Chad J.

Made my first and second orchid yesterday,  only the second one survived me trying to attach it to this hair pin.  I need a TIG welder...

Cut it out on the bandsaw,  cold shaped it, and welded it together.  Hot brushed brass finish.

My first attempt looked like a heart that had been broken.   Maybe I'll try again. 

I didn't preheat it but always let my welds cool naturally.  I did miss the joint on my first weld and put a bead directly on the bearing,  that heated it up nicely.  Not a great welder but I'm getting better a I use it more. 

I was expecting it to be much harder to weld this ball bearing into the 1 inch square stock...

Guided the girlfriend through making an s hook with a leaf for one end.  Really let her fight through it and answered her questions.  She's having a lot of fun with it 

I kinda decided I'm going to make a rapier for my next big project.  Learning from my mistake with the oakeshot 12, i cut my steel down closer to my final dimensions starting with a piece 1x40 x 3/8.  It grew a staggering 16 inches as I worked it down to what I wanted.  I also started in on the guard.   

My goal is to... not take over a year to finish it. 

Totally going to try put the hair pin now.  Yesterday I started in on a new hot cut hardy.   Not sure where I put my old one.  It's out of the same piece of jackhammer that I made the first.   It's kinda shocking how quickly I was able too reforge it now that I am starting to get a bit of a clue.   Also made a bending fork hardy.  Sold a set of hoof scrapers, they got a great price since I never made one before.  This wasn't the finished product turns out I didn't get that picture. 

I started making a replacement blade for an old buck knife.  It had been my boss' first knife and he broke the blade splitting a deer pelvis.  I did a couple test tickets out of lawn mower blade I had laying around but in spite of the oil quench it wouldn't break.   I could not try water as my slack run is currently solid.  I went with an old tire iron.  I heat treated the Blacksmith's knife,  did some refining on a chopper and started the thermo cycles,  and worked on ginko leaves.  It was good to get back out in the shop after the cold snap.  

I'm gonna have to pay attention to my arms now.   I'd never noticed getting a burn or tan using my propane forge, but it does seem like a nice hot piece of scale always find some skin. 

Alex, I am seriously impressed with your skills.   I'd love to be able to watch you make even the clusters of leaves on the benches. 

Woke up to use the bathroom this morning and checked the temp,  -12 F with -35 windchill.   Not going out to the shop today but it is supposed to warm up next week.  Stay warm.

Just now, George N. M. said:

 What kind of wood did you use?

 

I used hickory.   I had cut up a sledge hammer handle a while back.  I drilled it, then cleaned it out with a chisel I made for the task from a big allen wrench.  It took me forever to work on this but when I finally did it seems like my skills had grown enough to be more than equal the job.  Now it's finish sanding on the fuller and guard.  I May just stain the handle but it's a bit slick.  I'm leaning towards a leather wrap.

I peened the sword together the other day.   Everything is amazingly tight.  No epoxy,  no welding.  Just a peened tang.   Last night I grabbed a piece of leaf spring and made a chopper and a piece of 5/8ths square and split it to make. 1 piece basket twist handle for a grill fork I started.  Weather is going to be nasty so I bright some stuff inside to work on in the basement. 

The drift I made the other night to help forge the new guard on my sword attempt.  This saved me hours of filing.  The guard fit up very nicely.   Now doing the handle again because the wood cracked when I tried to force it.  Going to make a thin chisel to speed that along too.

Alex,  that is another amazing piece. 

I didn't see what led you to being in the hospital Thomas but I hope they let you back out soon and none the worse for wear.   Heal up.

Did a quick Blacksmith's knife that's going to be part of a carving set and then reforged the guard for the sword that's been sticking out of a stump in the shop.  Also made a drift for the guard that worked perfectly after I punched it.  It's dry fit there, tomorrow more finish work and maybe epoxy and weld in the pommel.   

I'll have to get a tub big enough,  normally I'd use my 100 lb tank but it was empty and a couple places here don't like filling it.  The one place that will, no questions, has some funky hours. 

I got some mostly successful forge welds done.  This was the first time I got my propane forge up that hot. I had just replaced all the side bricks so it is no longer losing heat and was running it at about 25 lbs pressure before the tank started to freeze up.   I had a little bit of refining left but couldn't get back to that pressure and temp.  I refined the welds after that with 6013 rod because mostly isn't completely.  I completed the basket twist I was making,  stick welded it to the base I made and welded that to my frying pan.  I'd have riveted it but I wanted to make dinner in that pan and it was getting close to 8.  Even half sanded I was very happy with how it performed.   Nothing stuck.  BTW, dinner was grilled  cheese with a fried egg,  a couple pieces of fried ham,  and tomato soup.  I'm going to do cleanup on it, sanding and finish. 

I'll work at a steep angle  upsetting the bar like I would forging the tip of a blade until.  I'm also quick to hit any cold shuts with a hot rasp.  

Frosty, I hadn't done it quite that fine,  I had gone to and creased them.  I also had noticed the sound difference, more of a dull thud as opposed to that nice ring.   I will keep workingbit as I learn.   I have a third blank for when I get this figured out.   Would the spacing be about 1/8th between ceases or a bit father apart?

They had a small sewing machine motor in it but that was dead when I got it.  The switch works but I need to rig a different motor setup.   Verticle handle,  like a belllows setup.

Maybe turn the needles into the sides of the arrow?  Just a thought. 

I got a couple pieces of sheet at the UMBA fall conference in November and decided to give them a go as frying pan blanks.  I think the sides may be a bit short still but I'm willing to try one out.   I'm going to do a basket handle on them,  but my little rivet forge kicked my butt for some reason,  so that's going to be tonight that I try making them.

I, uhhh, may have made a few.  

The top picture, left side that one I did hit it with a brass brush.  It was still only a subtle change.   

Making icicle style hanger for Christmas trees.  The flat twists were actually really good for practicing tapers on thin stock.   I had my new apprentice(?) Starting on these and she learned fairly quickly.  I knocked out about 35 total between the two styles,  just need to drill holes and add ribbon to hang them.   I'm thinking of just clear coating them. 

Everything is looking great.  I have a new student, err kinda.  Started seeing someone new and she wanted to learn how to Smith.   Today she was out in the shop with me and I had her working on a simple icicle decoration for Christmas trees.   Learning to taper ends and do simple twists.   I was working on a calla lily stake.  It's kinda fun,  she's a horticulturist so she's kinda pushing me on accuracy in flowers.