[TheForge] Putting a New Subject Line on it and rambling...

[Bruce]

My apologies for not re-titling my previous post, the one in which I was
bitching about taking too great a share of the work of running the club.

Since Frosty brought up the subject of what we've been doing, let me
describe my belated project of making "icicles."  I don't know where I
first saw these things, but I'm pretty sure I didn't originate the idea:
Taper  3/8" square stock to a point across 3" to 6", your preference.  Now
twist that taper.  Finally put a hook or a ring or just a hole on the fat
end, somehow, for hanging.
The twist is the trick.  Done wrong, it can be a mess.  After one success a
couple years ago, and a few tries and a couple more successes recently, I
have found that the key is to cool the tip, grab that in the vise, and
twist the hot taper from the fat end.  I think the temperature matters a
lot, but I don't have a good handle on that yet.  It's not a sure thing
(yet) but that seems to give a lovely twist to the icicle.  When finished,
polish it on the wire wheel.  I don't know whether that just brings out a
shine on the black scale or whether it deposits shiny steel from the wire
wheel onto the scale -- much as a brass brush will deposit "gold" on the
scale -- but the result is a shiny black "icicle."

As for the ailments of age that some have been discussing, exercise seems
best for many, especially the exercises recommended by physical therapists
for joint problems, such as shoulder ailments.
The only significant pain aside from these that I've suffered in recent
years were shoulder and neck pain -- sometimes quite severe -- that
resulted from a cold draft while sleeping.  Avoid a cold draft and that
problem goes away.
If anyone else has to deal with very dry skin, especially on the fingers
(that get washed more than ever these days), I suggest lanolin.  The
product available by the pound works fine if you don't mind smelling like a
sheep.  (Washing your hands after applying it reduces the intensity
somewhat.)  But if that's too stinky for you or yours, get the liquid-gold
lanolin sold for nursing mothers, which is all but odorless.  The main
problem using lanolin or some other skin creams is that you're likely to
have to clean under your fingernails more often, but that's no big deal.
Now, if you want to know what to do about piles, email me off-list.
There's only so much I'll discuss on a public forum!

Bruce
NJ


On Wed, Dec 29, 2021 at 6:30 PM jerry Frost <akfrosty at mtaonline.net> wrote:

> Holy  Moly, this is more activity than I've seen all last year! I really
> miss email.lists. I wish I did something worth shooting a message here now
> and then. I haven't done much smithing since the TBI accident. Been messing
> with burners and am pleasantly surprised at how well the Naturally
> Aspirated
> Ribbon Burner (NARB) works. There are a bunch of posts up on Iforgeiron .
> Com. Not much new for the T burner other than an easy way to jig the parts
> to make one.
>
> I HATE facebook, the noise to signal ratio is ridiculous, for anything I
> might want to see I get everything in that person's contacts and all those
> people's contact lists dumped on me. It's a geometric progression of noise.
> I finally got our club's FB group filtered to just folk I want to hear from
> and I get silence.
>
> Silence of the FB group. SWEET.
>
> Meetings at our club are mostly newbies which is good, I enjoy passing it
> along. I turn 70 in January and since the TBI I've slowed way down.
>
> I can't tell you guys how happy I am so see you again. Maybe we should do
> this more often. (;
>
> Frosty
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Rob Fertner
> Sent: Monday, December 27, 2021 6:36 PM
> To: 'Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA'
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] New knife steel
>
> Mark,
> I guess only us old timers still using an e-mail group. A lot of people use
> that BookFace nonsense.
> Today is my 65th birthday and maybe I'm feeling a little maudlin. As time
> goes on, there's fewer in our cohorts.
> I've been on this list since 1996 there abouts. I plan on sticking with it
> until someone shuts off the lights.
> Have a good one.
>
> Rob
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net <theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net>
> On
> Behalf Of Mark A. Pesetsky
> Sent: Monday, December 27, 2021 9:44 AM
> To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] New knife steel
>
> Hey Rob,
>
> Hope all is well with you and yours and you had a nice and relaxing
> Christmas. Thanks for sharing, this is a great article. Miss the days of
> old
> when this list was thriving and buzzing with activity.
>
> Take Care,
> Mark
> ________________________________
>
>