Alex Middleton

Damn, that PH with the brass bolster is speaking to me. I love the profile of that knife line.

Maybe something like 1050? It hardens well enough with a water quench to hold its shape, but sharpens up pretty easily as well. I have a very old and rusty sickle hanging up in my shop for decoration. It's quite a bit smaller than the ones in the video. If I remember later today (after I get done plowing snow) I'll spark it and see what it shows. I'm not good enough to determine a specific grade, but I can tell the difference between mild and high carbon.

Ditto!

I've had good luck drying for 24 hours at 215-220 degrees F in a toaster oven. Its definitely too aggressive of a method to use with green wood (think catastrophic failure) but I haven't had any issues with wood that is already somewhat seasoned. I have the same problem with my pump overheating. It usually takes me the better part of a week, running it while I'm home, to get all of the air out of the wood.

I'm up for just about anything, but I really like Josh's idea of a handmade leatherworking tool. A gunstock war club would be cool though.......

Thanks Alan. Sorry for the hijack Bruno.

Alan, can you define "a lot"?

Very nice Don. Crisp and clean. Hopefully you made a template so the next 3 will be indentical to these. I hear you on the time management. I'm making a retirement gift for the president of the company that I work for that has to be done by the end of April. I was going to start it 3 weeks ago, but it seems like there's always something else that needs to be done first.

I hear ya. I've watched the shop electrician wire lights in hot before. It was quicker for him to figure out which wire was hot by touching it rather than take the time to put a tester on it. He was definitely a little crazy. I've been poked by a single circle circuit my fair share, this was my first time getting hit by 30ish amps. Scared me enough I went and had an EKG run just to be sure. I wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to go to sleep and wake up dead the next morning.

I got power back to my shop this morning. It's pretty redneck, but it will last until I can run a proper trench in the spring. I managed to only shock myself once. It hurts like hell when a ground wire touches the neutral bar as you're tucking it back into the panel.

Beautiful blade Gary. I was planning something similar in the next few months, now I'm not sure I dare.

This is easier than finding a Radio Shack that is still open. https://www.amazon.com/MG-Chemicals-Chloride-Etchant-Solution/dp/B008O9XMYA/ref=asc_df_B008O9XMYA/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312139937186&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9548369730856816015&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9017530&hvtargid=aud-799727667774:pla-422148062113&psc=1

@Alan Longmire - Reminder as requested.

One thing you can do is bury your blades in a tray full of clean sand while tempering. The thermal mass of the sand helps to even out the temperature swings in the oven. For most of the knives I make, I use an old toaster oven with a fire brick in the bottom. Good luck on your hand finishing. It's an absolute riot.

It is tempting. Theres a few different auction houses around the area and having a 3-phase defintely makes finding good equipment easier. I'm going to call tomorrow and see what it'll cost, I probably dont want to know.