new bandsaw

I purchased a new bandsaw today. My current bandsaw is a small one and I've had to work on it alot to get it to just cut straight. My current saw still runs good, and cuts decent, but I've exceeded it's cutting capacity several times, and had to find other means of cutting.

After searching craigslist for a while, I found an industrial bandsaw with an 8"x14" cutting capacity. (My old saw is a 4"x6" cutting capacity.) I emailed the manufacturing company that originally made the saw to get the specs and the current price of the saw.

Long story short it was a good deal on a good saw.

And I'll shut up and let the pictures tell the story!

Does anyone need me to cut something???

finished the water tank stand!

After three days work, I have finished the water tank stand. Once again, this stand is for holding a 275 gallon (2400 pound,) water tank 6-feet in the air, to gravity feed our garden.  Other than getting Dad to hold the heavy parts when we were putting the thing together, I built the entire thing by myself. The stand itself weighs several hundred pounds.

We filled the tank up with water and it hasn't collapsed......................yet!~

new tongs

I can't think of a good excuse NOT to forge another pair of tongs. Really, a blacksmith ALWAYS needs a new pair of tongs. I forged a new pair of tongs right quick before I came in for the evening. They were forged from coil spring and will hold 1/4-inch square, round, or flat stock.

new power hammer dies

I made some new dies for my tire hammer. They are specifically made for manufacturing a certain type of tool. The dies need some minor tweaking, but they turned out very nice.

I have been working for the last two days to creat a stand to hold one of our 275 gallon water tanks. In case you are wondering, that's around 2400 pounds that this stand will need to support. The stand is six-feet tall, six-feet long, and four-feet wide. The top has a two-foot cat walk for checking the tank. The stand is built from very heavy angle iron. I built the stand so that it could be taken apart into pieces small enough to be moved by hand. It needs one or two more braces installed, then all of the oil and dust will be removed and several coats of paint applied.

Here are some pictures of me cutting the grating for the top. I had to do this outside, because the grating is galvanized. When galvanized material is heated it gives off a lethal fume, so any work you do with galvinzed material has to be done outside, for ventalation.

Here is the entire stand.....wedged into my shop.

The end!

Fireplace crane

Here is a 32 inch fireplace crane I forged from 3/4-inch round bar and 5/8-inch square bar.

first holster

I made a holster for the revolver this evening. There are some changes that need to be made, but this one was a decent first guess.

(Uhhh yeah I've been working.)

shooting the revolver....pictures and videos

Well, I don' thave any bullets for the new revolver, but I'm not above blowing up a little powder in a semi controlled fashion.
SOOOO!

Here are a couple pictures and a couple videos.
Philip shooting!

Titus shooting!

Night fire picture!

Here is a video of us shooting.

Here are some of the same shots in slow motion.

blowing a little money

Ok so those of you who know me personally know that I'm the worst tight-wad in the history of mankind, and now those of you who just read my blog, know it too. If it doesn't help my blacksmithing business, I don't buy it. That's pretty much me.

I LOVE blackpowder firearms. Especially traditional ones. After I got out of reenacting, I sold my musket.....no need for it. I've missed shooting blackpowder. One of the guns I've always wanted is the open top, 44 revolver. I had the opportunity to buy a new condition one for about a third the normal price and couldn't resist.

The brass needed polishing and one of the parts needed adjusting. I did all that last night and oiled up all of the moving parts. The revolver does not look like it's ever been shot before.

It has a 7.5 inch barrel.

I actually took this picture myself. This is not a picture of me....this is a reflection of me in a mirror. :D   STICK-'M-UP!