jlpservicesinc Posted March 20, 2023 Share Posted March 20, 2023 The hatchaxe is wrought with 5160. I personally can't see making a tool out of a good working steel and then adding another good working steel to finish the results. ( I appreciate and understand wanting a certain hardness and going after it).. Job well done. So certainly not critiquing in anyway.. Was more curious vs anything. Mild steel or wrought iron yes, or Damascus yes from a design point. Just me though as I'm lazy. 4140 gets 53-59Hrc. with a fine grain. 4130 get 48Hrc.. For my own axes and tools I like a higher carbon content with a higher Hrc value 60-62Hrc I also don't use my cutting tools for prying. If I do chip the edge I understand it was me vs the tool so dress it back. Been years since I chipped an edge. Maybe 40 years and it was the middle of winter and didn't preheat the blade at all. All of my own personal tools (felling, limbing,) were designed with a pre shape.. (pre shape=about 30 sharpening) The pre shape accounts for wear or about 30 miss strikes on the ground.. The top edge on most axes is missing and this pre-shape accounts for this higher wear area. Also helps with leading edge cut in and fine work. First photo it's hard to see this leading "wear edge" 2nd photo is easy to see. also makes it easier to use when making kindling. David, thank you for checking in.. As for the school. Step forward each and every day. Just not leaps and bounds. I'm excited that everything done, while it might lead to another thing to do, it's also progress. Just gotta keep the eyes focused forwards like tunnel vision till the end. Hugh undertaking and just so many things to keep lined up. The elbow.. LOL.. Well I still have an arm and as long as I don't use it, it doesn't hurt. LOL.. I can push or pull about 20lbs now with the wrist straight.. Bend the wrist in use and this power drops to about 3lbs. But walking by the blacksmithing trailer yesterday I was feeling like lighting the forge and giving it a go. So that's encouraging. Ah, videos.. I highly doubt there will be any new videos or real "How to" content until the school is settled. Filming in the trailer is super tough and the video film quality is "meh".. Like most things I really have to have inspiration and desire.. Sadly the growth of the channel has been lackluster and so without feedback, the desire to produce in-depth content is lacking. I see time and time again that making videos to make videos and to entertain is more important.. I feel like once the school is done and having things setup will make filming easier and More proper.. Few realize all the videos were actually filmed in the demo trailer.. Eh, time will tell. I do owe a hinge making video to Zack P. and that is on the list.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goods Posted March 20, 2023 Share Posted March 20, 2023 JLP, take care of yourself and don’t over do it! I understand about making progress on the school. If I didn’t contract out my shop, it would have taken me years to finish and I don’t push myself nearly as hard as you work yourself. I’ve got a bunch of wrought iron I’ve accumulated to make an axes and hammers with and it’s on the list of projects. I’m just saving that for personal use or for someone who would really appreciate it. About the videos, they may not be formatted or “entertaining” enough for the general YouTube audience, but they are very much appreciated by me (and many here on IFI). Honestly, your videos have inspired a lot of the forging I do, not always the items made, but the techniques and philosophies presented! Thanks, David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.J.Lampert Posted March 20, 2023 Share Posted March 20, 2023 wonderful work every one got this project finished for my school woodworking course now to try and learn how to play https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/70181-my-projectsrambling-other-pic-heavy/?do=findComment&comment=788255 M.J.Lampert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 21, 2023 Share Posted March 21, 2023 A few bits and pieces. The curved ends of this bar will be the two sides of a radius block for the Hossfeld bender. Started flattening a piece of pipe for the Hossfeld’s handle extension. The fly press works very well for this. One of my students left this knife behind when she graduated, and I’ve decided to finish it and send it to her. The blade was forged and the handle drawn out; I just did the bending and rough grinding. Next step: heat treatment and finishing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted March 21, 2023 Share Posted March 21, 2023 Jennifer, i have very much liked your videos. Like Goods said, may not be the entertainment most want to see but i look for what i am learning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted March 21, 2023 Share Posted March 21, 2023 On Saturday I did a Facetime demonstration with a university art student on the East Coast, part of the Society of Inclusive Blacksmiths Mentor program. They have a lot of casting and foundry experience but very little smithing, so we walked thru a basic leaf keychain. Nothing like teaching to show you why you do certain things. Great fun and we have a weekly session set up. Hoping to do some solid fuel forge welding and chain making next week. A little concerned about coaching fire management over a video link, and we'll see how it goes. This is my second round with a mentee. It's nice to use my own eclectic skill set to bring others into the fold of thermoplastic art. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 21, 2023 Share Posted March 21, 2023 I'll be doing a Zoom demonstration to my SIBs mentee on Monday; he wants to learn about scrolling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shainarue Posted March 22, 2023 Share Posted March 22, 2023 I've been trying to practice skills for the Level 1 Curriculum at least an hour each evening. Last weekend I did another test piece for the knife guard for the friend in collaborating with. This one was better but still needs some tweaks. I still don't even have final measurement requirements so I'll do at least one more test run once I have those. I also did another leaf last weekend just for the heck of it. Monday I worked on the diamond taper and the chisel taper. Both brand new to me but found the Waters Ironworks tutorial and it got me though just fine. I'm not 100% sure on the chisel taper. My phone wasn't working so I couldn't pull up the video or the curriculum requirements. My chisel is only slanted on one side. I'm guessing it should probably slant on both sides. So I probably didn't have it held at an angle and should have. Tonight (Tuesday) I worked on the square tapered staple. I had an appt so I couldn't work more than an hour but I got these two done. Neither would pass, but that's why I'm practicing! I'll try again next session. I won't move on until it meets criteria. This is my own self imposed rule, lol I have an in-person crash course of sorts at the end of April. It's only one day, all materials provided and just $30. Can't really pass that up! They will have Level 1 certified instructors who can sign off on as many exercises as we complete which meet criteria. So that's why I started pushing on this now. The virtual course also starts in April. I was already enrolled in the virtual course before this other one opened up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted March 22, 2023 Share Posted March 22, 2023 On 3/21/2023 at 6:43 AM, JHCC said: I'll be doing a Zoom demonstration to my SIBs mentee on Monday; he wants to learn about scrolling. Been really surprised at how much can be done over zoom. Wireless headphones helps ALOT with hearing each other and some sort of bendy camera/cellphone/tablet holder to switch back between looking at the anvil and seeing faces helps. Last session their camera was static, so they'd go off camera and all this banging and clanging would occur, then they'd come back in frame. Same later with quenching and hammering the leaf into the block, off camera noise and smoke/steam jetting into frame. It was like a cartoon or sitcom and they were asking why I was laughing. Have fun! Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 22, 2023 Share Posted March 22, 2023 I have some excellent Bluetooth headphones and a selfie stick duck-taped to an argon cylinder to hold my phone. Fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shainarue Posted March 22, 2023 Share Posted March 22, 2023 So, they make these auto face-tracking phone stands now that aren't too expense (like, $50 and less) but I wonder if there's a way to train it to see something like your tongs as the face. Then whenever you want it to focus on your face, you just hold the tongs up - and otherwise it just follows wherever the tongs go (anvil, vice, quench, etc). That would be pretty cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 22, 2023 Share Posted March 22, 2023 BTW; whose level 1 curriculum? I assume that over the entire earth and the last say 3000 years there have been more than 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 22, 2023 Share Posted March 22, 2023 ABANA. I think Shainarue is following the instructions in Mark Aspery's recent video series about making a gate latch: Part-1. Forging and turning tapered staple Part-2. Welding and turning the hook. Part 3 The Tenoned Staple and associated tooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 22, 2023 Share Posted March 22, 2023 That's what I would assume; but I'm trying to NOT trust my brain lately for obvious reasons... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted March 22, 2023 Share Posted March 22, 2023 8 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: whose level 1 curriculum Silly Thomas! theres only one level 1 curriculum!!! Get it hot, lay it on somthin relatively hard an hit it with something else that’s harder then what your hitting…Sheesh I figured you’d know that by know!… Oh and what John said! Bahahahah Shaina thats a very purtiful leaf and twist! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shainarue Posted March 22, 2023 Share Posted March 22, 2023 Apologies. Yes Thomas, ABANA Level 1 Curriculum. My fingers just got lazy with typing it all out. I've also seen it abbreviated as "ABANA NC1". And yes John, I'm mostly following the Mark Aspery video series. I didn't see one on the diamond & chisel tapers though so I went hunting and found another that ABANA had shared from Waters Ironworks. The criteria for all tapers is that they are free of (excess) hammer marks, same length on all varieties, straight sided, and ends centered along center-line of parent bar. Criteria for the staples is that they are free of (excess) hammer marks, straight sided tapers the same length on both sides, and a center punch in the center of the bar ends up in the center of the staple. Oh, and mostly square corners, lol. The staple has added dimension requirements: 1-1/8" ID and 1-3/4" long tapers. I came closer on the first one than I did on the second one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 22, 2023 Share Posted March 22, 2023 Sigh; just remember I have a confirmed diagnosis of terminal brain cancer, nasty glioblastoma MF stage 4 and a sympathetic Judge! I'm learning to not trust myself anymore and play Dark Side of the Moon a lot... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzkill Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 There is no dark side of the moon really; as a matter of fact, it's all dark...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 Shainarue, nice work!. I just finished re-reading the level 2 curriculum and watching his associated vids. Good stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shainarue Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 Thanks, anvil. Another project came up (wife asked for a phone stand, lol) so I didn't end up working on the exercise last night. I'm hoping to finish her stand tonight with enough time to work on these exercises again tonight. The goal I have in mind is to finish each exercise by the end of March, and then start over - trying to get more and more exercises completed to pass criteria in a shorter amount of time. So that by the end of April, I have the best chance of getting the most projects signed off on by the instructor as possible in the short amount of time we'll have (8a-5p with lunch break, so about 8 hours total). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 Hmm...I've been toying with ideas for a phone stand for my office, as making one would probably be easier than getting the office manager to give me a longer cord. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 Shaniaru, i tried one of them gate latches not long ago. Since i was not doing for a grade i did not make a staple for the hook but a second plate for it. The shaping and bending was not to difficult but staying with the print and making it to specs was the hard part. I made these tools to help in making it as well. And help they did. A piece of 1" x 1/2" bar, bent the one end over to fit my hardy. Then put 2 bottom swages in it 1 is 3/8" the other 1/4" they come in nice to get any lumpy bumpy spots our and to get the tenons sized and nice and square. 2 top tools, again 1 is 3/8" the other 1/4", the 3/8" is useful for doing the top of the squared staple, the 1/4" i used for sizing and adjusting the tenons. Then drilled 2 holes , 1/4", to hold the staple in place while i worked it. I made the bottom part a bit bigger than i needed so that if at some point later i wish to do more of these out of different sized stock i can add swages and holes of different sizes. If you have watched Mark Asprey's videos you should know how these are supposed to work. I found the project to be fun and challenging. It is really an exercise in figuring out how much material you need is what i have found. Have fun with it and good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shainarue Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 For sure, producing to specs is the hardest part of all of these exercises! Those tools were also recommended in the Mark Aspery videos so I have them noted down look in the drops bin next time I go pick up stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M3F Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 My first serious attempt at tenons for a table I'm working on. I made die for the guillotine tool and a monkey tool today, then finished up the base of this table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 Looks like a tenon from here. Do you have a monkey tool so it makes complete contact between bars? The Monkey tool is a stout bar with a hole through the center lengthways. You slip it over the tenon and drive it into the end of the parent bar so make the shoulder square. That means the tenoned bar fits flush against the one it's joining. A chisel cut in the mortice where the tenon will be piened will prevent the joint from turning. Well done, keep it up. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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