Malleus

Thanks to all for the info, and thanks also for the comments on the vice.

lol... okay, okay... sorry for the bad pics, but they were taken hastily this evening. It came with a small amount of tooling, several tool holders, a super nice Cushman 3-Jaw Chuck, a 4-Jaw Chuck, and a Face Plate. I will eventually get this thing cleaned up, and fab up a proper stand for it. (unless I find one first) It seems to have a disproportionate short length of bed compared to other 9" swings I've been around. Doesn't matter much to me, though. It's plenty long enough for most of the small stuff I do. I was really pleased to find it and be able to take it home.

Yeah, I can't help it. I'm a total junkie for quality tools. Especially older ones. I ended up buying a Logan Metal Lathe today.

I think you're right about that 'luck of the draw' thing. I've heard a few other people mention similar scenarios. Thanks for the input. My reply to the wife would be something like... well, see... opposites do attract!

One personal rule I try to follow, is that if something feels unsafe, then it probably is. When I feel that way, I try to figure out another way to do it. Sometimes I cringe seeing the things others do when working with inherently dangerous tools.

Okay. I understand, and completely agree with you on your point. The minute one becomes complacent, usually precedes another trip to the E.R.

Not sure if you were directing that at me, but I never said that I didn't feel comfortable using the larger grinders. I said that they are much more dangerous, and that is simply a fact.

Those little corded 4 1/2" angle grinders literally changed the face of the industrial maintenance/construction world. Of course, they can still be very dangerous, but not near as dangerous as the old 7" versions. Probably 99% of the work I do in the field of industrial maintenance, does not require the size or power of the large 7" grinders. The smaller ones are much, much safer, and much easier to work with all day, since they are so much lighter. I always say that I was born too late. Well, this is one case where I feel that I was right on time, because I would hate to live in a world without the small corded grinders. They really help me do my job, as well as my personal projects at home.

Yeah, I agree. The cordless stuff is great when you don't need a ton of power. I hate switching back and forth between one with a grinder, a cut off wheel, and a polisher. It always turns into a big tangled mess of cords.

I typically use corded industrial tools also. The main things I use that are cordless, are drills and drivers. I've been using corded DeWalt angle grinders for over 25 years, and they have served me very well. I've gotten them so hot that I couldn't hold them while wearing a single pair of leather gloves. So hot, in fact, that the stickers on the side of the grinder came off because the glue melted. The grinder itself, never missed a beat.

Well said, Frosty. Actually, I was thinking somewhere between 2.5 a 3.5 million years, but from past experience, I figured I would get pushback from someone here, had I stated as such. So I decided to play it soft, in order to avoid a potential opportunity for ridicule.

Cool. Thanks for the info!

As Thomas Powers suggested, I think a lot of it is a money thing. Many people are willing to pay up for a nice, hand-forged knife. More often than not, people just won't give the same amount of money for a nice decorative piece, even though it could have taken the same amount of energy, time, and resources to make. Also, man has been making knives more than a million years. I think it's in our DNA. There's just something manly about making an object that can be used for so many purposes, such as hunting, protection, and many other survival/camp activities.

Very nice! Good job on the photos also.

I normally wouldn't even consider power tools from Harbor Freight, but I've been wondering about the quality of the Bauer line they carry.

I was able to salvage all this roller chain today. The smaller chain is #50, and the larger is #80. Maybe I can use it to make some knife blades someday.

lol... yes, they would. However, I think they mean to take it a little further than it simply arriving in raw form as a meteorite.

I read a publication that suggested it had been cast, but for the life of me, I cannot remember where I read it. I also heard it on the History Channel. (go figure)

Yeah, good point.

I've had lots of interest in this dagger since I first heard of it. Though, this is the first news I've heard of it in a few years. A few years back, the general consensus was that it had been cast, rather than forged. (I assume since meteoric alloys would be so difficult to forge) I don't subscribe to a particular theory, as I simply don't have enough info on the matter. However, the theory that it was 'gifted' to Amenhotep III by the King of Metanni, is quite interesting.

You're very welcome. I don't know if I'll have answers for you, but if you have any other questions, feel free to ask. I would suggest taking a late afternoon drive up to Clingman's dome. It's the highest peak in the Smokey Mountains National Park. There's a pretty good view from the observation point. Keep in mind, back a few years ago, they had terrible wildfires there that decimated much of the natural beauty of the area. You'll see evidence of the fires, especially on hill sides surrounding Gatlinburg.

+1 on that!

I remember hearing of it being used by the ancient people of India.

Thanks. I think so too. It really stings to spend that kind of money on something that I don't have to have, but what's the point in living and working if you can't enjoy it every now and then? Thanks for the reassurance.

It depends on the job for me. If the job is important enough, and I can't make or borrow it, sure, I will buy it. If the job isn't mission critical, I won't spend much on a tool to do it.