What did you do in the shop today?

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

Today I Redressed some dull chipped chisels,

then I looked at the tiny Buffalo pancake forge and it looked lonely and neglected because I have been using my table forge for awhile,

so I thought I’d cheer it up and do a quick project before it gets dark, so I fired it up an made a split cross for fun

[BillyBones]

Ahhhh, meteoric content... 

So i tried a TP holder out of a RR spike, broke the end off punching it. So i finished the RR spike knife i made for the kid next door, his mom even thought it cool. I did tell them RR spikes do not make good knives and it is just more or less to show. Tried some variations on chain. Rough but fun to try and get the idea worked out.

[Donal Harris]

Those links are cool, Billy. I was experimenting with a few different styles similar to that for my schwenker. I really need to get back to work on it. I have the tripod finished. I only have the grill and chains left to finish. 
 

I didn’t get to work at the forge today. Wound up hooking onto the travel trailer for a day trip down to NE Texas. 

[BenW]

Thanks for the suggestions.  I had to go look up "citric acid passivation".  I didn't know the purpose of that process. Thanks for the knowledge journey.

Also finished a hatchet that I've been working on for a little while.  Made of 4140.  Sure was tough to move, even when hot.  Wore my arm out a few times.

[JHCC]

A few small projects. First, a hot chisel in S7:

A small bearded ax from a ball peen hammer head:

A bottle opener for a friend and a hand fuller for chasing:

(I note in passing that the shock absorber on the treadle hammer worked great.)

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

BenW, your axe looks awesome!

That ball peen axe looks like a cool project JHCC! 

[bluerooster]

Tried another poker. got the time down to an hour and fifteen minutes.  Still having trouble getting the basket twist right.

one more thing, While the forge was still hot I decided to try another basket twist using 1/8" stock. Just  some 6013 rods with the flux knocked off. I think there were 8 total. I learned that welding small material takes more care when heating, especially when there's more than two pieces. 

[Pat Masterson]

Nice axes guys!

Im in desperate need of tongs so I spent a little while prepping these blanks I bought a while back for tomorrow. Just drilled and countersunk for the rivets. I thought these were from Kens Custom Iron, but once I looked at the other pair I bought like a year back I noticed the rivets are much smaller than the ones from Ken. It turns out these are some kind of knock off. I’m sure they’ll still be fine but I would’ve rather bought from him instead of someone who is passing something off as the same. 
 

[BillyBones]

Another variation on chain. First attempt was with an old piece of rebar i found under a trailer at work. The weld failed, not real surprised at that with the way the material was. So i tried again with just a piece of 3/8 round. I was thinking it would look cool "butterflied" so that 2 chains could hang, one off each loop. 

[ThomasPowers]

Had a bad insulin crash while I was talking to the guy at the trash transfer station; convulsions, unconscious, bit my tongue, woke up with the EMTs working on me.  They finally let me drive home!? Following me all they way.  Since it didn't happen while I had the truck running I won't have issues with my license.

Anyway; my wife says I can't go out to the forge by myself today.  I expect a couple of friends to stop by tomorrow for some pattern welding.  I think they have already been trained by my wife about what to look out for.  Now just a day dealing with the after effects; though it looks like I avoided "death".

[Scott NC]

  Hate hearing such things.  Recuperate well.  Kind of strange them letting you drive off.

[jlpservicesinc]

Thomas, not insulin pump? Or regular notices on  a monitor?  My cousin uses an insulin pump and Susans nephew uses the monitor and gives him instant readings. 

[ThomasPowers]

I'm on the insulin pump; in fact my third one. It's set up for CGM but they wanted US$1000 for the first set of monitors so I'm just using the pump.  Hopefully my next insurance will be better.

[M.J.Lampert]

On 12/23/2021 at 3:41 PM, DHarris said:

 I am a pro at starting and never finishing projects. 

DHarris I feel you I am now over a year on my sister's Christmas gift i am waiting for my oil to become liquid again as -20s and 30s C is a solid block

On 12/27/2021 at 6:33 PM, LoafersGlory said:

Very new blacksmith here, but I managed to make a little vertical hook rack over the weekend for a late Christmas gift to a friend and I thought it turned out well : )

your work looks better than mine

I had to catch up on 8 pages in this tread all your work was amazing and I am afraid to show mine now but oh well here goes

I cant find it and didn't take pics of it yet but made a para wrapped skinner for my sister about three and a half inch blade and blue pink handle still needs quenched and tempered 5160 steel I did the grinds at -24 to 128 C since I needed something to show for the last year and every few minutes I would warm up at the forge

 

 

I also stole DHerris' idea and made a brass copper tree ran some color to it and gave it a coat of beeswax for my mother

also a copper leaf ring I don't have pictures on that i gave to an elderly family friend.

finally a reminder to keep your materials hot I was working on a new knife on Wednesday and at -26 with -36 earlier that day in a shop with three walls stuck the piece at a red, tongs slipped, piece flipped up, broke the skin and cauterized at same time. At first I thought my hair was on fire as I smelt burnt hair reached up and hand came off with blood so immediately shut off forge and went inside to have a look, nothing bad but a good wakeup nonetheless.

also possibly have an anvil I can borrow from a friend after snow melts thanks to TPAAAT 

talk to y'all next year

M.J.Lampert

PS forgot to add I'm learning to sharpen drill bits by hand from my father and am finally getting close

Edited January 1, 2022 by M.J.Lampert
added ps

[Daswulf]

Sorry to hear Thomas. That is rough. Sincerely hope next year is better to you and all. Maybe it is worth whatever it takes for your insulin and blood monitoring equipment eh?  Might be highway robbery, but we would all like you around a bit longer. And what good is stuff if you can't be here to enjoy it. 

[BenW]

Dang, yeah, sorry to hear about your seizure.  Growing up, my neighbor had similar issues, and I remember him telling me he always felt like he had been beaten up in a fight after his seizures.  I hope you can take it easy for a day or so.  

Great looking tree too MJ!  Looks like that eye probably doesn't feel too great though! Seems like a lot of people on here are having a round end of the year.

[bluerooster]

Thomas take care of yourself,. Do you feel it "comming on", or is that something that just jumps up and bites you?

I put forth a valiant effort at creating a video today. I got the forge lit, and everything ready, turned the camera on, and that's when it all went to pieces.  Got the basket welded together. and the shaft scarfed. Both parts fluxed and in the fire. One leg of my blower gave way. Thus making it way more wobbly than usual. Camera had stopped recording, and shut down anyway.  So I just took that opportunity to fabricate new legs for the old Champion.   Got that done, and back working. The bucket under the ash dump was full to the point it was either dump it, or build side boards. I elected to dump it.   Into the slack tub.  I scooped out the floaty bits and put them in a container for future use.  (I figure coke floats, so might as well salvage what I can)

  All that done, I decided to pick up where I left off.  Started the camera again, and finished the project. Camera quit before I could get to the handle.  I need to get faster, or get a better camera. Or both   1 hour of video, and didn't get the finish of the handle.

[ThomasPowers]

Thanks to all well wishers.  If I have convulsion/seizures then all my major muscle groups feel terribly sore the next day.  I'm doing ok with mainly my calves hurting and of course where I bit the end of my tongue.  As I live with this the amount of notice I get is gradually going down. Yesterday I felt odd and started taking my glucose tablets; got 4 down and then sat in the truck and was gone.  I try to get something down as you are more likely to come back if you do. (Yes death is a possibility.)  Lacking teeth I am going to have to start carrying round tins of frosting for faster access.

Today I was still uncomfortable this morning; but after lunch, with cold temps and strong winds, I went into the shop with a friend and worked on some forge welding.  He was practicing welding 1/2" sq stock and I was trying out my NTM coal forge with a billet of drive chain.   More cranking than my old forge but it did a great job heating a couple of pounds to welding temp multiple times!

[George N. M.]

Thomas: You can get tubes of glucose paste/gel which would be better than frosting (sucrose) because it will hit your blood stream faster.  I suppose you could use it for decorating cakes if you don't use it by its expiration date.  I'm surprised there is not something like a glucose epi-pen which you could quickly inject when you feel a crash coming on and you only have a few moments to avoid it.  Or an alarm on your monitor which would go off when your blood sugar drops below, say, 75.

GNM

[ThomasPowers]

No Monitor.  Have you tasted the glucose tubes? Unfortunately I have, just yesterday in fact!  I have the glucogen pens but they need to be stored cool; difficult in NM when I need them so infrequently.  So I'm covered at home but usually affected away from home.

[George N. M.]

I just looked it up and there is an epi-pen for diabetics.  Epinephrine causes a jump in blood sugar and a glucogon injector was approved by the FDA in 2019.  You may want to check this out.

We diabetics have to stick together.

G

Maybe a small cooler in your truck?  Could keep drinks cold too.

G.

[ThomasPowers]

I have the glucogen pens, in the refrigerator.  So far in the last year I had two incidents; hard to store them properly and still use them away from home with such a low frequency.  I do travel with Glucose tablets in my pocket and in my vehicle and usually that is sufficient.

[George N. M.]

Hang in there.  You are too valuable to your family, including your IFI and SCA families, to lose.  You are a valuable resource besides being a gentleman and a scholar.  And a sweet heart of a human being.

IMNSHO 2 times/year is 2 times too many.

G

[ThomasPowers]

Thanks.    My college roommate, from back in the 1970's has already had his second heart surgery; so things are not as bad as they could be!

[arkie]

On 12/31/2021 at 3:15 PM, Pat Masterson said:

I thought these were from Kens Custom Iron, but once I looked at the other pair I bought like a year back I noticed the rivets are much smaller than the ones from Ken. It turns out these are some kind of knock off. I’m sure they’ll still be fine but I would’ve rather bought from him instead of someone who is passing something off as the same. 

Pat, there are indeed counterfeit Ken's Custom Iron tongs being sold out there.  Others have fallen victim to the scam.  It is my understanding that Ken and legal are trying to shut them down.  I hope they prevail and succeed.