Chris J Dixon

Made a bunch of random hooks today but I’ve been wanting to tackle a RR spike something or other. I made a steak turner (I use them for bacon) this go around. It’s different material to work with for sure. Then I tried my hand at a cheese slicer and finished up my little circular saw blade knife that I’ve been putting off forever. Was good to spend some solid time in the forge! I learned a ton and should sleep good tonight. 

Such a great tool to have Reeltree! I suggest a table and foot switch too.

Cleaned up my vise and coated with some linseed oil. Found some markings on it  but I have no idea what they might mean, if anything. It’s also been welded I see. Oh well should give years of service still. Now to build the stand. 

My patience finally paid off. A little clean up and a stand and she’ll be good to go! Working away from the wall will be different. 

Set up table to bring a piece of steel up to it square and grind on it or use a commercial wheel dresser with the carbide teeth. Either way you'll probably need a rest of some sort.

I just passed up on one of those because it sounded pretty crunchy inside. 

Well there you have it!  The first pic is 2 hours in. The 2nd is just now after wire wheel treatment and a coat of oil. Electrolysis is the way to go!!

Yeah it’s a manual charger and I’ve got it going right now. The meter is reading about 6A. “Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble.” 

Frosty, I have a switched plug on its own circuit in my shop just for occasions like this. Experiments. I’m looking for shocking results of a different nature. Lol. 

I’ve got some sodium carbonate and those wrenches are pretty pitted already. I think I’ll give electrolysis a go. I’ve never done it so it will be good for experience. 

Thanks. That makes complete sense. 

After we cleaned a while he sent me home with some stuff. A couple of nice old saws (a Disston and a Shurly Dietrich), a couple old files, an adjustable wrench (Marked GM), a couple rusty wrenches (I’ll clean up and see what they are if I can) and two pairs of Enders 3/8 farriers tongs (might reforge one to fit 1/4”).

Friend of mine moved into a new place and there are about 6 buckets of these in the old shed. What are they? They say 5/8 on them. I thought some form of cable coupling. They’re tapered so maybe for tension?

Metal Supermarkets is new to Calgary. Prices are high but I think that is due to convenience of being able to order whatever length you want.  There's lots of machine shops in Lethbridge that may let you piggyback a small order.  There's a few knife / axe makers your way too that can be found on the ole Facebook or contact Jeremy at Homestead Knives in Strathmore. I believe he is a "retired" machinist or millwright (I'm not sure). He seems to have a wealth of knowledge on finding stuff like that.  Good luck and please post your findings, I'm not far from you but far from needing tool steel yet.

Will definitely do that when these eventually break. They are just a broken broom handle shaped with a rasp and sandpaper on the drill press. Thanks for the tip!

Formed some handles for my files and got them hung up, finally. Fitted my bed rail tongs to a piece of 5/8” rebar and beat out a heavy hook. Forming around the horn is getting better every time. 

$1 garage sale find. The only useful things found at early garage sales so far. A quart can filled with various small rivets and a few shear pins. 

Beautiful work alexandr!  I love those lanterns. Just amazing. 

Processed some coil spring. Made myself a holdfast and a chisel. The holdfast works great but I got my marks all wrong on the chisel. But, I hardened and tempered it anyway and, in the words of Doug Marcaida, “It will cut.”  Or rather chisel. Then I made a few strikers from garage door spring. It pays to draw it out in pencil first but they spark after hardening so.....success. Also found that my chipping hammer doubles as a useful hotcut in the pritchell hole. 

Those are pretty nice scrapodile feet Aus!! 

Made my first real hook and then tried my hand at a couple of horseshoe hoof picks. Built a spring fuller to isolate the end for drawing out. Need to work on symmetry when drawing out but it’s coming. 

Run your propane hose to a manifold mounted lower and then run copper tubing to the burners. It's definitely going to cost more but you have to ask yourself what your building is worth.

 I've found that a loop in the tubing helps to make alignment of the fittings a bit easier too.

Less chance of kinks and it looks cooler. 

It's really inspiring seeing everyone's projects, big and small.  Thanks for sharing!!

Built these over the past few days. Cracked them working them too cold but they welded and reformed just fine. Fitted them to a railroad spike. My angle wasn’t as beefy as JHCC but they still made a nice pair and decently comfy too use. 

Didn’t get much shop time today. Finished the bedrail tongs, fitted to a railroad spike,  and added a little something to the candle holder. 

 Nice stuff Ted. 

Good looking tongs Cannon Cocker. Love that huge smile. Was it his first?

I think this tangent should be renamed “Pun-gent” for several reasons. Lol. 

Thanks. I used a piece of axle shaft and a round of garage door spring. The old ones where the door opened out and up is the right size and already round so no extra shaping.