I do not know if it is true with all vultures, i do not see why it wouldnt, but turkey vultures can estimate time and speed. Like if you are driving and see them in the road enjoyed a feast they know how long they have to feast before they have to move. 

I like Ravens. We have mocking birds and they are pretty cool to. We have a lot of wood peckers here as well. Had a striped or banded one in my tree not long ago and had to shoo a red head off the eve of my shop last summer. Id you get lucky some time you can see a pileated  

I was out one night with some freinds camping. We had been enjoying adult high proof beverages from Kentucky. I looked up in a tree and saw a flying squirrel. By the time i could say anything and some one else looked it had gone of course and i got made fun of. About 6 months later we took my daughter, who was about 5 or 6, to a nature of Ohio museum. Low and behold there was flying squirrels. I asked and was told that yes indeed they are here, they are pretty rare to see becuase there is not many and they are nocturnal. 

Gewoon, I highly suggest that you do NOT try to make escargot with those.  

We've got LOTS of turkey vultures around here. Amusingly, many of them like to hang out in a large tree overlooking the local golf course, especially when the older retirees are making their rounds.

Finished a little repoussé piece as a farewell present for the director of our Allen Memorial Art Museum, who is leaving for greener pastures. 

This is the museum logo, which turns out to be her design!

Okay, I was wrong. First time you showed us I thought you were showing the back side for some reason.

I don't recall in you said already but what the hey. What's the metal and how thick?

Looks darned good John, it will be a real hit and hold a place of pride on her shelf.

Frosty The Lucky.

Copper roof flashing -- I think it's 22 or 24 gauge? Part of the Great Flashing Haul of 2023.

Ahhhh, I like chasing and repousse on copper.

Good choice.

Frosty The Lucky.

On 11/4/2024 at 1:25 PM, Frosty said:

my belt isn't close enough to anvil height to work anyway

First off - I'd only attach it when it's helping. Similar to how I don't drag out my stand unless I need it. As for anvil height - you make the hook at whatever length is needed for the metal to rest on it at anvil height. The loop on my apron happens to be pretty close to anvil height so my hook is short. But others who have posted in the challenge have had longer stems. Mine will probably live in an apron pocket for easy access. I would guess if I used it on a belt, I'd probably hang it off the forge table or on the rack with other tools.

Gewoon, where does the hole go for mounting? I love the idea of a snail to hold the gardening tools. At least they'd be good for SOMETHING then, lol. I know some of them can be beneficial but I've only mostly encountered the pest variety. I can't complain too much anymore - as I gave up gardening, lol

Billy Bones, I don't remember if you've said - what is this grille intended for? A window maybe? It looks great whatever it's for. You did well with the symmetry.

John, I always enjoy seeing your repoussé work. This is a lovely farewell gift. 

Shainaru, it is the support for one side of a shelf/cabinet i am building. It is going into a dining room to put a microwave, and other various thing in. It will be about 5 feet wide with a cabinet with doors on the bottom, on the right side will be an enclosed wood shelf, the left the shelves will be open with the grills as supports on the ends. Still have to make 2 more grilles, the shelf bracket, the hinges, the corner pieces, and all the bolts and screws to hold it all together. Not to mention cut and finish the wood. My deadline is Christmas or just before, my customer wants it in their home for Christmas dinner. Time is not on my side. 

Tried out the new punch to cut the curlicue on a yarn bowl. 

Addendum: went back over the curlicue with a larger radius punch. As I’d hoped, the concave working surface allowed me to nibble down the length of the curl, making a nice smooth curve that will require less cleanup. 

I’d hoped this would be the case when I first invested in a big hand punch, and my hope appears to have been vindicated. 

Billy Bones  That IS a big project!

Yesterday I was driving the old 1953 M38A1 Jeep to the mail box and noticed it was losing power and missing. Today I checked the spark plugs and 3 of them were normal tan color and gaped .035 when I got to #4 it was fouled up so I cleaned it and found the gap was tighter than it should be. Set the gap to .035 and installed it. Started it and it ran no missing, yea...

Then the Massey Ferguson 255 diesel tractor's exhaust pipe weather cap was not closing tight unless I climbed up on the hood and closed it.

I went in and checked on buying a new one. The most reasonable one I found was $20 + shipping. I then thought to myself...self you are a diesel trained mechanic and blacksmith, I bet you could fix the old one.

I took it off the exhaust pipe and into the shop we went. I found that where it pivots on the body it was bent a little so I straightened it on the anvil with a few taps from a ball peen hammer. I also found the bolt that it pivots on was worn letting it cock to one side so a new bolt was found in my rather large cache of nuts, bolts & washers which fit it like a glove. Back together and it flips open and dropped shut like a new one... another yea when I installed it, started the tractor and it opened fully then when I shut it off it closed tight. Sorry no pictures.

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.~ Semper Paratus

Sometimes it's the little things that are deeply satisfying.

Frosty The Lucky.

Touched up the finish on the tap handles. 

And did some bowl forging. 

I'm looking forward to seeing them on taps in the pub, John. 

Frosty The Lucky.

Good Morning John,

Nice Hard Hats!!  Weld 2 together and you can join in Lawn Bowling    LOL

Knock on Wood!!  LOL

Neil

 

 Out of 1 inch box tubing and expanded metal. Built this shelf for the opposite side of the anvil.  

The other night at work i was looking for and found a piece of steel the same size as my guillotine dies. And it was on the tool steel shelf. So i cut me off a couple pieces, got the mill tooled up, and the wheel set on the grinder and made me a couple tenoning dies. I also cut a couple small peices to try heat treat. Our tool steels are usually either O-1, S-7, or A-2 with a smidge of D-2. This piece was unmarked. Long story short this was not a peice of tool steel, more around a 1018 maybe. I do not know who has done it but i have  mild steel mixed in with my tool steels. My dies did work but had that been for something at work it would have failed miserably. There are times i would like to beat my coworkers about the head and shoulders with a chihuahua. 

Having a place for ready tools or project pieces is nice but I've eliminated every one I've built for my stands, I even take the tong rack off the far side enough times I just hang them on the forge. I guess my question here is, Do you ONLY work one side of your anvil Lary? Maybe make a shelf that can be installed or removed quickly and easily?

Ain't that the way of it Billy? Working with large groups means "guys" who just don't pay attention or don't think things matter. When I burned rod for a living I ran into "welders" who thought steel is steel and stainless rod is always best. Some of these guys had many years more "experience" than I. Now everybody "knows" mig is better most of which don't know the difference between GMAW and MIG. 

I believe beating them with a chihuahua is unduly harsh . . . on the chihuahua. Fire ants on the other hand barely have a nervous system so dusting offenders with a couple hundred should serve. 

Of course that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

Frosty The Lucky.

Killed all the mildew on my apron with multiple applications of diluted bleach and made new straps:

 Basically a wide yoke that sits comfortably on the shoulders and a salvaged belt across the lower back:

The penannular brooch is both decorative and functional (mostly decorative):

 And there’s a built-in sheath for my pointer (for use when teaching):

And my old French ammo pouch (for my iPhone) fits nicely on the belt:

I still plan to condition the leather with a mixture of mink oil (for flexibility and water resistance) and tea tree oil (to keep the mildew from coming back), but at least the sewing is done. 

(NB: On the recommendation of Carl West from Prospect Hill Forge, I determined the location for the sheath by jabbing at the apron with the pointer as if putting it away, and then sewing the sheath on top of the scratches.)

Looks like  you're revived your apron pretty well John and I certainly appreciate the list of straight lines. First being about proving you're a blacksmith by taking selfies with a mirror. Secondly I (sort of) wonder what you're pointing out to students with your pointer . . . there?

The ammo pouch phone case looks good, keeps it handy and provides armor, thermal and impact, abrasion, etc. 

The shoulder straps look a LOT more comfortable than mine. I especially like the brooch I'll have to think of a place for one on my apron. 

All in all, it looks pretty good.

Frosty The Lucky.

Got the last 2 side pieces of my cabinet/shelf thing done. Now on to the hinges. 

And yes i know, still need to clean up my shop. 

I'm sure looking forward to seeing the finished cabinet shelf thing. 

Cleaning is what helpers are for and the shop master gets to enjoy the benefits of pointing and directing. Win win.

Frosty The Lucky.

Billy, that's coming together quite nicely! 

Nice work on the apron, John

I've been working on a "Christmas Themed Item" which is the trade item for the FSBC November meeting. I decided on a candle holder that looks like curling ribbon. The ribbon will be silver. The bowls holding the candle stick cups were originally intended to look like unfolded wrapping paper but I'm not sure I pulled that off so I just painted them black as well. So in the end, this can also serve well for a New Year decoration. 

I'll post a staged picture tomorrow after the paint dries but here are a few in progress pics for now. 

 

I have trolled this thread since I joined... never having anything really to post. 

A couple of weeks ago the cheap plastic clips that hold out dog gate broke. 

I thought... HECK time to forge... crude as they are I am so happy with them.

In hindsight, a little file work would have been nice BUT they work.

I got trapped by the fiddle with something too much you make it work syndrome. 

when i realized it, I took a step back and went back to basics.

2 90 degree bends to make the hooky part.  (hopefully the picture does it justice)

 

This weekend in when rain stopped progress on the A Frame metal Rack, 

I grabbed this scrap metal, it is some type of agricultural piece.  

Very rusty.  I cut rods out and practiced hammer control, trying to turn round to square. 

I had a ton of fun!!!

ARMY