Strine

Its been so long since I was able to show off baby photos to all and sundry...until now.A new striker/helper has arrived at our place on account of my son's 17th b'day. Well maybe not :wink: My family took a monumental leap in January in becoming dog owners. All involved are on a steep learning curve for sure. This is Millie, a pure bred 'silver and tan working kelpie' at about 15 weeks. And we love her. She's a bewdy (a rip snorter, a bobby dazzler) and I thought I'd foist (?sic) her onto you blokes and sheilas unsolicited. Say g'day to the folks Millie. Are there any other strikers or blacksmiths helpers of the four legged variety that we might meet.

Squeezplay, I saw a knife sitting on what looked like the end of a rawhide 'bone'. You would do well for your doggy's sake to check out rawhide bones on the net or elsewhere. You may get a big surprise.

That was an interesting post Sqeezplay. There are a number of different approaches one might make in formulating a response. One way to look at it is to welcome you to the fold hope you enjoy your stay. You will no doubt learn a lot of useful and sometimes not so useful stuff. Another is that when you met this fellow it seems you were not yet even a raw novice. I'd suggest it is very thin ice you walk on when passing judgement from that stand point. I would also be very surprised if your early attemps at blacksmithing now rest at the Smithsonian or Royal Albert Museum as marvellous examples of the craft. We all have to start somewhere. At least your Stinking Smith was wearing his heart on his sleeve and brave enough to display his abilities for all to see. I bet he didn't expect to see your description in such a public place as this forum. One wonders too whether his efforts were rewarded with the success he was trying to achieve in the first place...to inspire someone else to take up blacksmithing...Well done that man. There are a lot of smiths around and about here, from beginners, to masters, to veritable Gods. If your Stinking Smith is one of them and puts two and two together, I trust that he recognises a youthful exuberance and a lack of tact and lets the previous post go through to the keeper(or catcher if you're not into cricket). Finally I am far from being the greatest smith you've ever seen but I would hope that you could be a little bit more compassionate if ever you stand in front of my rope and then head for the keyboard. I would hate to be so discouraged and give up altogether. What about posting some of the photos you talk of. See the "To post a photo" thread in the "Keeping you informed" section for advice on how this is done.

Sandpile, It was Tom Burlinson. But then he went on to play a bloke called Frank Sinatra in I don't know what the film was called. Why he bothered I do not know, I reckon Sinatra can't sing to save himself :? You folks would not agree I'm sure. Oh, and you might have chased a few mustangs but Tom/(Jack Riley) was chasing "brumbys". Since there's a bit of unexpected interest in this phillum here's a thread to what it was based on. http://whitewolf.newcastle.edu.au/words/authors/P/PatersonAB_Banjo/verse/manfromsnowyriver/snowyriver.html

Surprised and glad to hear it Jr. But boy, did it take them a while to tilt all the trees back for the final scene though. How about the poem? Have you heard it recited...with feeling? Personally I prefer "The Man from Ironbark" as my alltime favourite Banjo effort. Maybe it's cos I haven't found my razor since I misplaced it thirty years ago :oops: Sorry I digressed. Any Chips Rafferty film especially Bush Christmas. To watch it on Chrissy Day has become somewhat of a tradition in this household. G'donya Snow. You're the star of the show.

bugger! You've stopped the fun we were all going to have.

Well there you go. To all those that lament a lack of forging facilities this has to be a shining light to lead the way. Here is the KISS principle applied beautifully for a great result. The rest is just tweaking and fine tuning to get just what you want. Well done Andy. I'm not sure what the clay is but an even more simple approach is to use the clay beneath your topsoil in the garden. It's easily replaced, cheap and readilly available. It is probably just damp enough to tamp it into a nice hollow, layer by layer. As Irn says leave it for a week to thoroughly dryout. For me though I would reduce the shape of the hollow. The shape I'd go for can be achieved by placing the pointy end of a football (Aussie rules/gridiron /rugby)on the air outlet and packing the clay halfway up the footy. Remove the footy and eh presto a lovely neat ducks nest. this would also reduce the amount of charcoal you'ld use. But heh if what you've got works then go for it. Again...well done Andy.

And of a really neat looking chair.

Think of it this way Nolano, would you believe that I reckon you're the luckiest man around. I've been looking for a wierd old shear or maybe press kind of thing for donks (donkey's years). I wish I was where you were that day.

No, no Unc I'd end being charge of the knitting.

Or "Gallipoli" to deepen your Australian spirit.

I doubt you'll find a drift at the hardware. You have the capacity to knock up a hatchet so extend the experience and knock up a drift as well. Even one out of MS will suffice for one hatchet.

Mmmmm, Archie are you saying you like it or are you saying it's a good flick. Frankly my dear many reckon GWTW is a good film but I have never seen the ending on account of gravity attacking the eyelids and I've made many attempts.

You blokes work far too hard for me. Forty below?...that's the time to sit in front of the fire in the lounge room and mull over important things like how long before that little stick catches alight or the time to buy an airline ticket. A set of shoes before brekky? BEFORE BREKKY :shock: That's the time to walk round the traps with a coffee and smoke and generally ponder deeply, without too much excersion of course, on how the day might pan out.

At what ambient temperature should heating the anvil be a consideration? Not that it's a worry at the moment... 43C (109F) the other day. I'm more worried about the anvil slumping into a molten mess all over the shed floor. Temps here might get to as low as 5 or 6C (40F) on average overnight and rise to 10C on cold days. Is that a worry?

The numbers remind me of the piece of track an uncle cut up when we called in on our honeymoon. He thought it a good idea to put our wedding day on the web with the welder. Boy was he right....it has saved me many a time from a hail of abuse and restriction of supply. That was twenty five years ago last November.

could this be a "Government Subsidy" or a "Sponsorship". I'm still not sure of your intentions SWE-Karl. Are you coming for a working holiday or to stay for ever. Ian is only on a tour I think, Like all good visitors he will eventually nick off home again :lol:

Aha, so that's what it measures...distance...small or huge. The same principle of wave measurement is used in modern day total station surveying; a total station being a you-beaut version of the old theodolite. Some time ago we had a Doctor of Surveying collect a number of "Mecometers" from around the world. They only measured to 0.01mm over 20 or 30 km which was pretty good in those days but pale into insignificance compared to T's Interferometer. This was the early eighties last century and each mecometer was worth $100,000.00. We were carrying five of the monsters around in the ute. Mum was horrified to know she had half a million dollars worth of stuff in the driveway. "Shouldn't we post a battalion of Special Air Service personnel" she quipped. "Nah" I said, "she'll be right. They weren't worth a pinch of cocky xxxx to anybody except our mad scientist. The worst part about it was the bloke couldn't fix my crook back...some doctor?

Er .... that sounds more like thievery Archie than finders keepers. And unless your built like man mountain I reckon you'll carry four feet of railway line for about a minute. Oh and if it's not thievery just take it from right under the noses of the railway workers. You'll soon find out one way or the other.

What a great site Jerry, there's enough food for thought there to make a pig of yourself. My favourite

Did we not discuss some time ago that if you let everyone know what your interest is and how keen you are to pursue it. Good people will assist in any way they are able. Here's the proof. Now Archie, he doesn't want payment you say? Oh yes he does! Perhaps not in the folding stuff or even jingling stuff but he expects, and we your fellow IFI mates expect, that there will be an exchange of somesort. And to what value? That's a curly question. Do you give him something or do something for him to the value, present or future, YOU put on the blower or to the value he put on it (he gave it away remember). Or is the value he put on it wrapped up in the joy and excitement he saw on your face. In any case the kind jesture is waiting to be returned I'm sure. As for the blower, I like the sliding gate idea. We wouldn't want to see the forge launched across the shop at a warp speed :shock:

Our group spent a lot of time on insurance and has joined and let premiums lapse on a few schemes. We are currently under the wing of the Government as an "non-profit" organisation. (Negative profit more like it) which seems to be working OK and only cost about $12AD per member per year. It is effective at any event be it at the Barn (our home) or at some festival. And heh don't winge about litigation. You blokes on the other side of the pond started it all. Is it that bad over there? So I'd have to have a yarn with you HW, at the door of your shop and try and glimse over your shoulder at the goings on. Sounds like an impromptu tour would be a waste of time if you hoped to get your hands dirty.

LOL Gobbler, That's one of the inspirational pieces. But yes I'm making something similar from scratch. If the learning curve gets any steeper I'll be on my back :shock:

Three row Anglo concertina here. Biggest piece of steel involved is 1/8 X 1/16, 1" long Hopefully something like this :?

Re your pictures Gobbler, I tried the site shown in the picture properties but ZoneAlarms Security spat it back as a "hacking and proxy avoidance" site. I allowed that type of site to get the pictures and they all appeared. Nice looking plumb bob with more character than the run of the mill clinical looking brass job. I was thinking more along these lines