What did you do in the shop today?

[Chimaera]

Das, I much prefer yours. The first one looks like a distorted ampersand, whereas yours have the beautiful scrolls and curls I’d expect from a treble clef necklace.

[BillyBones]

21 hours ago, Frosty said:

the person to talk to is the secretary/receptionist.

There is truth, they do indeed know everything that is going on. 

You are also right, the owner dont care and usually dont know. I just thought it kind of comical, tickled my strange sense of humor. 

12 hours ago, Daswulf said:

Second and third photos are my designs

Das, i agree with everyone else, yours are much better. 

[Daswulf]

Thanks Chimaera. I thought the example was a bit more crude. She had said she wished she had bought more when those were available but she seems thrilled with the picture I sent of my design. 

Thomas I was thinking of brass brushing them. Ill brush a few extras. 

Thanks Billy.

[ThomasPowers]

Das, Have you done one in heavy copper ground wire?  It's hot forgeable as long as you keep it below melting and don't let it absorb too much oxygen.

I once picked up several rolls of the stuff from a ReStore; US$5 a roll IIRC; marked Montgomery Wards, so pretty much an antique!  I'll be teaching a SCA penannular brooch class using some of it in a couple of weeks.

Please note than when working copper there is NO length where you can hold it in a bare hand!

[Daswulf]

I have not. If I can locate some (probably have some buried somewhere here)  I'll have to give it a try. Good point on the holding of it. I might have had a warm or painful reminder if you didn't mention it. 

I need to get out to my local restore. Haven't visited in a while. Hopefully they still have some cut nails. They are great for welding projects. 

[ThomasPowers]

The charm of several ReStores I have been too has been the erratic pricing; some things being priced higher than new; others way cheaper than they should be. I try to visit every now and then and sometimes hit a WCTTSB.  I got my spiral seamed duct work 10" and 12" x 10' for my forge chimney when they were having a moving sale and so it was almost free.  That and the heavy copper grounding wire have been my best finds there.  Unfortunately it's about 80 miles away so I can't visit often.  (I bought extra chimney---just in case!)

I have also found a matching towel bar to the ones we have in the master bathroom and so was able to install it right by the shower to mirror the one my wife uses.  His and Her towels are a good thing in a marriage!  (I once pointed out that she had a beige towel by the sink I wash up in when I come in from the shop, not a good idea---it's navy blue now!)

[Daswulf]

I've noticed the erratic pricing as well. For a while they had some smaller rusty chisels punches and star drills cheap. Another time I visited they were above my paying price and more cheaply found at fleamarkets. The more I have of something the lower my purchasing price goes. 

If you know what your looking at and prices there are still deals to be found, and its easy enough to pass on the non deals.

[Les L]

Das, the copper wire will work harden when worked cold, heat it and dip in water to soften it again if you need to work it cold. 

[ThomasPowers]

Except for any tapering of the ends, a Clef shouldn't need annealing.  Simple bends.

[Stash]

I’ve been playing with a small dish idea, something for keys and other doodads. Starting stock in steel is 4x4” +/- in both 3/16” and 3/8”, the copper is 4x4” x 1/4” worked cold and annealed as needed. I used the cross pien hammer as well as heavy fullering on the press. Front right dish is the first I did, now I’m starting to play a bit. I’m also thinking of scaling it up some. We’ll see.

Steve

[TBinKC]

Worked on this Barn Door off and on since spring. Real Rivets (burned some wood) handmade hardware. 

It covers up a standard outside door and is +/- 48" X 90" The wood is Cumaru sealed with clear oil sealer.

[Daswulf]

I like em Steve. They would make nice larger candle holders/plates as well. They would be fine as is or it wouldn't take much to add a candle spike and rivet on a handle to get fancier with them. 

 

Nice (heavy duty) looking door TB.  

[ThomasPowers]

TBinKC; all that door needs is an "Area 51" door tag!   The European Southern Observatory in Garching Germany had slide doors on it's bathrooms that ended up looking rather like blast doors, I think the wood you used  is a great choice!

(ESO had  an "award winning architecture" building; although it was possible to see where you wanted to go across the atrium; but not be able to figure out how to get there...) 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Das, yours are definitely better than the sample picture, good job.

[Daswulf]

Thanks IronDragon. I'll be eyeballing them all to the first one to try to have some uniformity size and shape wise. I'll see how the extras sell and it might be another staple seller. 

[JHCC]

Das, that would be an excellent application for a spiral bending jig.

[Daswulf]

I thought about it but they are so small. I will brainstorm a small jig if i get to making a lot more of them. 

[Chad J.]

Took a couple days to make my first set of fire pit tongs.   Gonna fiddle with them a bit more to line them up nicely.  Started with 2 24 inch pieces of 5/8ths inch square and worked them out to 36 or so inches.   My biggest challenge was getting them matched up.   Also did a hook for my bathroom door.   To date that has the smallest leaves I've forged.  Couldn't quite get a good picture of those. 

[Frazer]

Chad, tongs are looking pretty good! On the next pair, knock down those edges on the handles for a "softer" feel in the hand. On this pair it's probably easier to use a file since they are already bent.

[Chad J.]

Thanks Frazer, when I had them in my hands I noticed how sharp the corners felt.  A couple passes with a good file will clean that up and my next set will be that much better. 

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

JLP , I have picked up 5 of those Job Boxes so far at Ritchie Brother auctions.  Paid more than I normally would have when I was making less money, but they are all in great shape except for one that is missing the lower doors. They appear to be a field office with the sloped inner shelf. I use them for outside storage.

Das, yours are far and away a better design, and better executed.

[JHCC]

After an almost two-year hiatus, I’m back to traveling for work, so I was able to get together with IFI member LouL for a quick session in his forge. One of his old students who does traditional timber framing and experimental archaeology was visiting, and we made him a curved-blade two-handed froe for slicing wooden shingles. Here it is as-forged:

This is normalizing before the basic grinding; the bevel will be on the concave side. 

We had a LOT of fun with Lou and his student striking while I directed. Another friend took a video, which I will try to post later. 

[Gandalfgreen]

looks nice and sounds fun. enjoy your travels and be safe.

[Daswulf]

BigGun, thank you. I don't mean to sound arrogant or anything but I think so too. I research things I'm not sure about before I work on them.  This is a much more true shape to what I was shown of what she purchased before. I sure hope She didn't pay more than I'm charging each for that one. It'll make Me feel too cheap lol. I didn't ask and she didn't tell. Gave her a good local community (neighbor)  price. 

John, looks good, look forward to seeing it finished and what it can do. Glad you can get out again too, must be refreshing for a change after all that time.  

[JHCC]

Lou's student had a video on his cell phone of someone using one: you basically take a billet of wood that's been soaking in water, stand it on end, put the blade one shingle-thickness from the edge, and push it down, like slicing a big hunk of cheese. I can imagine it working really well with cedar or something similar.

As I was saying at a meeting earlier, I don't particularly care for travelling (especially since all my frequent-flyer perks expired eighteen months ago), but I do like seeing people.