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What did you do in the shop today?

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  • Author

:P

Thanks!

                                                                                                                      Littleblacksmith

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LBS, that look really good! Tools like center puches are constantly used but I, nor many other smiths, think the embellish them. Nice thinking. 

Got to take a break from repairing a windmill today to do a little traditional blacksmith work on a modern tool. Straightened out a part for my neighbors plow that was getting re-disked. Largest piece of steel I've hammered on, 3/4"x 6"x not sure how long. It was bent along the entire length. 

IMG_2067.JPG

LBS, you are too hard on yourself. That is a lovely diamond twist to embellish your centre punch. Well done!

9 hours ago, littleblacksmith said:

:P

Thanks!

                                                                                                                      Littleblacksmith

You're welcome!

 

(Oh, and I didn't want to make a big stink about this, but "wonky" doesn't have an "e". ;) ) 

Ranchmanben; was that piece heat treated any originally? (what was the carbon content of it, I've run across a lot of old implement steel that ranged from 1050 to 1080---back before some of the weird new alloys were used.)

Not the best for your creativity but these things help pay the bills :) If anyone recognizes this part in the second picture, please tell me its name. Thanks!

Bests:

Gergely

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592489aa54f95_201705vonorud2.thumb.jpg.f3c99c222dcf81e264833d584398a69a.jpg

3 hours ago, Gergely said:

Not the best for your creativity but these things help pay the bills :) If anyone recognizes this part in the second picture, please tell me its name. Thanks!

Bests:

Gergely

 

 

2 hours ago, BIGGUNDOCTOR said:

Tow bar. 

If it is attached to the trailer I would call it a draw bar, if attached to the towing vehicle I would call it a tow bar.

Alan

I'd call it a draw bar, it's awfully light looking to be a tow bar. A tow bar has a lot more leverage working on it every time a turn is made.

A wagon tongue would be another possible name for it.

Frosty The Lucky.

7 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

Ranchmanben; was that piece heat treated any originally? (what was the carbon content of it, I've run across a lot of old implement steel that ranged from 1050 to 1080---back before some of the weird new alloys were used.)

I suspect it was mild steel and not heat treated. I did a spark test on it and compared it to a few samples and the Sparks were closest to some hot rolled mild steel. Also, the way it was bent in multiple places makes me think it was mild. After forging I let if cool off for 15 minutes or so before I quenched it. I guess I'll find out this fall, when he sows in wheat, if the repair worked. It wasn't a terribly old disk, 30yrs or so. 

1 hour ago, Frosty said:

I'd call it a draw bar, it's awfully light looking to be a tow bar. A tow bar has a lot more leverage working on it every time a turn is made.

A wagon tongue would be another possible name for it.

Frosty The Lucky.

Thank you Gentlemen!

I'd go with draw bar then :) . It's between the tractor and its trailer. Although it's big and heavy it wasn't made for sideways pressure, that's why it's deformed. (And heavy is a bit relative when there is a full loaded trailer connected to a tractor, isn't it?)

Bests:

Gergely

  • Author

Thanks everyone!

ONLY 2 MORE DAYS OF SCHOOL LEFT!! AND THEN I WORK MY TAIL OFF! YEAH!!

                                                                                                                                  Littleblacksmith

Oh to be doing this and at that age again.......enjoy

 

44 minutes ago, littleblacksmith said:

Thanks everyone!

ONLY 2 MORE DAYS OF SCHOOL LEFT!! AND THEN I WORK MY TAIL OFF! YEAH!!

                                                                                                                                  Littleblacksmith

Okay, Mark, what else did you do until now? :) Don't forget to take it easy, too. Our work is really one of the best things one can do, but you ought to try a couple more things as well. No preaching just saying... Happy hammering! 

  • Author

yeah, I'll have breaks. But, blacksmithing is fun for me, I also do some metal detecting and stuff like that, not much anymore though. Maybe my "off" days I'll go to the scrap yard, or go fishing at the Brazos, and look for WI. I will also do some tool restorations. recently got a cross cut saw, those are always fun.

I will be helping out at a survival camp that I've gone to for about 5 years, and I typically bring some knives to sell, but I don't have any, so I have a week to do some. then a couple weeks later I have another one, and then another one. In September I have a show, and October a show and a demo, need products for that. oh, and two knife commissions, and a commission for a pot rack. And all the full time people think, he's got it easy, that's nothin, what's he talking about! hahaha

                                                                                                                          Littleblacksmith

3 hours ago, littleblacksmith said:

and look for WI.

Hey - I can help out with that!  It's just to the east from where I live in MN.  Not hard to find if you drive in the right direction!  :)  -- Dave

Made some progress on a knife I've been working on. It's looking really cool so farB). Now I just have to decide on wood African black wood or Cocobolo.IMG_4558.thumb.JPG.214819898b0a59725aa9424c336a33b6.JPG

Mr. Sawicki,,

If you have to make a choice between cocobolo and African Blackwood I strongly suggest that you use blackwood.

Cocobolo is a beautiful wood but it will start to darken dramatically over a short time period. Some specimens can turn to almost black, over time, & often lose their figure.

African blackwood starts black and stays black. It is an excellent wood and you'll not be disappointed.

Regards,

SLAG..

  • Author
5 hours ago, WoodnMetalGuy said:

Hey - I can help out with that!  It's just to the east from where I live in MN.  Not hard to find if you drive in the right direction!  :)  -- Dave

ok, that took me a bit to figure out! hahah

                                                                                                                                   Littleblacksmith

Thanks for the tip SLAG I'll use the African Blackwood that I have. Got some work done on my vise stand its almost done just have to add the top plate.IMG_4567.thumb.JPG.3f7485d6bd954d6f8278106ec98adf5c.JPGIMG_4569.thumb.JPG.7afbf4cb54483a2ebc5f0a2490179db4.JPG

Google "tow bar" and you will get tons of sites selling the units used to tow cars behind RVs. Same basic use as a draw bar. Being a machinist I think of draw bars as the item that draws the collet into a milling machine, or lathe. 

LB, congratulations! 

 

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