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What did you do in your shop today?


Joshua States

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12 hours ago, Joshua States said:

where did you get that stamp tool

@Eric Estlund I'm wondering the same thing... this is the first time I've seen one with that tight of a weave....

RIP Bear....be free!

 

as always

peace and love

billyO

 

 

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14 hours ago, John N said:

Not sure if this instagram link will work, but I made a really tiny museum! (if the link does not work im @non_jic on insta!)

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv0QRsStHhg/

Too bad you're on the other side of the planet.  I'd love to see those in person.  

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RIP Bear....be free!

 

as always

peace and love

billyO

 

 

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20 hours ago, John N said:

Not sure if this instagram link will work, but I made a really tiny museum! (if the link does not work im @non_jic on insta!)

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv0QRsStHhg/

 

Just noticed your vid of the completed tabletop press prototype, https://www.instagram.com/p/CsMxpxbRkAV/!

 

Thoughts on going into production?  That's just too nice not to sell a few...

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On 8/17/2023 at 3:31 PM, John N said:

Not sure if this instagram link will work, but I made a really tiny museum! (if the link does not work im @non_jic on insta!)

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv0QRsStHhg/

Following!

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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Today I shipped a 3.4 pound package of knife blades to Latvia.
UPS: $292.52

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“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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That's pretty darned steep!  I once shipped a 6-pound tube of hawk handles to England, and USPS global was only $75.  

 

Today I took a break from cleaning up broken treetops to clean up yesterday's antique store find of the century:

Mousehole.jpg

 

104-pound M&H Armitage Mousehole, ca 1830-1855-ish.  It had been completely covered in old hardened grease and barn gunge with no visible markings, and was described as "old cast iron anvil."  I could tell it was an old English anvil, and the price was more than reasonable, so I grabbed a cobbler's hammer from the next booth over and gave it a tap on the heel. It rang like a bell, so I brought it home.  As I was loading it, the shop owners' husband, who had been loafing on the sidewalk, said "That just came it today, and I told the guy it wouldn't last at that price."  I agreed!

 

This morning I soaked it in mineral spirits for an hour or so before hitting it with a wire cup brush.  The weight numbers came up immediately, followed by the surviving parts of the name.  All that's left is 

 

           H

                TAGE

                OUSE

                  OLE

0         3          20

 

but that's enough to verify the maker and, since it has a pritchel hole, the date range.  The face is in really good shape for the age, just the normal sway, a little bit of mushrooming on one side, and a few shallow chisel marks where some idiot cut a length of sheet metal.  Two rings on the horn where another (or perhaps the same) idiot drove a bearing race onto it, and the tip of the horn is flattened, but I'm still delighted.

 

It'll get sold eventually, but right now I like looking at it. :) 

 

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We got the cardboard mold out of the main cavity of the forge easy enough, but used two pieces of old melamine countertop with a piece of hardboard in between as place keeper for the burner, and that fought us to the last wood chip. 

Getting the burner to fit was another mission, ended up taking a grinder to the burner and settling for it not being flush on the inside. 

Thanks to this faffing around the forge doors didn't get built, which was my main mission. 

Very nervous about giving my belt grinder a nose job with an angle grinder, but the new platten is on and working, few tweaks and cosmetics left. 

IMG_20230819_112727.jpg

IMG_20230819_130635.jpg

IMG-20230819-WA0006.jpeg

IMG-20230819-WA0011.jpg

IMG-20230819-WA0016.jpg

IMG-20230819-WA0017.jpg

IMG-20230819-WA0015.jpg

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I agree on that looking great.  I just cast our new forge today, I'll try to get pics tomorrow.

 

9 hours ago, Gerhard Gerber said:

Getting the burner to fit was another mission, ended up taking a grinder to the burner and settling for it not being flush on the inside. 

Actually, it's my understanding that you want the burner sucked back about 1/2-3/4" (12-18mm).  

 

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RIP Bear....be free!

 

as always

peace and love

billyO

 

 

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And speaking off new forges, I finally decided that $2k of my meager retirement fund would be better used to invest in y'alls grandkids' future.  I ordered an induction forge setup yesterday, and they say it should be here by the end of the week.

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RIP Bear....be free!

 

as always

peace and love

billyO

 

 

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6 hours ago, billyO said:

I agree on that looking great.  I just cast our new forge today, I'll try to get pics tomorrow.

 

Actually, it's my understanding that you want the burner sucked back about 1/2-3/4" (12-18mm).  

 

In that case happy accident, that's just about 1/2". The refractory is so bloody thick especially right there, I couldn't see it being a problem.
One bit I'm slightly worried about are a few spots where the refractory doesn't cover the steel all the way at the doors, think I should grind those bits back?

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6 hours ago, Gerhard Gerber said:

One bit I'm slightly worried about are a few spots where the refractory doesn't cover the steel all the way at the doors, think I should grind those bits back?

I think that decision is up to you and how OCD you tend to be.   Depending on how hot and long you fire up the forge, the exposed steel might burn away over time, but it shouldn't effect the forge and will only burn back to the refractory where the temps aren't so high.  

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RIP Bear....be free!

 

as always

peace and love

billyO

 

 

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Drilled a bunch of pin holes, this time BEFORE hardening, lol!

knives in progress1.jpg

 

And drilled more holes and filed holes.  I still don't enjoy slotting handle pieces and guards, but I figure if I force myself to do it enough I may at least learn to be half-decent at it..

dagger in progress.jpg

 

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On 8/20/2023 at 11:02 AM, Alan Longmire said:

That all looks great!

Yes it does, and I expect great things to come from it!

 

On 8/20/2023 at 5:57 PM, billyO said:

I agree on that looking great.  I just cast our new forge today, I'll try to get pics tomorrow.

 

Actually, it's my understanding that you want the burner sucked back about 1/2-3/4" (12-18mm).  

 

That's how mine sets.

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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@Eric Estlund Nice finish, but what's the D-ring for?

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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Quick glue-up of the handle components/bedding of the tang for the dagger.  Tang and Guard were thoroughly waxed prior and the handle came off and goes back on; HUZZAH!

dagger progress.jpg

 

 

And I picked up a bench relic to add a handle.  This is Maple from a neighbor who had his tree trimmed about 2 years back.  I was extremely excited to see such beautiful figure in what I thought would be a relatively plain block of wood! I have several other handle blocks I'm now excited to start using:ph34r:

unk knaf progress1.jpgunk knaf progress.jpg

...please don't ask what kind of knife this is...every now and again I just make something and let my mind wander away while doing it...

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Tap tap tappity tap tap

Yesterday and more today.

 

IMG_4814.jpg

 

Close up.jpg

 

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“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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