What did you do in the shop today?

[Jobtiel1]

Glenn and frosty, thanks for the tips, I like the idea to put stuff on wheels. But I don't have that much in terms of machinery, so it would just be anvil, vise, and forge on wheels. Most of my stuff is in hand tools, for woodworking too. Speaking of which, tomorrow I'm checking out some woodwork tools my grandma has, from the picture she sends it looks like tools to make wooden shoes.

Once I move out, the shop will still be a general work space, just the blacksmithing corner will be gone.

In terms of building a shop that I can move in it's entirety, houses with backyards are expensive around here, so the most likely prospect for a new shop would be a garage box, unfortunately, I don't think I can just shove a wooden structure in there ;).

And moving in a year is a positive outlook, I think with the way my brother moved out, it's at least 2 years working before I can find a decent place to live.

~Jobtiel

[JHCC]

Gave Gandalfgreen his first smithing lesson. He did well. 

[George N. M.]

Frosty, "leaving feet first" is an old euphemism for your remains being carried out on the way to the undertaker which is exactly what I was trying to convey.  Also, we are very satisfied with this house and Laramie.  one of the reasons we selected it is that it is almost all on one floor and there comes a time when stairs are not your friend.  Our old house in Ft. Morgan is a 1907 4-square with all the dedicated bedrooms upstairs.  I have fallen down those stairs twice and not been seriously injured and I don't want to try for a 3d time.  Once, I was sleep walking (Ambien is NOT your friend if you have stairs) and once was due to a knee giving way unexpectedly.

We have done major divesting for this move and it has not been fun.  I have had to get rid of a LOT of books and that is like getting rid of your children.

BTW, you can travel feet last in the backward facing seats on commuter trains and shoulder first if you are sitting on the benches in some buses and rapid transit or standing on a crowded train or bus.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[Ted Ewert]

Hondowalker; good job anyway. Who doesn't need a good rock hammer. What kind of steel did you use? 

I've been tooling up to make my first hammer. I hate to admit it, but I really like fiberglass handles with a rubber grip. My knuckles are messed up and I have a hard time holding on to wooden handles. 

I guess I'll have to order a handle and make some drifts to match. 

[Gandalfgreen]

So today the gracious JHCC invited me to his shop and introduced me to my first day in a shop and actually putting hammer to metal. I had the greatest time and cant wait to complete everything for my work area now. He showed me how to dress my hammer then taught me the very basics to make a S hook. Here is how I did any feedback I will take I want to learn and thanks to JHCC.

[Frosty]

I was just poking foolishment at you George. I got a talking to about it when I was a kid when I pointed out nobody carried a casket feet first and I've taken a couple ambulance rides I remember and I was always loaded head first. 

I didn't think it through either, I've ridden in the rear facing seats on trains and the public bus when I was without wheels. I've never ridden standing up. 

I'm just a wise acre and our final time is better met with humor than dread. No? 

I expect we'll be looking to move in not to many years, the stairs are wearing on us and I don't think I can take too many falls, I'm sure I'd break it with my head. I've been threatening myself about going through the thousands of books I have boxed up in the basement and picking some of the specials to keep. I want to keep my paleontology texts and some of the other hard science books. Heck, my D&D books are worth money if I wanted to sell them! 

Every time I stick my head in the basement Deb starts talking about all MY stuff we can get rid of. <sigh>

That's a pretty good first project GandalfG. The finial scroll on the bottom in the picture is the better proportioned. The taper is more even so the finial turned more evenly and smoothly. Can you see what I'm talking about? The upper one is good but the bottom one is considerably better.

Next time you make a S hook, if John is willing to go along with me on this, Try making the twist BEFORE tapering the ends for the hooks. You don't want to twist the whole length, just well into the beginning of the taper. When you taper it the transition from twist to smooth tapered hook will be more seamless. There won't be that little: not twisted, not straight, not tapered spot between shank and hook. 

Or try it later . . . maybe. 

Frosty The Lucky.

 

[Gandalfgreen]

Thanks Frosty yes i do see what you mean but most of the twist is blacksmith error in learning. My twist was off from begining. I had a twist in it to begin from improper 90 degree turns during my begining steps. Learned from it and also took a little too long on the twist so metal was cooler then should be and I also twisted the opposite way of the twist i had created all factoring into that as well. But I do see how twisting first could help but I think I need to improve my hammer strikes so dont ruin the twist if did before. This is all just me thinking out loud. Thanks for input frosty and jhcc again. I want to swing my hammer as I sit here thinking hahahahah I'm addicted.

[JHCC]

We also started with round bar, so tapering the end for the hook and squaring the center for the twist were combined operations. Part of the problem is that the center section was somewhat tapered, and the thicker end was in the vise. If it had been the other way around, I think the twist might have come out a bit more even.

Twisting before tapering is an interesting idea, but let’s get your hammer control better first. Don’t want a stray hit banging up the twist. 

That said, Gandalfgreen did great for a totally raw first-timer. Lot of potential here. 

[Gandalfgreen]

Haha very true round bar to start I imagine can twist round bar but very hard too. But I understand what yeah both saying. 

[Frosty]

You started with . . . round bar. . . Nevermind. 

I wasn't critiquing your twist, even twists are NOT easy though if John had gotten his spiffy new torch out it would've been easier.

I was only suggesting a method of transitioning from a twisted section to an untwisted section. 

That's a great first go on the anvil, you'll be turning out eye candy in no time.

Frosty The Lucky.

[JHCC]

I like to throw ‘em in the deep end!

[Gandalfgreen]

Critiques I dont mind thick skin wont offend me if its junk its junk if it's good it's good. I posted to get as much feedback as possible every point of view can teach me something. I had an excellent time absorbed as much info as I could and tried to do my best. Was timid with striking I am use to using a knife so movements I feel affected how I was striking and holding and even standing to begin. Then I was shown the proper way and feel like I improved. More time I spend now using hammer and repeating the motions just like with a chef knife the more fluid I will get and muscle will remember excited to strike hot metal again. First time I did better then I thought I would and now want more. 

[Frosty]

You didn't do anything to critique. I only pointed out a couple things to compare. It's not crap, not by a long shot and I'm not blowing happy smoke.

I just calls em like I sees em.

Frosty The Lucky.

 

[Donal Harris]

On 6/26/2021 at 4:27 PM, alexandr said:

Are you about this Jimny?

This one on top. The bottom one is a 1975 with a totally removable top. I suppose that would be great on a good day, but they leaked pretty bad. Removing just the back half is a good compromise. 
 

Newer models get better gas mileage and are more dependable, but are more complicated and harder to work on. 
 

That white Suzuki and your black one remind me of the Suzuki Samurai which was insanely popular for a few years here in the States. At first you could never find them in stock, but they were prone to roll over and that made them much less popular. Your big truck isn’t one we could purchase here as far as I know. I am not sure if it is due to tariffs or some other sort of protectionism, but not everything available elsewhere in the world is available here. Even US car companies have models for sale in other markets which we cannot purchase in the States. 

[Gandalfgreen]

Well the info you supplied I am greatful for.

[Ted Ewert]

Hey Frosty, my mother always joked that the only way anyone was going to get her out of the house she loved was feet first. She passed at home with her family by her side. We made sure the ambulance crew took her out feet first.

[Frosty]

You're a class act Ted. I'll bet your Mother was famous for her sense of humor to honor her so. 

My Mother had a terrific sense of humor and was frighteningly quick. When she passed my sister and I were having trouble getting the salesman at the funeral home to stop trying to sell us services. He even went so far as to say they would hold her body until we'd made a selection.

Oh no smarty boy you ARE NOT holding our Mother's body ransom! Shannon went rigid and she started taking deep breaths. The storm was rolling in and smug boy was the lightning rod. I said, "Hey Shan, we'll just take her with and buy that boat we saw for sale by the Columbia river the other day. We can pack it full of wood her favorite books and knick knacks and lay her in the house. We'll set her loose at the mouth of the Columbia on an ebb tide and set it on fire. I think she'd love a proper Viking funeral. 

She stood up and said, "YES let's take her now!" She listed a number of friends and relatives that'd love to hold a beach bash wake for her and we both stood there ignoring the sputtering salesman.

Then he says, "You can't remove her from the facility!" We swung on him like gun turrets. 

"You going to STOP US? Do we HAVE to call the police and TV NEWS?" I forget the TV news agency that was always looking for public interest stories. The evil funeral home holding two grieving children's beloved departed Mother hostage for a high dollar service that went against her expressed wishes. Holy Moly did he come around to just cremation.

A week later we had to stop by to remind them they were NOT to delay, they were already in breach of contract, we'd made Mr. smug add a clause about performing the cremation immediately and without delay. Shannon brought a friend, an attorney and he simply said NOW! We stayed to see her casket loaded and the fires lit. 

Shannon and I both think Mother's a little disappointed at not getting the Viking funeral. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[Pat Masterson]

Gandalfgreen that’s a pretty good first forging session in my opinion. Keep at it. 
 

No actual forging for me this weekend but I did finally get my post vise in which I am incredibly excited about. Couldn’t do any heavy stuff with it as the cement needs some time and I need bigger bolts but just using it to grind way my awful welds on this coat rack thing showed me just how useful it’s really going to be. Rack was a mother’s day present - little late but she still liked it. 
 

[Gandalfgreen]

Thanks Pat apreciate that. Cant wait get at it again. Post vice is gorgeous that's what I have been hunting for but really hard to find or too exspensive for me right now. And rack is beautiful too. 

[ThomasPowers]

Ohio has been one of the best places in the USA to find postvises.  I used to see them in piles at fleamarkets. Won't be the cheapest option but Quad-State will have plenty! (Bought my last keeper vise there as it was definitely a robustus type and that is what I wanted for my "border casita shop".)

My first car to drive: 1966 Volkswagen 1300 model, about 50 hp as I recall.  My first car to own: 1968 Ford Country Sedan station wagon, 368 ci engine IIRC and you could sit on  either fender with your legs in the engine compartment and serve lunch on top the air cleaner!  It would hold a 4'x8' sheet of plywood with the tailgate closed too.

Now a 2004 Toyota Tacoma with 97.5K miles, only a 4 cylinder.  I had to down shift because the head winds from the storms were so strong driving back home yesterday.  Guess I've naturalized out here, while fighting the wind and the torrential rains all I could think of was "I sure hope we're getting some of this at home!" (We haven't had .01" of rain in *months* and weeks of temps in 100+ degF. Even the weeds aren't growing---save over the septic tank leach field...)

Supposed to get the transformer and meter set for my shop this week.  Hope the rains don't mess that up!

Shop work: went down to my Mothers and did minor household repair all the folks down there couldn't do----jobs that took less than 2 minutes!  Took them longer to botch their way around the problem than fixing it did.

 

[Gandalfgreen]

Yeah I have heard that but havent seen one yet lol but have not been to that event yet either. I'll get lucky one these days

[JHCC]

My first car was a 1984 Ford Escort that I traded with a neighbor for a chair I'd made. After it got totaled in an unfortunate encounter with some black ice and a rock outcrop, I got a 1981 Saab 900 Turbo that remains one of my favorite cars and that was the vehicle I had when I moved to New York City in 1992. I was trying to sell it (since you don't really need a car in NYC) when I got pulled over by the NYPD who thought I was driving a stolen car. As it turned out, they were right, but early: someone stole it off the street two days later. 

[ThomasPowers]

GrandDaft the moldy;  I expect to drive 1500 miles each way to attend Quad-State this year;  hope to see you there!

 

[Gandalfgreen]

I want to need to figure out the dates and make sure no events at work and save money to get in. Have seen a few posts about it on here since I joined.

[ThomasPowers]

Anybody local you could carpool with?  Camping onsite can really hold down costs too.