|
|
The Outpost This forum is dedicated to all who share a love for, and a desire to make good knives, and have fun doing it. We represent a diverse group of smiths and knifemakers who bring numerous methods to their craft. |
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
||||
|
||||
It's been a while...
Well, lives change and we go in different directions. Much has happened with me and I'm sure with you fellows as well. But life is calling me back to the forge and I'm getting ready to build a new one from the ground up. So here I am back at my roots, hoping for a little inspiration and guidance about the best design for a smithy and forge. So who is left here at the Outpost? Enquiring minds want to know.
|
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Hi Max! You're not kidding it's been a while! Great to hear from you! Not too many of the old gang are still around. Don't know what happened to everyone, but TKN has been pretty slow in general lately...
Lively retired from knifemaking about a year ago and became a rock and roller and Dana is making wine full time (last I heard). Some how the Outpost has turned more into a show and tell forum than a question and answer forum for Neo-Triblal technology. Good luck with your new smithy. I'm still working in a bare bones shop, but like it like that. I've gotten a lot of use out of the swedge block I got from you a long time ago. Last edited by Tai Google; 10-19-2010 at 08:50 AM. |
#3
|
||||
|
||||
Well, show-n-tell's not so bad Tai. It gets things stirred up and people thinking after all. Here's a little semi-tribal knife sharpener I dreamed up and put together just to add to the pot. It's been a lot of fun for me and has actually made some $$ to boot.
|
#4
|
||||
|
||||
I cobbed this together with the help of a good friend from an old treadle sewing machine base and a medium sized grindstone on a 1" shaft. The belt is just a length of 1/4" nylon rope with the ends melted together and tensioned by a riding lawnmower idler pulley. The drive pulley is an old alternator pulley I came up with from spare parts. It's been the source of lots of fun and many conversations for me. I don't guess I'll ever kick the tribal part of me, and I see that as a good thing. I still strive to keep things simple and as non-technological as possible. My new smithy will be just like the old one, all hand powered and non-industrial. I will have an extension chord for lights and the odd power tool, but the only other modern convenience will be a water hose.
The floor will be flagstone with sand filler and the forge will be constructed of 5" rounded square native stone built on a concrete pad. Beyond that, I have no clear idea of what the structure will look like or be constructed of. But I'm going to try to keep with local, natural materials as much as possible and would like to use mortise and tenon joining. Chainsaws, chisels and hammers will be my building tools for the most part. I always liked your open air shop Tai, but here in Arkansas that's just not practical. We get way too much crazy weather and I like to stay dry and protected from the wind and cold. I'd still like very much to hear (and see in pics) your ideas for my new smithy though. I'd like to get it right the first time... |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Max, That knife sharpener looks way cool!
I finally set up a work space in one of the back rooms, so I can keep working on bad weather days. Right now it's great forging weather. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Hey Max, Dang it has been awhile. Im just a lurker now days, been a full time student for the last two and a half yrs. I graduate in Dec, and plan on hitting the forge full time after the first of the yr. It would be nice to get things kicking around here again, I miss the old days. Welcome back, cant wait to see what you get going.
__________________ boo |
#7
|
||||
|
||||
Hey Max, Good seeing you around! I'm still doing the same old thing. Let me know if your in the market for another emu.
|
#8
|
||||
|
||||
Im back,,,been doing some lapidary work once in awhile but now that snow has hit teh ground,,my farmwork has ceased till early spring so Im getting ready to start bashing steel. Still have a few blades and a few unfinsihed knife projects from last winter but I will get onto them when it gets real cold.
Checking in is a good thing. __________________ tame birds sing of freedom,,,,Free birds just fly. http://neotribalartist.freeforum.ca |
#9
|
||||
|
||||
Hey Ya Ol Coot!!! WHere you been hiding????
Sure nice to see you on the forms! Give me a shout, would love to catch up with you! God Bless Mike __________________ "I cherish the Hammer of Thor, but I praise the hand of God" |
#10
|
||||
|
||||
Well, its been a while once again. Still don't have that smithy going, but have four corner posts in the ground with a 12' X 16' footprint. Just need to get the top framed up and roofing tin on it so its in the dry. Been doing so much other stuff it just hasn't been a priority. But we should have a smithy in the dry by this fall if all goes well.
I have a very interesting opportunity to pick up some nice old wrought iron. Last year an old bridge near here collapsed. It was built in the 1890's and has quite a bit of wrought iron in it. It will take some serious work, but I think I can get about a quarter ton of wrought iron in various dimensions from it if things work out. I still have to talk to the county judge about salvaging the good stuff, but I don't think it will be a problem since he wants to get a new bridge built this year and the old one has to go away. Anyway, look for listings in the trading post for some good old wrought iron in the future. There's one inch round stock, square stock and also some two by one rectangular stock. I'm figuring about 600 linear feet of all combined (about 500 pounds). I lost all of my wrought iron from an invasion by my next to oldest daughter and her husband. Long story... In fact, I lost all of my working stock bacause they didn't understand why I had junkpiles (spelled stockpiles) of metal on my place. They stayed at my place for several months and were just trying to be helpful. Makes me want to cry... |
Tags |
bee, forge, forging, holsters, iron, knife, leather, lights, post |
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
|
|