What new projects?

G

Guy Thomas

Joined
Feb 1, 2000
Messages
1,370
With the holiday season upon us (Yay!! No more malls and shopping!!) and the New Year rapidly approaching, what new projects have you guys got planned?

On my part cleaning and organizing my shop are priority. I have a family of mice in my garage that are driving me nuts!

Beyond that I have an upright Don Fogg style forge nearing completion. As soon as it's done I am going to order some more 1084 and concentrate on getting the most from that one steel with heat treating and destructive testing. I'm going to try making several camp knives and bowies designed for cutting competition and see how I do. Tantos too, I'm dying to make a few tantos and see what kind of hamon I can develop. First though I do have several blades of assorted types laying around that I need to finish up.

I'd like to finish at least one knife a month. We'll see if that's possible!:D
 
I am going to rebuild, well make my ht oven bigger. Right now the internal dims are 4x4x18. When she is done it will be 9x13x18. I think i was getting higher surface temps than what my thermocouple was telling me when the oven was only 4 in wide. Too close to the elements, and I did not trust the temp reading.

Hopefully I will build a bench for my mill drill. She is still sitting on the floor. Then I just need to figure out how to get that 650 pound beast on the bench:) No problem, my buddy has a strong back:D

If I have time left I am going to try to do some pattern development and come up with an original damascus pattern. I would also like to do some experimentation on ht methods and failure test some of those processes.

Other than that, I am going to catch up on some sleep...I hope.
 
Guy, send them meeces down here. I need some friends and my shop has lots of room for a family of critters. I'm suprised nothing has ever moved in, not even a squirrel and the area is crawling with em. Shoot, I'd feed em everyday and take em for a walk and brush em and build em a home and buy em the best food and start a college fund for the kids and and and, ooops, never mind.
I'm gonnd build myself a new grinder for my 12" contact wheel. I wanna put my forge together, too. The parts have been layin around for a year or so and they still haven't assembled themselves so I guess I'm just gonna have to do it, sheesh.:) Other than that it's make knives and grow in my knowledge of our Father's word.
 
Well, I have a push dagger heat treated waiting for my muse to tell me how to handle it; there's a Cratchet down there with the namer's name on it but little else. I have orders for three tantos which will come before anything, then I have to learn how to do a silver throat and tipped sheath for a dagger I made some time ago... I have a Father/Son hunter set waiting for me, another Scagle repro, a theater knife for my rotary grinder to work on... And I need to rework that danged pin press! Then for February... Oh no - I have a regular job too! That thing sure gets in the way! :rolleyes:

Fun times ahead! Merry Christmas, and looking forward to a fantastic New Year!

Dave
 
Well lets see, bladesmithing course at Old Washington, naginata in 1084 with temperline, more tantos, knife shows, seeing old friends, and convincing the FUF that I really am a nice guy and she should really try to get along. My wife even made her a nice house for the shop. Hope you all have a good 2003.
 
Cool house BRTATCK,

Lets see, got most of my orders caught up, need to get busy and get some made and try to atend a couple of shows this year,

Got some experiments waiting on quench oil, been wanting to try a Scagle style hatchet, got a small dress bowie in the works, but will have to wait a couple of weeks till I get back.

Even with 14 days a month off I can never seem to find the time to do everything.:rolleyes: :D
 
Revamp my shop,and get the plans rolling for a web page
Can't wait to see what it will end up looking like.
Only time will tell:D
 
This must be the year for Tantos. I have a weekend planned with our oldest son to make him one.

Finish the rebuild on my 24" deep salt pot for heat-treating.

Finish the 12' x 24' addition to the shop that I started 2 years ago

Finish my Pistol/folding dagger.

Make 5 damascus knives for the Blade Show in June.
 
Hey BRTATCK I need to get one of those Fairy houses for my place! :D That's righteous!

Bruce, where can I learn about long salt pots for heat treating? That's what I need!

Dave
 
Ha, I need one of those houses too! Except I need a FUF condo!

Dave I couldn't resist, check out this page on salt pots:

http://www.dfoggknives.com/hightemp.htm

A 12'x24' shop addition, Bruce. That could be my main shop! I've noticed in every issue of Blade there seem to be more and more tantos. I think they are popular because they excite the imagination. I also think we'll see many other Oriental and exotic blade forms become popular in the coming years as bladesmiths want to stretch and expand their skills.
 
Let's see !! first make about 6 Butterfly knive's , Prepare for a Show in 10 week's , Folder's Mostly Hopefully a Couple of "Perfect Fixed Blade's , As many Quality 1 1/2 inch "Mini's " as I Can !! Finnish the Damascus I Began before the Holiday's ,Ship Knive's to Photographer, Wait I Have no time to Write This !! Just Joking !! Good Luck Guy's I Hope the "New Year" is a Good One !!:) :D
 
Make more knives. Build a little web site linked from my current site to try to drum up an order or two.

Try to figure a way to hook up a vacuum to the grinders without punching holes through the wall and without catching the vacuum on fire - again.

Roger
 
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