CrazyGoatLady

I bet, Thomas! I don't mind critters running around here as long as they leave the livestock alone. My dogs see it differently however, so they tread here at their own risk. I worry more about snakes than anything. Had a couple of rabbits killed by them. Coyotes are always around, but I've never any problems with them.

Ok, he doesn't mention using bull pins (unles I missed it elsewhere), but mentions using tool steel, structural or mild steel. The example of a hammer eye drift he illustrates in the book is for a monkey tool. He says he has hammer eye drifts made from 5/8" round up to 1 1/8" round in 1/8" increments and a single tool that is 16" or so long of 1 1/8" tapering down to 3/8" round and then made oval (hammer eye) in section that he uses to put the hourglass shape in his hammers. I can try to look up other things if you need me to. Since I don't know first hand, I'm just giving you what I'm reading.

I've got the Aspery book sitting in front of me trying to look up what you're looking for. I have to leave in a few minutes, but I'll look over it and see if I can help from the book if you'd like. Ive never made one myself

Thanks guys. I'll see what I can figure out and report back as soon as I am able.

Thanks pnut. I'll try that. It just sits around, but I've been thinking about doing something with it. I have a smaller one in the cactus garden with a horse skull hanging on it. But the other one is a lot bigger.

I've heard it's stringy and greasy.

I have yet to find some wrought anywhere. I'd love to forge some. I have a wagon wheel that kinda looks like it may be. Is there a way you can tell without cutting it up? I don't know that I want to cut it up anyway, but it would be interesting to know

60 yesterday and humid. Condensation on everything. 39, stout north wind and drizzly today. But my little chicks are doing great

Hee hee made me giggle You don't say 'O' possum here either.

Thanks. I just know I've seen it spelled both ways and wasn't sure the correct way

Thanks for letting us see your work. I like the profiles on them.

Possums ( or is it Opossums?) don't last long around here. My dogs see to it that they don't. You ever see the teeth on those guys? Yikes. Conrad, that is one gorgeous hammer. Well done! JHCC, looks like it's coming along nicely. Thomas, you get a lot done on the weekends! That's great. I have some rakes like that. Never thought of using them for tool organizers.

I have ex in laws in Dallas. Got some good friends that live in Sunnyvale. Most of our folks live within about a 30 mile radius between Gainesville, Dexter and Whitesboro. And an aunt in Borger out in west Texas

He says Thank you

Thank you. That is awesome. I look forward to watching your progress

JHCC, I forgot to ask. Are you making one large candelabra or a few of them? I don't remember if you had said or not. Rump roast... that's funny

That looks good HammerHeart. Did you make the handle yourself as well? Oh that makes me hurt, JHCC! I had seen a mosquito sitting on my anvil earlier and I thought it was biting me. I was busy so I didn't think anything about it until it got really intense. First time on my neck. I have little white scars on my arms from scale. It seems to love me

Really it is good times. I wouldn't trade my life for anything

Shabumi, that's exciting! And I look forward to seeing your work. Conrad, that's a great looking axe head. Very nice

Ever been forging and something flips out of your grip, you try to avoid it, but it hits you anyway? I have a scar on my left hand from that. I grabbed a hot horseshoe once. Burned three fingers and part of my palm. Or scale landing on the back of your neck while your hammering and it takes a second to realize something is stinging the tar out of you?

Not this year we haven't. The most impeding thing has been rain and mud. Lots of it. Should have seen us trying to move chicken tractors with mud up to our ankles. That has been fun

There's always construction going on around here haha

Same here in Texas. You can have all the seasons in one day. It's happening a lot lately

Ýou seem like my kinda people. 30 acres sounds wonderful. Land is our goal also

I hear that. We started the winter with 2 round bales of hay. I figured that might not last and we'd have to get another one. We've used it to feed and bedding in the nest boxes, rabbit nest boxes, etc. And we still haven't finished the 1st one yet.... Green grass is still growing. Also, brooding chicks and the temps are ranging so widely, I'm having to watch them very closely and adjusting the heat constantly. 28 last night and up to around 60 today. This is one of the weirdest winters I can remember.