May 23, 200818 yr I'm amazed at the work in a few old hand forged irons I have So when I was offer the opertunity to make one for a local ranch I was excited. It's for barBQ so is just 2-1/2" in dia. I reduce the image to the appropriate size, select materials, 1/8" X 1/2" and began to O/A weld up the 4R and circle, file and true up. Assemble with the mig and get ready to attach the handle 9hours later, when I saw what I did.... It was a full moon. When I was filing my dog came in and stood under the vice and would not leave, very unusual, he must have known. I didn't have a clue (my wife's been telling me this for years). Dyslexic? Alzheimer's.. I'm not that old. I'll keep this one as a reminder, and start a new one when time allows. I can't believe I got so far before noticing. Anyone have similar experience. Mark
May 23, 200818 yr Yes it happened to me and it has almost happened a few times more. I have made maybe 30 irons over the years from 1/2" tall to one in a diamond about 4"X7". They are branding critters, hides, wood and furniture all over the country. The one I did complete backwards was a rush job gotten over the phone and I was to deliver it the next day prior to a holiday weekend. It was for branding picnic tables in a campground. I got it done (backwards), heated it in the forge and was aiming it at a test piece of wood when I saw what I had done. I cut it off the handle and made the new one. When I was delivering it the next day I was telling the buyer what had happened and he asked "what happened to the other one?" I told him it is laying in the back of the truck and he asked if he could have it. I told him sure, he had paid for that one, the second one I had to make for free :)
May 23, 200818 yr Wondering if the 4R brand should have vents cut out at the 3 and 4 way intersections, to keep the steaks from looking smudgy if the iron gets too hot..
May 24, 200818 yr Author Steve Nice to know I'm not alone. Got any pic's of the irons you've made? Mike You're right about the smudgy look, especially inside the 4, here's a pic That brand could be for the Ant Eater Ranch:D Edited May 24, 200818 yr by markb
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