Chad J.

Gewoon, I think I missed a part,  what is it your working on there?  It looks like it's going to be quite the challenge with all the parts. 

Tonight I had a visit from an aspiring Smith.   I had her working on making a leaf and just guiding her on the process and techniques.   I don't have all the years of experience that many of you have,  but I can definately get sometime started.   It was a little drawn out like a willow but she was happy with it.  I got a couple eyelets done and installed on my grape training system for the cables.  I have 1 vine that's full height and ready to be trained,  the other 4 i just planned this year. 

I'll do another set with the cube twist and take pictures Frosty

I tried making a handle,  and the picture below was the monstrosity that I tried to make work as an improvised forge with materials on hand.  Blew charcoal everywhere when I first started it up. 

Great idea,  I will.   

Are you going to have to worry about the TSA asking you some questions?

You're welcome GCL.  I found the idea on YouTube but they never have measurements that I can remember.   I'm planning on making a few more tomorrow.  I have a craft fair at a botanical garden Sunday and I figure they might do well.  The opener is a fun design.  I usually make mine from 1/2 inch round stock. 

This evening I tried to make a pair of matching door pulls and came closer than I ever have to an exact match.  Started with 5/8 square at 8 inches.   The cube twist is 4 inches long spaced 1/4 inch.   

CGL, it's pretty quick.   4 inch piece of 5/8ths square,  2- 2 1/4 inch cuts from thevend like a freidrich's cross then open and forge out.  My propane forge is almost not big enough for the wingspan so I may try shrinking it a half inch or so.

Btw here's my first attempt.   Thus is why I'm so happy with the second...

Another humid night in the shop.  I made a second attempt at a hummingbird cross.  I did my first out of a cut off rail spike and hot cut it.  Messy lines and ragged but I was happy In pulled it off.  This evening I decided to try and cut it with my portaband out if some 5/8ths square stock.   I'm very happy with how it turned out.  

I once had a beginning smith over and she commented that she could be busy for months with what I've tossed on the floor as rejected ideas or to do items. 

   Meanwhile, I've gotten better at my small calla lily garden stakes.  This one was an 8 inch piece of half inch.  

Everyone has been knocking out out of the park!  

Forge thick and grind thin... it's the bane of my knife making.   That's how I end up with a pile of forged but unground blades.  I have been getting better at forging to finish.  

I've been trying to get stuff done for the craft fairs this year, keeping it simple and outdoors related.  I did some work at a local small historic park on Saturday.  They no longer have a go to blacksmith and I like the little park so I'll be doing some volunteer work and donating some small items.   In return they let me set up a table. 

I've also found myself doing more in the way of making jigs.  I've made 2 versions of my jig for Shepard hooks with the second being much better.  First was waaaaay too big.

Better late than never.   Did you end up having to heat treat it?  

Thanks Frosty, I once had another smith over and she commented that she could get months of projects out of my rejects on the floor. 

For the hook, I didn't,  I just went down.   Most of the hooks I made in the past didn't fit well, a little too big on the hook,  so they didn't turn much.   What I think I may play with now is putting a tight s bend in the hook to keep it from twisting.  Maybe I'll do one tonight and see how it looks and do the offset upward hook.  Might as well pay with the designs,  Father's Day is coming up and what Dad didn't like hanging tools nice and neat on pegboard.

Yesterday I found; the floor to my shop, a counter top, a pan that I had used to hold water next to the belt grinder, the stand that the pan stood on,  my tablesaw, a place to put my snow blower, several half finished knives, my first attempt at a towel hanger,  and space to set the coffin bookshelf back up so I can finish it now that it's warm again.   I also rearranged my tool peg board so I can actually hang tools on it and made a quick hook for it.   It used to take me hours, maybe exaggerated,  to make a single hook for the peg board, yesterday the one I knocked out quick as a reward to myself for cleaning took maybe 5 minutes and looked much better.   Still just as proud of the early ones.

I really need to get to a couple schools soon.  I wonder if I could get my company to pay to further my education.  They benefit whenever I make a new tool to b make life easier.  Jennifer do you have a list of classes your going to teach online?

Anyway this evening I started converting an attempt at a funky designed sword to a pizza cutter.  It wad from my second year of smithing.  It was goofy looking but I was trying to concentrate on getting the steel to move where I wanted it to go.  Never finished it, cut off a piece for a different project.  Also made a quick jig for doing dinner bells so I get more consistent results faster

Had an aspiring smith out in the shop today.   I had talked to her at 2 events and had helped her forge a bottle opener and probably a leaf at the previous meetings.   She had gotten a scholarship to a school down in  Kentucky where she had made a frying pan.  She loved the pan but the handle was literally 2 feet long and she wanted to cut it down.  I broke out the portaband, cut the handle and walked her through punching and drifting a hanging hole in the handle.   Followed that up with making a simple J-hook out off 1/8 x 3/4 flat stock, tapering the tip, making the curl.  In the process the rivets on her pan started to loosen so I make a quick rivet header, while explaining what I was doing, why, and how.  She was a good student.  Looking forward to having her come back again.  

On a side note, is the ABANA course good?  Is there someplace I can review the course requirements and materials?  I think I want to start getting done more formal training.

By appointment if anyone ever gets to the area. 

Not yet.  Thought I'd poke my head in here first and ask.   

Had anyone actually ever visited the Holland Anvil Company?  I've been trying to find it this work trip and nothing pulls up the actual address.  I wanna go see anvils since I'm nowhere near my shop. 

Looks like it had a good weight behind it.   What steel did you use?

Spent the night yesterday working on more clothes hangers.   I'm playing around with the bodies making them each kinda unique.   Did I mention how much I like my swage block I made from 1 inch square stock?  It's great for making half rounds.  Need to make a few other shapes to pound into it.  Maybe some nice tapers...

I was wondering about that,  thanks George.   I haven't really worked with glass before.  Could it also be done contraction of the steel around it?  Not gonna lie,  i may do that on purpose a few times. 

I'm getting a bit better at the hair pins,  started wrapping marbles up in them but one seems to have cracked.  Not sure why but it looks good. 

Go right ahead.   I use 1/2 inch round, 18 inches long marking the center and 2 inches on either side, drawing down 3/8ths round for the hook.  Have fun with it.   I'm in the process of making an anvil-top swage film a piece of 1 inch square that makes great half rounds really fast 

I wanted to clean the tongs up a bit more before I posted them but, per Jennifer's request, as forged and riveted here they are.   I also made a 3 part plant hanger type thing and stretched a piece of 3/8 × 1 3/4 round of to 1/4 x 7 1/2 inches and made a quick S hook.   

Just rough forged a set of wolfjaw tongs in less time that I ever have.   They do need some cleanup but this was the least  amount of trouble I've had forging tongs ever.  Tomorrow or Tuesday I'll set the jaws and clean them up.  Made them from a couple pieces of 1/2 round stock.