Filed under: August 2019 | Tags: blacksmith, forging, home blacksmithing, moonrise, Small Farming
August 22, 2019
Summer is fading fast. The month of June was fleeting due to all the rainfall. The work of June got pushed into July. We worked steady in July and did a pretty good job of catching things back up. We even worked into the dark on occasion. The rising August full moon a few days ago, was beautiful. It made for a good time for reflecting on work that had been done, fun that we squeezed in and pointed towards the work to come.
The first parts of August were muggy and hot, even steamy. The rains started their pattern of coming about every two days. When it fell, it came hard with winds and fury. The grasses are growing, so more hay will hopefully get made. The field corn looks good and most things are staying green. I have been staying busy in the forge shop and around the farm.
Shelf brackets and twisted steel bracing, that I made for our daughter’s house. Fun project so far.
I put a new seat in the skid steer after sitting on a cat food bag for over a year! My wife and her little fingers helped with this project. Evidently, the workers at the “Daewoo” factory have much smaller hands than these old mitts of mine! In any case, we got it done. It makes me wonder why I waited so long. The cracked and worn seat gave me a wet butt for a year before it became so tattered that cat food bag was necessary, which got me another year. I can say that I used the old seat up! This one is much better.
The weather will break. Our early autumn and late summer days will be filled with plenty to do. I am mostly ready. The last piece of equipment needing attention is the corn picker. I will get it ready for the harvest soon. First I need to finish the job of haying. Then clean and store the hay equipment. Following that job, I will move on to plowing and preparing the soil for our fall planted speltz crop. Then the corn harvest will commence. If the weather won’t allow for machine harvest, I will pick the 3 acres by hand…more on this job later.
Like the ant in the old fable, we are busy preparing for the coming winter. I suggest in the world of grasshoppers and ants…be the ant!
January 29, 2019
I am trying to get over a winter cold. I felt better, so I decided a day in the shop was in order. I did accomplish a few things, but did not kick my cold…so the sniffles continue.
I have a couple knife projects in the works. I decided to heat treat the blades as I move through the knife making process. I had spent a little time making some door handles. My fire was mostly clean coke and very even. This is the ideal time for jobs like forge welding or heat treating, because of the absence of impurities in the fire.
After the steel has reached critical temperature, I plunge the hot blade into the quench oil. This hardens the knife, giving it the property to hold an edge and stay sharp.
This job must not be done by children and should be done in a well ventilated area. Careful consideration to ensure no flammables are nearby. You can see in the photo one of three fire extinguishers in the shop. They are overkill, but give peace of mind. I also have a cover for the quench pan for snuffing out any flame that may pop up.
The knife blades are next annealed to give them some flexibility. All that remains to complete the projects are polishing and handle fitting. These jobs take the longest for me. I can’t even say that I like doing them. I like the finished product, but the countless hours of sanding and buffing I find very tedious.
I am sure things will get better as I learn more. Like any job, the tricks and shortcuts make them go better. In any case, it is a warm job on a cold day. I like the forge and the expression it allows, so I will continue to heat, beat and repeat.
Filed under: January 2019, Uncategorized | Tags: anvil, forge, forging, homemade ornaments, Knife making, New Year, toy box
January 1, 2019
As last year came to a close, I spent quite a bit of time in the forge shop. I made gifts for many folks. I worked outside of my comfort zone, but had a great time honing my skills.
Elk handle, a farrier’s rasp and some brass pipe allowed me to make this rustic exhibition Bowie knife. A few old railroad spikes were turned into container gardening tools.
I even forged all the pieces to make a small “Hit and Miss” engine toy. A 3/4 block of steel, a piece of pipe, a rivet, a few washers, a block from the toy box and lots of imagination. It brightened the day of a long time collector and made my heart smile.
The flywheels were taken off a broken toy tractor. It was a fun project.
I made hooks and hangers of several types. I made a few tools to help me make the things shown above. This new hobby for me is very relaxing. It pushes my mind and promotes creativity. My hands are happy near the forge and anvil. My body enjoys the warmth on wet, cold winter days.
Happy New Year everyone. I hope your year is filled with the people and things that make you happy.
Filed under: November 2018 | Tags: deer hunting, deer processing, forging, jerky, Thanksgiving
November 27, 2018
November has been a very busy time here on the farm. The ear corn for the animal feed has all been harvested. The animals are tucked in for the winter. Butchering season is upon us now. This job is the last one for the year. The meat sticks in the photo above, were made from venison. Our 9 year old grandson bagged his first deer. His request was for snack sticks and jerky.
We made jerky from the ground meat. There is now a family, happily munching meat snacks!
Thanksgiving, is a big word for a great holiday. It is set aside for us to count our blessings and give thanks for them. This post is delayed, because I have been busy counting!
I have been busy in the forge shop making Christmas gifts. Sorry no photos of those gifts for a while, I don’t want to spoil the suprizes. I am really enjoying this new venture. It forces me to think and allows me to work with my hands in a very different way. In fact, it lets me “harvest” from steel!
Filed under: October 2018 | Tags: change, forging, God, hobbies, Knife making, relaxation, Rest
October 7, 2018
I think it is very good for us as humans, to take some time out to do what pleases us. We need to take care of responsibilities first of course, but some time to relax is a necessity. I am guilty of working too much in the past. Life is short. There is no way to go back and spend time with people, see an event or watch a sunset from a comfortable chair. Those days are behind me and I have regrets for sure. I will try harder to spend more time on the things that really matter…and one of those things is just some time for me.
It is no secret that I have found a great hobby with forging. I like to heat the steel and make it move in my hands. I like to create. I like the solitude and alone time. I read somewhere, that men and steel get second chances. Its true. The metal can change, reshape, bend and harden. Men are the same way…it just takes guidance from a master to make it happen. Choose your master well…don’t choose money, work or pleasing others. Stay true to self and go forward following your heart.
I have been making blades from old files and rasps. The hardened steel has to go through fire before it can be made into a knife. They are very hard as tools. The fire restores flexible steel, reducing the hardened tools to malleable steel once again. They make fine blades with hardness restored in their cutting edges, while leaving the rest of the knife flexible enough to bend when put to a test.
Men too, sometimes need to go through a “fire”, for them to change. I have been through a few low points in my life testing my mettle. I did indeed change a few things. In the end I am stronger than before, but I can bend.
Slowly the knife blade takes shape. In men, maybe it is the loss of a job or failure in some way, that tests them. The birth of a baby or the loss of a loved one, will shape your life differently. It is not the reshaping that matters, it is the way you react to it. Be positive. Find the good in yourself and others. Change if needed, but at a minimum, learn from the new experience.
I stand at my forge and anvil. I hammer and twist steel into shapes. I make mistakes, but I turn out good stuff too. The joy comes not from the pieces of steel I bend and hammer, but from finding a skill that I didn’t even know I possessed! I wouldn’t allow myself to waste time on idle things…what a mistake!
So, the point of this post is to help my readers understand, the importance of rest and relaxation. We as humans need the down time to recharge and reset. The Bible tells us that on the seventh day, God rested. He was God. He didn’t need to rest…He did it because He knew that “we” needed it! This took me too long to understand, but now…I get it.
Filed under: September 2018 | Tags: autumn, forging, horse drawn, horse drawn wagon, productivity
September 12, 2018
After oppressive heat and humidity, rain ushered in some cooler weather. The rains fell for three days here giving us 2.75 inches of moisture. I used the wet days to complete a couple of projects. The knife and hatchet set, forged from a farrier’s rasp was a fun project and is now complete. I learned a lot during the process. I will continue to put this new skill/hobby to work for me. I must say I really enjoy it.
We also completed putting a new wagon rack on my horse drawn wagon. This is the second rack on this same running gear. The last rack was 9 years old. It rotted out even though it had been painted. I now have room to keep this one inside during winter weather. It should last a good long time. The boards were wet as we built from rough cut hemlock lumber. Once it dries out, I will seal it from the elements. It will be all ready to gather firewood and pick our field corn.
The cooler weather also makes me get excited about fall plowing. The horses and I can do more in the cool comfortable days of autumn. This summer’s heat was one for the record books. It did make for a great corn crop. Timely rains and hot weather kept the pastures lush and green. Hay making was a challenge as we would get “pop-up” showers that didn’t do much more than wash the drying hay. It makes the hay dusty, okay for cows, but not for horses. Oh well, we can’t control the weather, but we can work with it…like doing something productive on a rainy day!
Filed under: August 2018 | Tags: Conversation, farrier, forging, Knife making, rasp, tempering
August 27, 2018
This knife I have been making as time permits over the last week. I made it from a farrier’s rasp that was given to me by my farrier. This is my second knife project. I learned a lot. I had to soften the rasp steel, then forge, grind, harden and temper the knife. The handle fit went much better this time. I still have to sharpen and polish it, but it is coming along quite well.
I left the rasp’s character showing as I worked the steel. This knife will be a gift for my farrier. I think he will use it or perhaps just display it, but I am pleased with my efforts. I think leaving it a little rough around the edges makes for a great conversation piece. I say this because those who know me, know that I too am a little rough around the edges…and conversation is my specialty! (Some may even say that I am a bullshi**er!)
Filed under: August 2018 | Tags: American Agriculture, forging, Knife making, learning, skills, steel, Tiller's International
August 16, 2018
I had a great time last weekend at Tiller’s International in Scotts Michigan. I took their knife making class. Last year, I took two blacksmithing courses. This was just “continuing education” I guess. I learned a bunch of new stuff thanks to good instruction and hands on learning.
This very simple “clamp” in the photo above, became a good friend as I sanded and rubbed on the steel knife. I forged the blade from 5160 steel, then learned to grind and sand the blade into a functional piece.
We learned to fit a handle on the blade. I am pleased with my first attempt to make a knife, but I see imperfections that I will work on for the next one. This is a good blade… even if it did take me two full days to make it!
I even ventured into file work. I free handed the “X’s” into the back of the blade for my thumb to rest on. Again, I learned things that I will do different, but am satisfied by my efforts. I need to work a bit more on the finish…but… “It will cut” as they say.
Tiller’s International is an institution that strives to bring old, early American methods in farming and homesteading to poor countries. They build small agricultural equipment out of materials found in those poor countries, like rebar, shipping containers, and bicycle parts. They make hand tools and oxen pulled pieces as well.
The international part of the Tiller’s mission, is made possible by training learned from preserving America’s past. I am glad they share. Classes in timber framing, tool making, coopering, tin smithing, commercial barrel making from white oak staves, oxen and draft horse driving basics and more. Check out their website for classes and events at http://www.tillersinternational.org This non-profit organization can use your help, why not enrich your life while helping them out? It worked good for me as I was able to “steel away for the weekend!”
Filed under: May 2018 | Tags: Blacksmithing, coal forge, coke forge, cowboy, forging, hobby, horse shoe
May 26, 2018
I worked in the forge room the other night. I scavenged a couple old horseshoes, a rock and a washer. I made this old cowboy warming himself by the fire. My daughter-in-law says that his fire needs some help, but you get the idea. I thought he was neat. One of my friends said that he could see my artistic side coming out! I never thought about it that way. I can usually just bend words in a pleasing way…this steel bending is very new to me.
I will say that I am enjoying this new hobby. Now that I am retired, I have more time to work and play with it. I can see a whole world opening up. This hobby is only limited by a man’s imagination. I should be fine, because my imagination is practically limitless!
The fields are drying out. Our planting will commence soon. The garden too will be off and growing soon. Hay fields are looking very good and the pastures are lush with grass. The timber harvest is started, so my forge time is on hold a bit. I don’t mind. I waited for a long time to do this, so working it in around my other passions, is no problem.
Filed under: May 2018 | Tags: backyard flock, Blacksmithing, chickens, family, forging, Small Farming, Spring
May 8, 2018
Our spring continued to be evasive. Long hours and too many days at my off farm job has caused delays in getting into the fields. It’s no big deal. The soil is just starting to warm and dry enough to work it anyway. I am spending time with family, especially the little ones.
My grandson continues to like blacksmithing. He is coming along very well. He started banging and bending horseshoe nails. He has now moved up to steel stock. He likes the coal forge and turning the blower crank, but hammering hot iron is his favorite!
Two of our grandchildren live here on the farm with us. They live next door, but seek out Pa-pa and Grammy often. They like feeding the chickens ear corn. They would shell corn until the chickens burst, but understand why we don’t.
So spring is here…finally. The horses and I will soon be in the fields. The animals are grazing spring pastures, but are still munching a little hay. The leaves on the trees are starting to pop. Most of the shedding winter coats is a memory and garden planting looms on the horizon. I can’t say that I have wasted one minute…but it is sure time for Spring Chores.
RicelandMeadows 