Joe Dirt

Pnut that's what I am afraid of. I'm going to do little to no modifications to the RR rail that way worst comes to worst I can just remove the tine. Thomas you gave me a plan B. If I don't have enough length to get it to the right hight I may have to put it in a five gallon bucket with some cement. If I have to go that route I may flip it and weld another support under it. The support will add some more mass and hopefully deaden what I could only imagine to be a crazy loud ringing. I drew a little picture of my plan but taking a picture of said picture is proving difficult. You know after saying all that I may just go with plan B modified. I would have two anvils and one that's mobile.........hmmm?

Glenn great ideas! Been a decade since I braided any eyes. Will definitely be trying my hand at it again. I'm so glad to hear you say that those nuts and bolts could be used for tools. I can't wait to start making a few. I don't have a welder but I recently befriended my company's mechanic. A 12 pack and some good conversations scored me a new friend and access not only to the shop tools but the scrap bin. I'm now a proud owner of a forklift tine. I was grinning ear to ear when he showed it to me. About 4 inches x 40 or so. It's a tine from a 1055 telescoping JLG forklift. It has a mean bend in it so they threw it in the scrap bin. The portion I want is in good shape. Going to figure out a way to attach it to my RR anvil that I buried on end(a legally sourced gift). I'm thinking it will make a nice larger striking surface. I like my anvil the way it is now, I feel the small striking area is helping my hammer control. It also had some nice wear on it where the wheels road. So I have one nice rounded radius and one that is a good bit smaller. I believe I have a way to make the tine detachable. Just need some days off to get it started.

Absolutely George. Thank you for the Intel. I hadn't considered it being galvanized and will look into it. It looks to be ok ( in rust we trust! ) but I won't even chance it until I'm positive. I work directly with these guys so I may even be able to get the specs on it. I also forgot to mention I get some broken pipe wrenches every now and again. Ranging from 12 inches all the way up to 40. I know the heads can be forged on most of them but some of the larger ones seem to be two different pieces. The teeth most likely hardenable but not sure on the rest.

I feel like I have more questions than answers right now but I'll throw my half a cents worth in here. To try and keep cost down while learning this trade I have been using TPAAAT. Not only for a better anvil but metal to forge or to scrap. Where I'm working there's a good bit of "consumable" steel. After x amount of time these pieces and parts are swapped out for for a fresh new part. 9 times out of 10 before there is any substantial wear for safety reasons. When they're swapped out I lend a hand and get to keep the used parts. Large nuts and threaded bits 3/4" up to a 1 3/4". Recently started collecting annular bags. These have about 70 lbs of cast iron in them Various lengths of cable usually 1/2 inch in diameter by 100 or more feet in length. Some times little bits of tubing in various alloys copper, aluminum, stainless, and iron. What I'm really looking forward to working with is the tong dies and slip dies. I know these have been heat treated. I am hoping I can turn these into my own tools and hopefully knives as well. I've found the company that makes them and hope I may be able to ask how they go about their heat treating process. They may not but it'll be a good learning experience none the less. Someday I may try my hand at forging cable damascus. For now though I will most likely just scrap most of the cable I have. Is any of the stuff I am collecting worth throwing in the forge or good for other purposes?

Thomas, I have been talking with the little lady about setting the account or accounts up differently and that is one thing we "negotiated" :-) I feel the same way but I like to kid myself into believing I'm not a sheep but a wolf in sheep's clothing :-D We all see where that lead me. I believe y'all needed some beer and chips in April and donated..... or was it tea? :-D None the less I will proudly do it again! With the plethora of knowledge and camaraderie here it's worth every cent!

Great news! Had a surprise in my account. Fraud department was able to cover the last 60 days. Glenn it's getting better every day. As crazy as it sounds it really was a blessing in disguise. The way every thing happened it's just a weird feeling, not sure how to discribe it. I had been thinking of organizing it all for some time now. I had been procrastinating because of what I know I would end up doing. I'll bear y'all the details but it would be kinda like Gilligan's Island , " a three hour tour " With it completely out of the way I can set it up efficiently. In order for me to get the good stuff I have to take it all. So now I will organize as it goes in the truck making the process a little quicker once I off load it. Thanks for the Intel. on the handles. I know I have some boiled linseed oil (does it go bad?) I will have to grab some mineral spirits. Goods/Dave thank you for the offer. Man I wish I wasn't on the opposite side of Ohio just to see what other folks are holding on to and how y'all store it. I am already getting some stocked backed up. I work with a bunch of good folks in the oil/gas field. I inadvertently applied TPAAAT but with metal. Scored a forklift tine and some different types of dies. Going to have to do some testing on these slip dies. Did a little research and they're heat treated. Hopefully I can nail the heat treat so I can make so much needed tools and some blades if I'm really lucky. Also got almost 700' of 1/2" cable, it isn't in the greatest shape but it's a mountain of metal. I have to figure out a efficient way to cut it, it's a bear to move as is. Scored a little bit of cast iron too. Thank you again for your offer it is highly appreciated. Thomas this has really made me open my eyes to making sure our funds are secure. Technology is a crazy double edge sword (that's how it feels to me anyways). The theft was done using an application for a smart phone called cash app. If I wasn't so paranoid before all this and listened to my bank teller, I would have been able to nip this in the bud when it first started with the banks app.. When I originally noticed the funds dwindling I had assumed it was my girlfriend. Yes sir I do know what happens when you assume things. Needless to say I have been kissing up for my misjudgements. That is really an awesome act of kindness you did with that forge. I wish I would have realized what kind of community y'all have years ago. Have had some not so great experiences with other trades/crafts. It really is amazing how passionate and helpful the blacksmithing community is. I thought just forging and making knives were going to be therapeutic for me but the whole experience has. It's been crazy jumping down this rabbit hole but I sure am glad I finally did. With that being said I thank you all so much! Hope y'all have a great day. Joe Dirt

Anvil you're right, it wasn't doing much just sitting there. A bulk of it wasn't much either. I believe it may have been more work than it was worth or not the greatest for smithing. Big ole well head nuts and bolts. I didn't mean to sound whiney on something trivial considering the circumstances. I was hoping when I did turn it in I could invest in some good known stock or to help cover some of the cost on a good belt sander. Nodebt I am definitely trying to look at the brighter side of things for sure and counting my blessings. I will be trying to keep my chin up while I push forward. Frosty and George I have notified the police and fraud department. Waiting to hear back from both. Luckily my bank will be able to cover some of the loss. They can go back 60 days. I was expecting a complete loss so this is very good news. After everything we did to help this lady I can not turn a blind eye to this. Not that we gave a bunch, we couldn't but we gave all we could. Even got her kids Christmas gifts since she couldn't. I just couldn't let them watch our kids open gift's. Been trying to climb out of a financial hole since before covid hit. Felt like we were finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. I know it's rough on everyone right now. Enough with my sniveling. I appreciate y'all's kind words. Just needed to vent a bit and I do really appreciate you all letting me bend your ears. The scrap did help and it wasn't salvaged in vain. Hoping to get back to hammering soon and sharing my progress with y'all. Thanks again Joe Dirt

Pnut Many thanks to you as well!!

Absolutely Glenn, I completely understand. George I have been lurking for a bit and any advice to avoid the wraith of the curmudgeons is always appreciated. I may not participate much but I do see y'all as a big family so to speak. May be a mixed can of nuts but y'all are my kind of people I may end up needing some advice once everything comes to a head with the VA and when it comes to legal matters but that'll be for a different post. This is more just to get this off my chest to you fine folks than to rant. I'm not trying to steal the spotlight or derail SinDoc's consolidation of madness. I feel of all places y'all will understand what I just went through and what I am still coming to terms with. The little ladies so called best friend had gone through a bad break up and needed a place to stay while she got back on her feet. Despite my concerns she stayed with us. Long story short she got my credit card info. and bleed my bank account dry. It's bad but I won't get into the details. Anyways we were in a bind so I scrapped about 97% of the metal I have been collecting over the past few years. Originally it started as a way to make ends meet but once I decided I was going to pursue bladesmithing it was more than just a scrap pile to me. Mixed up a few good buckets in haste. Lost a good bit of copper, brass and what I thought could be bronze. Some nice tubes for lanyards or mosaic pins. One bucket had all my nails and doodads from learning to tapper and control my hammer swings. Would have been nice to keep a few especially since I don't have any pictures. That there was another lesson in it's self learned the hard way. Should have slowed down and payed more attention. Let go of about 6000 lbs or so of assorted metals. With some of the things I have learned here a got a better price on a good note. I did keep a nice bit that I feel has potential for some blades as well. Thank y'all for your time. Joe Dirt

Leather Bill Thank you for the start of this topic! I'm a complete beginner in this craft and I'm trying to do things on the cheep. Not forever but just to start. I have a couple discarded sledge hammer handles but was wondering of a good alternative which you have supplied. Many thanks! A friend of mine has a few of these trees. I've been meaning to pay him and his pa a visit for some time now. Hopefully I will be able to go and find a few downed branches while catching up. Any advice on drying or preparing this for handles for hammers would be great and highly appreciated. Thanks again! Joe Dirt

SinDoc Can anyone rant here? In a bit of a rough patch but I am glad I have been able to get back on here. JoeDirt

Beautiful work charlycuervo!! Love the curves. Sorry I haven't been on for awhile y'all. Life has been crazy, but I have managed to get some hammering done. I will have to post some pics soon.

Gmbobnick That rolls nicely off the tongue. This all has been a lot to take in. Love y'all's insight as well as your for sight. Joe Dirt

Rockstar.esq for some reason you are the only member here that I read with an accent. For some reason it's a British conservative rp esq accent. I'm also fairly certain you are in fact a pipe smoking, top hat wearing k9. I enjoy your thought provoking responses. Sorry about the change of subject.

Love it! Simple yet a "touch" of elegance Joe Dirt

That's a beauty! Oh the knife scales you could make Need to get in the woods and do a little looking. Use to find sheds all the time when I was a kid, but we were in the woods all the time. Joe Dirt

Nice work gmbobnick! Sounds like we have some similarities. I'm a complete new be to the forum and to the craft. I've been absolutely thrilled since I've stumbled upon this place of wealth in knowledge! I had been picking through youtube and the inter web way to long. One rabbit hole after another and not really advancing anywhere.Wish I would have realized how active IFI was sooner. Like 5 years sooner. I'm reading slsells's book again and getting ready to redo my rotor forge(going to use the ducks nest method and recipe to add depth and a more localized heat). Had not realized the hazards of portland cement if it wasn't for the fine folks here and the curmudgeons It's one thing if I injured myself because of my naive ignorance but my 7 year old daughter likes checking in on me and my progress. Still trying to figure out a way to share photos from my cellphone without a home computer. Really would like to share my progress and get some feedback. Wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for y'all. Godspeed on y'all's journey and thanks for sharing! Joe Dirt

I've had a few entrepreneurial adventures. Whether out of necessity or want, for me personally, the ones that did the best had a more....., organic growth? I guess a decent analogy would be like hammering on cold steel instead of throwing it back in the fire and letting it come back up to a good temp.. It's going to cause unneeded stresses on you and what you're working on, ultimately leading to fatigue and subpar products. I'm not saying don't be proactive, just try not to force it to hard. For me the ones that didn't do well we're forced. Everyone was obsessing over where we wanted the business to be instead of enjoying our progress and how far we had made it. Grandiose ideas can get in the way of executing exceptional quality and growth. "Patience young grasshopper" Just my two cents on any entrepreneurial journey. Joe Dirt

Wyoming is my favorite state along with Tennessee. Just had a natural affinity for both. I'll never forget my first run in with a couple of y'all's crazy critters. Badgers are not to be messed with and there were some strange looking crickets out your way. Joe Dirt

I've had a few nicknames working in the oil and gas industry over the past ten years. Joe Dirt is the only one to have stuck around. One of the company men thought I had a mullet tucked under my hardhat and started calling me Joe Dirt. For those that may not know, Joe Dirt is a American comedy staring David Spade. Didn't think about using my real name after having problems trying to use it for a gamertag. Broke my L5 vertebrae and didn't have much to do so my brother got me playing online first person shooters. After a few adult beverages and what I thought was comedic genius, I came up with SmallAsainChild. The game I had been playing would tell you who you got killed by. So I thought it would be funny if the enemy seen they had been killed by a small asian child. I am not small nor am I asian which made it seem even funnier to me. Any ways didn't think that would work here and thought my real name was maybe already taken. So Joe Dirt it is. You can call me what ever you want, just don't call me late for dinner. Craig aka Joe Dirt

Glenn thank you again for your time, patience, and guidance. BillyBones absolutely will. Thank you. Complete noob so any help is appreciated. Seffers93 welcome aboard. I know the feeling. When you're willing to embrace the suck, your job really sucks lol Joe Dirt

Sorry I don't think I figured it out, and now I don't know how to delete those post. My apologies. I will make sure I have this completely figured out before I post pictures again. Only able to use the phone right now and it's proving difficult.

This is my first shot at trying to make a blade. Lots of lessons learned the hard way. Mystery steel. Y'all have probably heard this one. A buddy of mine said it was good steel to make a knife with......and that's all he could tell me about it. May not have got it hot enough, may dig it out just to try one more time with a significant heat source. Stock removel. Hand files and a angle grinder. Wanted all the bells and whistles so I tapered the tang as well. Started out as a quarter inch thick piece.

Thanks again Frosty, you inadvertently helped me in my conundrum. Phones are pretty much computers so it got me thinking and I started clicking around. Accidentally hit print with my sausage fingers in the option menu. Any who it saves it as a PDF since there's no printer out here in the sticks.

Another try here no app just my mobile.