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What did you do in the shop today?


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Need to get more vertical in the shop. I change a big bench for this smaller and more practical one. The crate goes into the bottom part. All scrap raw materials.

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Tried to make a corkscrew just to see if I'm capable to make one. It took long enough, but hopefully that's gonna change :) As the design, too. Stock was car coil spring.

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Finished the cupping tool I started a while back.

(Helpful hint: if you have no top ball fuller but you do have a rounding hammer, use the latter as the former, but strike it with a soft hammer. I have a wrought iron stonemason's hand sledge that worked a treat.)

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Forged a little dog head, modeled after my pit bull Lola.

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Little Lola meets Big Lola:

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Forged a distal taper into a kitchen knife, hardened, and tempered it.

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Thursday I made a quick little display for the fair I had Saturday, and finished both of the knives I was working on.

Saturday was the fair and I did great! I sold twice as much as I did last time, with a total of $801! and about another $100 in orders, and possibly two demos.

Today I tried doing some Damascus. Went well, though the pattern wasn't how I expected it. I started with 28 layers of band saw blade and pallet strapping. Forge welded solid and drawn out square. did a cube twist and folded over. then was forge welded and used a top fuller to forge in some depressions. cut that in half and took a piece of left over cable Damascus and formed it into it. then forge welded that. I will try and get pics tomorrow.

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Wow, Mark! Congratulations! That's a very remarkable (:)) fair display and income.

I've wanted that sort of grey timber board you use for vertical display for a long time. Did you find the wood for it or have you treated it somehow to that colour?

Also that PW knife is awesome!

Bests:

Gergely

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Greetings Mark,

       Super nice work and a great display. Its no wonder you did well with your sales your work is over the top . And a bladesmith too..  Keep this up and you will qualify for the youngest curmudgeon. 

Forge on and make beautiful things 

Jim

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You're work is awesome! I had no idea you were so young, you far surpass my "skills"!
Keep up the good work, I can't imagine how great you'll be when your my age!

I like the rain gauges, where do you find the glass? That seems like a project I could handle! :)

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I wish I had some something worthy to say of your work but it's been covered pretty well already. You're a far better smith than I was before the accident Mark and I expect you'll be known as one of the greats before long. ESPECIALLY as young as you are! 

Great booth, filled tip top with outstanding work. It's not surprising you did well at the show and have commissions on the books.

Makes me happy to know you. I'll be able to tell people I knew Mark when he was but a pup. :)

Frosty The Lucky.

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That pic was when I was setting up, so I had A TON more stuff!

I used a old fence panel for that vertical display that people were throwing out that had blown over. I would think ya'll got that over there, but who knows, maybe ya'll are "free range Europeans". :D

The handle wood on the Damascus knife is Pau Ferro, I love that stuff! The other one is Zapata. Just some cheap stuff I got in a handle scale lot on eBay a while back.

The glass on for the rain gauges is just  something from Walmart. The thing is that, with out the rain gauge the spiral looks terrible 'cause it is in even, but with the gauge they look decent enough to put on the table.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, everybody!!

We had our dog put down today, so that really dampened today. It was the worst. she was the best dog i have ever knew, the sweetest thing ever. she was 14 and had cancer, and was in poor shape because of that. just really sad. It makes it hard to come home with out her here to great you. Really hard.

Because of that I had to forge, just had to get myself together. I forged a Brian Brazeal hot cut, which turned out too small. then i started another one that should fit properly. I was surprised with how quick they take! I came back inside in a much better mood, Blacksmithing truly is therapeutic. Maybe i should hold "therapy sessions". it would be really interesting to see the person's face when they show up to the shop. Ok, I'll stop, its getting a little weird....

If anyone knows somebody or is that person who has an anvil with a hardy hole that is 5/8-3/4" than let me know and I'll give this to you, i don't have a use for it. It is just about 3/4 one way, and about a mm smaller than 3/4" the other way, so it would work best if yours was a little smaller than 3/4" square. if you are wanting me to send you this so that you can sell it and get a few bucks, keep walking. Keep walking till you find the employment office. I have no respect for people like that. I am doing this to help someone in the world of blacksmithing, not put money in your pocket. I would prefer if this person is someone who is serious about blacksmithing, not someone who does it only once every few months.

In Loving memory of Lilly, we will miss you. And no this picture she is not dead.

 

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You can use a piece of square tube or angle iron to bring down the size of the hardy hole. Just bend some tabs out to keep it from falling down the hole. 

true. But I probably wont bother with that. I don't really even need to make myself a new hardy, cause I already got one that fits, but just kinda felt like it. and also since i already have started making another one, more the reason. I don't mind helping out another smith and giving that one away.

                                                                                                                      Littleblacksmith.

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Sorry to hear about your dog. I know how you feel. I've lost three of 'em. It always feels like having a dog wasn't worth the pain of letting them go, until the next puppy giveaway comes along. Give it a little time, and then get a new one. I've made just as many memories with Asher as I have with the rest of my dogs.

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I'll give my anvil a few taps for Lilly. Letting your dog go is hard Mark, bitter hard but it's part of the deal. For loving us their whole life they deserve release when it's time. I've been there more times than I like to count but when I read something from someone who can do the right thing I take some time and remember dogs I've lived with. 

If you have a Kindle you might want to read, "Lilly And The Octopus." It's quirky, sad, joyous, moving and more. Well worth sticking with all the way thorough. I can't say anymore without giving too much away. This Lilly is a Dachshund and the author captures Doxyness pretty well.

Frosty The Lucky.

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Sorry for your lose Mark.  Losing a family dog is such a hard thing.  It's always amazing how attached you get to them.  The one thing that makes me feel better is I like to think that all of the dogs I have had over the years will be at heavens gate waiting for me, tails wagging happy to see me.

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7 hours ago, Michael Cochran said:

Remind those of us that don't recall, how old are you? I ask because I feel it's a good example to show that someone of the younger generations can do with a little patience and lots of practice. 

Check Mark's profile and you can work it out! This boy has wisdom well beyond his years. Not to mention his skills.

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