CtG

Milk can cut the headache and dizziness back, but it won't remove the zinc compounds. Antidote for the most obvious symptoms? For many, yes. But as both Steve and JLP stated, it is no cure for the problem. If anything it might make someone think they are good to go again. Dangerous loop to get in. I've known people knocked out for days on end making mistakes like that. Welding on hot dip is no joke. 

Try using it as-is for a while, see what gets in your way. Super crisp edges can be problematic.

That's a good looking piece to be sure.

Most are, depending on make it can be a few microns to several thou thickness. 

Can be stripped, though many seem to burn it off. Not sure what kind of chromium compounds would be created, nor the toxicity there of. Wouldn't want to be breathing it. I've had fume fever (galv). Not fun. 

Billy, I don't know about cougars in Ohio, but I sure as heck do about Northern Colorado. I have a number of stories I could regale you with about near encounters with a puma/catamount/cougar/mountain lion. When you grow up in the Rockies, you grow up in their home-range. 

A fire-poker is NOT my preferred lion-countering device. However, if push came to oh-dear-Lord-thats-a-big-cat, I think yours would be quite functional! 

Nice work! 

CGL, me neither. I work too much to have a chance on weekdays in consideration for my neighbors.... I miss having property in the country... ahhh, ce la vie. 

Duck eggs are rather rich, geese cut the difference between duck and chicken. At least from my experience.

We had Muscovy's, as well as a random variety of ducks, geese, and chickens growing up (as well as 6 horses). I still remember watching a mountain lion stalk one of our particularly ugly muscovy... saw ~11 year old me staring in shock through the back window and booked it. Our record was a triple yolker, never saw a quad. 

I don't have any fowl now though. 

Nothing to note shop-wise today, just working on landfill compactors and excavators. 

That is fantastic! Family heritage is always intriguing.

Any evidence of what looks like a serial number?

Nice!

Fun times.. track rails, sprockets, rollers, tines, ripper-spike, idler fork, etc etc... there should be goodies a plenty to mess with if you have open access.

Conrad, be cautious with things like handles, being as they are somewhat consumable. Be aware of what is a reasonable period of time. 

A hard part of providing good "retail" service is finding the balance. Yes, it is wrong to screw over customers. Don't forget though, it isn't sustainable to screw over yourself. Find the healthy balance that is right for you and fair to the customer. 

Mark (LBS) has already (through me striking) shared a wealth of knowledge regarding making some top-tools, hardy tools etc... quite the exceptional young man.

It isn't common these days to find a community of people willing to pour into newcomers. 

Not a bad idea. 

You know it's funny, I never did mind rubber handled hand-hammers at work, but you usually don't swing for very long. 

I really like the rounding hammers that Steep Hollow and LBS have. I'm trying to set my pennies aside to take Mark's class so I can not only have a nice hammer, but the know-how to make it (and the tooling!) 

Walnut size eh? 

Yeah, the stuff in the red bag from WMart ranges from pebble to half a log in size.

I forgot to mention, I'm growing tired of my rubber-handled Estwing crosspein. Stinker is tearing up the hand without gloves.

Thanks Randy!

Thanks jlp! I've been experimenting with little handfuls of coal in with the charcoal- was given a whole bag. Good practice all-around I think. 

Made a rake to better help my learning curve with the fire. Twisted with a combo wrench and crescent wrench. No vise in the garage. Went pretty well, couple whacks with a block of wood to straighten and it was good. 

Couple more horses heads, proportion practice and efficiency practice. 

Upset the end of a section of the rebar I was given, then rounded it to better move the cheeks. 

Made a hook for the heck of it too.

6 hours of practice with the fire, the work, etc. Good day I think. 

That is a sweet looking piece! Dragons tail bottle opener essentially? 

Does a dragon hang out near the mixer haha

I sprinkled it in on either side of the fire, let it smoke off and then shifted it onto the heat. 

So no coking before hand, no. Still learning and practicing. Good point though, a friend who was over and I were commenting on the green-yellow haze right before it would stop smoking, and we both agreed it was likely sulfur compounds burning off. 

Take a good picture of the lining if you could for us.

It may not be a bad idea to make a thread over in the gas forge section pertaining to your little flamethrower, and/or do some perusing through there. Good info to be had all-around, including about wool lining, rigidizers, refractory, etc. 

Nothing too fancy, but found an 8lb'er at the scrap yard and picked it up for less than $3. Nasty fiberglass handle, will probably blow it out and put a nice hickory handle in. Shorter as well, make a light striker out of it perhaps?

My daughter and I went to visit briefly with LBS to show him my "attempt" at an eye punch, and he fixed it for me/ showed me a better way. It looks much less wonky now haha

Played with firepot layout on my JABOD and with coal/charcoal mix. 

Hoping to have some better time tomorrow for practice!

Well, I dropped the floor and put the tue up higher, flipped my tue brick upside down and gave an inch gap to the bottom. I have the adobe brick (which cracked this run) at the bottom, then 2 layers of hard firebrick for about 4" between the fire and wood. 

I was also given a bag of bituminous coal. 

So tonight, I ran roughly 80/20 charcoal/coal. It worked great! Having the gap beneath the tuyere really did make a difference as well- instead of just having a hot pocket right next to the outlet, I got a hot line across the trench. 

In all of my pictures my fuel is very low, I was playing with the coal/charcoal mix. When I went to test heat some steel I built it up a fair bit higher.

Step at a time!

Isn't cristobalite a form of asbestos?

I always related "cherry" to maraschino cherries, like what always came in my Shirley Temples when I was a kid. 

Perspective indeed... 

It isn't the shop but I figured someone may appreciate it.

Lanced the moldboard pivot pins on a 12M3 grader. Bronze adhered to the pins, locked them up. 

The "adult sparkler" burns at roughly 10,000°F and will blow through a 4140 pin like it's putty. 

Once 3/4 through the pin, let cool and start beating with a 20lb sledge. 

Shin-height side-to-side isn't quite analogous to striking... SORE... 

Dang those look good- even better with the edge contrast. 

I made some random stuff, testing the JABOD setup.

Not the prettiest, but great practice! My horses pupil is a little wonky haha

Lots of tooling improv. The nicer looking one I made in the Intro class at Steep Hollow.

I only missed, what, twice? 

They all turned out pretty good looking to my eye, though one of the punches and one of the hot-cuts had particularly good features.

I was out of town all week, and my wife was excited when I told her LBS asked if I might be willing to strike for a while, and if I could. I don't know if it's spousal support, or if she just didn't want me back in the house yet!

Very much a good afternoon by my reckoning.

-------

In the morning, I confirmed my adobe brick held up through the week of drying, then I rigged up a system for the bouncy-house blower my Dad decided to send me. Hopefully I'll get to fire it up tomorrow if the wind doesn't get feisty

Fume fever is nothing to mess with... I made that mistake when I first started working. Splitting headache and dizziness leading up to very vivid, strange dreams and a chest-ache for a couple days. I got lucky. Very. 

Zinc is necessary, yes, and in the proper doses can do wonders for your health. When consumed properly, NOT inhaled. Once you cross over the healthy limit, zinc toxicity sets in and it can get... ugly. 

You do raise the point of not knowing the form it takes. Many mundane elements can combine to form powerful toxins, acids, bases, etc. Just as dangerous elements can combine into useful and necessary substances. Try to eat sodium, your mouth may explode. Try to breathe chlorine gas, you are more than likely going to die a horrible death. Sodium-Chloride is quite tasty though. 

At least you have the thought of what kind of potential toxin COULD be formed.