Frosty Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 Pnut: No need to build proficiency in skills before you start making things. I assign various hooks as practice projects for students, they aren't the goal. Relax brother, this is supposed to be fun, not a formal process, we're not going to come slap your hands with a ruler for doing something different. Honest, you have to be a LOT more annoying before we even think about getting out the switches. Making various hooks is a good thing for a couple reasons in a couple ways. The main part is a uniform taper to a point, turning a finial scroll doesn't impact drawing a taper except if the taper isn't uniform the finial won't come out quite right. Hmmmm, a little incentive. Yes? Draw the taper on each end of a piece of stock, turn a scroll then a hook on one end and bend the other a sharp 90 away from the hook. Another technique is required but it doesn't interfere either and you can do things with drive hooks. Turn a finial scroll on both tapers and bend two hooks for a S hook. Didn't even have to learn something new. Oh WAIT which way was that hook supposed to point? Putting a twist in the shank allows you to adjust the aim and you get to learn a new skill! Those are a few hooks, all related, all a LITTLE different. What the good thing about making different ones each session? A little variety that doesn't include different skill sets nor conflicting skill sets. Best of all you can use them, give them away, heck get good and sell them for the tool fund. When you're getting tired of tapered draws give wall hooks a try. Oh you'll still be doing uniform tapers and finial scrolls but now you're spending more time thinking about and working on the shank, you need to counter punch for screws and make a different finial for the wall. I usually start folks with leaf finials but there are all sorts. Anyway, don't get yourself stuck doing ONE basic process till you think you're proficient at it before picking something else to learn. It's okay if you really want to do this one thing at a time but make something, say tent stakes. Point on one end and bend over a couple inches of the other past 90. Sell sets of 10 for $25. This is a good use for found rebar. A pup tent uses 8 stakes so they get a couple extras. Hmmm? Have some fun eh? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 I too am of the "wax on, wax off" school where actually doing something that is useful or can be sold helps keep interest in the craft. To be really crafty. Have them do a dozen hooks and see if the last ones are better than the first ones and if not find where they continued when too tired or lost interest... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 Frosty, I reread my post and I think I sounded a little too how should I say it, stiff I don't know. I gave the impression that is all I am doing. I am bending and making curves etc. I haven't yet made anything I would want to show to anyone. Soooo I have been practicing drawing out and tapering until I'm satisfied I can do it and it turns out the way I want it to. It's a basic skill and I feel like I should have a pretty good grip on the basics before I start trying to make anything more complicated. One step at a time I guess. Luckily I'm easily entertained so I haven't lost focus. The other thing is that my forging sessions are so spread apart I feel like I'm having to relearn everything each time. No muscle memory yet I guess. I am improving though. By the end of each session The results are better than the end of the last one.. I don't think I explained everything in the previous post which was my fault. I think what I need to do to really improve is to get with some more experiencedSmith's in person. I've contacted the Cincinnati blacksmith guild but I'm having a little difficulty getting to the meetings. My car is on it's last legs and I don't want to put 150 miles on it round trip. It's more important I have a car to get to my doc appt and to work. I've been working on finding some members closer to me I could meet in KY and carpool with but as of yet no dice. I may even rent a car if they have a deal like 25 dollars a weekend day. I haven't given up on attending and all options are open. I thought I'd explain my original intent when I posted. I by no means meant you should limit yourself just a good foundation of the basics will pay dividends in the future. Take it easy Pnut (Mike) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j.morse Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 On 3/7/2019 at 1:54 PM, ThomasPowers said: May be contaminated with H2S; and he should know if it was involved with any sour gas wells as that's common knowledge in the patch. I worked one well where I was responsible for testing the Sour Gas detector. Not fun! Get your APB to tell you some of the horror stories about sour gas. Probably not much of a problem IFF you are using proper ventilation *BUT* why add another worry? Thank you Thomas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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