Blacksmith Sayings Proverbs

[JHCC]

On 6/9/2022 at 1:45 PM, Frosty said:

"making steel do your will."

On a slight tangent (that is to say, much less tangential than most of our discussions), I was just watching video of a Spanish stonecarver who described her work as “coming to a consensus with the stone.“ I very much like the idea of our craft — any craft — being a collaboration between the maker and the material,  one that requires subtlety and persuasion as much as — maybe more than — brute force. 

[Frosty]

So, instead of makers we should think of ourselves as collaborators?

Seriously though, no matter what we do, it's a compromise between what we want or need and what's possible, be it collecting enough seeds and insects to survive another day or developing a new element in a particle accelerator.

Frosty The Lucky.

[bluerooster]

A friend of mine carves some very nice and detailed duck decoys as a hobby.  He told me that it was easy. Just cut away anything that doesn't look like a duck.

[Daswulf]

In autobody I see too many young techs that want to just learn the tricks without learning the concept first or having a full understanding of the process. 

Like the story of the old timer that gets paid well because he knows where when and how to tap the machine with the hammer to get it working right, not just that he taps it with a hammer. 

 

[Frosty]

Ayup, just like all the people who think that buying the tool imparts the knowledge and skill to use it. You know the, "If I had a rifle like that I could could hit a pop can at 150 yds." 

I rode around with Dad while he went through I don't know how many barrels of WWII surplus German 8mm. Mauser sniper rifles before he selected THE one he "sporterized" into his deer rifle. That was 1960 - 61 when surplus stores had confiscated "enemy" weapons by the cardboard barrel full. Marked German, Japanese, Italian and a price.

Sorry, old memories, he made that rifle for me but my grades didn't deserve it so I didn't get it. He gave it to me when he quit hunting and it's taken a couple moose, it's upstairs. Won me a couple dollars on long distance targets like the pop can at a measured 150 yards. The range owner made the bet and would've given me a pass to use the range but I was just zeroing it for a hunt.

Good memories.

Frosty The Lucky. 

[bluerooster]

Daswulf, Most of the younger guys that I've worked with would rather replace parts, than to repair.  So they soak up all the gravy, while I'm stuck with the big money jobs.   But that's where the "tricks of the trade" really shine.