pnut

You can see how long the pipe I used in my first jabod is in the picture. I've used it in every JABOD I've built and still use it. Less than an inch has burned off in a couple years. Pnut

Have you tried Metal Supermarket in Cincinnati or the place I use is about thirty minutes south of Cincinnati in Walton Kentucky. It's called Boone Steel. They sell drops and do business with the public (non commercial buyers) on Saturdays. They have tool steel like O1 and W2. Pnut

I guess I should have been a little clearer because what I meant was usernames. I just find reading a question like "Can I use these cinderblocks to make a forge?", coming from someone with a username like XXX ironworks or Zzz blacksmithing Service strange. I don't find asking questions strange. Quite the opposite. I think people should ask questions just that having a username like that would lead me to believe they were at least somewhat experienced. To each their own though. Pnut

I've noticed a lot of people have the name for their business before they ever light a forge. It's something I'll never understand. Pnut

It'll take a few sessions to get it dialed in just the way you want it. Pnut

I was wondering, do you know the measurements on your hardy hole? I have the smaller 30kg anvil. I'm wondering if they're the same size. Pnut

I made them buy a box at the hotels I work at. I throw a cupful in whenever I do a reclaim load of laundry. It's definitely made a noticable difference. The chemical salesman that supplies the hotel doesn't like it but he's not the one doing the laundry. Pnut

Might want to put some angle iron around the perimeter of the table to keep the coal from falling off. Looks like it will be a fine forge when you're finished. Pnut

Last ones I had were horrible. They were in a can. When I seen them on the shelf my curiosity got the better of me. They were just as bad as I thought they'd be. I like fresh ones though. Pnut

That's exactly what it was advertised for. You have to pay attention because some of them did have additives but there were more than a few that were 100% anhydrous borax. I usually add some baking soda to my laundry but for especially dirty loads I'll use borax or if something is bloody I use hydrogen peroxide. Pnut

I'm pretty sure that's the same method that's described in Mark Aspery's book also. Pnut

Will do. It might be a while though. I don't know how long my shoulder will have me sidelined. Pnut

I read an article a few years ago about the Irish god Lugh and how the stories may have been inspired by a comet. I'll post a link if I can find it. I enjoy reading about mythology. Since humans are pretty much the same everywhere across the globe so are their archetypes. Pnut

Never thought about it. I like anything that saves me money though so I'll keep it in mind. I'm going to be doing some grinding today so I'll give it a shot. Pnut

That's how I deal with most found stock with any type of coating. I'm hesitant to burn really old looking paint though. Pnut

I have some silver pencils from online that are supposed to be visible at heat. I've yet to try them out yet because of the shoulder but I'm not expecting much out of them. We'll see. (Or maybe not) Pnut

Those are my feelings exactly. I'm sure many other folks have started the same way. Welcome aboard, be safe, and remember it's supposed to be fun. That's one of the few shows I actually watched back then. I liked the X Files too and the David Lynch series that my defective noggin can't think of the name of right this second. Pnut

I hate trying to explain the difference to non Blacksmiths when I'm asking them if they ever come across any. I've only had one person show up with actual wrought iron after asking them about it. I've gotten plenty of mild steel though. I'm hesitant to try forging most of it because of lead paint. Pnut

Or natural events that were happening across cultures that needed explaining like comets etc. Pnut

I think they were testing for heavy metals in the oils due to growing conditions and ground contamination. Pnut

After going through the trouble of melting and grinding up some twenty mule team borax I decided to look online to see why people are going through all the trouble instead of just buying anhydrous borax. There is no good reason. It's about 6 bucks a pound on Amazon so if you're curious to try it you can save yourself a lot of trouble and just buy some. Pnut

What was the price difference? Honestly I usually go the cheapest route but if there's a significant increase in life without a huge jump in price I'd buy the name brand flap wheels. The two closest stores to me are TSC and WalMart. I don't know if there's any real difference between the two though. Pnut

Osage if roughed into bow staves can sell for upwards of a hundred dollars a piece when dried. Pnut

I agree. I've been both, a convicted felon and a business owner. In my life I've known real killers and truly evil people. I think most people can actually become productive members of society again with the exception of sexual predators and some murderers. In my experience I've found that giving someone a second chance (usually people convicted of drug offenses) will have one or two outcomes. You'll either hire a person who is grateful for the opportunity to prove themselves and will go the extra mile to show you how much they appreciate the chance or someone who is still in active addiction. Either way they make it known pretty fast which they are. Pnut

I try to do gross stock removal while the piece is hot and fine filing on cold pieces. Pnut