***Yar! Ye random prescheduled update***



I forged this at his request.
Music by: Mr. Peter Biedermann “The Uncommon Man” (http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Peter_Biedermann/)
Helpful links for the DIY blacksmith/bladesmith:
Heat treating 1084 thanks to Mr. Cashen – http://www.knivesby.com/knifemaking-Kevin-Cashen-treating-1084.html
Tool and knife steel from “The NJ Steel Barron” Mr. Aldo Bruno – http://newjerseysteelbaron.com/
Parks 50 Thanks to Mr. Kelly Cupples
Temperatures can be inexpensively tested with tempsticks. I get mine from markingpendepot.com.
I had a grand time helping out Solvar at the St. George’s Day demonstration at Lafayette Village.
I even got to display and vend some stuffs from the forge.
I got a chance to gift these away recently. So I can finally post a photo.
A few months back I welded up a bunch of steel cable and forged this little bracelet. I’ve made a few more since. This one is still my favorite.
A lot of my writing and how-to stuff has sat on the back burner. With the NC state fair coming up I’ve been busy with projects big and small here are a few of the small heart themed ones.
I’ll get a better picture of it mounted sometime soon I hope.
I’ve got some more projects to post eventually and some more how-to stuff too.
(update)
–Greg
A cordial ‘gent and I got together not so long ago. He’s retired but still works as a hot dog vendor. When he dropped in with a real nice custom cart in tow. It was a simple enough task and a while later I’d finished. He asked for one thing done but mentioned some other things he’d like done. I told him I’d make him something simple and affordable to get the job done, and something with a little more visual appeal.
I went ahead and made something to keep the condiment cooler open to the appropriate height since the fella mentioned it.
I really like making functional stuff. It’s satisfying to make a tool to specifications and attempt to make it visually appealing. But it’s difficult for me to put a price tag on the stuff I make. It’s this odd double standard in my mind on value. I got into this kind of work because of a sort of independence. I’ve always liked making things and it never made sense to me buying something or paying someone to do something I could do myself. If someone needs something I don’t ever want to send them home empty-handed; I’m not the type to take advantage of someone who needs help. But I’m a man who wants to build a business out of a hobby so I have to think about money. With as much of myself that’s intertwined into everything I do it’s almost enough to make me feel a bit like, pardon me, a whore. How do you put a price tag on a piece of yourself? Especially if you’re the sort of person that prefers to make things instead of buy ’em. I understand a majority of the factors to consider but I’m no true business minded man. The next day I gave the ‘gent a price for any two of the three pieces, and another price for all three. The fellow kindly took all three and seemed satisfied.
–Greg
It’s been darn near a hundred in the shade lately. But I’ve been trying to stay hydrated by the forge. I’ve been practicing leaves. And well I have some more stuff for the ugly side of my next installment the good, bad and the ugly. But I liked these from the other day:
–Greg