Alan Evans Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 11 hours ago, Glenn said: Any time you get burned, even only enough to say ouch, put the hand, or whatever, under water for 15 minutes. This removes the heat from the meat, and keeps the meat from cooking. Use room temperature water. For the last 30 odd years I have dealt with the daily ouch burns by just blowing on them, rather than plunging into water. Apart from the fact that it appears to be a natural/automatic reaction I discovered its effectiveness through a curious circumstance. Coincidently the day after I read about it one of the Foxfire books (Hillbilly folk lore book series) I was heating and riveting the last section of Davies Brothers railing at one end of the ornamental canal of Erdigg House for the National Trust. The railings were set on a low wall and as I stepped down from it with the oxygen-acetylene torch in one hand, I grabbed the railing to steady myself with the other...sadly just on the heated section. You will remember this was the last section of railing, the ornamental canal was on the other side so I had no water available! The Foxfire "fire drawing" routine was in short term memory and I carried it out. Didn't think much more about it...until that night when I went to bed. As every blacksmith knows minor burns start to tingle as you relax and warm up in bed, this burn didn't, so I have blown on them ever since, even when there is water present. The justification the hillbilly healer put forward in the Foxfire book was that the cold water drives the burn in. I reckoned however, that skin and flesh cooled too quick with water which in turn promoted separation and blistering of the skin. By cooling it at slightly slower rate, that extreme differential is reduced and my burns seemed to blister less often. The more severe and blistered burns seem to heal as an ordinary graze type wound more rapidly when blow cooled... Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 For medical advice, consult a real doctor with a specialty in the treatment of burns. Keep in mind that they do not always get it right, and after years of training they still call what they do practicing medicine. You neglected to explain the reference The Foxfire "fire drawing" routine. and I was unable to find with a quick search on the internet. 1 hour ago, Alan Evans said: The justification the hillbilly healer put forward in the Foxfire book was that the cold water drives the burn in. I reckoned however that it cooled too quick with water which in turn promoted separation and blistering of the skin. By cooling it at slightly slower rate, that extreme differential is reduced and my burns seem to blister less often. The more severe and blistered burns seem to heal as an ordinary graze type wound more rapidly when blown... As you stated the Foxfire books (Hillbilly folk lore), much of which has been passed down from person to person. This folk lore was recorded in the Foxfire books. Some of the lore works, some does not, and there is no proof attached. If this were true, (cold water drives the burn in) let us start pouring cold water on our partly cooked stakes to drive the heat in and finish cooking our stakes. It does not make sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 If memory serves (and granted that it's been years since I read it), the "fire drawing" method is in the chapter titled "Faith Healing". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 The American Red Cross recommends these steps to care for minor burns. Stop the burning. Put out the flames or remove the victim from the source of the burn. Cool the burn. Use large amounts of water to cool the burned area. DO NOT use ice or ice water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 2 hours ago, Glenn said: If this were true, (cold water drives the burn in) let us start pouring cold water on our partly cooked stakes to drive the heat in and finish cooking our stakes. It does not make sense. Absolutely, I am sorry if it was not clear. I just mentioned what the hillbilly healer believed (as far as I remembered it from reading it 30 odd years ago) as background to my story. What I think is as I stated. Cooling slightly less rapidly is a good thing because you do not get such a high temperature differential between flesh and skin. Not unlike your first advice to use room temperature water and not ice cold...I rationalise the effectiveness of the blowing idea on the fairly well established wind chill phenomena. I found it effective when I did not have access to water...it may help somebody else who finds themselves in the same position. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 Interestingly the UK National Health Service advice is to cool the burn with cool or lukewarm water and not ice or ice water. My cooling by blowing is not too radical a step from lukewarm water. Alan nhs.uk/Conditions/Burns-and-scalds/Pages/Treatment.aspx First aid for burns Stop the burning process as soon as possible. This may mean removing the person from the area, dousing flames with water, or smothering flames with a blanket. Don't put yourself at risk of getting burnt as well. Remove any clothing or jewellery near the burnt area of skin, including babies' nappies. However, don't try to remove anything that's stuck to the burnt skin as this could cause more damage. Cool the burn with cool or lukewarm running water for 20 minutes, as soon as possible after the injury. Never use ice, iced water, or any creams or greasy substances such as butter. Keep yourself or the person warm. Use a blanket or layers of clothing, but avoid putting them on the injured area. Keeping warm will prevent hypothermia, where a person's body temperature drops below 35C (95F). This is a risk if you are cooling a large burnt area, particularly in young children and elderly people. Cover the burn with cling film. Put the cling film in a layer over the burn, rather than wrapping it around a limb. A clean clear plastic bag can be used for burns on your hand. Treat the pain from a burn with paracetamol or ibuprofen.Always check the manufacturer's instructions when using over-the-counter medication. Children under 16 years of age should not be given aspirin. Sit upright as much as possible if the face or eyes are burnt.Avoid lying down for as long as possible as this will help to reduce swelling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 9 hours ago, JHCC said: Good to keep an aloe plant on hand, too. Yep, aloe is the go. Split the stem, over the burn, wrap a hanky around it. Magic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 X2 on the aloe....I use it frequently!!!!!!!!!!! I recall that in the old "Rawhide" western TV series (I believe it was), the chuck wagon cook, Wishbone, used to say that "it don't take me long to turn loose of a hot skillet handle!!), being cast iron of course. Smithing, I tend to grab hot stuff other than skillet handles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted February 12, 2017 Author Share Posted February 12, 2017 Need to get some stuff made for up coming fairs. Today I Had some fun with a ball fuller (AKA a small normalized ball pein hammer flipped over) and made a plant hanger. Also made a small coat rack with brass rivets. I punched the holes, and so I had to make a small diameter (3/16") punch. Made a large S-hook. Towards the end of the day my dad and I mounted a post drill in my shop. Took us a year literally! I got the drill last year at the Steep Hollow forge get together which is this up coming weekend! Funny how things happen like that. Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 Wow, LittleB nice work! Consider the plant hanger idea stolen Only I will use my bearing ball fuller under the PH. - It's a very versatile tool. I've decided to pass on today's fair instead. I have to be too fit and ready Monday for two bigger commission works and for negotiations about the biggest possible commission I ever had. There is another fair next Saturday, so I can finish my stuff till then. So no shop time just family time today Gergely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 LB you do some really clever stuff! Nice dimpling on the hanger. I use a similar tool for the lifting tab on the bottle openers. It may find other uses now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Martin Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 Yesterday I dressed and handled a new hot punch, forged a small socket bick for the post vise, made a little froe-eye drift and attempted a heart finial on a flux spoon. The heart didn't turn out well at all, but otherwise it was the most productive day at the forge I've had in, well, too long! I also forgot to cool a pair of tongs and almost needed that aloe plant.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave51B Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 I played with some horse shoe nails for a bit. Life is Good Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeroclick Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 I corrected the eye on my toasting fork, made a hold down tool which should make things easier and also had a go at my first split cross. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewayforge Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 Zeroclick, I am very intrigued by your holddown, could you explain how yours in used and how it was formed? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeroclick Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 No problem it is based on one that David Stephenson had he let me take an outline. It is made out of 3/8 mild round. For the tip I used the bottom fuller I had to spread the material out and give a good holding point. I then worked from that point back by heating up short areas and bending over the horn. For the section that goes from horizontal to vertical I started off with a loop and then tightened it up on the face. As David said to me the most important part is the recurve on the vertical that allows it to lock into the pritchel hole. I used it for doing the split cross and was really effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 Finally finished the war hammer. Pretty heavy one, 800 gram/1lb 12 oz head on 60cm/2' long steel shaft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubalcain2 Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 purty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 Gergely, it like the two handed, foot jousting, full plate armour, "can opener" hammers than the small light FAST horseman's hammers. I've done one like that myself and used sucker rod for the handle (medium carbon steel) and heat shrunk the head to the handle---leaving a bit standing proud so I could rivet it on if necessary. Chewed up a lot of stumps, junked cars, junked refrigerators, etc and nary a sign of needing to be re-set on the handle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Martin Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 Gergely, that looks wicked! Does the war hammer have a lot of hand shock? But I guess one would be wearing gloves/gauntlets in battle anyway, right? Made my first attempt at a small froe today, wasn't much harder than I expected though I now see why froe-eye welds are considered tricky after trying to not burn the eye and still get everything to temp. It does split wood though, so I think we can call it a success. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 A somewhat unusual item: a hook that wraps around the corner post of my bed to hold the hose from my CPAP machine when not in use. (I built the bed as a wedding present for my wife, by the way.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51 Papy Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 Went to the shop for the first time since Jan 7th. Worked on a pair of bolt tongs. The new hip held up better than expected. Bolt tongs not so much but better than the last set I made. It was low 70's and a great first day back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 7 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: Gergely, it like the two handed, foot jousting, full plate armour, "can opener" hammers than the small light FAST horseman's hammers. I've done one like that myself and used sucker rod for the handle (medium carbon steel) and heat shrunk the head to the handle---leaving a bit standing proud so I could rivet it on if necessary. Chewed up a lot of stumps, junked cars, junked refrigerators, etc and nary a sign of needing to be re-set on the handle! I was planning the heat shrunk handle attach, too. But messed up the eye so went with the heat shrunk + MIG weld solution. It's no replica so I don't worry about welding it. Made the weld invisible though The handle is MS in this one, was thinking about using some sturdier but nothing useful was laying around (that quite unbelievable having about 2 tons of steel around ) I had to upset the 20mm dia handle stock to ~30+ mm to fit the eye, not sure I want to do that with higher C steel. But let's see what comes next. Trying to charm some re-enactor groups to order some... 2 hours ago, Andrew Martin said: Gergely, that looks wicked! Does the war hammer have a lot of hand shock? But I guess one would be wearing gloves/gauntlets in battle anyway, right? Actually it's kind of harsch for the hand, the plain round handle part is slipperry and uncomfortable. I think some leather wrapping could ease the pain there. Also some loop or eye at the end of the handle to have some sort of leather wrist-band could be a good add. Nice work with the froe weld! Bests: Gergely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 I flattened the grip area and added handle scales---I also have a large lanyard hole on the end (required by some groups) to prevent weapon loss in battle. This is another weapon where putting the grip in a vibration node is suggested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 4 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: This is another weapon where putting the grip in a vibration node is suggested. Could you please explain this? I understand the words but can't get meaning of the sentence. Thank you: G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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