Pault17

Jake, that is a beautiful hook. My wife was particularly impressed with the leaf coming out of the hook. Thanks for the inspiration!! now to go try and keep her happy

The hammer is a work of functional beauty, but the apprenticeship, now THAT is almost enviable. congrats to both of you

I would second the Jerry Darnell and Peter Ross, and would add Robert Timberlake. I have been lucky enough to watch each one work and ask questions that were understandably answered.

I actually use a slight variation of the Jock Dempsey's idea just to show people that "yeah, I CAN make horse shoes, but I'm still not a farrier". They actually sell pretty well at horsey places and stables. Frank, I like your die idea. You could probably just forge a piece of barstock to the inside arc of the shoe and forge a little curl on one side to hook the shoe in. then just pull it around. Great idea. when I make em, I just tell people they are for a rare, nearly extinct breed of mini-mexican-chihuaua ponies that are trained to chase mice

LeeRoy, that is a nice design. simple and clean lines. the natural springiness will let it "stop" different height doors. very doable. nice job and thanks for sharing

Three things: 1. thanks Brian for being yet another step in my fathomless education in my addiction. 2. All of the guys who keep these kinds of conversations going, thanks there too. Until we get the old blueprints back (I am never really available for the weekly chat), this is the stuff that helps 3. From a long time back, Gerald, I have no feelings of muddy waters. I wasn't able to view closely Peter's slitter. I just know the principle he was describing. Brian has made it very understandable. 4. go back to #1 above pt

Sam, I am jealous. that thing looks like a real hoot to scoot. mad max style. al you need is to forge up a few katana boomerangs and a cool holder sweeeeet

Cool move Spears! I have a few small pieces of H-13 that would love to make slitters out of, as well. Oh, and you should try French vanilla with ground black pepper. I had it once at Colonial Williamsburg yummy :mellow:

Mark, I am in the shop all day monday, tuesday and thursday. only half day wednesday. Shortdog, One of the local smiths told me his secret about making easy-to-do, matching (or at least semi-matching) hooks is to use square concrete cut-nails or long horseshow nails. cut nails are easier for me to get and I can get them in varying lengths. for the three-hook thingys in the picture I use 2.5-inch nails and let my two older sons make them. Just round, flatten (half on , half off) and bend. Frosty, My oldest daughter asked if SHE could come out and toss hay bales, once I told here where you lived.

Thanks for the Advice Frosty. on both counts. I don't particularly like putting (as my older teenage daughter likes to say) GINORMOUS pictures on the post, but just getting the one on there took five tries. As for the cheap pricing, just about everything in the picture is $15 and up. The little hearts are the $5 items. I figured that and little tiny snakes made from 1/4" round. Oh, and Charley, while he would love to chase the puppy and hang around the shop (he does that now anyhow) just ain't for sale Thanks too, Bad Creek. I have been able to work down to 3/8 crosses, but 1/4" is just too little for my fumbly hack sawing. :blink:

It has always baffled me as to why you see people by three boxes of twinkies and a gallon of Diet-anything. Me, I like to fry up a few thick slabs of badon, then pan-toast a cheese bagle in the grease nice and toasted. then I fry two eggs in the remaining grease and smother the whole thing with mushed up avocado. I get goose-bumps even talking about it. Oh yeah, to wash it all down, a nice strong cup of coffee with a scoop of vanilla ice cream oh yaeah!!! :blink:

This makes my fourth attampt at starting a post - what am I doing wrong? There used to be a semi-easy way to thumbnail the image into the post. Oh well, The NC state fair in Raleigh NC is just aroung the corner. I have been lucky enough to be able to work one half day and three full days in the NCABANA smithy on the fairgrounds this year. That means 9-9 answering questions, working in the store and bnaging iron!! Last year I did the same and actually brought in and sold a small amount of stuff. This year I have been trying to bring a bit more. Here is what I have so far. I have another three or four weeks to make more, and I have it in the works. Last year, even with "the economy" all of the stuff I had sold out in the first four days. One of the things I heard from a bunch of parents was "is there anything in the $4-5 range?" I started making snake paperweights and little hooks. This year I am borrowing an idea from Brian B (small hearts - although I am cheathing and making mine from heavy 2-inch angle) and Sam S (skull belt buckle thing - alhtough mine will be from 1.5 by 3/16-inch flat stock). I am also working on a few dozen un-folded crosses on little wood bases. When I figure out the picture posting method, I will put some pics in.

Gallipoli Gladiator We were Soldiers Bourne series Hondo (although the blacksmithing scene was pretty lame – followed the book real well) The Passion of the Christ Quigley Down Under The Cowboys And the list goes on

Scott, I know this has been a while, but are there any more?? (picture in your mind a 'smith with hopeful, wrinkled puppydog eyes). I have been away for a few months, but have always been on the prod for a hand-crank blower. you can pm me or answer here thanks, paul

catching the drift would be hot if you caught the wrong end. I have to get one of Marks books. just haven't been able to as yet.

I like the video too. very amazing. I have only made service spoons and ladles as yet, and they have been mild steel. I just rub them down with olive oil after washing up.

Nice tat Adam. Love the colors.

Nice hook for a little guy. when I was looking at the picture, it occured to me that the drive point on most "standard" drive hooks are roughly perpendicular to, or angled a little down from perpendicular to the vertical base of the hook. Would it not be better for a longish hook like the one you made to have the drive point actually angle a little upwards from perpendicular? even with a little bit of upward curve on the drive point. sorry for the crude drawing.

LRF, absolutely terrible. As I happen to be one of the few newbie smiths that are willing to hide others terrible mistakes, you could just send it to me (don't bother putting your touchmark on that piece) and I will make sure nobody that lives around you will ever see it (where DO you live, by the way? - update your profile) Actually, very nice for a first attempt. Now what you have to do is make another almost just like it to prove that it wasn't beginners luck, and so you can have one to keep and one to sell/give away. welcome here and to this painfully addictive art/craft

It saddens me to tell you all that the president of NC ABANA, Jimmy Alexander, passed away in the early hours of Wednesday, April 7. Last year Jimmy went in the hospital for back surgery. Complications of that surgery led to Spinal Meningitis that kept him hospitalized. He was in intensive care most of the time. Infection led to further problems that culminated in cardiac arrest. Even though he was revived he was not able to recover and passed away. This has all been so tragic. We have lost a great purveyor of the art of blacksmithing, and any kind of metal working. Jimmy, go bang iron with Christ. Cindy, you are in our prayers. Confirmed

mitt, I was in the same boat a few months ago. My father-in-law gave me a long chunk of semi-seasoned oak from a tree he was cutting up. The diamaeter over 22 inches and neither end was squared off. I supported it level, nailed a mini frame of 2x4's around one end and used my little 16-inch bar chainsaw to work my way through it. I did the same for both ends. As the center of the cut was less than flat, but better than I had received it, I cut three "feet" out of one end and stood the stump up. I put my anvil on the stump and markd a square outline that would closely fit the footprint of the anvil. I used a 1.25 paddle bit and drilled down about an inch or so, cleaning out as much wood as possible. Then, leveling 2 2x4's nailed on opposing sides of the stump, I used my router (I replaced the little round base with a long piece of flat plywood to span the two 2x4's) and flattend the bottom of the recess. All said and done, my anvil sits at a comfortable height, sits level and does not rock a bit. The squared hole also allows a place to put things like punches and chisels I need, a small tape measure and a few bits of soapstone. Also, by leaving the stump full round, I am able to use the exposed sections for a burnable swage for leaves, spoons and such.

My current wierdest is a 73-lb block of D2 that has been fully hardened and heat treated to between RC59 and 61. The block is about 6x10x10 and was supposed to be a geared hydraulic pump body for a rather large earth moving machine that nothing else runs like a... I was inspecting a guys house (my regular job is as a home inspector) and he mentioned that he was a machinist. Being who/what I am, I asked if they ever had any accessible scrap bins. He brought me the block and a couple of, again fully hardened and heat treated, D2 blanks that are about 2.25x4.5x.625 inches. Great beater anvil for the littler smiths in the household. I will post pictures in a bit. paul