Nathan Kraft

Yes! This year will unfortunately be the only year I get to use the pen, as well as the luxury of the indoor heated barn. Next year I plan on showing a steer, which will mean being out in the cold twice a day every day for a couple hours at a time in the dark. Man, the lengths I'll go to to show livestock.

Back in summer of last year I posted some pictures of the panels we were welding in my FFA chapter’s shop for our barn. I doubt anyone remembers that but I told y’all I’d post pictures of the finished projects and it just occurred to me that I never did. Here’s a picture of my pen, I wish I could get a better picture of the gate from the front but the wall is in the way of me getting far enough back.

Finished up work on my necklace pendant I started a couple weeks ago. Previously had done only the twist, today I ground and drilled it then braided the string for it out of some smaller waxed thread.

This may be something super simple I just don’t realize, but how did you get the design on the leather of those sheathes? Beautiful knives by the way!

Just realized I forgot to post a picture of my key ring. Here it is!

That's not the one I was thinking of, but yes that's a similar idea. Personally I would have probably made a fuller and/or a hot cut instead of the "heel," but then again charles has a heck of a lot more experience than I. Thanks for the thread LOL.

One thing I have seen and am planning to do with my railroad track is to make the end into a die anvil (been awhile since I read on that I hope i got the name right) in other words you stand the track on end and use the round portion for your main striking face, and on the thinner portions you grind tools like a hot cut, maybe a bending fork, there's all different things you could do. Now if only i could remember where I saw that thread... And, as twistedwillow said, that is a very nice leaf!

Not quite yet, school got really crazy and Im just now getting enough time to start up in the shop again I don’t know why it just posted that again, sorry my schools WiFi is being whacky. I do not have a post vise yet nor a London pattern anvil but I’m making due with the anvil I’m using now. It would be very nice to have a post vise though, and more visually appealing than my current situation (more parent friendly)

Not quite yet, school got really crazy and Im just now getting enough time to start up in the shop again

Y'all, it has been a darn long time since I posted, and a long time since I got out in the forge. The other day I finally got out and did some work. I feel obligated to post about it due to my long absence, even though it's not quite on par with what i would like the quality of my work to be. I've made one of my new year's resolutions to get out in the shop at least once every other week and try do something weekly. I shall post pictures in a bit, but i started work on a new twisted square bar necklace pendant and I made a small leaf keyring.

Yeah, it is quite fancy for a first truck, but we got a good deal on it. I’m super excited and the interior is even nicer to be honest.

They ain’t the best pictures, but they’re what I have. We had to leave it at the dealership tonight because we had three cars and two legal drivers.

Since we are (er... we were) of trucks, I quite literally just got my first truck, now I just have to wait til October when I can drive it... legally, that is. She’s beautiful and I got a great deal on her.

Oh yeah, I definitely agree that it’s better to have a small animal first, it just sucks cuz I absolutely love cattle.

Yeah, if I went to a normal high school I’d be getting up around 4:30. Luckily, my school doesn’t start until nine, as opposed to the normal seven or eight. Honestly, I don’t know what kind of sheep, other than that it’s for showing, and my ag teacher will help me buy it. In my junior and senior years, I plan to show calves. However, I can only do that if I show one of my aunt and uncle’s cattle, as I don’t have 3000 to spend on an animal, even if I will get it back in the end. My uncle said he won’t let me show one of their calves unless I show a small animal first, and I have multiple friends who show sheep, so I chose them over goats. I also won’t have the income yet this fall to feed the calf.