Brand New Smith, Long Time Lurker.

[BadLuckBinks]

Hello, I'm BadLuckBinks.

I just got a JABOD up and running this afternoon and was able to beat some metal! I've been reading the forums for a while and just never created an account. I figured since I can actually participate now I should go ahead and make an account. Just wanted to say hello, and thanks to many of the forum users for helping me get started (even inadvertently!) you guys have been an inspiration to get out and about and build something! I hope to become more acquainted with you all over many great conversations to come!  

Hopefully weather permitting I should be able to work on my 55 Gallon Charcoal retort so I can process big batches in a controlled environment. I had it working a year or so ago but I needed some repairs! when i get a chance I'll make a post about it on here so others can see!

Thanks for having me!

BadLuckBinks.

P.S. Excuse my voice in the attached video I lost it recently and I was also excited about my metal glowing :D

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard, glad to have you. There must be a story behind your login and we LOVE a good story.  Hmmmm?

I think your JABOD will perform better if you remove the two end bricks and leave the second brick facing the tuyere pipe. Right now you're having trouble getting your work down under the charcoal. Right now you'd have to pile on way more charcoal than necessary to get the fire up to a useful working level. As is it WILL be a fuel hog.

With the ends open you can lay your work level in the trench and it will be just above the air blast in the heart of the fire. You can heat anywhere along the length of a bar and better still the fire will only burn what's being used to heat. Make sense? 

Experiment and see what works well for you and the project you're working on. It's the real beauty of a JABOD, it's easy to change around till you like it.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Welcome from the Ozark mountains. Frosty's advice is spot on. You are in the BAM area, attending some meetings will go a long way for advancing your education and ability.

 

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sails. ~ Semper Paratus

 

[George N. M.]

Welcome aboard from 7500' in SE Wyoming.  Glad to have you.

I second what Frosty and Irondragon have said.  In particular, learning with other smiths. Yes it is possible to lern on your own guided by book and GOOD videos.  I know, I did it.  When I was starting in the late 70s all I had were books from the library and lots of my own mitakes.  This is not the optimum path.  Learning in person is orders f magnitude better.

That said, there are some good vieos on You Tube.  I like the ones from Black Bear Forger, JPL Services (our own Jennifer), Torbjorn Ahman from Sweden, and Christ Centered Ironworks.  Some folk like Alec Steele but I find his style of presentation a bit annoying.  There are some really BAD, meaning dowright dangerous videos out there.  If you think something is questionablee, don't do it.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[Shainarue]

Welcome to the active membership. 

I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment to learn with other smiths. Check out the BAM site, I think the next few meetings are only a few hours from your neck of the woods. There are quite a few members who get together outside of meetings just to forge together and gab. I'm in the KCMO area. 

Looking forward to seeing what you work on! 

 

[BadLuckBinks]

On 5/6/2023 at 7:28 PM, Frosty said:

Welcome aboard, glad to have you. There must be a story behind your login and we LOVE a good story. 

well the first three letters of my name are JAR and I was once known (still is) as a clumsy boy so I received the nickname Jar Jar Binks. What was once thought to be clumsiness was in fact (told to me by drunken family members many late nights) an ancient Bad Luck curse set upon my family name hence the name BadLuckBinks. Stories for days.

this was the first fire. and it was made with cutoff 2x4 scraps from the building of the stand. it being rather windy yesterday i used the bricks more to test that it wouldn't burn down immediately! I agree completely with you suggestions. I more just wanted to check the seals so to say. that's still mostly just cheap kitty litter I'm getting some creek sand that's been sifted from my pops work later this week. but i had the hard fire brick from our old local A.P. Green plant my grandfather made those bricks and was to excited to just make fire haha

thanks for the advice! 
 

23 hours ago, Irondragon ForgeClay Works said:

Frosty's advice is spot on. You are in the BAM area, attending some meetings will go a long way for advancing your education and ability.

21 hours ago, George N. M. said:

Welcome aboard from 7500' in SE Wyoming.  Glad to have you.

I second what Frosty and Irondragon have said.  In particular, learning with other smiths. Yes it is possible to lern on your own guided by book and GOOD videos.  I know, I did it.  

That said, there are some good vieos on You Tube.  I like the ones from Black Bear Forger, JPL Services (our own Jennifer), Torbjorn Ahman from Sweden, and Christ Centered Ironworks.

18 hours ago, Shainarue said:

I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment to learn with other smiths. Check out the BAM site, I think the next few meetings are only a few hours from your neck of the woods.

Thanks for you replies! I have met with some of the local BAM members a while ago (and learned a lot from just short conversations). I still need to save up for some dues but hopefully I can start attending some of the meetings as I think it would be a lot of fun! 

BadLuckBinks.

[Frosty]

Uh, an ancient curse  doesn't sound like bad "Luck" to me! Actually it sounds like a good excuse if used in moderation. I've been careful not to wear out my TBI as an excuse. 

Check the seals eh? You gotta build a fire in a new forge whether you heat something or not, it's a rule. That your Grandfather made the bricks you used is so very cool, it makes building a fire imperative!

Burning wood is no problem, it'll burn down to coals you can use just don't get carried away with stoking the wood on. It takes a little practice to lean how to keep it charged so you have a steady bed of coals to work in. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

Just remember Frosty that doubling down is a BAD THING!!!!!!!!!!!; I'd be happy to be rid of my TBT......

[Frosty]

I've become very averse to falling or being fallen upon since the great white attack. Last February's curling incident was just another reinforcement of the attitude. Good thing I was wearing a bicycle helmet, I could've fallen on my head otherwise!

Frosty The Lucky.

[Charles R. Stevens]

Jerry, if you wert so dang top heavy you wouldnt land on your head!

Binks, 3 sided is a PITA  as your not able to poke long stock threw the fire.

be aware, I melt hard fire bricks on occasion with charcoal…

[Frosty]

HAH! I didn't fall on my head I was wearing a helmet! I'm pretty sure my center of gravity is just above my belt. The ice sheet broke my fall and leg  without damage. Sort of like breaking my fall off the tilt deck trailer with my elbow did no harm to the planet. 

I'm working on doing a better job of picking my battles, maybe fall on a pillow or bed from now on.

Binks, I have had similar experience as Charles, melting 3,000f hard fire brick in my charcoal fore is pretty easy. Field clay rammed hard works way better in my Buffalo bottom blast forge. Fire clay works as well but not noticeably better. I like 2pts sand to 1pt clay though more sand works nicely too.

Frosty The Lucky.

[The Jeff]

My first time heating a blade with charcoal I burnt right through before I even noticed.

21 minutes ago, Frosty said:

I'm working on doing a better job of picking my battles, maybe fall on a pillow or bed from now on.

Frosty, I don't fall on hard things but I have tryed to catch hard things that were falling.... With my head.

[Frosty]

We have that in common. When I suffered my TBI I was astonished to discover how many people have suffered them too. Here, at church, at the coffee shop, every darned where I brought the subject up other folks would join in with their own stories. 

Be careful out there boys and girls, mean old Mr. Gravity is waiting for a chance.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

I learned that last Monday when my tractor tried to run me over. Lucky my training taught me to never try and stop a piece of equipment from rolling away or attempt to get back on it. It did manage to clip me with the rear tire and knock me down in the sharp rocks on the edge of the driveway, as I spun around to avoid getting run over by it. Landed on my right arm and shoulder when I tried to tuck & roll. Fortunately all I got out of the incident are some bruises & stone cuts to my arm and my right ribs are bruised and very sore.

The tractor rolled down the driveway about thirty feet and came to rest with the bucket against a small tree. I walked down, got on it and backed up to finish the grading all the while using some very colorful language not fit to print. I did take inventory and thought that's going to leave some marks.

When I walked in the house after putting the tractor away, Debi took one look at all the dried blood on my arm she sprang into action to clean me up and put band aids & antibiotic on the one's that needed them, all the while chastising me for being complacent about using the tractor. I usually just set both the bucket and box blade on the ground to keep it from rolling, but this time, I misjudged how steep that portion of the driveway is with loose rock that didn't hold it.

She is a very good nurse with a lot of experience taking care of my wounds for the past 42 years. I promised her that I will always set & lock the brakes from now on.

 

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sails. ~ Semper Paratus

[Glenn]

Glad it worked out with just being some bruises & stone cuts to my arm and my right ribs are bruised and very sore.  Tractors can be replaced, you can not.

 

[Frosty]

Good GRIEF RANDY! No more calls that close! Glad you got off with a little corporal punishment and not picking yourself out of the tire tread!

Frosty The Lucky. 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Ya, I was fortunate and Vicodin helps with the sore ribs. I've learned from past rib's being broken & badly bruised. Means sleeping in the recliner for a couple of weeks as laying flat doesn't work very well.

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sails. ~ Semper Paratus

[JHCC]

I discovered after my throat surgery that I’m allergic to both Vicodin and Percocet. Recovery was a bear. 

The good news is that my chances of accidentally getting addicted to opioids has gone waaaaaay down, as no doctor in their right mind will prescribe them to me if there’s an alternative.