the_sandy_creek_forge

BTW, anyone here know of anyone doing typological studies on post vises?

Matt,
At one point in time, on another board or forum or somewhere, it was mentioned that someone had thought about doing something like Anvils In America but for post vises instead. I believe the final verdict (and don't quote me as this is a kinda fuzzy memory) was that other than a rough cutoff date for the mounting style, the information was really not there for any extensive study. I wasn't privy to the details, but it seems that other than the BIG manufacturers (columbia, iron city, a few others that i can't bring to mind at the moment) there just wasn't a wealth of information (at least not a books worth) to be found.

-Aaron @ the SCF

that's not the ONLY problem with SCF. The other problem is that I AM SCF!!!!

I thought the same thing when I chose Sandy Creek Forge.....but then I realized that even if I ever did find a place in town for the forge.... Sandy Creek Forge still has a nice rustic ring to it, whether it's by the creek or not. But yeh, like rainsfire said, it's kind of a personal thing.

-Aaron @ the SCF

and a bit from a big lathe.

any chance the big lathe is still lurking around somewhere at the scrapyard? I found an old LaBlonde once at the scrap recycling place in Eureka, IL. It was around a 12 or 14x36 or so and the guy only wanted 200 bucks for it. Only problem was that there was no tailstock and chances of finding one seemed mighty slim. It ALMOST followed me home:(

-Aaron @ the SCF

Lots easier to unscrew and swap the firring strips that support the rebar rack than it is to re-drill and re-brace for the legs, wheels and handles.

The beer goes in the ICE chest... not the TOOL chest...
-Aaron @ the SCF

I admit I have cheated and used an arc welder and 4.5" grinder to make that detail.

Pure and simple blasphemy!!

I've found that while "upsetting can be upsetting" It's somewhat easier (at least for me, your mileage might vary) to upset in the middle of a bar. Not sure why, but the upset doesn't seem to have as much tendency to go all lopsided when done in the middle as opposed to the end.

-Aaron @ the SCF

Not to make anyone jealous....

I volunteer a week each year working at a summer camp on the campus of Eastern Illinois University, which just happens to be in Charleston, Illinois. Which just happens to also be where The Five Points Blacksmith Shop is located. I picked up my very own personally signed copy from Lorelei herself just shortly after it was published, and got to check out the shop while I was there. Wonderful lady to talk to, and a marvelous shop.



"For Aaron- Thank you + happy Forging Lorelei Sims"

:)

-Aaron @ the SCF

Hey M,
I posted up some pics in my members gallery of my tool chest on wheels.

the_sandy_creek_forge Gallery - Blacksmith Picture Gallery

Nothing fancy, but it works. Don't mind the surface rust on some of the hardware, I need to pull it all off and give it a refinishing. Also, as I found out after the fact, those steel type wheels are actually NOT that cheep to buy new, and the price for antique ones on ebay are somewhat ridiculous (go figure! ). A couple of wheelbarrow wheels would probably work just as well, if not better. One other tip would be to put the hammer section over the WHEELS and NOT back by the handles. Keep the heaviest stuff up over the pivot point (in this case the wheels). One of these days I'll fix that. The nicest thing with this box is I can load up all my hand tools for a weekend demo, and roll it right up the ramps into the back of my truck (with a little help of course).

As far as building this chest, it could have fairly easily been done all with hand tools. Would of been a lot more work, but it could of been done. I believe all I really used was a circular saw, drill, and maybe the miter saw for cutting the 2x4's and the 2x2's. My advice is build the bottom first, then work up from there. I prefer to use at least Quality grade lumber (as opposed to standard) as the edges are a little closer to straight for the most part. I could have gone with Select grade, but it probably would have cost me twice as much to build.

AND just a little random fact (well...something I was once told anyways, it might just be complete BS). When people were traveling in the past, it was usually only the wealthy that could afford the rounded top steamer trunks/chest. Why? Because a rounded top chest would not be able to have another trunk/chest stacked on top of it. Less chance of damage to the articles inside from being at the bottom of a stack.

-Aaron @ the SCF

I've got the axles out of a Ford Ranger (smaller than Glenn's 1 1/4 inches though), two chunks of semi truck axle (one Volvo and one Kenworth IIRC) and one chunk out of a Bobcat skid loader. The semi axles spark test somewhere in the 1040-1060 range, the Bobcat axle sparks a little more like 4140ish. I can't remember what the Ranger axles sparked like, and they're at the bottom of a resource pile so they aren't getting checked anytime soon!

-Aaron @ the SCF

Hm.... Steel pole barn shop in the bottom of a creek valley with an el cheapo radio.... I get one country station (sometimes), one rock station (most of the time), and if the cloud cover is right I can get NPR, a gospel station, and one of the (possibly pirate radio) Mexican stations (I think its broadcasting from somewhere between Chicago and me)... That's about it, so usually rock or country, whichever comes in the best.
-Aaron @ the SCF

P.S. there ARE DIY Electron Microscope sites on the web for anyone feeling really ambitious.
Rahmenlayout Schler STM Homepage

Great....you just HAD to tell me.....
:)
-Aaron @ the SCF

Last time I changed out the oil in mine (I only use the handcranked for demos, so it rarely needs a complete oil change, usually just a top-off) I swiped some of the hydraulic fluid that we use in the farm tractors. Worked really well.
-Aaron @ the SCF

I got the shaper in the shop this fall. It really did amaze me that 1/32" inch wasn't even considered "close" with machine tools. I guess I knew about thousandths...I just never really thought about them much. Now I find myself calipering things coming off the anvil.... where does this metal madness stop!?
-Aaron @ the SCF

Right now I've got about 400lbs of chopped up wood.

M_Brothers,
While 400lbs of wood seems like a lot, it really is not. Also, you lose some of that mass in the coaling process (I can't remember exactly how much, and I'm sure someone will call me on being to lazy to look it up). Personally, if I were going through the trouble and mess to make my own charcoal, I would take it in one fell swoop and burn down at least a full cord or so at a time (if space, supply, etc. allowed for it). As far as the charcoaling process, I CAN offer this.
Jack Daniel's charcoal filters their whiskey. When I took the tour of the distillery, they explained how their charcoal making process works, and I took the initiative to ask a few more questions of the tour guide. They cut and/or split the pieces of (I believe) maple so they are dimensioned about 1-2" by 1-2" by X length. They then rick them up log cabin style. They add a little flammable liquid (Distilled alcohol incidentally) and they light the pile up. As soon as it looks like the wood has coaled (they are professionals and know when this is), they hose it down. That simple. Split, stack, burn, hose down. From what I saw of the charcoal, it seemed to be pretty well coaled, and as far as I can figure it is the relatively small cross section that allows it to coal up so well in so short of time (my speculation).
-Aaron @ the SCF

On the original question of eye to size proportions: I looked over my assortment this weekend and can successfully say that there doesn't seem to be any at all! (at least in my humble collection anyways ) The only correlation I did notice was that on my Atha's the width of the eye seemed to have a somewhat constant ratio to the width of the hammerhead (just eyeballing it). If anyone is REALLY interested, I could probably put on my math hat next weekend and measure them to see exactly... and I mean REALLY interested!
-Aaron @ the SCF

If ya can wait till this next weekend, I can snap a couple shots of the tool chest I take to demos. Imagine an old-fashioned coffin (not the dracula kind, but just the plain pine box kind). It's kinda like that but not as long. Two handles, a couple of steel spoked/steel rimmed wheels off of something (probably antiques themselves). On the inside I ran furling strips along the top on the long sides. The strips are notched to accept rebar "racks" to hang hammers, tongs and what have you from.

Hm... picture would speak a thousand words....

-Aaron @ the SCF

I too am leaning towards logging equipment. When I get a chance, I'll mention it to dad and see if he has any insight. He grew up with my grandpa and great-uncle running sawmills, so he's more familiar with the older equipment. I just wrap a chain around the end of the log and start dragging:)

-Aaron @ the SCF

The in-laws were VERY giving this year and hooked me and the wife up with a new laptop... and even though it isn't a $2000 custom built, do-everything, swiss-army knife of laptops, at least I can now watch all those youtube videos that Sam keeps posting, and hopefully not have the internet freeze up from java and flash induced overload:)

Other than that... good old fashioned cash (to buy new toys with of course). And as a Christmas present to myself I hit Sears' scratch and dent aisle and came away with a deal on one of there little "homeowner" series toolboxes. A trip to Walmart (for $8 worth of felt) and a trip to Menards (for a can of Elmers Extra Strength Spray Adhesive) and *presto-chango* instant machinist's tool chest!

-Aaron @ the SCF

P.S. When the Elmers spray adhesive can say "Extra Strength" they really mean "so strong you can glue yourself to the side of the Sears Tower and do the hokey-pokey while you're there" luckily it cleans up with a can of non-chlorinated brake cleaner.

Grade 8 bolt: a.k.a. a quick and readily handy replacement for a lost/misplaced tractor hitch pin

I tried making a specialty drift punch for something or other out of a grade 8 bolt once. It seems I water hardened it from non-magnetic, for some reason (probably just wasn't thinking), then drew the temper back from the point. It worked for what it was needed for, but cracked when I was using it on something else afterwards. I'll definitely oil harden if I ever do it again.

-Aaron @ the SCF

Matt,
After reviewing the site, I found that the damascus page made this old dinosaur computer computer lock up (the whole page, not just the videos). Therefore, I must give you an A-...

Seriously though, I like it. It's well laid out, easily navigable, and full of useful ideas for other blacksmiths, and still balanced enough to inspire customers to buy from you. I am ESPECIALLY fond of the press and the old bandsaw. That bandsaw is a thing of beauty in and of itself!
-Aaron @ the SCF
(I'll check it again after Christmas, as there is a rumor that the in-laws and the parents are maybe providing the funds for a new computer as a special Christmas present this year!)

I think by 1/2" he meant 1/2" screened, as in the rocks/gravel is 1/2" diameter and smaller. I would also go with the gravel in the forging area. Right now my shop is (STILL) a mixture of dirt, concrete, and gravel. I am SLOWLY pouring the concrete section by section as I get time. Due to poor planning and a slight shortage of fundages, we weren't able to pour the floor right when the shop was built, and then, shops being shops, we accrued stuff faster than the floor got done.... When I do finally get to the forging area, it'll probably end up being concrete though. As much as I'd like gravel, the shop is kind of an all purpose move stuff around as needed, pull a tractor in here, squeeze a mower in there to work on it type of deal. So it'll eventually be all concrete or non at all!
-Aaron @ the SCF

Sell my extra tools? Sell My Extra Tools!? SELL MY EXTRA TOOLS?!?!?! But....but.... If I sold my extra tools, they might be bought by a (gasp) tool collector.... Then they'd end up sitting in some kind of display, not getting used, instead of sitting in my shop not getting used!
-Aaron @ the SCF

Kind of an off the wall question, but how long do you figure before we've selected for the mice that outsmart the standard mousetrap? It's bound to be happening.

Hm...I'd never thought of that...but... maybe the movie was wrong... maybe it should have been "Xxxx dirty MICE" instead of apes....
-Aaron @ the SCF

Pretty much everything Jr. (irnsrgn) said except that I usually go with two pair of socks, a thinner cotton jersey type inside of a wool type. Just personal preference that the cotton jersey type feels better on my feet. I've always wanted to try a pair of those battery operated thermal socks.... but somehow I have a feeling I'd end up getting shocked.
-Aaron @ the SCF

http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f7/touchmark-4016/

-Aaron @ the SCF

Steve: I don't think it would of hung from a track. IIRC and it IS in fact what I think it is, this would be the part that is spun in a circle to guide the individual strands into laying down correctly on the center strand. I'm sure any of the ropemaking sites on the web could explain it better than I could. I am also leaning more towards cable-making because it IS so heavy and because the individual hole are holes and not just divots around the perimeter of the guide. But then again, I've never seen barge rope or hay rope made, so not really sure.
-Aaron @ the SCF... offering speculative observation since 1983

EDIT: Bet on how high/bid on it yourself? I'd do both...:)