jlpservicesinc Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 It's crazy in the area now.. 30 years ago there were scrap yards everywhere with great stock.. Many used to keep metal lathes, bandsaws and other metal working equipment on site for sale at scrap prices.. Today within a 40mile radius of centeral mass there is not one scrap yard I know of that will give a deal.. But first you have to get past the front door.. those days are long gone of going to the scrap yard for metal.. Now you have to know someone who knows someone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Griffin Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 Not so in south Alabama. I can go to any scrap yard and have free run of the place. Most are charging 23 cents a lb. I love digging through scrap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 Nearly all the industry here is gone.. Most scrap now is pretty slim.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Griffin Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 (edited) I hate to hear that. We still have a paper mill and couple of sawmills. We lost most industry years ago when everything was either moving to Mexico or China. [political content removed] I long for the day our factories come back to the U.S.A. Edited January 3, 2020 by Mod34 Political content Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Griffin Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 (edited) 38 minutes ago, Randy Griffin said: I hate to hear that. We still have a paper mill and couple of sawmills. We lost most industry years ago when everything was either moving to Mexico or China. [political content removed] I long for the day our factories come back to the U.S.A. I got warned for telling the truth. Probably won't be the last time. [Mod note: you got warned for including political content in your comment, entirely independent of its substance. This is a violation of IFI’s terms of service, just as swearing and discussions of religion (outside of the Prayer List) are forbidden. If you have an issue with the TOS, take it up with Glenn. If you continue to violate it, you will be moderated. Thank you for your cooperation.] Edited January 3, 2020 by Mod34 Community standards, not censorship Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 This was a commissioned project for a buddy's aquatic themed woodworking bench. A "Leafy Sea Dragon" bracket that will hold a swing out shelf with an oil wick (wood plane lube) and a beeswax block. Learned the Sea Horse scale technique from another smith friend who teaches, added a dragon head and, after months of futzing around trying to make the 'leafy" bits from forged bar stock, I pulled out the Beverly shear and cut them from I guess 20 gauge mild steel sheet? A little shaping in the mini gas forge and some nails for rivets and its done. All the leafy bits took a day once I stopped trying to hard. Swings on the bracketed post that the workbench maker helped to punch the holes in. He's going to weld a plate for the shelf onto the back of the dragon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyGoatLady Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 I'm so far behind all the conversation and commenting on all the wonderful work! Lots of great work. Everyone has been busy. I'll make mine short. Phase 3: the knife. Just forge finished now. Done some cleanup on the fork and spoon. Will get them cleaned good and finished. My first set of cutlery... hopefully I can get them done faster now. And thanks Thomas for your info on about the forks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 Nice work.. here comes Etsy.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 Back 3 decades+ ago there was a bit of a fad in the knifemaker's guild to make eating sets and a lot of top pros made very nice ones indeed! Haven't been following that area for a long time now as I'm more into historical reproduction...I remember how excited I was when I finally found an earlier example than the American Revolutionary war for the "twisted wire" 2 tine fork---the Deutsches Klingen Museum had a Roman example in bronze! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyGoatLady Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 Thanks Jennifer. Nothing like the colonial sets you make. But I was able to keep the handle of it straight by tapping any wobbles over the hardie hole like I saw you do in the video. Didn't do that with the other two pieces. But it worked out great. I should study historical examples in more detail. I just got to hammering and these are what happened. Nothing great, but these are probably my favorite things I've made so far. But I'm intrigued with further study Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Hinsman Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 Nice clean lines on the knife, spoon, and fork CGL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyGoatLady Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 Thank you Owen. I appreciate it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyGoatLady Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 I just found out I have an order for some cutlery from one of my husbands co-workers. My first paid job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 CGL, nice work there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyGoatLady Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 Thanks Billy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 Soon you will be forging stainless! (One of the nice things about doing historical work is being able to avoid stainless.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les L Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 Congratulations on the order CGL! You are doing beautiful work and it is proving the quality when someone wants to buy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasent Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 Congrats cgl! That’s good news Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 CGL. Wow, that is excellent. I wasn't kidding about the Etsy page.. Networking today is a wonderful aspect of sales. While I am not open for sales per say. It can be a great way to fund your habit (hobby) until your sales are good enough to make bank and can take on work as time dictates. I know a guy who is a full time smith making hearts, key chains and bottle openers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted January 4, 2020 Share Posted January 4, 2020 23 hours ago, Michael said: Leafy Sea Dragon Love the leafy sea dragon Michael. Thats a really cool functional work. Cgl, it's hard to keep up with everything here. sometimes there's just time to look when you want to comment. Your eatery turned out great. Nice set. I can only imagine what you can turn out now that you got those under your belt and know more what you are doing. Historical work is great, but so are different, functional art pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyGoatLady Posted January 4, 2020 Share Posted January 4, 2020 Thanks guys! I'm tickled about it. I've heard of people that only make 1 or 2 things and make a living at it. You probably get real good, real quick that way. Now to figure out what to charge Das, I agree. So far in my journey I haven't figured out exactly what I want to do most. I think I'd like to be where I could make anything someone would want. Historical, rustic, finely finished, or what have you. But I do like the freedom of art and making whatever the piece tells me it wants to be. I would like to get some stainless like TP suggests. It's harder to move and it needs to be hotter is what I gather? Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Anyway, I am thrilled that someone is willing to pay for something done. It's a nice feeling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted January 4, 2020 Share Posted January 4, 2020 I've forged stainless that moved fine and was very heat friendly and I've forged some that was really tough to move. Couldn't truely tell you which was which. Can't recall the type I bought for coctail spoons at the moment and other stuff was scrap, so unknown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted January 4, 2020 Share Posted January 4, 2020 any of the low carbon varieties forge like butter.. 300 series and the low 400 series. 409/410. I dislike stainless for forging because of the scale aspect.. It all needs to be removed and then a skim layer removed as well and then polished for rust resistance. Stainless left in scale has micro cracks in the scale itself and will rust in these micro cracks. 300 (308, 316) can be forged, then stripped of scale then cold worked to add hardness to both edges and tines. 409/410 forges about the same but doesn't like cold working as much. It will cold work harden a little faster.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted January 4, 2020 Share Posted January 4, 2020 Not at the forge, but the contractor working on the new addition has a great old worm drive Skill saw, made in the U.S.A. the cord had been cut a long time ago. The saw quit working because the repair to the wire came apart. I took all the old tape off and did a Western Union splice and soldered it together, re-wrapped it all up with electricians tape and it's good to go for another 20 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted January 4, 2020 Share Posted January 4, 2020 My jeep is down again. Imagine that.had to make space in the shop for it. A ton of moving stuff,literally. Lucky enough to have a shop to work in. Done a lot of vehicle work in this little space over the years. Ugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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