Scott NC

Lol, I didn't realize this was about investment.  

  This might be a good place to put this.

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/03/rare-medieval-belt-loop-found-near-kamien-pomorski/151089

  3rd time might be the charm.  Odd no press gurus never chimed in.  I'm not one but wish you success.

  Scott

   Did you get around to shaping a knife?  How is it working for you. Archie?

  I've worked in brass, bronze and aluminum.  I started with gingeys charchol furnace and went from there.  I've done lost wax, foam, and patterns.  I'm halfway working on a cuppola now but I have other things pressing.  I've often wondered what kind of effect pouring molten metal through a airstream onto a "form" would produce.

  Thanks.  I don't disagree, I was just wondering what you do and make.  I had a chance a few years ago at a job at a foundry here that does premiere work and made bronze statues, but they couldn't pay much and had no insurance so I had to pass, so I know what you mean.  But it was hard to pass.  They have an extrodinary niche.  I could have learned so much, I think.  I was just wondering what you produced.  I guess I have decades of off and on experience too, but haven't done it for years and don't intend to anymore.  But iron might be in possible future....

Well, I collect old machettis on the cheap, I have many.   Not very glamorious.  Old and worn out.  It's interesting to see how some people keep them going to the bitter end.  Also butcher knives.  I have some that are paper (almost) thin and all wavy on the blade from probably sharpening on over used junk sharpening stones.

  Somebody re-purposed a broken broomstick, I think.

  Are you a commercial recycler?

  I guess Beastie is an evolving thing.  Sometimes slow is much better than hasty.  I am still facinated with his horns but haven't found any hood hinges that look like that.  Do I see your magnetic plate holding things together or what?

On 3/18/2024 at 8:57 AM, LarryFahnoe said:

parts of his head live in a box and his camera keeps an eye on me

  You should finish the poor fellow as soon as possible.  

  What do you cast with your fine tuned alloys?  Photo's are worth more than there weight in orichalcum, you know....    We like photos.  Thanks for the tin tip. I never got beyond being a hobbiest at it and you sound like you know your stuff.

  I tried to edit that video out as it's too big but it froze my phone up.

  The complex where all that was built/planned was more or less destroyed by intersecting circles.  Von what's his name was never the same after seeing the destruction. 

  That's it, George.  But nobody could tell it like dad did though.  Like I said he embellished a bit.  Runs in the family.  Thanks for the link.  I wonder where a childhood story will lead to now?

Another related thing look up, germany's rail guns.  What engineering.  That leads to Krupps.  Which isn't so good.  But makes you wonder what could be accomplished if things were used in the right way.

  I appologize.  I know what you mean't, but like you say, I'm struggeling to hold back.

  Anybody have any tall tales to say?  The Musicions of Breytown takes a lot of thumb typing on a cell phone.  Some railroad thieves that jump off the train and looking for a hideout, encounter a house in the boondocks inhabited by animals that defeat them by stacking up on each other.

  Thank you both!  I was wondering about testing the hammer face.

  "Weird Uncle Jerry".  And you love jokes and puns?????  Good Gravey.

  I wonder if one of these would poke a hole through something.  Lol.  

  I've never used a tester.  Does it put a ding or dent in the test piece?  Maybe I should look it up.  I'd rather ask you.

  And JHCC how did you cut out your template?  Dremel'?  Saw and file?

  If you know how to set your machine properly for the mig process you are using it actualy helps the anti-spatter do it's job.  Somecases you don't even need it.  But non stick spray won't help much if you have giant sputter ball globs flying all over due to incorrect heat or wirespeed.  Same with stick welding.

   It's kind of the same principle with flux core welding and slag covering, set right, it just peels off without having to wear your arm out on a chipping hammer.

  I think, but am not sure, at one place I worked at we used a water based anti-splatter spray, mixed in huge proportions.  

  I figured you'd like that one.  I've had a few of those quakey knees, turning green adventures in my time....  The trick is to turn then into lemonade.  

  I'd like to thank you all for your ideas, thoughts and input.  I seriously appreciate it.   I'm putting the bird themed ideas on hold for a time as I already ran into a snag with the face sculpture venture.  It did not take long.  A bit of who's telling who what to do.  And they want big sculptures now, which I'm not set up for, time, shop or scrap pile wise.   I really do appreciate all the ideas though, and I can always look back here at the bird part if I get on track with this.  Ideas are timeless.

  I used to sell vegetables back home at the farm market but that was easy, you just put up a stall, put it on the tables and people bought what they want.   Nobody told me what to grow....

  I talk again with them this afternoon... 

  Thanks, again.

  A little sidetrack, I wonder how many ultimately got melted down:

https://www.nebraskastudies.org/en/1925-1949/on-the-home-front/scrap-metal/

  I read a story about a well heeled collector that sent out agent's to buy up city and small town cannons from cemetaries and memorials by unscrupulous means, for his "museum".  It's controvercial so I won't link to it. 

  I have a few small ones on a shelf.

18 minutes ago, TWISTEDWILLOW said:

I just had snapped a $100 St Croix rod on that fish

  Hate it when that happens.

  I have a bunch of planter discs I could turn into birdbaths pretty easy, but never thought of that.  I also overlooked making birds from silverware.  I have a friend back home that makes them.  These are all great ideas and I should have thought of some of them.  I just want to start off on the right foot so asking for ideas.  I tried a few times in the past and didn't go so good but this sounds promising.  I'm a bit introvert myself and just going into that shop was a trip.  I do ok once in an established setting tho.  Thanks.