Welshj

^ silica sand is the main issue there. Thats part of why aluminum oxide grits are used now, but still a breathing hazard. 

I have a blasting cabinet from harbor freight,  one sure thing I'd recommend is using a caulk gun and silicone at the least- when assembling it. Seal everything!! Lol. The one I have came with a glass window and plexiglass cover for it. It uses a sacrificial mask on the inside- which a major pain in the butt to replace. Neither Hobo freight, or the manufacturer sell replacements. I went to ace hardware and bought a 4ft roll of acetate like film, and double sided tape.

I'm considering welding together a window frame and hinging it. Haven't figured out sealing the hinge from the sand yet.

I use a fine 120 grit garnet for blasting firearms for cerakoting. Image below is for reference to finish. Note that the shotgun receiver was really rusted and pitted... thats the dark spots in the surface.

I can't see why blasting media wouldn't remove forge scale... but my thoughts would be that the bigger the grit- the shinier it should be... rougher surface. Not polished shiny, but metal grain open shiny...??

Where in Michigan?

And explanation of user name? Former army sgt here... first thing that caught my eye. Lol.

I'm in Ohio, wauseon- just across the border by toledo.

Yup...

This is after about a week or two. I'll save the during pics from the hospital- but let's just say they couldn't stitch anything, and a nurse spent about 30 minutes trimming... stringy stuff before bandaging.

I was ripping a small pieces of stock off to 1/8" widths. The blade guard up and out of the way so could catch the small pieces as they came out. Stupid- very.... lost focus, wood bound & kicked and my fingernail caught in a nick in the wood- pulling my fingers back vertically over the blade.

Like I said earlier, i got fortunate that nothing worse happened. The middle finger was the deepest, about a 1/4".

I too have felt a cutoff wheel bounce off my chest! This is the exact reason I always remove cutoff wheels from a hand held grinder after use. Also had a pair of jeans ruined, with a nasty leg gash from the same problem.

the worst is a coarse wire cup wire wheel wrapped up in my t-shirt and up my chest. I threw it away that day and won't use one now. Bench grinder mounted wheels only.

Do I really need to post the pics of my three fingers of my left hand to prove a gross point of just how much these guys know what they're talking about?

Own, use and respect many rotary type tools.

I've owned a tablesaw for over 20yrs. I've used one since I was 15 in shop class. In all that time- I had one serious- headed to the hospital injury. All it took was a momentary lapse in pressure... and I got off fortunate.

Explaining to the sheriff's office how my fingerprints actually DID change when renewing my chl... yeah, that was fun.

Rotary tools are a thing to be respected... trust us.

Admin- suggestion? The twist this thread has taken has some pretty good merit. This section isolation in its own thread, under a tool use/safety heading mebbe?

Um... its not similar to this is it?

Your description kinda scares me... because its very similar sounding to wwii era artillery shells we found in a training area in California once when I was there in the army. Although a 10" gun would be something more along the lines of a navy deck gun.

I second George's statement. You could also chuck it in a vise, clamp it down to a bench, etc... and hand work that bevel line with a file to clean it up a little straighter if you wanted. Easier to do any minor adjustments like that- before hardening it.

I'd agree, but if it works?

On 11/23/2020 at 2:17 AM, Frosty said:

I'd insert an imaginative and entertaining story about my sprit animal but I don't know what it is.

Man frosty... you made this one too easy.

TREE FROG!

I know, I'm sorry... I fought the urge so badly. I lost. Lol....

I'm a forced air burner owner... but looking at both those pics- it looks as if the chokes are relatively closed off. They regulate the air flow into the burner. Tried opening them all the way up?

I'll stick with my p38 or p52...

Not sure of relevance- but I do know that in "color case hardening" or... color... im drawing a blank on the actual term- on antique firearms, that bone charcoal was traditionally used, mixed to give the varying colors in the receivers bluing. It created different heat levels in the fuel wrapped/packed around the part in a steel container... 

Could this possibly be something similar with the bone charcoal use? Creates a different heat control with mixed fuels?

Just a weird thought after reading the thread.

I'm 48, and I've found so far- that there are many things in my... learned experiences that translate well to blacksmithing skills. Being in the construction business- I'd wager you have a pretty decent head start. 

If you've ground blades, and handled, fit and finish... then you've already conquered the frustrating part of bladesmithing to me. You can forge, and heat treat the most amazing blade- but right off the anvil, its probably not gonna cut butter.

Research it here... build it.... screw it up, and learn from the process... then rebuild and do it better thereafter.

Better late than never sir! Get to it! Lol...

'Nuff said.

Hoah! Sgt welsh, Joel E. 4th Inf Div. 

I've got two tours in the sandbox myself with similar personality results brother... so, some of us understand. The thing to remember is that this is a kid friendly forumn, with a wide range of talents, skills, and nationalities. I try to remember to act as though I'm conversing with my wife or daughter- and I usually do well. But, yep... my vet humor rears it head here & there. Lol.

This hobby/lifestyle/undertaking/job is a great therapy for those like us. Don't give into motivation loss, or get complacent with it... it will reward your hard work.

Additional belated welcome aboard.

3 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

I'd use "Corvair" 

darn it... i got it. Lol.... almost bought a spyder in TX, but the subframe was rotted beyond repair. The motor was complete though.

58 minutes ago, BillyBones said:

couple pallets of banana milk

omg... i remember that stuff. I couldn't stand it at all, especially at 100 degrees. I'd trade it to the Iraqi kids at the ECP for Miami cigarettes. 

That or just throw it to them when out on a recovery mission. I was an 88M20, so alot of convoys, and recovery missions.

^ well said george. You do.

I have a hard time with this day, as I'd guess many of us may?

I get that its our day, and though many have thanked me... the best reply I have ever heard was "thank you for your support". But I've never really known how to respond.

What confuses me, and causes the hard time for me- is those friends, brothers and sisters... that didn't come home to have this day. But, unfortunately they have their day too.

I disagree, and agree at the same time... on a couple points.

I disagree that it's a fantastic dream. It is entirely a possibility, and it sounds like you may be on your way to it. This country is founded by, built on, and fought for and protected by immigrants. My grandfather (dads side) was English/Irish, and married a half cherokee Indian. You don't have to be from here- to love being here.

One of my closest friends for years- was from Ecuador?. He joined the US Army, speaking no english at all. He learned rudimentary English in a three week crash course to attend basic. He served with me in iraq to come home to get his citizenship. He is all American to me.

I agree/disagree on the flag use.

As I said... I too am a vet, us army. Many of my family served as well. The only clothing I have that has a flag on it- is a us veteran hoodie that has the full flag backwards on the sleeve. Just as I wore on my uniform.

I as well- personally won't wear flag clothing in general... for the reasons george described.

I too dislike the flag use as a decoration. But, I have a different view of it. All those that died serving under it- did so to protect the freedom of those that choose to do. (Wear and use it) So I honor their sacrifice by allowing it, by fighting for that freedom to continue, to be expressed... no matter how much I disdain the practice.

Having said all that.... i love your work. It looks like an awesome blade, and I think the full flag would have looked better- but I get why you did what you did. My question- is how did you do it? I'm guessing etched, or was it engraved? Either way, its cleanly done and easily recognizable- which is the goal of any piece of art. Add to that- that its a bowie-style profile, and i see it as fitting.

Job well done.

On 11/7/2020 at 3:34 AM, MacLeod said:

Man I’m living in the dark ages!!

Nah... thats why we have lights!  

I really love your seagull lamp. It's been awhile since I've messed with veneer, but that had to be a challenge cutting that thin, that narrow with scissors. Job well done!

On 11/4/2020 at 1:11 PM, ThomasPowers said:

They tend to be  a bit over protective about the cranes around these parts.

I have a pond in my yard- and have several big blue herons that like to visit and fish the shallow end, which is closer to the house. 

Walking out the door to go to work in the morning... i tend to get a pretty good surprise when they get startled by me, startling them, startling me. Lol ...

Welcome to the site, and back to the sickness! (forging)

Thanks for your service brother!

I realized I kind of glossed over your original question in a way... and I hate tea. I know... i know... lol.

But, I've sandblasted a couple blades before. I have watched many of bladesmith jason knight's videos on YouTube, and there are a couple where he's blasted them to give them a matte finish. A much finer abrasive would give a good smooth matte finish. The down fall of this is bare metal that would have to remain oiled at all times, or coated somehow.

Another of my hobbies is custom cerakote paint jobs on guns. I didnt think, but cerakote is another possibility- albeit more expensive... for a good, dark black finish. The firearm has to be blasted bare metal for cerakote to bond to it. I use a minimum 120 grit media so that the paint will adhere. The downside is that cerakote is much less abrasion resistant. However, it has amazing corrosion and rust resistance properties. My EDC pistol I cerakoted around two years ago. Its scraped, and worn off in areas down to "bare" steel from daily carry. Not one bit of rust or corrosion.

Good to see a fellow buckeye Smith! Looking forward to seeing what you go with.

100 yr old shotgun before, during and after cerakote.

Just curious-Is that vertical line halfway across from etching level?

I actually really like the wider broad pattern in that... very defined.

Be watching for more progress on this one!

MacLeod- thank you, & Yessir.

I have a vinyl cutter, this is the first one I'd made like this... but the second nite light. The first, I made for his sister a year or so back using sandblasted mirror tile.

My grandson loves cars, trucks, trains... anything that moves. So that had to be the theme. 

I also wanted something that would be pretty durable for a little boy- that could handle some abuse. I used downloaded clipart for the basis of most of the images, and edited together for scenes.

8 hours ago, JHCC said:

Having been raised by a philosophy professor and an editor, my life has been a constant struggle both to find the truth and to express it clearly. 

Omg... i hope you were joking, because I about choked spitting my soft drink out. That was very humerus to quote frosty.

On 11/1/2016 at 11:28 PM, C-1ToolSteel said:

Steering wheel on the left side is correct. Steering wheel on the right side is not. Steering wheel on both...

Huh? Why?

I was army, at schofield barracks from 1999-late 2002. I wanted to stay on the island, and get out of the service then... but it didn't work out.

I used to ride my motorcycle all over, and I loved my life there so much. Still have local friends there, though I haven't seen them in a long time.

I actually got to raise a flag on the Arizona memorial, and being in the harbor was one of the most sobering honors of my life.

Tried poi, taco poco, loved glass noodles and 101 buffet! Climbed the stairway to heaven, spearfished for Mahi Mahi, and drag raced at barber's point track. My favorite thing to tell people about is the blue stop signs at alamoana shopping center... lol.

Mahalo for the response, and the trip on memory lane!! 

Great luck on your journey! You come to the right place for good advice on it.