pnut

I have ALL of my blacksmithing equipment in the back of my SUV except for the stumps and forges. Getting hit with an anvil or a post vise was the first thing I thought about. I use a cargo net over the whole pile and even have a few things strapped to the floor in addition to the net. Pnut

I'm with you. I'm a JABOD convert and recommend them to anyone wanting to build their first solid fuel forge. I even recommend them to people building gas forges so they can get started sooner. They're so simple that they almost seem too good to be true. I say all the time, "I wish I would have found the JABOD design a couple years earlier." Pnut

I stole Charles R Stanley's idea and used metal strapping and mounted the pump at a 45⁰ angle in the plane that my arm naturally moved but I got tired of using that pump in the heat and humidity of summer in pretty short order and bought an AC mattress pump and scavenged a jump starter/power station that had an AC outlet. I have two of those hand pumps waiting to be given away to someone wanting to build a forge. Here's a link to the thread that has a picture of the way Charles mounted it. It also might make you rethink the firepot. https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/55467-mark-iii-jabod-forge/ Pnut

The one for $125 started out at $250. I told him if he didn't find a buyer at $125 I'd buy it if he brought it to me. I guess he found someone. I kinda regret not getting it though. Pnut The same IFI member who sold the blower to me also sold me a post vise for next to nothing. Those on the other hand have just gotten more expensive since then in my area.

A member here sold me a Buffalo No. 700 for 50 bucks in good working order. I was very grateful as the prices around here were pretty high. I've seen a few since then I'm my area for reasonable prices. I seen a Champion 400 with the stand in working condition for $125 a while back. I should have gotten it. Pnut

One coat. Maybe a 16th of an inch. I wanted to try to reflect as much of the IR energy back inside the forge as possible. The forge I have has pretty small openings on the front and rear. Well actually I guess it's the sides because there's a long door that's actually the front but I use the small openings usually. They're 3.75x2.0 inch Pnut

Condition, location, and model will all make a difference. If you post some pics and update your profile with your general location you'll probably get some answers fairly quickly. Welcome aboard, be safe, and remember it's supposed to be fun. Pnut

Looking forward to seeing your results. I've been using hard firebrick coated in plistix as a baffle for my forge. I have a two burner box forge. I didn't build it though, it's a commercially available model with linear inducer burners. Pnut

The only forced air burner forge I used was pretty simple to adjust the temperature. It was done by the speed control of the fan and the needle valve for the gas. I liked it enough that I seriously considered building one. I still might Pnut

My step dad had special wide jaw pliers for peeling the skin off of catfish. He'd nail them to a board or tree and peel em clean then get rid of the organs etc. I've never been a fan of the texture of catfish. Too smooth. I like flaky fish but I've eaten probably more than my fair share of catfish when I was growing up. Pnut

Sending good vibes her way. Pnut

How many stamps do you think it would take to mail a lathe and myself to Alaska? Might be cheaper than driving Pnut.

I haven't had a vehicle with points since the early nineties. I think the last one I owned was a 84 El Camino. It's good to jog the memory now and again. My memory has been giving me some trouble the last few days. I've been forgetting or confusing one thing for another pretty often lately. Hmm. Pnut

I thought quicklime was calcium oxide and slaked lime was calcium hydroxide. I was mistaken anyway. I was thinking of the chemical reaction between lime and wood ash making sodium hydroxide. It's been years since I read anything about it so thanks for prompting some review reading. Pnut

I truly wish I was in a position where I could. I've seen a few metal lathes that were almost being given away due to the owner passing but the freight to Alaska would be out of my price range. If I can't fit it in a flat rate USPS box it's a no go Pnut

Doesn't that also form calcium hydroxide? Pnut

Didn't know there was such a thing. I'll have to look into it. Pnut

Remember to take a pic right after you light it and another after the forge chamber is up to heat. Being in a dark place helps. Pnut

I'd like to see an all out effort with no restrictions on tools or techniques. I'd be interested to see what you come up with. Pnut

Do you mean disposable emery boards or nail files like these? I've been using both for small stuff for years but never thought they'd be rigid enough for removing much metal. I use emery boards frequently to clean oxidation from the electric ignition for the dryers at work. They work great for that. I never really considered using them to remove metal because of how flimsy they are.

If you're going to forge the knife you probably don't need to do any annealing. Just put it in the forge. After you have it forge finished you'll need to normalize it then harden it followed by tempering. To anneal the plate you need to heat it to critical and let it cool slowly by burying it in an insulating material like vermiculite. Pnut

The hamon is clear. Good job. Pnut

My forge is lined with fiberboard with a coat of plistix. Seems to be working fine. I'd be skeptical of claims that a ceramic liner doesn't need encapsulated. Pnut

I've found out that plistix is pretty tough too. I was surprised. I thought it would be as fragile as ITC-100 but it's much more durable. Pnut

Folks around here are mulling over whether to set the tobacco plants yet. Pnut