Glenn Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 For the 30 days of the month of May, or any 30 day period, keep track of everything you produce by blacksmithing. The nail(s), the s hook, the garden gate, each and every item. Write it down. While your at it, write down the hours you spend in the shop. At the end of the month tally up all the notes and look at the results. Give each item a value and add up the total. We do not need to know the list of items or know the dollar amount, just YOUR comments on YOUR results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimsShip Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Sadly, we have a "no burn ban" here in Upstate NY due to the lack of rain, so not open fires allowed until May. (It's really too bad too, we've had some perfect Spring forging weather) Hopefully tonights storm will help things along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 good idea glenn :) i will try to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Private Entrance Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 I'll give it a shot, too. Interesting challenge. I've done stuff like this before for other things. Sometimes you don't feel like you've accomplished much, but you look at your list and realize that you got a lot more done than you thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzonoqua Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 yeah, sounds like a good challenge, I will also record the workshop hours I get in, sadly i know it's not very many!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elemental Metal Creations Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 Cool idea Glen. I need to do this anyway, it will help me figure out how long it takes me to make things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOblacksmith0530 Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 I will also follow this I may go back a couple weeks as I have had some pretty good shop time lately and think I can remember it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FieryFurnace Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 I'll begin in May! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithh999 Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 Will this include all time at demos/events as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P. Bedard Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 I did that once, it was just depressing. Especially when I added up what I had sold, and for how much. Good thing I'm not doing this to earn a living... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borntoolate Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 So far:Two S Hooks. I love making these. Easy, Quick and makes small metal scraps useful. A set of fully finished tong blanks Brazeal Style. Just need to rivet after shaping the jaws for whatever they will be needed for next. I like to have some ready for whatever project might come up without having to start from scratch... drawing out the reins.... One Crawfish pot Tipper. This is a bit of a hook thingy with a looped snake like tail looking handle. Used to tip the boiled crawfish, potatoes and corn etc from the big holey pot. ~40# of crawfish and the rest, then... EAT! 50% done with metal handled hot cut from a jackhammer bit... Need to attach handle and refine/heat treat the edge. Next job, chain saw tool for tightening the chain. My saw did not come with one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimsShip Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 That no burn ban does NOT apply to blacksmiths. All the NYSDB meetings are still going strong, despite the "ban". It does for me. I use a small forge outside my garage in a residential area, where this past Friday the 13th some dope set 7 fires in our little town. They caught a suspect, but everyone's on high alert. My neigbor had an open fire pit for marshmallows and the Fire dept came by and told them to douse it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borntoolate Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Not sure if Glenn wanted us to document here. But I put mine here to see if others might want to chime in on theirs. My projects are generally small and often only involve say 60-90 minutes at the forge start to finish. That includes clean the pot, start the fire, do some work and shut it down. I know some of you spend much more time and probably get more done. Then there are the several days between that I don't even get out to the shop....! pesky day job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FieryFurnace Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 I've been keeping track and will post my results here at the end of the month. I've got two shows this month and will count that time and track what I make at the show. I looked over my notes from last week, added things up, and was very pleased with my results. We'll see how I do this week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share Posted May 31, 2012 Last day to either catch up or tally up. Either way it will be interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Private Entrance Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Picking my son's soccer tourney month to do something like this is tactically unsound. I think I only got about 6 hours at the forge the entire month of May. In the grand scheme of things, I didn't get squat done. Finished a couple of things I had started before, but overall the output was depressing. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borntoolate Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 So far:Two S Hooks. I love making these. Easy, Quick and makes small metal scraps useful. A set of fully finished tong blanks Brazeal Style. Just need to rivet after shaping the jaws for whatever they will be needed for next. I like to have some ready for whatever project might come up without having to start from scratch... drawing out the reins.... One Crawfish pot Tipper. This is a bit of a hook thingy with a looped snake like tail looking handle. Used to tip the boiled crawfish, potatoes and corn etc from the big holey pot. ~40# of crawfish and the rest, then... EAT! metal handled hot cut from a jackhammer bit. USed a piece of Bamboo for the handle. I have a ton of that. Next job, chain saw tool for tightening the chain. My saw did not come with one. - Complete Completed two stainless hooks for chain link fence around pool for Andrea to hang the pool skimmer net from. S hook affair with one loop very small and other loop largish. Tools for slitting and drifting the tomahawk. Need to redo the drift or actually just make a larger one. But used it for next project below. Tomahawk for son in law from jackhammer bit. Blade end was good. Kinda like a hot cut hardy. Handle hole (House) a little small. Learned some stuff. First time I directed a striker. Handled with a piece of ash and some leather shoe strings for handle and decor. Probably not good as a thrower with the handle being on the light side. Two horse head bottle openers. My horse heads look a little like camels perhaps. :) But, they open bottles. I know for a fact. Hanger for a sign with scrolls and collars. Plus two hooks to hang the sign from on to the hanger. Wood sign of scrap mahogany with carved touchmark enlarged reproduction. Hanging now near the forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewayforge Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Borntoolate- pictures? Especially of the sign! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FieryFurnace Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Ok I kept track of what I made April 30th thru May 29th. This list, shows most of what I made during that period. week one 1: custom fireplace crane 2: horseshoe toilet paper holders 8: customized sign bars 2: 24-inch wall-mount pot racks with 12 hooks 100: "round tuits" 20: dinner bells 10: leaf hooks 1: hat rack 2: change dishes 5: horseshoe hearts Total hours worked for week one: 38 week two: 4: toilet paper holders 3: bath towel bars 2: camping tripods 1: forge welded tree 28: "round tuits" 1: fire poker 10: crosses 5: horse heads Number of hours worked in week 2: 17 week three: 10: horse heads 4: dinner bells 2: camping tripods 8: leaves 6: leaf hooks Number of hours worked in week three: 15 week 4: 20: s-hooks 4: heart hooks 3: change dishes 6: crosses number of hours worked in week 4: 12 Totol number of days worked: 15 Total number of hours worked: 82 The hours listed do not reflect the time I spend doing business related paper work and stock/supply trips. During this month of keeping track I had a two day vacation, and a total of 8 days at craft shows. I do not work on Sundays, and I spent one day on a trip going to pick up a piece of equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gking Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 what are "round tuits"? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divermike Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 I had shoulder surgery on the 5th, my month was shot, and I can't do any forgin for some time yet, can't wait till I get around to it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzonoqua Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 well, I clocked up an unimpressive 21 hours!! Didn't help me that my daughter's birthday was in May, and I was also helping out at her school for 4 days out of the month. Time was spent mostly on a railing job, more fab than smithing, and the rest making som e small bits for my market stall. I was impressed however with the financial productivity, have to make the little time in the workshop count. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry H Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 I remember round tuits from my younger days......do you engrave them ?....sq hole ?.....pic ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FieryFurnace Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 A "round tuit" is a little funny piece of metal. It is a round disk of metal that is stampted with the letters TUIT. The idea is that when someone tells you to do something and you tell them "ohhh I'll get around to it" you do have a "round tuit." Mine are about 3/8-inch thick, 1.25-inches wide, and are stamped with the letters "TUIT." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KYBOY Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Do you forge your tuits down from slugs under your hammer dave? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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