Screen Time vs. Anvil Time

[ThomasPowers]

Out here the land of either sandy or adobe soils and high winds; large strong tentstakes are a necessity.  I usually have a bunch to hand when camping with the forge; but I don't charge near enough for them.  So they get made from scrap or drops and as the "other" project when I'm working on something else.  They are also the go to project when someone just wants some hammer time.

[Frosty]

I used to triple stake my tent. I started doing it in windy places but it got to be a habit. I used 22 penny nails, you can drive them into much of the bedrock we encountered. The top few feet tend to see a lot of freeze thaw weathering so a stout spike penetrates. 

Couldn't get them out with a crow bar sometimes though so I didn't use hand forged ones when 22d spikes cost about $0.25.

I think tent stakes are an excellent project for first timers or guys who just want to give it a try to see. I get a lot of the latter. Do you give them a stake "design" to try for? 

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

I'm not too picky; I do go over "what makes a good tentstake": round the edges the ropes will bear against and make the points short and blunt---you want them to deflect from rocks and roots not drive in and be impossible to remove.  Twisting the shaft can help in very soft soils.  Also the trick when using scrap that is longer than 2 stakes: cut it at an angle not 90 deg so the points are already mostly done for 2 stakes. (Can save a number of heats for a less experienced smith!)

[Gandalfgreen]

Hammer time equals learning where you want the pile if spikes?

[ThomasPowers]

New smiths are unlikely to manage a pile of stakes; that's one reason they want hammer time!

[Gandalfgreen]

Yes very true just eager to learn and nothing better then swinging hammer. Didnt get better knife skills without mundane cutting wont get better smithing skills without repetition. As a those dudes in the suits like to say it takes 33 days to form a habbit as they go home and give you more work. lol at this point my first project will be tent spikes anyone know a seamstress sew me some walls on my sonp area slash tent I will build.