shortdog

There is no scrap metal until I'm dead.

Pretty sure that's what he meant. That's a good idea for the tongs.

It looks as good as the one I'm using. I might try to work the edges a little with a file or grinder if the chips bothered me. When I got mine, the edges were badly chipped and had to be welded up some with hardfacing rod. I have radii on the edges, but they don't change from rounder to sharper in the traditional way. It took a while, but I finally have learned where to go to find the radius I want. It's just a quirk, but it's my quirk. I'd say "Good score" and "Cute kid"!

I think maybe it comes down to the soul of the thing you're working on. Granted, people aren't always willing to pay for soul. I've always been a fan of old tools. When working with wood, I prefer my drawknife and spokeshave over any power tool out there. While building a skiff several years ago, I discovered that I could saw planks out by hand twice as fast as I could cut them with my jigsaw. I think the point I'm trying to make is that doing things by hand rather than by machine gives us more of a connection with our work. It makes it more of a part of us. The sad part is that production often outpaces what our bodies can provide. That's when all those machines become wonderful things.

More of a "Eureka" moment. Using displacement was a good idea. Thanks for the tip.

Safety first!

My favorite was burning my face while putting a loop on the end of a fork. I was working it around a drift stuck in the hardy hole of my anvil and was a little too close to the work. When I went to pull it off, there was a burr at the end of the drift. The loop hung on it just enough for me to get enough force behind it that I slapped it right to my cheek and right nostril. Nothing like the smell of your own mustache and nose hair burning! That rusty water in the slack tub was some kind of inviting! I felt so stupid. The ten percent rule definately came into question wuth that one.

Paul- That kid looks so real! You, sir, are an artist! I really like your three hook setups. I'm going to have to try some of those as utensil hangers.

That's crazy isn't it? At 42, I get asked my birthdate when I buy chewing tobacco, but never when I buy beer. Sometimes after the beer sale, I'll tell the cashier I'm only seventeen. I think maybe the gray hair and lined face tells them different.

Mike- Find out what the local Health Dept. rules are on outhouses in your area before you start digging. Running behind the shop is one thing, building a structure for the containment and disposal of waste is another entirely. We bought an old used porta-john a few years ago for something like $75 and get it pumped every six to eight months, depending on useage. Costs us about $50. My wife has it set out by the pasture for riding students and visitors. The additives for camp toilets keep it smelling clean. Just a thought, but I'd hate to see you run afoul of the Helth Inspector.

I'd be scared of faling down in that shop. You'd get up full of holes! Cool old picture. Thanks for posting the link.

Awwwww, man! Not the pint glass! Oh, the humanity! A BS move if I ever heard one. Our beermugs here in the States will do twice the damage of a pint glass based on weight alone, and our govt. isn't doing a thing about it. I nearly got knocked out by the contents of several mugs many times, and where was the government? Tell you what.... They can have my beermug when they pry it from my numb, alcohol paralyzed fingers! Like everyone else here, I feel that government often makes bad decisions when choosing things to prohibit. You can bet the forces behind Scotland's sword ban are driven by money from somewhere, or nobody'd even be interested. While we all may not make our money in swords, there are smiths who do. I feel for them and the sword afficianados this ban will impact. Too much government can be a bad thing.

How would a squirrel cage fan motor from a central air system work for a buffer? Too much or too little?