jlpservicesinc Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 Today while out and about checking out the area i stumbled across some old cellar holes.. As I walked around I also stumbled upon where they must have left 2 wagons to rot and where they threw the old used wagon tires.. Must be 20tire hoops.. some steel, some wrought iron.. I made off with 4 axles, 2 rear springs, 2 front springs, some really nicely made brackets, 2 sleigh runners, and the best piece of all a seat back.. Looking at all this hand forged beauty made me realize 2 things.. I suck as a blacksmith and need to be more diligent with my work,,,, and 2 I was born in the wrong century.. I also found a felling axe i mint shape stuck in the wall of a dry laid foundation and an old shovel in what looks to be an old garage foundation. The axe is usable with a new handle and the shovel I left behind.. This particular area was abandoned back in the 40's... it is also home to a gristmills to be attached by Indians.. 1724.. I can tell the mill ran for quite a few years after that as the water sluceway was replace with a Hand made pipe at some later date.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 That's quite a haul! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 4, 2017 Author Share Posted March 4, 2017 Was a good day.. Funny thing was just about all of it was buried.. a few hoops were sticking up as was one of the axles.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 4 hours ago, jlpservicesinc said: Was a good day.. Funny thing was just about all of it was buried.. a few hoops were sticking up as was one of the axles.. Good thing you found a shovel then. It's quite a score and there's more at the dump site. SWEET. I wouldn't wish to be born last century were I a woman. The chances you'd be doing "man's" work would be slim and make you an outcast in the process. It wasn't till WWII and the Rosie the Riveter generation women finally broke into the manufacturing market. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 ohhhh I'm jealous, especially since i enjoy metal detecting, and most of all blacksmithing of course...How about a pic of the axe? Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 If I had been born just a couple of decades before I was; I'd been dead before I was 2 ;or a teen ager; or in my 20's; or before I had my second child, or when I was in my late 40's. I just hope modern medicine can keep a couple of steps ahead of me a few years longer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 And my son would have been in an institution, an attic, a jail, or a grave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 I was born on the wrong planet, and I am not being cheeky - great find, jlp. Robert Taylor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 When the Mother Ship swings by I'll drop you a line! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 Much appreciated, Thomas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will W. Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 That's quite the find. You made off very well, I would say. That shovel looks really well made too, I couldn't touch that quality. I'm with littleblacksmith, how about a pic of the axe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gote Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 On 2017-03-05 at 2:30 AM, Frosty said: Good thing you found a shovel then. It's quite a score and there's more at the dump site. SWEET. I wouldn't wish to be born last century were I a woman. The chances you'd be doing "man's" work would be slim and make you an outcast in the process. It wasn't till WWII and the Rosie the Riveter generation women finally broke into the manufacturing market. Frosty The Lucky. What is the last century Frosty? I think you, I and our wifes were born in that. Seriously: Women in the old days were no wimps. They had to do the mens' work when the men were out fighting wars. They also managed businesses as widows - sometimes quite sucessful. Vide Veuve Clicot. "the yellow widow champagne". The feeble swooning woman is a late 19th century middle class phenomenon. My great grandmother and the generations before her did not even change their names when married. The largest runic inscription ever (The one with Sigurd and the blacksmith) was comissioned by a woman comemmorating that she had built a bridge over a river. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 6, 2017 Author Share Posted March 6, 2017 3 hours ago, gote said: What is the last century Frosty? I think you, I and our wifes were born in that. Seriously: Women in the old days were no wimps. They had to do the mens' work when the men were out fighting wars. They also managed businesses as widows - sometimes quite sucessful. Vide Veuve Clicot. "the yellow widow champagne". The feeble swooning woman is a late 19th century middle class phenomenon. My great grandmother and the generations before her did not even change their names when married. The largest runic inscription ever (The one with Sigurd and the blacksmith) was comissioned by a woman comemmorating that she had built a bridge over a river. Hear datt.. there have been outstanding women in the past though forgotten, trappers, blacksmiths, etc etc,, as for discrimination you will always have the men & women who think a woman's place is in the home. I've had times where people laughed and told me to go home... I've had times where people have congratulated me and told me what an inspiration.. I believe it's only when we put limits on ourselves that the biding chains of oppression can limit us.. One and all.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 6, 2017 Author Share Posted March 6, 2017 so here are a few more pic's.. Of the ax and few piece I had thrown in the car before I came to the shop and grabbed the truck.. The Ax is factory made.. maybe one of you guys will recognize the stamp before I clean it up.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 Back when a lot of manufacturing was done in the home as piecework then *everybody* worked on it. Lots of chain making was done by women in the Black Country of the UK; especially in the smaller sizes. We have medieval guild laws stating that a woman could only work in a smithy that belonged to their Father, Brother, or Husband---guess why such laws get implemented? I came from a long line of country women that could plow a field---or rebuild the tractor's engine, butcher a pig, put up pickles, sew the family clothes and hold a farm together after their Husband dies in a farming accident. The fainting violet was supposed to show off that they were not required to do anything---bragging about their socioeconomic status. (Funny that being pale used to be high status as it showed you didn't have to work outdoors, now having a tan indicates you have the leisure to spend outdoors and not working in the factory...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 We Humans are such odd critters........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 I'm always amazed at the joinery they did back in the day. I can't remember the last time I forge welded a T joint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 So many modern smiths tend to go out of their way to avoid forge welding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 6, 2017 Author Share Posted March 6, 2017 2 hours ago, Anachronist58 said: We Humans are such odd critters........... That's why I prefer doggies, horses, kitties. 1 hour ago, VaughnT said: I'm always amazed at the joinery they did back in the day. I can't remember the last time I forge welded a T joint. Funny thing is proper and accurate T joints are seldom taught. 1 hour ago, ThomasPowers said: So many modern smiths tend to go out of their way to avoid forge welding That's because Forge welding is a skill all its own... Pretty much everything I make takes some sort of Forge weld.. it can really speed up a process vs just moving iron.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 Yes it's much faster than trying to avoid one and not that difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 6, 2017 Author Share Posted March 6, 2017 I have to confess that sometimes when I read what I post I wanna punch myself in the face... On that note I find it difficult to transfer skills , know how and years of acquired knowledge via words verses pictures and even that leads loads to be desired... I have been posting more to YouTube in an effort to help others but also find this both to be time consuming and limiting in scope as the little things like fire management are lacking.. 17 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: Yes it's much faster than trying to avoid one and not that difficult. True that.. Not much is difficult in blacksmithing once you get things figured out.. Just some stuff more time consuming than others.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 I've been re-reading parts of Richardson's Practical Blacksmithing and am frequently amazed at how many operations that most of us have never heard of were at one time so common that people would debate the finer points of different methods for accomplishing them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 6, 2017 Author Share Posted March 6, 2017 Just now, JHCC said: I've been re-reading parts of Richardson's Practical Blacksmithing and am frequently amazed at how many operations that most of us have never heard of were at one time so common that people would debate the finer points of different methods for accomplishing them. Was my nightly read for nearly 20years.. I have found that lots of the scarfing methods taught now are not my favorites.. That is a mighty fine book.. I still read mine once a month.. I really do prefer the old books to newer.. But there is also something to be learned from everywhere.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 Some methods in PB were based on the use of real wrought iron---they had things they avoided too, like punching and drifting eyes where a bent around and forge welded made a stronger one in wrought iron then a punch and drift. It's interesting to follow how things change over time and try to figure out why. It's sad to talk with people who don't realize that things have changed from use of bloomery made wrought iron to the indirect method to cast steel and Bessemer/open hearth process steel to BOF, etc. and they are still trying to apply methods that were associated with the properties of a specific material. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Poet Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 3 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: So many modern smiths tend to go out of their way to avoid forge welding Which is weird since it's really not that hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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