Zeb Camper

Thanks for the suggestions! What size air compressor do you need to run that? Sadly I can't afford to buy a real compressor at the moment. I'm actually really strapped for funds which is why I am trying to use what I have or is obtainable for next to nothing. If I can just get something that works better than my right arm I'm happy!

Thanks Geoff! Yeah that looks almost exactly like my thought process. I'd copy it pretty close but I just discovered one of my scrap leaf spring stacks was cracked so I'll try to make do with one. Here's a revised plan so far. It's a 16lb hammer head. Not going to be a huge hammer by any means but with some luck I'm hoping it will still pack some punch.

Doh! Yeah you're 100% right! I would need a separate arm between the crank and the spring assembly. I guess it doesn't need 2 springs either yeah... Not sure why I thought that made sense. Thanks!

This wasn't my first choice of hammer designs, but the most feasible to make at the moment. Any critiques or criticisms with the preliminary design is much appreciated!

Thanks for the input guys. I ended up passing on it. Ill eventually start a build a different way. I just need to track down a couple big pieces of solid steel for the hammer and anvil portions. I'm hoping at my new job I can get a perfect crank plate and maybe even a motor for scrap price. That's really cool Matt! Love seeing processes like that.

It certainly has a few of the necessary parts... There would need to be a spring mechanism made and attached to the bottom of the guided ram with linkages to a hammer or something like that... And cut out the bottom part and install an anvil. It would be handy just as a punch press too. Its $200 on marketplace and apparently just needs a belt. What do you think?

Wow these are great! Nice work!

It's actually the same shot with added contrast! well actually contrast is close to the same. Think I maybe decreased white point, increased black point, increased shadows, and sharpened it. I used to think of that as cheating but it's all there and you can see it with your eyes in person so why not show it off in picture form? I'd love to have an actual camera lol.

I just finished this chef's knife as a thanks for all that my wife's family has done for us. I plan to give it to them next time we go up to visit. The blade was made in part from an old twisted rod of damascus left over from my sword making a few years back. The rest was 1080 from NJSB. The bloster and butt cap are made from wagon tire. The little nails were made from bigger nails from broken down pallets. The handle was salvaged from an old rifle stock that my old boss was about to put in the wood stove.

Got these 3 done. Unfortunately that's all the time I have ro work on them. The maple handled one has a nice auto hamon I would've loved to have polished out.

Got the first of 8 handles on. I was in a love hate relationship with how it looked for a while but I think it's ok

I heat treated a bunch of wedding gifts. 2 more are on the way but didn't have them ground so they didn't make it to heat treatment. Only have 13 days left to work on them!

Thanks Joshua! Ive enjoyed seeing your stuff on fb. Gives me the itch to get back to it. I'm not actually sure what I've told people at this point lol. So much has changed I couldn't call it myself. I had thoughts of selling at one point because my singlewide that I'm living in was such a dump even just a year ago. I was very anxious too. I had thoughts of "what if I only make knives to get attention?". Then I figured out i have a health condition contributing to the anxiety. I Got medicated for all that and started feeling better. Then i wanted to wait and see if i would go back to knife making. If i really enjoyed it or if it was dopamine i wanted from posting stuff. So I distanced myself from the forum or FB groups even for just giving advice. But every fall it seems like i still really missed it. I also had to replace a transmission in the truck so I sold my power hammer to help pay for that. And where I was then; I needed to make damascus at the very least. So I think I just needed some time to kind of start over and be ok with just doing it for fun. But I think I'm back at it for good:).

Fired up the forge for the first time in around 3 years I guess. Gotta make a bunch of blacksmiths knives for groomsmen gifts I almost got 2 forged out but I think I'll end up unbending and trying to get just another 1/2" of handle or so and clean up the inside before wrapping them back up. The bigger one could use some refinement all around really. Shows im a little rusty. Hoping to make 2 more next weekend then 2 more after that. And a chef's knife after that.

Hello all! Looking to sell a seax I made a few years back. I actually sold it once and liked it so much I bought it back and actually re handled and ground the profile of the spine more and reground the edge geometry. It's made from wrought iron and high carbon steel with a maple handle. It will be priced to sell as the sheath unfortunately was victim of user error on a couple occasions. Looking to get $350 for it. I can customize the handle or remake a sheath for an additional fee.