Ben Hoover

Thanks JHCC.  I am working on those items.  One question?  I've heard everything from 3/4 inch to 1 inch for the opener.  Is there actually a correct answer?

Bottle openers One and Two side by side.  As well as a solo of #2.  I am working on improving.  Any critique or advice is appreciated.

On 10/24/2018 at 12:08 AM, Daswulf said:

 Finished 3 of 4 started spiders. Still one more and more yet for this show this friday and saturday.

Das, I am seriously in awe of your ability to look at a pile of stuff most people would see as 'scrap', and instead see a zoological wonderland, and then actually create the beasties you have envisioned.  Well done, as usual.

Ken, that is gorgeous.  

I made my first hardy tool. 

On 1/11/2018 at 9:37 AM, JHCC said:

HF has three sizes of letter punches: 1/8", 1/4", and 3/8"

Third thing I've ever made. First try at both a bottle opener and a twist. 

On 10/10/2018 at 12:04 AM, Kevin Olson said:

. Hey Ben. Leaves are fun. You have the right shape so now experiment. Make some different viening fullers to see what you  like. That one could use more viening but the shape is good. Like you said , only a whole bunch more to make. I does get easier

Gonna try something this weekend.  We will see if it succeeds.

1 hour ago, Daswulf said:

Good first attempt. You'll have fun seeing how you progress getting better at it with more. Keep that one to look back on. 

I'll update every 25th one.

Sounds like a plan. Gonna make him a hunting knife and his wife a kitchen knife.

That was actually my plan, and it will not get touched by a grinder. Still gotta deal with that bar they welded across it, but it is an anvil and looks to be in decent shape. Thanks Thomas and JHCC

So a friend of mine knows I've been working on a RR track and 15 pound Harbor Freight. He said his father in law wanted to know if I wanted an anvil. I asked how much, his answer was free.

    No idea of anything about it, but excited. Anyone have any guesses on my new toy?

   I should have it tomorrow or the next day.

Nowhere near y'all in skill. My first attempt.  Only 99 more to go!!  

10 hours ago, AggieBlacksmith said:

What tips/tricks/advice have you learned as a blacksmith and made your own? (anything from "I drizzle Yankee Candle wax over my coke so my forge smells good" to "Coors light is the best quenching medium")

 

Someone found a use for Coors?  Wait, that's even thinner than a water quench.  I wouldn't risk it.

Nice looking blade Buzz.

A smiling Wilford Brimley?

Frosty, that would be a video I would have paid good money to see.  

Nice looking blade!

Wayne, thank you sir.  I'll also make sure to heed your answer on what to do to make it as safe as possible.

Edited to remove off site links

Well, got my little single burner forge sitting in the corner, and there it shall stay until I feel comfortable enough about  coating the kaowool with either rigidizer or satanite or whatever winds up being the solution to getting to use it safely. 

   Going to probably be getting my anvil and sander next week, order the other things I figure out I need along the way (I live in a one horse town and someone stole the horse, so ordering or long drives are the norm).

   But all will wait  until I get this kaowool thing figured out.  There are a LOT of stickies and info on here.

10 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

Frosty; I stay away from those folks. I have friends who lost most of their families to them.

 I should keep the book and remember the history.  The modern reprint has several missing pictures in it.

Also sad that burying history and attempting to forget it seems to be a growing problem as modern society wants to hide the atrocities of the past so that they can act as though everything is fine.  

Ausfire, I really like that.  It's clean and intriguing.  I am not just seeing the owl, but looking at the  individual components as well and it all flows so nicely.  Very nice.

Loved the Ryu episode.  I do know I've seen a bladesmith being shown 'normalizing' his blade on a few occasions, walking around swinging a smoking blade, then shoving it back in the forge and repeating the process.

   To the gentleman that wants a tee-shirt that says 'it will kill', they don't make those, because that isn't actually what Doug is saying.  He believes in knives as defensive weaponry, and is instead saying 'it will keal', which is an acronym for 'keep everyone alive'.  

Watched several videos on them.  Let me rephrase. If I mess up on them, I won't decapitate someone. No offense was meant.

Well, just got the tracking number for my forge. Shipped faster than expected, so I may get to hammering faster than expected. 

   Already have my plan laid out to start, and no two handed great swords are involved.  I think I'll start simple with a bottle opener and tongs, working off the KISS acronym.

On 6/3/2018 at 9:33 AM, WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith said:

The Alex Bealer Blacksmith Association meets the third Saturday of each month is shops around the greater Atlanta area.

Check out their web-site http://www.alexbealer.org for information for the next meeting and directions.  It is in the Conyers area.  July meeting is in Mineral Bluff, GA.

14 hours ago, Glenn said:

Wax, beeswax, etc has been used for years to protect metal. 

Thank you. I shall now return to licking windows on the short bus.l

I realize this is going to be a head injury short bus riding level question, and I fear that the answer is as obvious as I think it is, but this is actually the first mention of using wax on blades has been mentioned.  I would assume this is a preservative to prevent oxidation, or is there more to it than that?