I've been under the weather since October 2021. Like, seriously under the weather. Thank goodness it wasn't COVID, but I've hit a sequence of rather serious, unrelated, medical events and I understand that another storm is on the way. The result is that I haven't been in the forge since late October and it wasn't until this past week that I've felt stable being back in the forge and around machinery.
This past week I finally tackled a simple bit of forging and it feels good to have that ache deep in your bones and even get a burn or two. Squirrel cookers are one the most basic pieces of forgery that comes up. They have the most basic elements of forging: shaping, cutting, and twists. All these cookers are made from 3/8" mild steel and are strong enough for everything from steak strips to marshmallows. They get used a lot for Welsh Rabbit when we are camping (cheese spread on toast) and work fine as a simple fork, but also have a convenient stand. The other end of the fork is a curved billy pot for heating small cans over a fire. They were common in kits for explorers and fur traders and are now found at every rendezvous. The patina is a simple wax coating that won't hold up long over the fire and being stuck in the ground. If a coat of fat or wax is wiped over the warm metal work, the rust can be fought off at least temporarily. Finally, it's clear that the forge won't be open for the Creede Studio Tour in August. When things clear up and the forge gets back to normal, I'll post something. Comments are closed.
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the Mad tinkerJust an archive of projects as they progress. Nothing really to see here. Move along ... Archives
August 2024
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