[TheForge] The mind 1st to go

[Wesley Marquart]

Jerry you are [so] right on this!

I've learned that once again this fall...  I got asked by a friend if I
could build him a 'functional replica of an early period Roman short sword'
in other words a Pompeii style Gladius...  He requested a brass
quillion(?)/guard and pommel.  He also asked it be forged out, not cut and
ground.  

I figured, 'No problem!' (famous last words there!) and quoted him a low
ball price since he is a buddy.  Blade came together quickly but when it
came time for the brass work I decided to go ahead and try casting the
blanks...  

Big Mistake(tm)...  I wasted almost 3 weeks messing around with it and never
did get a decent casting for either part...  Donna finally said "Quit trying
to create it all yourself - just go and buy the brass chunks and carve them
out!"

So... made the 2 1/2 hour round trip to buy the $25 worth of brass...  came
home and roughed the pieces out in < 4 hours...  

Should'a done that in the first place...  then I would still have my store
of old brass pieces and chunks and been done a lot faster.  Lesson was
definitely learned.  (AND next time I build one of those I will not be
hurried into a price quote and will check supply prices better.)

Wes

-----Original Message-----
From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Jerry Frost
Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2010 6:53 PM
To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA
Subject: Re: [TheForge] The mind 1st to go

<SNIP>

In the same vein another example: New vs. Scrounged materials. There's been 
I don't know how many times I've taken on a fab job and had plenty of 
material I'd scrounged on hand but bought new anyway. Why you ask? Because I

already had time invested in the first pick and pack, then I'd have to clean

it and otherwise prep it before putting it under the saw. The new steel 
though got loaded on my trailer by the supplier's fork lift and went 
directly from my trailer deck to my cutoff saw. On the fab table everything 
was not only straight and the right dimension it was clean and all I needed 
to do was tack and weld it. Bearing in mind the ONLY thing we're born with 
is time, which do you think was more profitable?

</SNIP>