Sometimes that is the best thing to do.

24 minutes ago, bluerooster said:

I just put it down, and raked out the fire.

 

 

Had a friend's son in law come over and I introduced him to smiting today.   Had him make an S hook, bottle opener, and for fun a spike knife.  Really hit home how far I've come being able to help him figure out what needed to be done.  Very long way to go though on this journey 

Teaching session today. 

Gandalfgreen making nails:

Eva finished her spoon:

And I made one as well:

Fantastic.. Beautiful spoon..  Good job JHCC getting them schooled up right. 

I think Gg would have been happy to spend another several more hours making nails, but we ran out of propane!

Eva did a good job on her spoon. Was it her first one?

Eva got a really good bowl shape to the spoon. Well done. And good on Gg knocking out nails. I love making spoons. Nails, not as much.

Yup, that was her first. She’s been wanting to make a spoon since day one. 

Great job working with them and teaching the trade. They did very good.

Now to repeat the good bowl shape and make different fancy handles. 

Its always tricky for me to make good matching handles for a spoon And fork, let alone an eating knife on top of that. 

The fancier and more matched the set the more desirable they seem to be. As far as actual forging of the forks, the two tine is tricky enough let alone a 3 tine fork. 

Eva's spoon came out very well! 

Gandalf: Move your left hand farther up the stock, you're way out of position. All stretched out like that makes it harder to be accurate with the hammer. If the rod is too hot to hold any closer cool it off a wet rag is good. Just be REALLY careful not to grab HOT steel with a piece of wet anything, it hurts less to touch it with bare flesh than a steam scald. 

The closer you can hold the stock to where you're hitting it the more secure and better control you have. 

Making nails is great for hammer control and they're marketable. Just remember to charge enough to make them cringe. . . While they pay you.

Frosty The Lucky.

 

Went over to JHCC todays to learn some basics and observe. was able to watch him and his student make spoons as I practiced nails. I got 2 done and 1 about done before we had to call it a day. it was an excellent experience and not that I am showing of some piece of art but here are pieces 2 and 3 ever made by me. cant quiet center the head yet so both are doghead so to say not that I was trying for that lol. overall I am pleased luke I said I just learning. right side nail 1 left side nail 2

John I would have made nails until you said stop haha I was in another world and at peace. i dont get that at my job always gogogo. and I meed to move my thumb as well as like Frosty said choke up on the stock.

When ya run out of gas, you fire up the solid fuel forge 

 

First tongs and leaf key ring, suggestions and criticism welcomed.

51 minutes ago, Daswulf said:

When ya run out of gas, you fire up the solid fuel forge 

Have to find it first! 

Haywood, Great start! 

John, i get it. Could say it is all around us lol. 

One thing I had planned to do this weekend was to shift the moveable flue for the solid fuel forge over to the other side of the garage, making it a lot more accessible when needed. Alas, I tweaked something in my lower back, so that plan went by the board. Still an option for a later date, though.

Nice work, Haywood. Are those slot-jaw tongs? From scratch, or from Ken's? Either way, they look good and should serve you well.

I have trouble with nail heads too. Keep at it, looking good. Nice job Haywood.

I didn't finish anything this session and I am learning its okay to put it aside for later. I used to rush to finish a project.

I did however start a few Christmas presents and a straight peen hammer that currently weighs 2.6 pounds. Started as a 4.5” piece of 1-3/4” round 1045. Lots of heats. Lots of fun. Thanks for looking

1 hour ago, JHCC said:

From scratch, or from Ken's? Either way, they look good and should serve you well.

Yes slot jaw from Ken's,I used them to make the leaf keyring.

Gandalfgreen, Rojo Pedro  If you have trouble drawing out the nail shaft, then practice drawing out.  You do not need a 4-5 inch shaft for every nail, as 1-2 inches work for practice and where short nails are needed.  

The nail head should be about 1-1/2 times the diameter of the parent stock.  Place it in the header and give it a heavy, well centered whack.  Well centered takes some aim and some practice.  A second well centered whack may be needed to reduce the thickness or better center the hail head.  Hit with the hammer head tilted a bit, hit the nail head from 4 different directions, North, South, East, and West, resulting in 5 flat surfaces and a decorative nail head.

So while I was making that fire poker this weekend I realized I’ve gotten in the habit of holding my hammer with my thumb up in line with the handle. I keep thinking I remember someone, either on here or in some YouTube video, saying that this grip is bad for some reason and my thumb should be wrapped around…any truth to this? If so I have to get rid of a bad habit now before it gets much harder to do so. I feel like I have more control with my thumb up though…

 

I swung a hammer professionally for a good part of my earlier years and have always wrapped my thumb.

I have seen small hammers used with the forefinger along the handle but the thumb just seems weird and how can you really put major force into the hammer blow without full wrappage of the thumb and pinky finger?  Nice hammer by the way

You don't want your thumb behind the handle where the rebounding hammer pushes it backward, but I alternate having my thumb on the side of the handle pointing up (for lighter work) and wrapped around the handle (for heavier hammering). There is debate over which way is "better".

(this thread goes a little all over the place IIRC, but that's par for the course )

 

Cool, thanks guys. 

Didn’t get a photo yesterday, but I also finished painting the horseshoe pumpkin.