Chad J.

Measure three times, make a mark, measure again, make a story mark, measure again, make the bend and how did it do that?

Last night I finished assembling the counter twisted candle stick. Took a piece of flat, used a top tool and swage block to raise a cross pattern, punched and drifted a hole, made a tennon, and then welded it up to look nice. Also made a dozen or so nails, worked on my counter twists, and stayed making small items for craft fairs, with my first starting Thursday of next week.

Shape looks good, tang might be a little thin, and leaving the bolt hole crates a really bad weak spot. How wide is the sword? How heavy? Were you making a specific model? All of that information is going to affect where you want the center of gravity. The closer to your hand, the easier the top is to control, farther away better for chop and slash.

Went to the Aman Amarth DethKlok concert last night with my youngest and her and boyfriend. Forgot I'm pushing 50 and landed on my knee in the mosh pit. It's sore today but no swelling. DethKlok managed to break the venue, causing an electrical issue that ended the concert early.

Hey guys, thanks for the warnings and suggestions. I'll likely build this from scratch and set it up to take a forge blower. I have some good sized sheet and I'll go with inch and a half black pipe drilled for air with a small sized angle over the top to distribute the air flow evenly. I've also become a big fan of using tube stock in the forge to get a more even and slower heating. Fuel choice is going to be lump charcoal. I'm thinking length with be 24 inches and having a flat bar extend on either end to help prevent gravity from doing its thing to hot horizontal steel. I'll do a rough sketch up later for suggestions. Only issue is going to be when (or if, thank you ADD) I'll get it built.

Great tips! I'll be making enough where having a dedicated forge would be good. I can't help it, they're fun. I'll check these out and go from there.

Ok, I'm looking to build a simple charcoal forge, v shaped with an air supply from the bottom. The idea is specifically for heat treating swords. I've never really seen one and I'm not finding much info online. Anyone have experience or advice? I'm thinking an air pipe on the bottom drilled or for air flow and 1/4 inch sheet making the body. Line it with fire brick and call it good?

Monday night the blade bug bit me again after a rough day at work. Started with 24 inches of leaf spring 1.5 inches wide 3/8 thick. Currently at an overall of 36 inches, 7.5 inch tang, 28.5 inch blade little under a 1/4 inch thick. I was going to do a bastard sword but alas, not enough metal. I should have left it at 2 inches wide and drawn it all out. Not sure what I'll do for guard, handle, and pommel yet but it was nice to just blow off some steam. Going to try to make some profiling tools to help get the blade bevels more efficiently. Maybe a hardy tool to use with my flatter.

Nice Asa! The top tools can be a pain to come by used. I, in my Neverending Quest to organize my shop, got a tool stand from Harbor Frieght. I slightly modified it into a hammer stand.

Wasn't actually planning on cutting the threads off , I do need to open them up a bit

I was messing with pipe the other night and pulled these off. I squared up the pipe, fullered all 4 sides and very gently twisted them. The squared sides helped keep it from collapsing in on itself in a less than controlled manner so I tried a counter twist. Now to build a good base for it.

Yup, I get the point too.

That reminds me, I need to build an oblesk for some climbing roses I put in. Your minor projects would take me who knows how long Alexandr. Here's a grill set I'm doing. Started as 3/4 x 3/4. I'm thinking of doing a set of grill tongs to finish it out but I'm not sure how to work in the cube twist with that.

Thanks Larry! I actually had a couple guys at work ask if I had any ready to go. I bet 3 are gone by Friday. Shiny, I did with one, brass brushed one, used a combo of gold and titanium hammered finish spray paint on one, and the fourth I used a light coat of copper spray paint.

The first 4 roses of the season are done. They take me forever, but I love the different touches I'll put on them. The push is on to get at least a dozen made for craft fair season. I'm guessing that 3 of these are going to find homes before the end of the week.

I've tried that style handle before and it turned out like the leavngs of a sick dog. I hadn't tried it since. Yours looks great. Did you form it around a mandrel?

You are correct. I made my first bodkin too. Going to do a day where I see how many I can make.

Finished up my arrowhead tongs last night, was working on a couple dinner bells when I decided it was time I started to work on a new door handle for the shop. I forged the original 3 or 4 years ago from a piece of 5/8 round. It took me most of the day to make it. Always meant to make a back plate for it but it mostly worked sooo. Anyway the new handle took a little over an hour and a half and is from 3/4 square stock. I have a piece of flat in the forge to make the face plate. Just have to decide on a design.

Nicely done on the basket hilt on that. I hadn't even thought to try that! Did you square it up and draw it out a bit then hit cut it or did you do most of that with a cutoff wheel? The drawback of those split cross daggers they don't leave much to work with for a handle. I didn't finish them but I made a set of arrow head tongs tonight and about 18 leaves for roses. I need to punch and rivet for the tongs but they are the best set I've made yet. From 7-ish inches if 3/4 coil spring Also burned off a bunch of stress from work, which was much needed.

I have a 50 gallon plastic barrel that I use. Just have to make sure I don't touch the sides too much. It freezes in winter with no problem and I replace the water in spring after the mice get done trying to swim in it, gathering my projects that melted through.

That's a wild shape for a table. How big is it across?

Asa, a tool that works is a beautiful tool. I agree that taking the time to make a set of tons to handle hammers is a great idea. Jennifer, how much longer until you get around you putting the door on now that it's made? My yard is a work in purges to get rid of all grass. I was out for a bit today claiming up the raspberry canes and pulling some that have gone beyond their boundry. One thing Imminent for sure to get a gray harvest of this year's is Rhubarb. I have 7 plants that are now on their second year. Going mix it with a bunch of fruits.

I have my backyard. Not much of an orchard. 2 apple trees, 2 cherry trees, raspberries along the fence, 12 4 x 8 raised bed gardens, a vining garden, then several perrenial beds.

It's a fall gold raspberry I grow in my garden, and yes the mason jar has a taste in it. I only got three bottles out of it last year. Hope to have more time to harvest this year so I can make more. Also hoping to get my first crop of apples for cider and enough cherries for some wine.

Work has been rough. Had avian influenza hit the farm again and we're in the middle of it. I managed to get some shop time yesterday and Sunday in the new basement shop working on roses for fair season. Goal is it have 20 or more ready to go since they take me so long. Problem with the basement shop it's that's where I keep my home brews.