JHCC Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 Experimented with the soft coal my neighbor gave me (smoky, but workable; a respirator helps). Made bowls. The first one took an hour; the last, twenty minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou L Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 Similar story here. I tried out the coal I got from my brother-in-law. He has about 15 cubic yards of it in his small barn. Thought it would be super Smokey but it wasn’t. It burned rather well. I l8ke it better than the stuff I normally use. So I have a huge, free supply of old coal....just it is nearly two hours away. I forged the latest version of the fantasy dagger my friend asked for and I’m pleased with it. It is my final design. I got to starting the next one but ran out of time. Hungry children+me forging=angry wife. Life math. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 Cool bowls JHCC. Improvement with practice. Always good. Tonight I started some leaves for the Rose's for the freaky fair but this poor creature was looking at me begging for some legs. So Rakkenfowl got some legs and its headdress. Still need to work the arms and facial expression more. It's starting to look like a real creature. just needs fleshed out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 Looking good, Das. Rakkenfowl has a quizzical, startled expression. I like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedgemon Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 Das, I see you are using old CV joints for your bits and pieces...that black grease they use in those things is just nasty !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 Daswulf, all of these that you are making are so cool.. im envious of your skill set and mental ability to see things as you progress.. I imagine its like Dr Frankenstein as you add pieces till your overall thought is " Its Alive"... Excellent.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 Thanks Aus, I feel the face needs a little fleshed out but I do want to keep that expression. I'm thinking of adding a lower jaw and I'm going to ponder how I want the arms positioned today. Swedgemon, that grease IS nasty stuff. Those shafts yield double for me though. Some scap art parts and some good forge stock. After a good wipe down with paper towels the parts washer gets the rest clean. Thanks Jennifer, I really do enjoy bringing things to life. It is kind of like a Dr. Frankenstein thing. Its alive now I feel, just need to give it some more expression. I have a feeling I'll be making more of these. Now that this creature is in my I'm getting more ideas for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 it needs a teddy bear; perhaps one of the ones with eyepatch and leather costume...for the Freaky Fair of course... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 Lol. Of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 14 hours ago, sfeile said: I lit my coal forge today. Got a piece of spring steel in there. Drew out a nice billet. Got my tang almost fully formed. Then proceeded to burn the darn thing right in half..... Thinner sections heat faster as well as cool faster than thicker. Do the thick sections first and leave the thin for last. It can be hard to bring 3/4" section to welding temp without burning an area 3/16". You can heat 3/16" sections to welding temp from cold before 3/4" gets to red. Make sense? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfeile Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 Makes absolute sense Frosty. Thanks. I had the whole thing drawn down to a little over an 1/8 of an inch, but it was definitely my inexperience that got me. Left it in too long or cranked the blower a bit too much..... Something.... I just have trouble at this point knowing/judging how long something takes to heat in coal. Probably also a bit of not knowing the best/most efficient way to keep my fire somewhat consistent. I need a lot more practice that's for sure. I think I just need to step back, slow down, and do a bunch of hooks or something like that to just get the feel of working with the coal instead of being a little cocky and in a rush just because I managed a few blade shaped objects with gas. Plus just practicing the basics experience of doing that won't hurt me at all either. But that is definitely a good reminder to keep in my mental notebook. Now if I can just remember what page it's on......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfeile Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 I made an SSO (Sheath Shaped Object) to fit my KSO (Knife Shaped Object). This KSO is my new edc. I screwed up the grind a little (as you can probably see from the sharpened edge) while learning how to best use my new grinder attachment, so I figured it would be a good test subject for me to use and abuse to see how well I'm doing for edge retention and overall durability. Then I abandoned the coal for today and went back to gas. I hammered out another billet, shaped it into a kitchen utility/paring type shape, and gave it a quick rough grind to clean it up. I'll go back out after a bit and do some more work on it to get it ready for quench. (hopefully.....) (The orange is a reflection from my shirt.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 BryanL, are you going to finish those handles in any way like beeswax? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryanL Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 Biggundoctor, I coated them with boiled linseed oil. I don't have a ton of experience but that seemed to do the trick. Do you have any experience knowing what finish would stand up best over time? Here's a pic of them after finishing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 Nice profiles on those Sfeile. BryanL, I've found any oils or waxes need to be reapplied over time. I've tried a few different flat or satin clear coats that seem to work well enough but am recently trying a flat high temp spray can clear to see if it's more chip resistant. Once I know it's better than others I might recommend the brand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 8 hours ago, Daswulf said: Those shafts yield double for me though. Some scap art parts and some good forge stock. Can't remember who did it but the CV bearing cages made really good bracelets. I envy your critters, wish I had the talent to do them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 I believe that was JHCC that made the CV cage bracelet. Thanks Irondragon. They are fun to make. Wish I could keep them all it's fun seeing them go to new happy homes tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted May 19, 2018 Share Posted May 19, 2018 1 hour ago, Daswulf said: I believe that was JHCC that made the CV cage bracelet. Yup. Today, I finished a batch of four knitting bowls: Pigtails! Here’s a little tip: take a piece of heavy tube (in this case, a section of scuba tank) and line the top edge with inner tube rubber: This makes a great base for wire wheeling the insides of bowls. The friction of the rubber grabs the bowl pretty securely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkunkel Posted May 19, 2018 Share Posted May 19, 2018 I have enjoyed reading and seeing everyone's projects for a while. Thanks for all the information and inspiration. I figured I should put up a few photos also. I have played around making various bottle openers and votive candle holders. Working with metal has been like opening a door and finding 10 more doors in front of me.......kind of hard to focus at times and be disciplined but so fun to experiment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Richter Posted May 19, 2018 Share Posted May 19, 2018 Absolutely agree with tkunkel, so many very nice things (craftsmanship & art) passing by, -so much inspiration. Must be honest I didn’t see anything I dislike. Compliments to all of you. Very happy to found IFI and this many of soulmates and smith brothers & sisters. Have a nice long weekend. Cheers Hans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted May 19, 2018 Share Posted May 19, 2018 I gotta hand it to you tkunkel that's some cool work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkunkel Posted May 19, 2018 Share Posted May 19, 2018 Daswulf, I put my hands together to applaud your work! Good luck at Freaky Fair! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 19, 2018 Share Posted May 19, 2018 I give you a big thumbs up too Tkunkel. You get lots of expression in from your hand pieces. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave51B Posted May 19, 2018 Share Posted May 19, 2018 looks like you nailed it..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew1803 Posted May 19, 2018 Share Posted May 19, 2018 well I picked if another leg voce, 4inch with a broken leg unfortunately but for £40 i can't complain much. Also finished up an 01 bowie, with copper and ash(I believe it's ash, came out the scrap wood pile in the shop) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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