Dillion Brian Grant

17 hours ago, Frosty said:

I don't know if I could conceal my stunned expression and not laugh in his face. 

Me either I'm glad it was over messenger haha

Thanks for the advice frosty whas sad is the guy isnt but maybe 30 or so but i see where ur coming from 

18 minutes ago, Frosty said:

Relax Dillion. Just because he didn't like being told his leg vise isn't as valuable as he thinks doesn't make him a bad guy. Just move on. 

I had not addressed him as that I only said it for the post you found out first hand when I was just starting i say sir a little to much

And I was calling him an xxxxxxx cause he started cursing me out lol

6 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said:

75 UScents is not bad for a wrench and 30 UScents is great for a decent pick head; I'm usually paying 20 UScents a pound for them at the scrapyard.

Oh no I'm not that fortunate hes wanting dollars not cents 

Well the dude was an xxxxxxx when I respectfully let him know it was missing parts that would have to be replaced for it to be truly functional and he didnt lie that to much

Imma see if i can talk some sence into this guy hes wanting 75 per wrench and 30 per pick head

3 hours ago, BillyBones said:

Well the redbull can wont be much use but i could think of a lot of uses for some of that stuff. Stake anvils jump out right away. 

I was thinking that but besides that just cause trying to maximize efficiency of my money 

13 hours ago, Frosty said:

It is but the jaws look good. The mounting plate, spring bale and wedges are too easy to make to be worth more than a couple bucks.

Sadly on his post he says the vise works fine so I doubt there's any luck there

What parts do I need to look for so I can make a more educated guess for the next one? 

14 hours ago, Frosty said:

It looks to be missing the screw box and the screw is shot. As is it's not functional, though what is there looks to be okay. Unfortunately the hard to find and expensive parts are the screw and screw box

Yeah I thought I recalled from the little bit of time I was able to use a post vice at somebodys home forge during a NCABANA meeting that there were things missing on this one sad that the parts missing are the hardest to get parts 

Let me know if I'm in wrong section

I'm trying to figure out if these old railroad wrenches or pic heads are worth the trouble and if so what treasures could I make?

Ok so its looking like I may finally be able to hunt around for a post vice and I found this on my Facebook market place but honestly i dont even know what to look for as far as whether its good or not and the angle of what i believe is the screw???? Worried me alot 

Seller asking 150 for it 

2 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

Keep a log on your "hot time" so you can know about how much time you have left.  Griders: girders or grinders?

Definately gonna do that... And sorry thats a typo I meant grinders honestly I dont like the idea of anything except a vise to be mounted cause even if I always plan to have the tool there it would just increase the cleaning aggravation 

17 hours ago, Frosty said:

Relax Dillion, nobody here is expecting you to follow a schedule or account for your time. Just because I'd like to see pics doesn't mean I expect you to run out and take some. That MAY change of course, I could get irritated and want you to jump like a frog on a hot plate. Probably not but you just NEVER know.  

Just because you sell some product doesn't mean you have what it takes to maintain a business. It's a start but it's a long road. however, if you can sell enough product to put your shop in the black you're golden. Keep all your receipts in case Uncle Sugar wants a look see at them.  You might want to take some book keeping classes so you can keep business straight. 

Make your blades when you have time. Everybody with a paycheck job understands about having to work in what you really want to do around the J O B. Have you heard the sad truth about, time, money and the real world? "If you have the time, you don't have the money. If you have the money, you don't have the time."

Don't get hung up on trying to get everything just right, it'll just bum you out more when you have to change it. Floor plans rarely work how we expect and things are always changing so my advice is keep it flexible. Sure there are pros who have been at it so long nothing in their shop changes. If you get to that level then mounting things permanently makes sense say burying a log vertically for an anvil stand. 

A roof with no leaks is primo, a smooth flat floor is a beautiful thing, paved with something is for later. I like my concrete floor but that's me. Not you. Yes? Find the smithy corner, wall, where ever, clear it flatten and smooth it and run a plate compacter on it till it's hard as you can get it. This will make it easy to move things around until you find what works for you. A bench can be free standing and still be against a wall and free moving so you can find THE place for a built in. Shelves same same, you'll want to screw them to a wall or something so they don't fall over. That might not be an issue for you, I fairly frequent have earth quakes to think of. 

Lights, you want GOOD lighting. LED strip lights put out a LOT of light for not much money and they last a long time. Better in cold country, they light right up when it's COLD. Electrical, you never have enough outlets, make sure you have a couple few circuits, lights on their own so popping a breaker doesn't leave you fumbling around the shop in the dark. 

What run on sentences? 

Frosty The Lucky.

I should have reworded my statement about redesigning honestly just a full cleaning since I have to keep family clean so I have the building to use lol and really the redesigning is just moving some griders around and such as ive had this original setup long enough to know which tools I'm using more than others only thing imma be mounting is the bench vise I have though I still really wish I could find a decent post vise I could afford honestly the building im in really couldnt be much better tho approximately 3/4 of the building is ussable/used for my smithing and its huge or at least huge enough to fit my needs

Lighting does need improvement but that will happen once my vehicle is back on the road from the transmission shop

Rn just wondering how many hours my 100 lb propane tank has left before shes out lol

7 hours ago, Frosty said:

You have my sincere condolences for the loss of your Aunt. May she rest in peaceful comfort, her family and friends find solace.

First and foremost ur condolences mean alot honestly.

And I appreciate it I love a little bit of flash in whats ussually seen as a more rustic craft

Truthfully frosty I agree when I first started this craft/passion/addiction, I like probably most people thought forge just sounded pretty darn cool but as ive grown and learned this craft I agree its such an overused term 

And yeah sadly had to take a break when this year started cause i was always away from home due to work but now ive started a new job that's Monday through Thursday unless theres rain which definatly is going to help me more effectively persue my newest endeavor.... Me and my dad were talking the other night and when I handed him a knife I had forged specifically for him(honestly nothing really fancy) he finally convinced me to take what I can only really call a transfer from passionate hobby to semi business. Honestly would love to actually be able to call blacksmithing my full time job but right now im happily starting out with hopes to cover some costs if nothing else.

Any and all advice would be so appreciated 

Once I finish this most recent floor layout redesign and get a break on my orders I have I'll definatly take some. Sadly theres not as much purple and gold and I want just my water quench tank and my oil quench tank but it will be before its all said and done(my propane tank is definatly going to get a makeover:))

Sorry for run on sentences may be running myself a little to wide open between full time job and this addictive passion

My forge has finally been dubbed the Purple Pirate Forge 

Originally it was just a little joke I had to myself.

Then when my aunt passed away last year, I was granted access to the big building behind her house for my hobby I officially named my forge Purple Pirate Forge in honor of her love for not only ECU but specifically the colors purple and gold 

Now for some odd reason I cant seem to pass up anything with the purpl and gold pattern

1 hour ago, Irondragon ForgeClay Works said:

I'm pretty sure the Peace Flower instructions on Ken's web site will apply to the Rose too.

Looking into this now

56 minutes ago, Daswulf said:

Have you tried contacting them for instructions? 

yes never heard back 

So earlier this year I bought the rose flower project from kens custom iron and I cant for the life of me figure out how to forge it any advice would be greatly need this figured out as soon as possible 

Lol so tex pen got it will do and u said its like a ballpoint pen instead of felt tip 

Hmmmm i may try the polish idea for the heck of it and mine isnt in the weather the humidity,is just really high 

Hello everybody its dillion again, to mark my metal i have been using a grey or white sharpie but they do not last long and the marks dont seem to last very long after the piece rusts some the mark is all but completly gone , I was wondering what does everybody  use to write on your steel for instance when writing what type,of steel it is 

Haha true true I was starting to think this post had died well like i said it will be a new tool to mess with which I am looking forward to come september 8th i will finally havw a propane forge running which will be very fun 

Sadly no its this kind so just galvinized

Thats what my thinking was but i figured id ask in case it would be really good steel the walls themselve are about 1 1/2 inches thick so it should bring a little money 

Ok so do to asking very nicely i obtained the hub from a tractor the other day and wanted to know if this would be made of cast steel or not because if it isnt forgeable then its going to the metal place to give me a few dollars tomorrow along with 500 pounds old broken steel fencing

Sounds good well either way at least i have a new toy lol