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What did you do in your shop today?


Joshua States

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Today was metal fabrication day.
That means taking big pieces of steel, cutting them into smaller pieces, and then welding them back together again.

For some weird reason, the photos keep posting sideways....

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Edited by Joshua States
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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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10 hours ago, Joshua States said:

For some weird reason, the photos keep posting sideways....

 

 

And they're not showing up...

 

1 hour ago, Gary LT said:

worth watching and trying

 

Same stuff as last year, except for the cig paper challenge.  I bet somebody will manage it, my knife is on the thick side.  

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On 9/25/2023 at 6:09 AM, Alan Longmire said:

And they're not showing up...

Let's try that again

 

“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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Not all today, but when I have a chance to work from home, I usually spend lunch in the shop, and try to use the focused hour to figure out how to work faster and better at the same time since I'm an amateur and can become immersed in trying things that aren't that practical to follow.  

 

These are chisels in various stages. I've been hobby making chisels for a while, but have just this year gone to more hammer and anvil work and less stock removal. There's still a lot of grinding in these, including all of the bevels after heat treatment. 

 

the oddball handle on the middle one is just experimenting because there seems to be a greater and greater interest in pre-1900 chisels when the buyer made the handle without ferrules and often octagonally. The style of the chisel and handle together is sort of like lunch with the Wright Brothers and George Washington at the same time, though. 

 

some of these are W1 and some are 52100 - moving to round bar from flat stock limits what I can use, and I can't use what I used to really prefer for chisels with forged on bolsters (26c3). W1 is fast becoming the favorite - it forges easier, make a chisel just as good and is easier to get to eye bleeding hardness in a brine quench. 

 

image.jpeg

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4 hours ago, Alan Longmire said:

Those look good!  And Joshua, I can see the pics now, thank you.  What are you building?

Stair stringers for the front porch. I could have just cut them from 2x12 lumber and done a conventioanl stair stringer, but I decided to go with steel. I did a small set for the wellhouse and it worked great.

 

5 hours ago, David Weaver said:

These are chisels in various stages.

These look really good!
Have you checked out these guys?
https://www.northmen.com/en/products/woodworking-tools

 

They have some wonderful videos on their YT channel.
Here is one of them forging a wood chisel 11 years ago when it was still John Neeman Tools
https://youtu.be/64389P8_r78?si=mR_gnzoi-oWx7NH5

 

Edited by Joshua States
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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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11 hours ago, Joshua States said:

They have some wonderful videos on their YT channel.
Here is one of them forging a wood chisel 11 years ago when it was still John Neeman Tools
https://youtu.be/64389P8_r78?si=mR_gnzoi-oWx7NH5

 

 

Oh yeah! I remember Neeman coming along about the same time hatchets and axes were making their way onto hobby woodworking forums. 

 

My chisels are good chisels (as working tools), but I'm only just learning to do most of the shaping rough at the anvil starting with round bar and will never be a threat to any good smith. 

 

I remember long go that Neeman (not sure the guy's name was actually Neeman) had a falling out and went and made another company (austine or autine or something) and then I lost track and now kind of wonder which one is the real one. For all of the talk about them on hobby woodworking boards, I don't remember anyone showing what they bought, and hobby woodworkers love to buy something, show it, and move on to buying something else. I'd kind of hate to sell things to them and sell things relatively infrequently and only to professional woodworkers who have a specific want.  

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Made some progress on my meat slicer Wakizashi project. A lot of firsts in this project. Some information is a bit difficult to find especially doing something new when you may not even know the right question. I do have a friend thats helping but I don't want to were that out he's busy. 

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55 minutes ago, Eric Estlund said:

Learning new things

Good things too!

That is stellar.

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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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Finally got around to starting my blade for KITH.

I’ve done a medium sized paring knife. 

image.jpg

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Finally finished one after a year plus hiatus....

IMG_5076.jpg

 

Here's a quick video of part of what's been distracting me.  The new forge for our shop is finally functional:

 

 

 

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RIP Bear....be free!

 

as always

peace and love

billyO

 

 

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Not in the shop, but I was just working from home when I heard somebody knocking.  Went to see what was up.  It was this guy:

 

woodpecker2.jpg

 

Nikon D7100, 200mm zoom from about 20 feet away, severely cropped.  But hey, a young pileated woodpecker in the open!  That doesn't happen often, they're usually very skittish. This one let me just walk up and start taking pics.

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Actually did go in the shop today.

 

Assembled the KMG articulated tool rest I picked up last weekend.

 

Before: standard rest.

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After: Articulated rest.

 

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Still figuring out how to adjust it for best purposes.  The table rotates horizontally and vertically, and the two long arms (there's a short one under the table) can be positioned to put the rest almost anywhere on the platen or wheel. There's a learning curve!

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WARNING: BEGINNER TRIPE

 

Looks like I overslept and took a three-year nap! I'm enjoying digging through the forum again and looking forward to finishing my first blade. After knocking off all the rust on my tools and my anvil, I had to try and make some new flat bit tongs to hold stock for that charcoal chopper I need to make. Ain't they cute? Around 11 inches long in total. Had to make rivet stock as well. All I had in mild steel was 1/2 by 1/2 inch bar, so...they might be a bit too small. Oops.

 

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After having all the fun, I had to get to chopping charcoal. Trying a new source of bagged charcoal. So fun and glamorous. After using a small gas forge to make new fire tools, I've come to the conclusion that I am going to love to hate it. That small charcoal forge of my is just so much fun to use, and the volume is so much less than the propane forge, that charcoal will be my go to heat source for awhile I think.

 

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See why I need to finish that charcoal chopper?

 

Don't tell Alan, but I bought some stuff to reignite my smithing fire and one of them was a sub optimal Vevor forge to get me working while I redesigned the charcoal forge.

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Ain't they cute? 10 and 3/8 inches long, made from 1/2 by 1/2 bar. Sized for the hammered out stock for my charcoal chopper.

 

PXL_20231009_213209641.jpg

 

Now I have to make a chopper. Oh boy.

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I have been blessed with four grandsons (fifth on the way in November).

 

I committed to making each of them a "treasure box" on their fifth birthday. I just finished #4

 

Everything was made from on-hand material. I cut strips from an old steel sign to forge the hardware:

 

hardware.jpg

 

I had enough walnut in my stack to make it. I did finger joints. I'm gonna have to try dovetails on the next one.

 

box2.jpg

 

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box4.jpg

 

box1.jpg

 

Delivered to its new home. I think it was well received.

Already loaded with arrowheads, buckeyes, pocket knives, and such:

 

Jack.jpg

 

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