Burner Almost complete

Almost all the pieces for the burner (I got one of the wrong taps, which I need to go get at Lowes along with the copper pipe)





Here I already drilled the hole at the top of the "T". I also attached a brass piece that I had in a box of fittings. I'm not sure what it is, exactly, but I kind of acts like a flare and enables me to attach the burner to the hole in the firebrick.



These are two different compression fittings. The top one is 1/4" MPT x 1/4" compression. The bottom one is 1/8" MPT x 1/4" compression. Why? Scroll down.



Here's the setup. From right to left:

Gas comes in through a 1/4" hose into the the 1/4" x 1/4" Ball Shut-off Valve
On the other side of the valve, there is the 1/4" MPT x 1/4" compression fitting
This attaches to the 1/4" copper pipe (Not shown--I don't have it yet)
The other end of the copper pipe attaches to the other 1/8" MPT x 1/4" compression fitting
The 0.035 MIG tipscrews into the tapped 1/8" MPT side of the 1/8" MPT x 1/4" compression fitting (Use 1/4-28 tap with a #3 drill bit)
The 1/8" MPT x 1/4" compression fitting then screws into the tapped "T" (Use 1/8-27 Tapered Tap)

For more information and if you need to ask any questions, go here: http://www.iforgeiro...-and-made-this/


What's left to buy: Firebrick! (Regulator and hose are shipping. Should get them by next week)


Can't wait to get this burner up and running... building the forge should be the really easy part.

Zachary

Been a while!

Going on partial 2-week break from school. Meanwhile, I'm setting up my shop for blacksmithing. A really nice knifemaker gave me a piece of railroad track for an anvil. He also gave me some ceramic high-temperature Kaowool to line my gas forge, and a few pieces of high-carbon steel.

Anvil, piece of cable for "Cable Damascus" a.k.a pattern welding, and car leaf spring

Ceramic Kaowool

Partially filed surface for flatness

Zachary

Split and Out to Dry

So I decided to embark on splitting a log of sweetgum I had sitting in the garage for a few months to make a bow. It was going to be hard, but I didn't expect this much work. Took me about 3 hours. Right now, I sit exhausted in my computer chair typing. I'm taking advantage of the (hopefully) last week of high 90s to dry the de-barked log. It's going to be a flat bow--possibly Mollegabet design.

Notice, in this picture, that the thin limbs that bend but the last 4-5 inches at the tips do not. This design (modeled after a bow design found in a village called "Mollegabet") is a very fast design (shoots fast). Wider and thinner limbs (around 2 inches wide); and narrower and thicker tips (about 1/4" wide and 1/4" thick I'm pretty sure).

Well anyway, here are some pictures of splitting and de-barking with the really useful draw knife.

In case you were wondering, I used the butter knife to de-bark the wood.

Drying the elevated half because that's the one I'm planning on using. Next week I'll probably take the 14" bandsaw to it and split it in half down the its length.

Zachary

Sheath

Almost completed sheath. Just needs a belt loop and I'm thinking about adding a wrap-around snap to secure the knife.

Used a tutorial (with google translate). Basically a front, spacer, and then back sewed together with dacron B50. Cuir-bouilli hardened leather. I soaked the sewn sheath in hot water (which I couldn't keep my hand in for more than a second or less) for about 10 min. Then I oiled my knife (I recomend waxing, because it still started rusting even with the oil on) and placed the knife into the sheath. I put the whole thing in my dehydrator set to 140F for about 1 hour. I think I pulled the knife out after 30 min. or so.

I dyed it black with a absolutely putrid smelling black vinegar dye I made. Man that stuff it nasty! I had to put the sheath outside for a few hours to get most of the smell out of it.

That's it for now!
Zachary

Knife Handle Progress

Some progress on the rasp knife I've been working on.

Toasted Osage Orange (Bodark) handle with blackened steel rivets. I blackened the steel by heating it up over the fire and then dunking them into some olive oil. Seemed to do the trick.

I recently drilled a small lanyard hole on the end that looks rather nifty.

 Oh, and I'd like to hear your opinion on this variation? To me it seems to complete the handle, but what are your thoughts?

Next time, it'll be heat treating at the blacksmith's. I'll make sure to take some pictures of the process.

Zachary