Shooting Rest

While I've been making really good progress on finishing up projects - finally got the ceiling tile up in the parlor - I couldn't resist starting another one. I built a bullet trap for my 22 rifle a year or so ago so I wouldn't have to make a trip to the range when I wanted do a little plinking but I didn't have a rest to shoot off of. To sight your gun in, a rest is the only way to go. I made a trip to the Bass Pro store a few weeks back and looked at what they had. They had a pretty good selection both in styles and price range. Me being the consummate tinkerer, however, I figured I could make one and save myself a few bucks. Of course, I rarely put a value on my labor for a job like this because I just like making things.

The photo shows the parts I've got made so far. Quite a bit of machine work but I find this type of work much more enjoyable than a lot of the home handyman crap I've been doing. The remaining work is pretty straight forward - make the legs and the top plate, then weld things together. I'm going to fixture it up on a piece of OSB to keep everything lined up while welding. I should have it done in a few days, depending on the weather. This is a good rainy day or evening project. This would actually be a good project for a kid in a high school machine shop class if every one wasn't so damn touchy about guns.

Race Weekend

It was a pretty good weekend for my races. Even though I didn't have a lot of time for training, my time spent in the gym has served me well. I finished second overall in the two mile race walk and first in my age division in the bicycle race. It's not that I'm a stud, it's more like a big fish in a little pond.

Race walking is not real popular around here. There's a very active and competitive running scene but most of the walks are just for exercise and fun. Not that that's such a bad thing, mind you. Anything to get people up on their feet and active is a plus. There's a 5K run/walk in two weeks and I'm going to race walk that one as well. I need to work on my form a little bit. I think I could shave some time off with a little bit of work. It would be nice to have a little coaching from someone who knows what's going on but I don't want to get too serious about this anyway. At my age I'm never going to be a world beater but the racewalking is a little easier on the knees than running.

The bicycle race was lots of fun. It's part of a little festival and the people are very nice and professional who run the thing. It started exactly on time and they had the course patrolled real well. I faded a little at the end of the race but was pleased with my performance. I finished about 45 seconds in front of one of the boxers from the gym who came along on his really nice new Trek. He's just starting to get in shape and only had a few miles of bicycling under his belt prior to the race, so he did a real fine job. If he continues to train at the gym, I look for big things out of him next year at the Gloves. We both got spanked by the spandex crowd, which was expected, but the real surprise was the guy who came home in second place. I think the guy was 66 years old and finished about 20 seconds behind the winner. The guy was standing in front of me when they were handing out the medals, and I never would have pegged him as a bicycle racer, especially a really fast one. Chalk one up for the old guys!

Now it's back to finishing up some more projects before the start of my 34th year of teaching begins.

Cross

I finished my part of the cross the other night. It's made from 1/4" x 2" x 2" angle with 14 gauge stainless plates that will be riveted on after painting and engraving. Those are the "Pop" rivets in the detail photo I stuck in the holes to hold the stainless plates on for the photo. The finishing touches and installation are going to be handled by someone else. I'm pleased with how it came out, just sorry that it needed to be made. It's for a 21 year old former student of mine that got hit by a car. I'm working real hard to get my stuff done but I couldn't say no to this job.

The design idea came from a back issue of The Anvils Ring magazine. The quarterly magazine is one of the primary benefits of being a member of ABANA. I'm not a member any longer but should probably join once again. The dues are a little salty but if you're interested in either blacksmithing or art smithing, it's the place to start. They have a conference every two years that has some of the finest smiths in the world as demonstrators. Next year it will be held in Memphis the first week of June. I just might have to check that out myself. It's been a while since I've gone to one.

Downhill Fast

I saw this at The new Cafe (racer) Society.It's a GPV or gravity powered vehicle. If a guy lived someplace with a big hill, this could be fun. I went to the site where the picture originally came from and there was a link to the rule book for these things. We've only got about one hill in the whole county, so the chances of needing rules or these things catching on here are pretty slim but going downhill fast can be a gas - unless you're talking about your health, that is. I remember years ago when I was working for a blacktopping outfit, we were paving a driveway about halfway down this big hill. I looked up and some little buckaroo on a tricycle went whizzing by me with his feet kicked out to the side and a big grin on his face. The street turned a hard ninety at the bottom of the hill, so the little buckaroo just road it out into the weeds. He had to be going at least twenty by the time he hit the weeds, giggling all the way. He managed to get a couple of trips in before his mom figured out what he was up to and drug him home. Even though he knew he was in trouble, he was still smiling when she drug him past me.

Fair Days

I finished my stint at the fair on Friday. The weather was so cool in the afternoon that people were wearing sweatshirts. Man, what a blessing for a blacksmith! I made a crowbar for a guy from a piece of 1"rebar. I wasn't sure when my helper was going to get there so I went solo on this one. I could have used a little help with the hammering but it came out looking pretty good. This guy had seen a crowbar made out of rebar and thought it would be pretty cool to have one made from a piece taken from an old dam from his area. Sort of an historical keepsake crowbar, as it were. I'm not sure how much carbon is in the steel but I hardened it up and drew a temper on it so if he actually uses it, it should be functional.

When I first started teaching it was pretty common to make crowbars in school. It taught you a litttle bit about forging and heat treating and you ended up with something that would last you a lifetime. The only tricky part is putting in the relief for the nail head on the bent end. On this one I shaped a piece of 3/8" square and drove the end of the crowbar down over it to form the relief, split the end of the bar with the hot cut and then opened up the tapered slot for the nail to fit in.

The other photos are of one of two candleholders I made. Pretty well covered both ends of the blacksmithing spectrum. Artsy-fartsy and industrial. Next year I need to make something for myself. I'm always making crap up for other people and don't really have anything that I can point to and say I made. I did finish the fireplace tools - at least the brush, poker and shovel. The Missus has been after me to make a set of tongs so I should do that if nothing else. I also need a stand for the tools. We've got some fireplace tools that came with the house and they're OK but I'd just as soon toss them out and have something of my own manufacture to use. Maybe that will be the job for next year. Or better yet, maybe fire up my own forge this winter and put it to use.

All in all, it was a pretty good week. It's nice talking to the people who stop by and Craig and I work really well together. He hammered out a wood chisel blank from an old file on Friday. I'm anxious to see it when he gets it done. We made a cross this week as well and as soon as I put the finishing touches on it, I'll post a photo.

Forge Weld

Things were a little slower than I expected last night at the fair so my helper Craig and I decided to try our hand at forge welding. The ring shown in the photo is 1/2" round stock that we scarfed the ends on to make a lap joint, got it hot, fluxed the surfaces to be welded, got it and hit it. Simple as that - a forge weld. You can see a little crack in the one edge that didn't quite fuse and I got it just a little too hot but not too bad for my first time. Craig made a couple welds on a piece of square stock that he folded the ends over back onto itself, a faggot weld if you will. The other pieces in the photo are a shovel and brush for a set of fireplace tools. I'll finish the poker today.

The tractor parade went off without a hitch as well. Lots of old iron for a small county fair. My older brother used to have one of those John Deere Model G's, I think. We had a couple of Case and Allis-Chalmers at one time or another as well. Lots of fun learning to run all that stuff when you're young. Of course, lots of opportunities to get hurt as well. No roll over protection or slow moving vehicle signs and most everyone knew someone that had lost a body part to a cornpicker or PTO shaft. The good old days, indeed.

County Fair

Things have been going pretty well at the fair. I started Sunday afternoon and there was a nice steady stream of people stopping by. The ringing of the hammer on the anvil is like a magnet for young kids and old men. Monday and Tuesday the traffic slowed down but still enough people to justify being there. I'm working this evening and there should be plenty of traffic due to the tractor parade and the nice weather we've been having.

The photo shows a couple of pieces we made up - a candle holder, one of three pieces for a trivet and the handles for some fireplace tools. The other photos are a little tractor porn for Unk.