I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Our family took in a stray veteran who didn't have any local family to spend it with, so we invited him over for the day. Good times where had and I ate myself silly. Little progress on the shop, but now it is time to get back to the mess of knives and pocket tools in the "to do" piles.
Well most of the framing for the main building of the shop is finally done. Time to wrap it some siding and begin the other porch and forge area. Huge thanks to my neighbor, who has become more of a friend for all this help.
My 3lb rounding hammer on my new ambrosia maple board. Curls for days..
Gave the fire pit a good cleaning out of the ash from countless fires this summer and fall. Forgot how deep it was cleaned. One of the chickens was checking it out.
Since the shop is coming along out back it was time to spend some time out front forging some fire tools for the coal forge. Started with a coal rake, of course it had a bottle opener too.
Punching a slot that will get drifted out into a hole, that will open beverages.
My propane forge isn't the most efficient, but works pretty good and has allowed me to make a lot of stuff.
This started as a piece of flat stock like the one shown, just maybe an inch or so longer. I started with the bottle opener end and then tapered it down to a square. Forging the rake part was a good learning experience as well.
Post Thanksgiving Day tradition of canning of the left over turkey. Pretty simple to do and allows me to have some great tasting turkey to mix with egg noodles anytime. Much better than store bought.
Coal rake finished. Fun one to do.
The rake end.
The bottle opener end.
The beer drinking porch is under way. Framed and supported while we figure out all the math and get the supports eye balled in place.
The shop has been a monumental undertaking. At first I thought I was way in over my head, but a few great people have spared their knowledge and help to get it done. Once the porch is done, then the back side area for the forge is next. Now if we can get more than 2-3 days of nice weather between monsoons here in the upstate of South Carolina.
No 68, a No Name Knife in O-1 tool steel is on the bench for this week. I'll get a WIP page thrown up later in the week, so you call can follow along. This one is for an order.
The No Name Knife on the new maple photo board. Hopefully the guy I got call with some material for scales.
Finish a sheath and get the next two heat treated is the plan so far.
No. 69, O.G.K. in D2 tool steel.
Another round of Cap Maulers and B.O.C. Mod. II's are in the works as well. A mix of Damascus, D2 and G10 in varying colors for this run. No lasers, water jets or mills. Each one is drilled on the drill press, rough cut on the band saw, heat treated (well not the G10 ones) and finished one at a time on the belt grinder. Not knocking the waterjet, cause if I had one.. I used it like crazy, but I still like knowing that these and most everything I make is done in the shop.
The "group" shot of what I hope to get done this week.
-JG
Well most of the framing for the main building of the shop is finally done. Time to wrap it some siding and begin the other porch and forge area. Huge thanks to my neighbor, who has become more of a friend for all this help.
My 3lb rounding hammer on my new ambrosia maple board. Curls for days..
Gave the fire pit a good cleaning out of the ash from countless fires this summer and fall. Forgot how deep it was cleaned. One of the chickens was checking it out.
Since the shop is coming along out back it was time to spend some time out front forging some fire tools for the coal forge. Started with a coal rake, of course it had a bottle opener too.
Punching a slot that will get drifted out into a hole, that will open beverages.
My propane forge isn't the most efficient, but works pretty good and has allowed me to make a lot of stuff.
This started as a piece of flat stock like the one shown, just maybe an inch or so longer. I started with the bottle opener end and then tapered it down to a square. Forging the rake part was a good learning experience as well.
Post Thanksgiving Day tradition of canning of the left over turkey. Pretty simple to do and allows me to have some great tasting turkey to mix with egg noodles anytime. Much better than store bought.
Coal rake finished. Fun one to do.
The rake end.
The bottle opener end.
The beer drinking porch is under way. Framed and supported while we figure out all the math and get the supports eye balled in place.
The shop has been a monumental undertaking. At first I thought I was way in over my head, but a few great people have spared their knowledge and help to get it done. Once the porch is done, then the back side area for the forge is next. Now if we can get more than 2-3 days of nice weather between monsoons here in the upstate of South Carolina.
No 68, a No Name Knife in O-1 tool steel is on the bench for this week. I'll get a WIP page thrown up later in the week, so you call can follow along. This one is for an order.
The No Name Knife on the new maple photo board. Hopefully the guy I got call with some material for scales.
Finish a sheath and get the next two heat treated is the plan so far.
No. 69, O.G.K. in D2 tool steel.
Another round of Cap Maulers and B.O.C. Mod. II's are in the works as well. A mix of Damascus, D2 and G10 in varying colors for this run. No lasers, water jets or mills. Each one is drilled on the drill press, rough cut on the band saw, heat treated (well not the G10 ones) and finished one at a time on the belt grinder. Not knocking the waterjet, cause if I had one.. I used it like crazy, but I still like knowing that these and most everything I make is done in the shop.
The "group" shot of what I hope to get done this week.
-JG
