jlpservicesinc

more progress today.. Was able to install the cold air intake for the Infrared heater.. The hole was cut in the siding and then I made another plate to overlap the hole.. This second plate was fitting tightly to the pipe pass thru and all silicone and screwed in.. this type of double layering helps seal the intrusion.. 1 layer of siding is very weak and super soft.. Doesn't hold screws well.. But doing 2 layers it works way better.. No matter how "un janky" I try to make things.. Things still come out janky.. At some point I just throw my arms up and move on.. I was then able to install the insulation up to the rafters and install the membrane.. I learned a lot on this membrane install.. the new tape is tenacious boy is it super sticky.. Once the membrane touches it, good luck getting it pulled apart.. Next time I will install the top of the membrane before installing the insulation and fit it without tape.. Then I can cut and trim it without all the stick stuff.. learn, learn, learn.. Getting done is where it's at.. If I can keep up this pace I might be able to install the insulation and membrane and nearly all the electric pulled.. All the 4 11/16 covers came in as well as the 4 gang covers.. I have a little more trim work on the center membrane but it's up and sealed..

I did drop the coin to watch the video and he does them the same way I do.. Well other than in the video he used mild steel.. Go figure..

That sounded a little harsh.. Was not my intentions.. I have a great appreciation for anything anybody makes.. Blackbear, DF, etc, etc.. Glad they make what they make for them.. It's just not what I'm after..

Nice work guys..

Billy the Blackbear videos were already pointed out.. So just to be clear, everyone is doing the single joint or offset joint.. it's not the same as the double-joint compass.. Yes, yes I watched DF and a few others.. DF drilled his joint.. ARGH.. disgusting.. Thats not forging.. Never liked his videos.. I'm not interested in "just making a pair".. Anyone can do that with a given amount of time.. In the old days they made these in a very quick method.. Thats what I'm after.. Blacksmithing.. Anybody can make anything given enough time. Does it look professional (their method).. Is it a clean and concise forging? If you go back to the beginning you can see 4 attempts.. The 1st 3 were clumsy.. Would they work sure..Heck of a lot better than the videos I watched, But I'm also sure those were not the methods used.. It is interesting that people have not found a video on the subject.. Well other than Peter Ross's.. By the way.. I have it figured it.. I just thought it would be nice to watch someone else who's made a pair or 2... I'm actually pretty bummed about the whole thing..

thanks for the videos..

Well now.. Since I need to get the Infrared heater setup, and I finally succumbed to finishing the end wall insulation and membrane.. I needed to put the heaters intake into the side wall before the insulation.. This meant having to get the heater centered in the building and getting it aligned.. When I first put it up it was "close" for up, out of the way.. But now it was time to get it where it's home is so dialed it in and got the hole cut in the side of the building.. I also installed the insulation hangers but draping them onto the screws that poked thru and then gorilla taping then bodies to the siding.. That's what the black stuff is. The heater took about 2hrs to get centered and straight.. I used some of the turn buckles from when I installed the duct work for the furnace.. I used larger models on the duct work so had some smaller ones.. The heater install kit came with dog chain.. I'm not sure why dog chain is used at all.. With the double locked links it's impossible to get the right distance.. So tomorrow will be to install the intake vent and get that center section insulated and membrane installed. The insulation tape I ordered from a few different sites there are some clear winners.. The stuff I've been using is stellar. Better than the Bayliner tape by a long shot..

Jo_Bai Thanks Those are the compass type I will be making.. I'm too cheap to pay for the video.. But with that said.. I might break down and rent it.. Always nice to see what others have going on.. Interesting that his preform and mine look the same.. HUH.. Wonder why.. Just kidding.. If I weren't so frugal I'd probably watch it.. My statement about not finding many videos with Double joints still holds true.. Did you find any others?

David, sorry to hear it, but that seems to be on par.. Rush nothing works.. Looks like the eye wall thickness is about 3/16" or little more.. YOu could forge this extra metal out around the drift and then reweld.. Massaging the metal around. It doesn't look like your overall small.. How much more material do you need?

I started in a Tandem Canoe as the lead person.. Was tough being dyslexic and calling sides.. My buddy and I hit some class 5 WW and my buddy did not have a great experience with the fast, heavy water.. So wanted nothing to do with it anymore.. So that switched me over to kayaks.. I went and took lessons and bought a boat.. Was a lot of many make then.. I bought a Riot Booster.. I had tried a few boats during the class and the Riot brand of boats seemed to jive. The upper Yough is supposed to be fantastic WW.. I've done the Deerfield, the Dead, and the Kennibeck, Quaboug, Ware, as well as a handful of others.. I was involved with a group for awhile and they would go to all the big New England WW.. LIke everything I just don't seem to find the time to go have fun.. As to forging more.. The thought of getting out and forging more is a good one.. When I was a professional I stopped forging for fun.. I only forged when work was on the hearth.. I'm still kinda the same way.. Being involved with different organizations keeps me forging more.. And of course there are all the demos.. I forge roughly about 12 times a year event wise and video wise. So, yes getting the school and shop up to speed will allow for more freedom with some passing by kind of forging.. On that note.. Update time.. Was able to get more conduit in. I'm in a good position to start pulling some more wires.. Pretty much have the wiring runs figured out for the lights, the EXIT light, infrared heater, garage door opener and a few outlets.. This will start to go fast now that the conduit is up.. And a photo of the scrap.. Still some used good pieces in there.. Saddle bends did me in.. As did a set of 90's.. I made them a few inches 2 short and didn't realize it until they were all done.. I actually feel pretty good about the amount of scrap..

Frosty you and I think about the same way.. Just seems the wording is different.. My intention when forging is to always make the hit of the hammer do more work towards what I'm trying to create without the extra effort.. (so try to avoid corrective actions) So more bang for the buck.. I guess it has something to do with longevity.. I'm not sure.. But while we say things differently it's pretty much a wash.. Billy, You are not the only one.. You can count me in.. Rob H. has an Instagram page and he's a Brian Brazeal person.. There is a whole group of the Brian Brazeal guys in a group and they are super fun to hang with and talk with.. Mark Ling is part of that group.. They really utilize the basic concepts to great measure.. Gotta lot of respect for that.. If you ever get a chance to hang with those guys their methods and understanding is very grounded.. I like to watch Rob's streams and he's been doing 1 or 2 a day.. Very few people work larger steel by hand and this group is not afraid of it.. This working larger sectional dimensions helps with proper hammer use.. Anyhow, good stuff..

Frosty, I agree.. I see it everywhere.. I see it in other trades as well.. Farrier being one of the other ones.. What I see is "There is an idea, this idea gets shared (good/bad/indifferent) and this starts to become the new "Normal".. Things 25 years ago I was talking about in farrier work are becoming more heard of but still not "normal".. Be it cursed or disenfranchised or indifferent my understanding is well " AKA normal way of doing something" can be the furthest from the truth.. I see it all the time, people wasting time on an aspect that in 20 years from now they won't bother with.. I've said it before.. Look for the little things that can barely be seen.. These are usually the smallest things with the largest impacts and yet the most disregarded.. (move the metal without hitting it).. Thats a really good one.. Once a person "knows".. Hindsight is that "Dah" moment.. On that.. The radius inside the axe at the poll is created when forged and then retained when bent.. Not when the drift is pounded in.. In all the videos that were mentioned.. The rear portion at the pole was forged without a radius built in.. This can lead to micro cracks at the rear poll.. Anyhow, my usual absurdity.

Like i mentioned I have not been able to find a video on the subject so I have to assume they simply don't exist. JHCC Nils and ABANA and Blackbear are for axe preforms.. Tomahawk preforms being different.. In fact, Tomahawk preforms are a lot like Froe and or Hoe preforms as they use the same type/kind of mandrel and drift. Chad, the punching of Axe eyes is a modern approach to mass production. Setup a person on a punch machine and axes come out by the dozens in a day.. A skilled tradesman in the axe-making biz before this punching took over used other methods.. Wrapping is the main one.. There were also 2 different ways of "steeling" and axe.. Overlay and insert.. For most modern smiths they use the insert method as that is what everyone shows and copies.. I have a hard time watching blacksmithing videos now as there is no new content.. They just keep repeating what the person before them said in a video they had watched on youtube and copied in their own style.. argh.. Where are the break thru people that are showing real technique????

Great job. Few people account for the radius difference. While I appreciate the extra steps you went thru in your preforms and have done the same thing in the past. I've found with mild steel it's not needed. Something not shared nor talked about is upsetting via drifting to create the finished seam. Yes, yes. I understand. Having a method that gives you results desired is A#1. With this there are progression steps that can be eliminated as a time savings once figured out. By drifting the eye to size it tests the eye weld and finishes that scarf. I should do a video on it. I am not critiquing your method, just sharing food for future growth.

David do you account for the taper of the handle in your preform? I can see you have nice sharp but joints for your weld scarfs..

Frosty, LOL.. "don't get a job like that".. I'd take a job like that vs a farrier any day. It really depends on the money vs time. Yes, I'm outside and yes I get the worst of it. It's interesting getting older.. 35 years outside with the rain, snow, mud, etc, etc.. I don't mind the snow or rain when it's doing.. Doing anything other than farrier work. But working.. eh.. Dirty wet horses.. Super fun.. I have to psych myself up for work these days even on the best of days.. Be my own cheerleader in my mind.. David, yes we have some decent class 2, thru 5.. It's still a few hours drive to the bigger stuff but I can hit class 5 in high water 45mins from here.. There are some steep creeking areas but I never got into it.. I've done some creeking in my play boat but the volume is to low for the really steep stuff. I used to go kayaking by myself but wouldn't do that now. And I haven't been in my boat in about 12 yrs.. last time I sat in it, my hips were so tight I lasted 2 mins.. I'll have to heat gun the hip area to loosen it some.. I used to be really thin.. Anyhow, it will be nice to go and do other things.. More progress again today.. Not as far as I wanted to get but it's still progress.. Made great progress yesterday.. So I suppose the progress today was to average out..

Yes, I had referenced the glue I used in a post a little ways back.. I tried 5 or 6 different glues with tear off tests and one was the clear winner.. I think it was PL construction adhesive. but it was a long time ago.. The Doall bandsaw has held up fantastically with the tires and adhesive. You might have to look back at the results I posted. Keep in mind its recommended that you loosen the tension on the blade when the saw is not in use.

Frosty thanks, not to sound sarcastic.. Do what ever I like.. Maybe go for a hike, or a bike ride, or maybe take a full 5 or 6 hours to go and play in the woods.. I might even go WW Kayaking or maybe scuba diving.. Once the building is done then I will start to organize the inside in preparation for classes.. For the first time on this whole project I have a time frame in mind that might be doable. Late winter to late spring for the first class. Steeled wrought iron hammer making.. Will be a private class for some of my peeps.. A run thru with feedback..

It's all in the perspective. Not much considering where I started. Months versus years. Still hard for me to believe that all of this has been accomplished with me working full time. And not being involved in the trades.

I love the enthusiasm. IFCW.. I find it hard to believe I'm nearly done with the school building build.. I also find it hard to believe I will actually have some life and extra time back to do things I like to do. Luckily there are no convoluted pulls.. Most of the pulls are straight. In terms of the build, interior siding, sub panel and conduit for the work stations.. Then can organize all the equipment and then wire the 3ph machinist equipment. Really not much left.

Was a very productive day today on the conduit. Was able to get a couple of complete runs in, few boxes.. Super exciting.. Can start to pull wires soon.

The good pair was about 2hrs of direct forging.. there was a lot of material prep.. Had to forge 5/8" sq down to 1/2" and then prep a horse rasp for the steel. I dragged out the Alex Bealer book to look and did not find the information referenced.. Do you know the page? Love to look it up. All my life I have never had an original idea.. It's always just a rediscovery or progression on a theme.. Tong making and rings was from the Cosira series, Tulip hinges from Alex bealers book.. It is funny how all things get blended together. I think the main thing about doing this so long is I don't spend time on an idea once I see it's not going to yield the results.. All 3 samples were about 6hrs total. This included a lot of metal prep since I don't have wrought iron in standard sizes. Sample 4 was about 1.5hrs since I had to follow it thru to see the exact results. Having a dedicated angle gauge for making these would be the best time saver.. As would a proper hot cut chisel designed for this.. There are a lot of time saving tools that would have been in a MFG's shop..

Jhcc. The one I made I put a jog in the handle. Aka dogs leg. This helped but in use it still wasn't as accurate. . Going with the jaws in line with the handle ended up being the best option use wise, but was lack luster so thru it in the scrap pile.

JHCC How can the bar be held straight without twisting with the lugs on the sides of the bar? I looked into a bender like this 30 years ago and could never get it to work.. Maybe my hands aren't strong enough.. it always wanted to twist in my hand..

This will be a several post type deal.. I was invited to do a video for the EAIA " Early American Industrial Association". This would be filmed at the " Moses Wilder blacksmithing shop in Bolton, MA". I am a little tired of seeing the same thing in videos and with the plethora of newer smiths everyone has a yt channel and it seems they copy others' content.. Again, and again, and again.. Anyhow I said this to the EAIA rep.. That I wanted to do something different.. An auger or a double wing divider or a round draw knife.. Some;thing not seen nor shown.. It was agreed it would be a double-wing compass (aka Round head, Double Joint compass) copied out of the "A Pattern Book of Tools and Houshold Goods". ..Jane Rees and Elton Hall.. Of course, the caveat was it had to be steeled wrought iron.. I've never made a double wing/double joint in my life.. All the compasses (dividers) I've ever made were on the cheap.. Aka as fast as possible.. Never having made a pair before and having a filming session meant I had to sit down and figure out how to make them. I tried the flatten and bend into a U method.. No, go.. Not with wrought iron.. Steel would be fine.. Attempt 2 was the same technique but with higher heat and a little more lead-in.. Nope.. Was a bust.. Attempt 3 was welding on the wings to a main section.. This was also a failure.. If you know anything about this type of weld it's well known you have to be able to get back into the center to finish the weld after it shrinks.. (no way to finish the scarf.. So nope.. Failure.. It then hit me that I have to utilize the strengths of what wrought iron would offer and how easy it is to forge and forge weld.. Sample 4 came out perfect.. This was all I needed to be able to film and bring it to life.. I need to pick up a little angle gauge I can keep in my shop apron.. Having to remember what the angle is supposed to be from eye is no fun especially when filing.. This is where the filming left off.. It will resume next year in March.. With this said.. I will be making a new set and will film it in it's entirety. Here are a few photos.. You can see the failures and then that "aw ha moment".. Way easier now having figure it out.