by SittingMooseShaman » Tue May 10, 2011 11:47 pm
...well, finally Spring is here. Every thing's holdin' the line and Gunny's doin' just fine- still can't jump- however he can run like hell! Had 'im out in th' heavy brush w/o any problems... So I'm off to the barn and it's time to try 'n' haul out the forge and anvil.
My intent is to take the old cylinder from the 586(damaged during chamfering/engraving) and mate it up with some tool-steel and begin the (unfortunately painful)process of creating a sister-piece for the 586. It will be a pattern-welded, (mostly)Bowie knife, blade.
Not sure yet on what the handle will be made of.
Gotta do some math on the total weight(before) of metal to final design & size... Looks good on paper... Probably take all Summer... so what?... I've 3 other blades to finish.
Keeps a disabled guy really busy...especially when I have 3 wooden chests(2'x3&1/2') full of old, used-up or busted, scrap hardened-steel air-hammer chisels, spades and wotnots from by-gone days of machines and mills... No. Nothing is of antique value- they are well-used and were on their way to the junk-yard.
Would love to get ahold of a 25#er power-hammer.
Say-yy, something like a "Little Giant"...
and a 1 or 2 burner gas forge... Ideally, of course.
However, I'll use what I got.
This'll be probably be the only 'big' blade I'll knock out...
Hammerin' hurts like hell for days!!...
Yet, making a smaller camp/hunting knife is much more tolerable...
Jeeze! Why didn't I come upon this forge set earlier in life!?! Who knows?... Still it's something quite fun and interesting to do- It's in th' blood- since my granddad(an illegal alien from Canada cir.1907- took the ferry across the Niagara to Buffalo...went to Bethlehem Steel in Lackawanna(where I entered this world) became a Master Machinist and eventually Hot Mill Top Foreman...'twas a GREAT time for employment with meaning... and retirement. An era- God I remember- as a kid- the factories, the immense rail-yards...when steam was still in yard & road use... Memories! Woke up, dressed, got gun and tag...walked to South Buffalo city-line & went huntin'! T'wern't any suburbs then; Just city, farms and hunting. Hot damm! I love living in the country!! Oh, well... Maybe the inventors and investors will re-appear and bring up a rebirth of American industry in the ultra-modern America...
However... in the meantime; I'm stickin' to my hammer 'n' anvil... hot steel is almost mystical.