to design and build trade show/exhibition stands for a living and may have a different perspective.

Thanks,

Ah, you certainly are in tune with audience flow..   The total idea is to limit people going where they are not supposed to..  

When I demo I build or make the same exact stuff I would make in the shop.. If you have ever cut a bar or had a hammer head fly off or any thing at all or a piece of welding flux head into the crowd.. You will see why.. 

The trailer was actually designed more to be freindly to me as well as the audience..  After doing this for over 30 years you start to understand how and why certain things happen..  One of them is heat exhaustion, another is breathing soot, cinder and dust and smoke when it's 90F+ on the demo days..  The trailer is designed so I can control how the wind approaches the forge and stack and is the reason the stack has a large shape at the bottom.. 

When I designed it I made the side walls at the spectator side the correct height to catch 90%+ of the weld flux and scale at or around eye ball height for children since the splatter heads out at a descending arc from the anvil face..  As you know the people watching are more likely to be hit with hot slag or flux than the smith is.. Last demo some was watching the smith next door and the smith was doing some welding.. the guy was maybe 10ft from the smith when the smith hit the hot metal the guy jumped back and started rubbing his eye.. YUP..he got slagged.. Could have been very serious.. 

I don't want people right on top of me.. I actually put the display table about 10ft from the trailer and then put ropes up to keep people back.. 

So, the design has a lot to do with how to protect the on lookers first and foremost but also how to make me the most comfortable.. 

As for being able to see..  The only areas I care they see are the immediate work area and this was taken into consideration when designing the doors..  There is a perfect view of the anvil and forge and vise when both doors are open.. If its windy I can close all side doors but the main viewing door and this totally controls the wind and still allows full view of the anvil and big vise if standing in front..  I'll post video of the view into the trailer at some point.. 

If you look at the first full side picture you can see the top of the anvil, the vises, work bench, blower and forge..  If you are one of those equipment junkies who revels at the equipment than it wouldn't be your gig.. But it makes for conversation as I'm always happy to have someone comer around and inside to look..    Just not while I'm hammering unless they are a striker, helper or in full PPG.. 

It's pretty amazing..

So here we are getting things moved along.. Funny now looking at it but there is 2.5 months of 10+ hrs a day up to Aug 23 which was a half a day, the day of the fair demo.. 

20160818_185451.mp4

the pictures moved out of order.. So they are out of sequence.. But you guys will get the picture..

Sorry I have been lax on getting back to here.. I've been struggling with drawer making for the work bench and it takes 16 pieces of metal to make one drawer not including 2 runners.. 

Anyhow, I got 2 done as of today and have 4 more to make.. Here are a few teasers till it's completed.. 

I have engineered, designed, cut and fabricated every piece of this thing..  It took on a life of it's own but is the ultimate demo trailer.. 

Not sure how many I can add at once but here you go.. 

The roof vents open. the blower is mounted to the work bench and is height adjustable. 

The edging for the work bench is removable so I can pass steel out the back side of the trailer instead of towards the audience.. 

The anvil stand passes through the floor and rests solidly on the ground.. 

23 minutes ago, TwistedCustoms said:

Very nice work. How did you make the ferrules?

Thanks, forge welded flat stock..  by the time the ferrules were in process I had all ready been demoing for a few days and it was pretty hot all days.. This was day 3 of the show so instead of making them thinner which is what I would have preferred.  I used the stock at standard size.. which is either 3/16" or 1/8" an were shrunk onto the handles.. 

the thicker ferrules actually works well as that is where the thumbs sit so offers just a little extra purchase when really pulling hard... 

2 hours ago, Frosty said:

Madam or Ms. your preference please? A ladysmith's work explains a lot. I love seeing women in the shop there is a whole different aesthetic that's a refreshing change and appealing. I wish there were more ladysmiths posting here.

Oh, do you have a preferred web-handle or nick or do WE get to come up with one for you?

No, I didn't assume Frosty it was a given being a Frost. My folks told me to get used to being called Jack so a very brief period when I started 1st. grade I did. Then I found out who Jack Frost is and didn't want any association with the trickster so I choose Frosty instead. Funny thing there were some guys I knew all through school that in college still insisted I'm Jack. Funny how some things just stick in a person's brain.

Oh, I CAN be looooong winded but I try to be entertaining about it.

Frosty The Lucky.

Forging queen works.. Just kidding.   Jennifer works or JP. or Ms JP.. ..  

" Frosty".  I like it..    Not sure what people would want to call me..  Never had a nick name.. If anything they would call me stubborn.. LOL>. 

Thanks.. 

Thank you..  I do make sets..  This was actually a little smaller design in a toasting fork.. The fillets are usually a little larger.. 

Your welcome and it's Madam, or Ms..   Thank you very much.. 

Just a finial/decoration.  but it also adds strength to the junction of the shaft to tines. 

I forged this up as a demo at one of the event's I was doing..  No electric power was used in the making of this..  The pear wood handles were cut with another draw knife.. 

Blade is 5160..  It was forged to this exact shape and  hot rasped to remove the scale..  it was draw filed with a bastard file and then finished with sand paper on a flat file.. 

The handles once joined with the blade were heated in a vat of linseed oil and bees wax and allowed to bubble off for a short time.. 

Suffolk latch.. 2 wrought iron bolts welded together.. 

Here is a 2 tine roasting fork.. Made from 1/4 X 1" Just a touch of whitesmithing and then hand wire brushed.. No finish..