My brother, Ed, came by yesterday on my birthday, and we made some nails for a job he has. They were made from 2 1/2" round stock 5 1/2" long. They ended up about 32" long and only one missed hammer blow.

OUCH! How many stiches did that take? What is he building that takes nails that big?:o

Hey this is Karen,
He didn't even stop working. He slapped on some pine tar and kept on going. I must tell you, I think he may have needed stitches but he says they are for women and children. I now call him frankie-(Frankenstein).

Ya just got to love it! ------ (Just kidding)
I am so happy that he was not injured worse.
Question: Is there any such thing as a "Purple Heart" for a blacksmith that gets injured on the job.
I guess we must ask OSHA. --- Ha Ha Ha.
But you have to admit that he must have quite a good rebound on his anvil.
Ted Throckmorton

Edited May 4, 200917 yr by Ted T

An artist is going to use them to drive through books and call it art.

Karen again, Only the 2nd hit in 25+ years of full time blacksmithing. I recommend pine tar be kept in every smithy, great for burns and scraps too.

At first I thought he was building a timber frame bridge. Considering you are in Califrornia and such projects often start there before they catch on else where in the country. I guess people have to suffer for art. I hope he gets some stitches.

Between Fromosian Termites, and dry rot, timber structures don't generate a lot of interest in Louisiana. Silly I know but that is our lot.

whoa, those are some great looking nails!

Stitches are for women and children if you use anesthetic and a needle. Beat a point on a nail and use some fishing line. Or a hammer tacker. That'll show his manlyhoodedness alright.

The blacksmith's purple heart is an eye patch.

Frosty

Wow, if those are nails... I'd hate to see how big a spike is:o
So, which chip on the hammer came from your head?

Glad to see you are still standing Brian!!! That could have been nasty for sure.

Nice thing about steel, it dosen't stain from all that red stuff. Wood on the other hand....

Chalk that one up to experience Brian

When I worked with Willem Jonkers in holland I saw a miss hit with a sledge produce similar results in a friend of Willems. In his case I thought he'd got away with it (he jerked his head back pretty quick) until I saw a trickle of blood appear from where the nose bridge of his glasses appeared to be. Poor sod had to actually pull the bridge out of his nose, it had been driven in to the bone. Bled like a tap as soon as he pulled it out. Cue paper towels and pressure, closely followed by a pair of black eyes and a trip to A & E.

Blacksmiths Purple Hearts are the scars he carries that he can still remember the cause of

We don't have an English equivalent to the Purple Heart, seems getting hurt in the line of duty is an accepted risk for a soldier not worthy of a medal here. It's that whole stiff upper lip thing dontcha know. Madness.

Pine Tar? Have to try and find some of that here, as I prefer natural remedies.

BTW Frosty, forget stitching yourself up mate (been there, done that) SUPERGLUE is the answer. A brand new tube is usually sterile, (if you can't blag some of the medical grade stuff) and I always keep one in my first aid kit at the Forge. Better to 'possibly' deal with a secondary infection than have someone bleed out on you, IMHO. We both know what a 9 1/2 inch grinder 'could' do to someone if it turned nasty. People forget superglue was created for triage.

Edited May 4, 200917 yr by Ian

Oh, I've used superglue a number of times. If you buy the stuff used to glue on fake fingernails it has an antiseptic in it. It just isn't even as manly as stitches.

I'm surprised Brian didn't cauterize it on the spot.

Frosty

Nice tip on the super glue for finger nails...Probably don't hurt as much as the regular stuff either..,

Man, The things that can be learned here !!
My Grandfather used to us Pine Tar, had forgotten all about it.

Hit the wrong key!
Where can you get Pine Tar?

Super glue, had heard about that also, but as usual forgot about it too.
Never thought about Fingernail glue.
Thanks
Billy

You can get pinetar at tack and feed stores or farrier supply stores. I started using pine tar on foundered horses tha had bed sores for a long time before I worked on them. It would heal a bed sore up while the horse was still laying on it. I've also used it on dogs with hot spots, my kids, and even Alfred Habermann. It takes pain away in seconds, helps stop bleeding, keeps as much tissue alive as possible, and prevents infection. My grandfather and dad used it on the farm when they would castrate pigs.
Do not drink, eat, or smoke it! It says right on the can: Harmful or fatal if swallowed. But I can't imagine anyone ever trying to swallow it.

Also you can get pine tar at marine stores... my favorite is Hamilton Marine, and they have a website...

He picked up a good ding,

Bruce Lee does blacksmithing. :)

Can't you get pine tar from a pine tree? My observation is that it's not as dificult as obtaining maple sap - pine will exude tar if you look at it wrong!

Nice tip on the super glue for finger nails...Probably don't hurt as much as the regular stuff either..,

Oh it stings just like any of them. The trick is sluicing out the wound with peroxide and gluing it together while it's still numb.

Pine tar is good stuff from what I've heard though I've never used it as such. What I use is a veterinary product so I am in NO way recommending you use it on yourself, whether I swear by how well it works or not.

Unless you're a dog of course. . . Then go ahead on it.

The stuff is found in the livestock supply by the name of "Cut Heal", it's liquid wound care from "Multi Care". It is fish oil, raw linseed oil, spirits of turpentine, Balsam of fir (fir tar) and sulfuric acid. As read off the label.

The stuff works a treat, from bleeding wound to pink mark in 2-3 days tops.

Frosty

Can't you get pine tar from a pine tree? My observation is that it's not as dificult as obtaining maple sap - pine will exude tar if you look at it wrong!

Tar and sap (the 'blood' of the tree, which will often leak during Spring) are very different substances. Maple syrup is sap from the maple tree which has been concentrated by boiling. A similar product can be made from birch trees but the reduction ratio is much higher to get the same viscosity. Pine tar on the other hand is distilled from pine wood especially parts of the tree where it is highly concentrated such as the roots and stumps. This video YouTube - Ray Mears in Sweden part 3/7 shows a modern method which also produces high quality charcoal which is used by a smith to forge a laminated puuko!

Can't you get pine tar from a pine tree? My observation is that it's not as dificult as obtaining maple sap - pine will exude tar if you look at it wrong!

I've never used neither myself, but I've read that both pine tar and resin (also spruce resin) have been used for wounds (at least here in Finland). They are both supposedly antibacterial.

frosty must be using shots of combiotic and banamene,also remember cob webs help to coagulate. ya'll be careful out there we ain't used ya up yet....jimmy

Pine tar, also called Stockholm tar:

Pack a steel 5 gallon bucket as tight at possible with pitch pine (sappy stuff from the stump or roots) split is good. Cut a small hole in the steel lid, make sure to remove the rubber gasket, or use a piece of steel sheet metal with a hole in it. Go to your bonfire pit, and dig a hole large enough to place a 1 gallon paint can below grade. Place the bucket upside down on top of the paint can, so the hole lines up with the open paint can. Staking the bucket in place might help some, or use a few rocks. Build a fire around the bucket and maintain for 4-8 hours. Produces between a pint and 2 quarts of pine tar, and a bucket full of nice clean pine charcoal.

Recipe is courtesy of Woodenboat magazine, but I can't find the correct issue to copy it exactly.

I understand that any sappy pine will work, especially if harvested in summer, the "wrong" time of year. Stumps from harvesting are recommended from some links I have found.

Pine Tar; History And Uses

Making Tar at Tar Kiln Hollow

Have fun
Phil

I agree! Beautiful nails!