jlpservicesinc Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 Shabumi, That there is wise words and a great description.. An art teacher said nearly those same words to me back in high school.. It is also one of the methods that can be used to start wrought iron work (gates, railings and such) with scrolls and such.. I never came close to have the level of ability to see like you described with those lines an the object being revealed.. But I sure do understand it.. I've always worked the other way around.. With knowing what something looks like and then forging it.. Not very artistic but that is why I'm a "trade" smith vs artist.. I leave that stuff up to guys like you, Das and Aus.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 18 hours ago, Mudman said: jlpservicesinc: Looks great, is it weird that the handle made me crave spaghetti? Yeah, you're weird alright but I made spaghetti last night too. Spaghetti mmmmmmmmmm. 1 hour ago, Shabumi said: All my doodles tend to turn into creatures... sci-fi, fantastic, or real Here's something to tickle your mind's eye and a glimpse into why your recent doodle appeals to me so much. Slag linked me to the recent discoveries, notably the BBC articles. https://www.livescience.com/65048-new-cambrian-fossil-bed-china.html There is a lot of surfing some of the artist's renditions are very metal artable. Hallucinigenia being high on the list. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 Sand worm of course! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shabumi Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 Jlp, Don't be so modest. You may not see the abstract, or do sculptures, but your work is very artistic, IMHO. I'm at the point with iron/steel where I'm still trying to make it into what I want first. Once I get that down I'll try reading it to see what it wants to be. If I ever manage to get into a welding class I'd love to start scrap art, but every time I sign up there is a waiting list of 20-30 people ahead of me. I'm headed into town near the community college tomorrow, so I'll stop by and see when sign up starts for next semester to see if I can catch it early. Frosty, wow, there are some interesting 'alien' creatures there, I can see how my doodle reminds you of them. It reminds me of a Michael Crichton(I think) book where they found an alien in the ice that turned out to be a ancient sea dwelling wood louse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 The engravings of naturalist Ernst Hæckel can be a great source of inspiration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 Shabumi---like the Socorro Isopods? Water Dwelling wood lice found only in 1 hot spring now---that I know of... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelonian Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 Turns out I waited too long to go to Tractor Supply and stock up on anthracite for the summer. They're done carrying it for the season. I guess it's back to bituminous coal for me, unless I can find a different source of anthracite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 There are a bunch of places.. Stove place in Shrewsbury I think it is.. There is the Coal yard in Braintree mass.. Aubuchon hardware can order it.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoMike Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 finished the draw knife I started last fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudman Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 Didnt have much time today, but I did manage to get one tong blank done. Had a cold shut that I foolishly ignored, but I'll try to grind it out. I've forged 3/4 down in size plenty of times, but never for the length of what would be reigns. Boy was it a workout. Still a little sloppy, but I'm pleased with what I think will be my second successful tongs from scratch. Got this done in about 2.5 hours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelonian Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 Thanks Jennifer! I hadn't heard of the stove place in Shrewsbury, but from the website, I think they might only sell it by the pallet. There is a farmers exchange that I think sells anthracite, I'll find out tomorrow if they still have some this time of year. Nice looking drawknife, MotoMike! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudman Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 Is anthracite normally a seasonal thing? I've never attempted to buy any, or coal for that matter. but it does interest me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 It's generally sold for home heating and in much of the USA that is a seasonal thing; I've turned off the propane to my casita's furnace already for example. The trick is to make a deal with the person who runs the store to clear out the last of the anthracite in the spring at a cut rate price. Everyone wins and you have coal for smithing---given that you like using anthracite---not my favorite! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAG Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 : Tractor Supply sells most of their anthracite coal to folks who use it for space heating. (for houses, shops etc.). That heating does not happen in the late spring or summer. So they sell off their stock and reorder/restock in the fall. I have chanced upon an end of season sale and stocked up. They will fill a large order at other times of the year. I have read that some stores offer the coal, year-round. So it may be a good idea to contact them for that information. Try telephoning instead impersonal e-mail. You will increase your chances of a contact by doing so. Regards, to all fellow iron bangers. SLAG. p.s. Drats Mr. Powers, you have scooped me yet again! I must learn to type faster p.p.s. T.P., has emphatically stated and I quote, (… using anthracite not my favorite …). Question do you Texas/New Mexico fellows make use of the abundant cow chips for smithing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudman Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 ah, I didn't know people still use it for home heating, being in California, I don't even use a heater. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shabumi Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 TP, close, but in the story it was a meter long. Look up giant isopod and you'll see what it turned out to be. It may not have been Crichton, but it read like him. A mix of fact and fiction, with some government conspiracy mixed in for good measure. Moto, that drawknife looks nice, I would like to see how it works out. Mudman, the jaw and boss are really clean(besides the cold shut) now to make another one exactly like it... Without the cold shut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudman Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 Shabumi: haha I'll do my best. Cold shut happened when I was setting down my 45, but I'm finding it's too much. So I tried correcting it with another set down at a better angle, then got the cold shut. Foolishness got the best of me, should have corrected it sooner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 Tractor Supply anthracite not available in California or Arizona. If anyone has recently purchased it in either of these states, I will be utterly shocked. Robert Taylor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 On 3/26/2019 at 11:23 PM, Chelonian said: Thanks Jennifer! I hadn't heard of the stove place in Shrewsbury, but from the website, I think they might only sell it by the pallet. Your welcome, Jeds in Holden, Hardwick farmers Co-op in hardwick mass.. There are certainly sources it just means traveling a bit or having to have them order it.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Kerr Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 6 hours ago, Mudman said: ......one tong blank done. ...... I've forged 3/4 down in size plenty of times, but never for the length of what would be reigns. Boy was it a workout. Nice work Mudman! Look great and nice and neat as far as I can see. I feel your pain- I learnt to do this from 16mm square bar last week and it certainly is a workout! ..... now you have to do the second of the pair! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 On 3/26/2019 at 11:33 PM, ThomasPowers said: It's generally sold for home heating and in much of the USA that is a seasonal thing; I've turned off the propane to my casita's furnace already for example. Thomas you just might have that winning personality.. Here, larger chain stores would rather have a lack than extra at the end of the season so many will sell out before the season is even over.. They figure they will need 100tons so will order 70... the smaller Mom and Pop stores are gone so that deal at the end of the season is really tough to find.. I"m not saying its impossible but 100miles there are probably 50 stores that carry or can order coal.. But today business is business and some will even hold it over verses sell it for less.. Where you can find a deal is broken bags or broken tons.. But most is gone by now.. Mudman, nice job on the tongs.. That is a famous place for cold shuts so your not alone.. Once you start to form the boss /pivot you are locked in.. control the area by upsetting it back or adjusting the pivot/boss. Any other way will create a cold shut.. Same thing when setting the Jaw.. If you do pull of material and notice it will create the cold shut you can hot rasp it or grind it before continuing.. MotoMike - nice job on the draw knife.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoot Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 Morell Metalsmiths in Colrain, MA. will sell coal by the bucket/s (bring your own). Call first. Nice ride out there. Scoot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 Scoot, only Soft coal. Not hard.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 Shabumi; did you ever notice how close Socorro is to the Trinity Site? They run a bus out there on the two days a year it's open...My local water supply fails radionuclides from time to time. You can write the story from there...oh also there is 20+ miles of underground tunnels in a local mine too... As for making end of year deals; it helps making a human to human connection. We used to buy bookcases that way, the kits were only stocked in winter; but several years in a row we would buy all they had left on 1/2 price sale and buy the display "put together & finished" ones too. Large chain store in Columbus Ohio. Out here in small town America store managers will often try to help folks out. Slag; abundent cow chips? Out where I live the carrying capacity is 5 cows per 640 acres; they're spread pretty good. I do plan to try it out sometime just to say I've done so. I would like to try with peat as well. Bellows, Side blast, adobe forge of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 I tried moose pellets once to say I'd done it and it worked okay, harder light than charcoal and lasted about the same. Good size and pretty clean but a hassle collecting. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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