I like the dragon fly. I've been working on a dragon head bottle opener, but haven't got it right yet.

Is that a glass marble melted into the hole?

It is. I've found that you have to be picky on your colors if you use cheap marbles. I've used a blue and red that turned brown on me after I melted them. I also leave then in the forge after I shut it down or in front to cool slowly to keep it from cracking. Have a clean, smooth piece that you can use to help shape the glass and push it into. Also don't let it drop into the forgev if you use propane, you'll have to replace the bricks because it won't come off.

It's been quiet in here.

From top to bottom I got the final grind done on some cleavers and got a couple roses assembled and finished.

The claymor that I started got some attention with a flatter and a striker late last week. It's shocking to me how well I managed to keep everything straight with only a quarter inch in width variation. It's got a great taper to it now but needs to lose a few pounds. I also held on to a drop from the original and the hit it on a grinder with some known materials. 4140. It sparked like 4140, might explain the trouble I had moving that, but it'll be a tough blade when done. I'm just going to have to plan out any machining I might want to do in the fuller before I get it heart treated and buy a few more 36 grit belts.

Impressive sword, Chad!

I did a little project today, adding a hanger and clapper to a little bell someone gave me.

I’ll be hanging this on the door at the yarn shop, since we had to leave the old bell behind when we moved.

Nicely done and fun. Does having metal on metal affect the ring at all?

Only in terms of volume: a wooden clapper or one made of rubber or other soft material might be softer, but it won't change the pitch or timbre of the bell.

Most bell clappers are made of metal, but interestingly, wrought iron is generally preferred to steel, being less likely to work-harden over time. Here's a clapper I fixed up for a local church, making a new WI stem for the cast iron ball.

Good Morning,

I used a 5-pin, Bowling Pin, in a 20lbs. Propane Tank (with the bottom cut cut off and the lower lip flared out for tension). It made a very Mello sound, Yard Gong.

Neil

I've got a bunch of those that I'm thinking of making into a giant set of wind chimes.

What's the best way to get ahold of the propane tanks that have been decommissioned? How did you go about purging the tank before you cut into it?

I have used a ratchet strap to secure them to a tree or something else unmovable and then used a pipe wrench to remove the valve. You may have cut off the valve guard to get access to the valve with a wrench though. Then you can fill them with water and rinse them out or just blow compressed air into them to purge any remaining gas.

I have also just cut into them after a lengthy purge cycle. The older bottles did not have a check valve in them so on those, I would open the valve all the way and set them in the sun upside down. Propane is heavier than air and as the bottle warms from the sun the gas will be expelled. During the night the bottles cool off and draw fresh air in and after a month or so of this they are usually empty of propane. Before I cut into them, I heat them gently with a torch and then run the flame over the open valve. If there is no gas there will be no flame coming out of the valve and so far that has worked well. I recently cut up a 100 pound bottle without any issue but that had been lying on its side for 10 years or more with the valve open and then the valve removed.

If it is a newer bottle, you have to connect an appliance or at least the male fitting for one. This opens the check valve and allows the gas to escape. I keep a regulator with the hose cut from a curbside propane grill for that.

I cut in mine while filled with water.

Don't start at the bottom, was a big bottle and my drill (was drilling holes in it before cutting, because round corners) needed drying before i could continue

Good Morning,

I made a Socket for my Impact Gun.

Neil

Last year I made a cabinet for the office. The client liked the work. I made two more.

21 hours ago, Gazz said:

I have used a ratchet strap to secure them to a tree or something else unmovable and then used a pipe wrench to remove the valve.

Another option is to fit the pipe wrench to the valve, brace the end of the handle against the ground, and roll the tank.

21 hours ago, Gazz said:

Then you can fill them with water and rinse them out

Adding some chlorine bleach and letting it soak for a couple of hours will help neutralize the mercaptan smell.

On 7/22/2026 at 6:39 AM, Chad J. said:

What's the best way to get ahold of the propane tanks that have been decommissioned?

I've gotten a number of decommissioned/out-of-certification tanks from my welding gas supplier, who knows that I cut them up for various purposes. I've also gotten some for free on FB Marketplace from people who wanted to get rid of them and didn't know how.

Thanks for the tips. I'll be looking into these.

Tonight, I was working on rose stems and several hair pins. Couldn't really focus too well so I locked the claymore blade in a vice and started in a draw filing the edges to get them straight. Looking to get the fuller machined out soon so it'll be ready for heat treat.