So, when someone says something awkward, you don’t even get crickets?

 That’s harsh. 

Nope, it's usually the, "pin drops, silence falls" reaction unless it's laughter, loud jeering and mockery. 

When I had a terrarium and a couple lizards I had to buy crickets. Some time ago someone decided they were a potential invasive species and now you have to feed your lizards boring old meal worms. About the same time an eco group pushed to have reptiles banned because of the massive ecological devastation they WOULD wreak. 

That one didn't go far, ONE interview that asked how a cold blooded animal would survive winter in the sub arctic pretty much did it. Pet lizards and snakes get loose all the time but rarely survive the night when they go torpid and something like a raven or other other corvid eats them.

Frosty The Lucky.

 

Today I got some shop time and replenished a little of my craft show inventory. These hooks with the backing plate have always sold so much better than regular “blacksmith” hooks without it that I only make these ones. Plus it gives me a way to make uniform hooks look interesting with the decorations on the backing plate.

i also made 10 or so “ring dishes”, which are textured and domed 3” discs of steel that unexpectedly became a top product.

 

Those are interesting.  Are the rivet holes and shank square to prevent rotation?

I'm curious, what is a "regular blacksmith hook?" 

If the smith is making things to sell making things that DO sell is pretty regular blacksmithery isn't it? A smith who only made products based on something other than demand would be out of business pretty soon. No?

Public demand rules, so long as it isn't dangerous or makes the product unfit for use. Unless it's purely decorative.

How do you finish the ring dishes? That's a good example of a spec piece hitting a run.

Frosty The Lucky.

Frosty,

regular, as in from a rule, per the Latin  I’m just joking. I ran out of the appropriate word. Now, having rehydrated, by brain works again.

i think I’ve heard them described as a “tab hook” as opposed to a “nail hook”, which has the integral pointy end to hammer into a beam.

the ring dishes get finished with oil, then usually baked in my toaster oven for a few hours. It makes for a good hard coating. These I finished quickly , since I have a pop up shop tomorrow. Some with wax and some with oil while hot. It will keep it from rusting, even if it’s not what i ordinarily do.

 

8 minutes ago, LeeJustice said:

Those are interesting.  Are the rivet holes and shank square to prevent rotation?

They are not. I upset the rivet under the 12 ton press, so friction does its part. It helps that the holes are slightly oversized and tend to have some draft to them by the time forging is done, so it upsets into whatever space it can.

We all knew what you meant.

20 hours ago, Ridgeway Forge Studio said:

They are not. I upset the rivet under the 12 ton press, so friction does its part.

I've learned to never trust a round rivet to stay fixed over time, so for added security on these round rivets I use a hot cut to chisel in a locking wedge on the back side where you set the rivet (I hope that makes sense to others).

BillyO- 

you’re right- I only trust it because I am not that good of a blacksmith to keep my holes true. I’ve found my punch rag acts in much the same way.

1 hour ago, billyO said:

I've learned to never trust a round rivet to stay fixed over time, so for added security on these round rivets I use a hot cut to chisel in a locking wedge on the back side where you set the rivet (I hope that makes sense to others).

Yes. Me too. The bird i made, i was bit lazy and made round hole and tenon. Because the feet was rounded over to ita base,it will stay fixed was my reasoning.

So ... I had to use a fuller to even more get the feet fixed because it kept turning.

But with 2 rivets, it is locked and cannot turn. (Stating the obvious maybe)

 

That which goes without saying almost always needs to be said.

Kicking in open doors.

Close John, that which goes without saying needs to be repeated.

Frosty The Lucky.

I participated in a “maker‘s market” at the university where I teach. I offered my wares with the caveat that all proceeds would go to the on campus food bank for students. Was a good day, many students went away happy. My work was priced far lower than otherwise, but the joy of university students is hard won. I made sure to tell them they didn’t get extra credit on the final exam just by buying things! 

 

I had most of the stuff needed to make this mini-forge, left over from my recent dual burner Timu Chili forge build.  The hotdog compressor tank was my first compressor purchased about 30 years ago.  I threw it in a pile knowing I'd do something with it one day.  It is 6" in diameter and 13" long.

I think I'll use this mini-forge more than any other heat producing apparatus in my smithy.

I like it. Yours is a beefer modeI of one I made myself with the outer housing of an old water pump.

They are basically pre-made. Pull out the windings and add kaowool and a burner.

 

Looks like that will work a treat. I got rid of my larger gas forge when I picked up a Mr. Volcano a little like yours.

its nice that I’m 2-3 minutes you’re ready to forge.

Makes it more feasible to get in an hour of forge time between work and supper.

I found it amazing for exactly that. If the urge strikes and I need to get some air and movement, I’ll forge an s hook. Forged in 20 minutes and I feel satisfied.

16 hours ago, MeltedSocks said:

I think I'll use this mini-forge more than any other heat producing apparatus in my smithy.

Makes it more feasible to get in an hour of forge time between work and supper.

I'll suggest investing in an induction forge.  Since I purchased mine over 2 years ago, I use it for at least 90% of my forging now.  I can't tell you how many times I've fired it up for one or two heats.  I wish I had pulled the trigger a few years ago when I first started thinking about one.   Definitely a "buy once, cry once" purchase, however. 

 

BillyO, that's definitely a major investment.

I wrapped the ceramic insulation in a craft paper tube, inserted, then removed the paper.  Worked like a charm, especially if you have to pull the insulation back out to refine your measurement.

I'm probably not the first one to think of this, but I took an old pump sprayer, heated and bent the tube, and used it to spray the insulation with the rigidizer.  That also worked like a charm.

Now the waiting  I'm trying to hurry it along with my heat gun.

I dug out our old animatronic pink flamingo and did some refurbishing and touch-up painting.  That's pretty much the extend of our outdoor Christmas decorations.   I'm just admiring it right now.  If freaked our dogs out for a little bit.

3 hours ago, MeltedSocks said:

Now the waiting  I'm trying to hurry it along with my heat gun.

Rigidizer doesn’t need a slow cure; go ahead and hit it with a torch until it’s glowing white. Let it cool, and move forward with the hard refractory. 

Melted socks we used to have the same one.. I love those. Had a palm tree too. 

I finished the cover for the furnaces blower. 

Yeah, the heat gun dried it out quickly.  I cut down the kiln shelf and put a 45 degree bevel on the long edges.  It worked out nicely.

Tomorrow, Santa-ite.  Tis the season. 

Nice work JLP