Purple Bullet

Mig pliers are great. I really like spring open pliers.

Stay happy. Nate! If you stick with it, you will find yourself learning skills you never dreamed you'd be interested in... and loving it.

I don't blame her. Nice.

Having grown up around Lafitte's stomping grounds I learned an interesting tidbit that not many know. There is an oak grove near the town where I was born that was called the Thirteen Oaks. It was a place where goods smuggled up Bayou Lafourche were sold to folks who made the trip down from New Orleans. The story is that it was the end of the line for slaves and any that weren't sold were hung from the oaks. I think this was a marketing ploy to get soft-hearted folk to buy slaves they didn't need. I'd heard that manacle chains had been found grown into the wood of some of the trees. Lafitte may have been a privateer, but the modern-day equivalent would be a cartel boss. The only reason he supplied men and arms at the Battle of New Orleans was because he hated the British more than anyone else.

Thanks for answering my question, Jennifer. I have a piece of wrought I bought at the 2021 Quad State that I haven't done anything with (except pound small portions to pieces and try welding back together) *sigh* One day... Once I saw some very intricate and delicate Spanish wrought iron jewelry in a museum. I admired the work, but it wasn't until I tried to work a little wi myself that I appreciated the skill it must have taken.

Got back late last night from a wedding Saturday. Weddings are some different from back when I got hitched. Anyway- seeing all my nephews I haven't seen for a while resulted in requests for a khukuri, a tanto, and a billhook. Alexandr - beautiful and imaginative artistry. You never disappoint. In my brief stay in your country I was always amazed that even very humble houses often had very artistic carved gables and window frames. DHarris - Are the hooks and Icthus Damascus? I like the look.

Thanks, but I'm just a beginner compared to what I've seen of yours.

Whew! Wedding gifts all done. Cleaver, Hawkbill and just in case the little lady felt left out, some roses. When I get back from the wedding tomorrow I can start back up on the press.

Two more pics of the hawk bill. I made the sheath of leather, but wasn't happy with the security of it so I added a clip of Kydex.

Well, I had this left over piece of fire brick, and my leftover refractory is for repairs. Besides, trimming rough with the grinder cut off blade and finding some tubing with the same ID as the burner tube, grinding a few teeth in it, inserting the end of the brick and twisting until it fit was just as easy for me and certainly a whole lot quicker. Thanks for the info, though. I'll keep it in mind if I ever need something similar.

After reading all the raves AND ESPECIALLY after learning about the new insulation (low bio persistent, non carcinogenic) I ordered a Hero 2. My original gas forge had cera-wool, which is why I trashed it after damaging the coating and never getting that circular thingy (the round tuit) to repairing it. I'm going to try it first as per instructions, with the only change in that I cut off the overhanging bottom firebrick and used it to make a plug for the burner hole that I will probably rarely use. I ran the idea by Mr Volcano tech support and they don't see any problems with that.

John - Beauty is as beauty does, I say. Neat design. I like it. I've never done any bowls but when I get caught up I'm going to have to try building one. I could see that being useful for sheet metal form shaping and stake repousse'.

Finally (close to) finished on my cable feather Damascus hawkbill. I decided against all the gadgetry I was considering (wire stripper notches, etc) because I wanted to incorporate some antler that was given me by the recipients father before he died. The antler was found in a stream and was bleached white and brittle. I used some UV resistant epoxy with a dab of black acrylic paint and stabilized the scales under vacuum to pull the epoxy into all the little cracks and crevices. I then used acetone to wipe down the surface. After that cured for 24 hours I was able to drill and shape with no problem. Using my 20/20 hindsight, I should have tried for a hidden tang, since it will be used by an electrician. Instead I'll put a couple of coats of that UV resist epoxy over the entire handle to make it dielectric. I'm also including the cleaver I made next to source I cut it from. The cleaver handle is cocobolo treated with BLO. The blade was cooking oil edge quenched using an acetylene torch, then old-school tempered to medium straw color. I usually just go to light straw on knives, but this edge (apple-seed contour done slack-belt) might need to go through bone.

Lateralus - Thanks. I spent a few weeks in your country when the major oil company I worked for sent me there for training some years back. I was amazed at all the old and new ironwork I saw there. Beautiful. John - All your posts on the tooling for your fly press really inspire me. I don't think this contraption is up to fly press level yet, but I have a couple of more improvements to make. I have some wedding gifts to make and I'm still moving pretty slow so the press is back on the back burner for a while.

Naaah. I don't do spooky. Lethal, maybe, but not spooky.

Finished the cleaver I started using my press. I'm gradually getting my stamina back.

I've been out of commission for the past few weeks. I can't say its the worst pain I've ever had, but it ranks up there. I got some nerve root injections and have been recovering pretty well, but I lost ten pounds (I can't recommend the method though!) and I don't have full strength in my leg or anything like my normal stamina. I've been trying to catch up on a lot of different stuff. I haven't implemented Larry's suggestion of a leg brace yet. I want to make it fold up for travel. I think that may end up being one of the strong points for the press. It travels well. I also thought of another improvement. I intend to weld a 3/4" rod extension to the center of the axle where the rim is mounted. A 2 inch length of 3/4" pipe will slip over that. I'll weld a hinge at right angles that will have something like a 5 ft length of 1-1/2 inch pipe or maybe a pry bar attached. Angled slots will be cut into the rim. The pry bar or pipe will lay off to the side, tied so it stands normally at an angle. I may have to have some guides welded to the frame to keep it from falling over. If the inertia is not enough force to do the job, after wheeling down the press, you pull the bar over into one of the slots and lean on it. As requested, here is a short video of the current state as I used it to flatten a cleaver I cut from a harrow disk. Yes, I could have done this with a hammer just as easy. In fact, I went over it with a flatter later, but at least it shows how it works. Its still a work in progress, but I'm encouraged enough to keep working on it. PressCleaver.mp4

Pigsticker - I can understand the desire to learn on your own. If you really want to successfully forge weld cable, I suggest you back up a bit and start over. There is a place in Asheville where you can buy bulk stoker bituminous coal. This forum is not for advertising but I can pm you the name. Then do a search in this forum for JABOD (Just A Box Of Dirt). Then an old hair dryer (or whatever air mover you can find - not high pressure!) and you will have a much better chance at success. I promise.

Ah! The picture is getting clearer. You REALLY need to get with some experienced help. They can help you with all kind of things, like safety equipment and how to install AND render your kaowool safe to use in your forge.

All the above is good advice. I would especially consider the coal forge. No one answered about cutting cable, so let me tackle that. I generally use baling wire wrap above and below the cut. Place a slight tension on the cable to bend it down and open the cut as you go and use a cutoff wheel in a small grinder to cut through. Don't just push it through, but work the blade back and forth to keep the wheel from grabbing as you work through the cable. Back when I worked offshore we would sit a rig axe on the deck, blade up, lay the cable across it, and hit it with a hammer. That didn't always result in a clean cut. I wouldn't use my best hammer either. I use new cable. I've tried soaking in diesel, cleaning with brake cleaner or acetone and just sticking it in the fire to burn out the grease. They all work as long as you have the heat and flux well. I use 20 Mule Team straight out of the box. Old, rusty cable might require more cleaning. The other dang-near necessity is the welder. One of those flux-core 110v wire welders would do. Its easier to learn to weld with one of those than it is to forge weld. Weld up one end and weld a rod "handle" to the other end. As mentioned above, you may be burning through wires. Avoid this by turning frequently. With a one burner gas forge block up almost all the openings to keep the heat in and rotate continually. Think "hot dogs on the roller grills at the convenience store." Even in my coal forge I rotate the cable a lot.

I always thought of you as a four-wheel freewheeling off-road kind of guy. Come to think of it, I'm not much of one for cruises, but I'd pay good money to go on a cruise with the IFI crew to get to know you guys. I know I'd be the richer for it. Of course, from what I think I know of you guys, we would all end up in the engine room.

Wait, Frosty, you have RAILS?

Jason - it's probably a "red-short" steel. Some tool steels are like that. It was probably a very good file, just not good for forge welding. How's Quad State going? I really want to be there, but I'm just now recovered enough for light work. The ride up there in my Tacoma would have been murder on my back.

John- I was using a battery power sawsall to open old lead acid batteries for the lead. I used baking soda to neutralize the acid, but still didn’t want to spatter anything so I did this at ground level next to a drain with water running to dilute. I spent longer than I should have working bent over. That initiated sciatica which has gotten worse over time. I don’t tolerate most pseudo opiates. They just make me vomit. The pain has been occupying most of my attention lately. That’s my excuse for the tardy response. Thomas - I‘ve seen three different doctors but the wait to see one who could actually DO something is about 3 weeks. However, I can get a doctor outside the group I normally use this coming week. At this point extra cost doesn’t seem to matter a lot.

Well folks, it was my hope to bring the improved version of the press to Quad State, but alas, it seems it is not to be. While I was recovering lead from old batteries to weight my flywheel I spent too much time bent over and now sciatica has set in. Over 25 years ago I had a back issue and got an X-ray and a shot and was able to dance out of the doctor’s office. I was back at work in three days if I recall correctly. With all the medical advances since then it takes a month to do the equivalent. As soon as I can I’ll make my improvements and get my son to do a video of it in action.