Frosty

Okay guys you don't REALLY think I read posts before I reply do you? If you're going to insist though.

Critter horns like those shown are best used for holding beer and ale.

Frosty The Lucky.

 Ah HAH! 

Nevermind.

Frosty The Lucky.

Yes they do but they're not as necessary as folk believe. A lot of folk use them to turn bends, scrolls, rings, etc. but that can be done on the face and over the edge with experience. A horn is very handy for truing up rings and other items turned in an arc, a horse shoe for example.

Another thing I use a horn for is a bottom fuller to speed drawing out in a specific direction the way a cross or straight pein does. When you strike material on the anvil's face it will spread in 2 directions while it's reduced in the vertical direction. When you draw over a fuller the stock draws in one direction significantly more than the second. The horn will act as a fuller.

Those are the two main uses I have for a horn but that's just my experience.

Frosty The Lucky.

I don't want to sound too picky but there's no good reason to post each photo to the general forum individually when you have them in the gallery. Once with a description of the what and why of your message and we can look at all the pics on your gallery page.

Two issues with posting individual pics to the general forum: First, it's a waste of bandwidth with no gain on your part and means we out here have to open every single one to get then off our "new" post list. Secondly, it takes a LOT longer to download off the forum than to go through your Gallery.

AND right here is reason 3 we don't see replies to this kind of post. Now I'm clogging the forum with another copy of a gallery pic.

Frosty The Lucky.

Birch bark is natures tar paper under a sod roof. I like putting about 3-4" of gravel between the sod and bark to let water flow out. Just remember to drill skuppers in the sill boards and you can plant strawberries in them. It's really hard to beat a snack growing out of your roof.

Anyone know how camel tastes? Wait a second, Deb came with a herd of goats. . . Nevermind.

Frosty The Lucky.

Is that a misspelled pun Alan!? I'm proud of you, really I am.

Were shakes reasonably popular here it could be called the Froezone north!

Unfortunately this part of the state doesn't have cedar so shakes have to be shipped in. Comparing the pertinents: cost, longevity, fire resistance and snow shedding, cost of installation and maintenance we went with steel.

How I learned to use a froe. Back in the 70's I had friends who believed in all natural . . . everything and could rationalize most anything as proof. Two such friends spent the money to buy froes and have them shipped up before finding out if there were any natural woods suitable for shakes. Being an uncouth tool using industrial child of a machine shop and a professional welder/fabricator they asked if I could "fix" their froes so they'd work.

I pointed out the text on the packaging saying you needed cedar or red wood to make shakes and they assured me they believed nature provided the RIGHT materials for whatever you wanted to do where ever you lived. Being true believers no amount of logic or empirical examples could shake their beliefs. We actually had to go through all the local wood to finally convince them they'd bought the WRONG froes!

I still have one of them somewhere in the Connex and maybe both. See, tools are made by humans so the tools were obviously to blame! Humans aren't flawless you know. <smug expression>

Sorry, I know that was a long back story but the whole thread brought back the memories. Thinking about it I think it was the Froezone thing that triggered the memories. And no, I've never actually made anything useful with a froe though they are pretty slick for splitting kindling. Wait a second, kindling IS useful!

Frosty The Lucky.

A little dated here. I was asking about Dunstan's froe. I've used a froe enough to know how they function.

Frosty The Lucky.

Oh thank you for a good chuckle this morning I so truly and seriously need one! "More shapes than a fun house mirror" is such a perfect description for the process and mental visual  for looking for a good shape. Please consider it adopted in my lexicon and don't be surprised when it hits the "Blacksmith Gems and Pearls" list.

That is the second keeper you're provided in what two days? Brother you have hit MY must read posts list.

Frosty The Lucky.

I like it. I may want a little different shape on the back end but the idea is grand. Consider it adopted.

Frosty The Lucky.

Starting a brothL Steve?

Frosty The Lucky.

How old are you Clang? We had gas savers in Father's shop in the 60's he bought them because he liked them so much from his time at Boeing pre WWII. He said they were old school then.

The things have been around since the last century in one form or another, probably since people have used gas torches.

I run an All States oxy prop torch, if interested buy the Harris oxy prop rig, same unit a lot better price. Anyway, it has a thumb valve in the handle you adjust it once and that's it for the day. you can use a striker or do what I do and attach the negative lead from a trickle charger to the torch body and the positive to the table. Thumb the valve on and touch the table with the tip and it's lit.

You can buy an electric striker for the torches but it's the same thing for bigger bucks.

Frosty The Lucky.

Alexander: This is BEAUTIFUL work but you don't need to post each picture individually to the forum. Posting one pic, lets folk scroll through them all and return to the ones we want another look at, much more quickly and easily than having to load each individually. There is a selection of thumbnails at the bottom of your Gallery page that makes it easy. Heck the thumbnails are large enough to get a decent glimpse.

Again, it's beautiful work and well worth the look. Thanks.

Frosty The Lucky.

Cherese is a good influence on you Steve, that's the first time I've seen a picture of you that you didn't look really ticked off about something. Make her a moderator. . . Oh wait that'll ruin her disposition too, nobody deserves a fate so bleak. Forget I made the suggestion! I'd rather live in a world with her smile in it.

Frosty The Lucky.

Didn't someone tell you to say "cheese", tell a joke . . . SOMETHING? Maybe you shouldn't have eaten those shrimp after they sat under the studio lights so long.

Don't worry be happy.

Frosty The Lucky.

Another very nice piece of iron work Dunstan. A little creepy maybe but that has it's own attractions and is perfect for an ash tray stand.

Frosty The Lucky.

I'm a likable B.S.er, it's like a super power and you've fallen under my smell. Bwahahaha. Seriously though, attend a blacksmith org. meeting you'll find you like being in the company of smiths. Even when we disagree it's a good thing.

Frosty The Lucky.

What method are you going to use, direct, semi-direct or indirect pyrolization? Are you going to load it, light it and shovel the charcoal out? (direct method) Load it, light it and once burning close the door till it stops smoking and seal it till it's cold? (semi direct method.) Or, place a sealed container packed with wood in it, build a fire under it and let it cook till it stops smoking and extinguish it? (Indirect method)

I look forward to pics of it in operation and reports of how it works.

Frosty The Lucky.

Yeah, most solid fuel forges don't really need a refractory, what you have is fine. No, I don't consider plaster of Paris and sand much of a refractory but it's plenty good enough. However, if you see the crack is effecting operation or more importantly safety just mix up some more and patch it.

I think that's probably a plenty deep fire pot you have there.

I should stop opining and let the guys who burn coal all the time do the talking. I'll just keep the mood light. . . Well, okay I'll have to toss out my all too often random thoughts now and then. Oh yes, I DO agree this isn't the best use for a flame thrower. Just sing out if you want to build a propane forge, I've picked up a trick or two.

Frosty The Lucky.

It's my pleasure. Just so you know though, I'm mostly a gas forge guy but fire is fire and I'm a pyrophile. <grin>

Frosty The Lucky.

That'll work just fine as it stands. Make a better one later, after you've used this one a while and understand it better. You have your steel too deep in the fire, the air blast is what's burning it up. Lay it a little flatter so it's higher in the mound. You can also turn the air down or pile the coal deeper, the heart is right under the surface it needs to be shielded from ambient air. Deeper and narrower will use less fuel and give you a wider range of the proper heat. You'll burn less up.

Frosty The Lucky.

I was thinking about a loop for a lanyard or carabiner but distracted myself. I know there were a lot of times I had to have my chipping hammer handy but not in hand. There's something about working off a ladder or a drill tower, soil sampling drill that is.

Frosty the Lucky

Not bad at all. You'll want to clean up the spatter on the end of the handle or it'll give you blisters really quickly if not cut you outright.

Frosty the Lucky

Sounds good, I'll give it a shot. I like bananas and they don't like laying on the counter.

Thanks.

Frosty The Lucky.

That's perfectly clear, thanks again Jim. Ideas for variations are really starting to simmer. Say twisting the sq. first for instance. I'm really kind of taken with how it looks like it was smooshed. Now I'm seeing feet.

Something for the notebook for sure.

Frosty The Lucky.

Thank you Jim. If I'm envisioning what you're saying correctly this resembles fold forming to a degree? Did you come up with the process? Are there other examples?

Thanks again.

Frosty The Lucky.