Oh What A Year 2014 Has Been!!!

Whoa!!!!  It has been quite a while since I’ve updated the ol’ blog.  So much has happened since my last post

In early January my cat had to have a bit of surgery.  Since that time she made a full recovery.  For some time after, she was a little freaked out by everything.  Within the last few weeks she has been returning to my workshop to supervise. 

It seems that bad luck was the norm for the first quarter of the year.  Electrical issues in the shop prevented me from any production in January and February.  With some help from my buddy the electricity was running without any hiccups.  I ran new wiring for the hammer and moved the light switch to a more convenient location.

When the electrical problems first started I thought I’d be able to work around the issue.  Negative.  My 14” bandsaw was still working.  Oh yeah, it crapped out two or three days later.  The motor just died on it.  I spent quite a while looking for a 230v motor for it without any luck.  Then a buddy gave me a motor almost as old as the saw.  As my luck would have it, there was no wiring diagram on it OR at the manufacturer.  They told me their records didn’t go back that far.  Saw gets moved to the side for now.

On to the benchtop bandsaw that I have.  It only gets occasional use but comes in handy in a pinch.  My plan was to sell it to a friend.  Then I need it.  A couple of knife handles later it is starting to sputter and squeak so loud that I need ear plugs.  Saw number 2 taken offline!

I am starting to get mad now.  What else can happen?  Don’t EVER ask this stupid question because there is always something waiting to smack you down.

There are two drill presses in the shop.  One is a 12 or 16 speed floor standing model and the other is a small 5 speed bench model.  They are each used for different processes.  The large one is able to drill larger holes and can’t take any bits less than 1/10^th of an inch.  Not a problem until the small drill doesn’t turn when the power is cut on.  This is what I use to drill holes in my leather sheaths for stitching them.  Dang!  Now what am I gonna do?

In need of a bandsaw, I purchase a benchtop saw from ebay…as is, looks like new in box.  Not a bad price.  Delivered right to the shop.  Open the box and the base is bent and a couple parts are missing.  Luckily as a homesteader and artisan I can whip this thing back into shape in less than half an hour.  No need whining about it just get it ready to use.  Next thing is to mount it to a base and set it in place of the big bandsaw.  Once it started running I was impressed at how well it cuts.  There is so much backlog of work in the shop that I waste no time in cutting out different wood items to get ready for upcoming shows.  Forward one week…get to shop after work, knife handles need to be shaped.  Flip the switch, NOTHING!  This can not be happening.  Oh it is, it is happening!

That makes four machines that have commited suicide within one month in my shop.

We had a show coming up soon so my gears switched to knives.  Working on four new knives had me scrambling for a new drill press to do sheath work.  A good friend picked one up for me in Nashville.  That was a great help to me.  Sheath work was going to get done without incident.  So I thought.  The leather sheaths were made, drilled, stained and stitched. 

There was one kydex sheath to make so the material was cut.  Next it goes onto a griddle to heat so that it can be formed.  All is going well.  From there it goes into a foam press that forms it around the knife.  I turn to get something…(wait for it)…and yank the griddle to the floor, breaking the plastic legs underneath. 

A man can only take so much.  So what do I do?  I STOMP the crap out of that griddle.  My poor wife witnessed the whole event with her jaw dropping to the ground.  Luckily the sheath turned out fine.  Keep focused.  Get ready for the show!

Our first show of the year was March 8^th in Fayetteville, TN.  It was hosted by the Elk Valley Crafters Association.   We were surprised that we had more space than we thought.  So I had to run to Walmart to buy another table to set up.  It turned out to be a nice day and we enjoyed ourselves talking with everyone.

The next weekend my mother-in-law came down to visit.  As we were giving her and her friend a tour of the house, I hear some weird noise coming from our bedroom closet.  What the?  Shucks it’s just the water heater spewing hot water from the top access plate.  It’s a long way to the water meter so I set out running.  The next 6 hours are spent taking out the old water heater, driving 35 miles to get a new one and installing the new water heater. 

At this point there was no need to smash things.  Keep a smile on the face and take it all in stride.  We decide to call our wonderful friend to go through the house and shop with her positive words and burning sage. 

Well that seems to have turned things around for us.  I got my big bandsaw running and it is working better than ever.  We had a good Blooming Arts Festival in Linden, TN last weekend.  The weather was supposed to get rough but that never happened.  So many nice people came to our booth and had good things to say.  Can’t wait for the next show.  That’s it for now.  Been so busy in the shop trying to put a bunch of knives together. Hope the weather starts to warm up for everyone soon.  Flowers are blooming and trees are starting to bud here.  See Y’all Soon!

Happy New Year???

Happy New Year to Everyone!!!

We partied with friends to usher in the New Year.  It was decided to celebrate an early time zone New Year so everyone could leave early.  I woke up in the middle of the night with a cough.  The rest of the week was spent holding down my easy chair.

The deer hunting season has sadly ended at 5:17 p.m. Sunday, January 5, 2014.  It was a very wet and cold ending with nothing seen all day.  Neither Leslie or I harvested a deer on our property.  We tried.  Oh Yeah!  Leslie especially has been in the woods as much as she was able to.  She was determined to bag something.  As for me, my time in the woods has been recently limited to afternoon hunts.  Our woods have been devoid of hoofed ungulates during hunting hours since the opening of the season.  Luckily we were given a deer from a good friend.  This will help us get through the year.   There are a few squirrels in those woods that I plan to harvest.

Before the rain started on Sunday I was working in the shop for a while.  I had to cut a piece of plywood for Leslie to use with her Wii console.  After finishing that I moved the hammer back under the 2-ton hoist so I could lift the flywheel/shaft off the frame.  There was a half washer brazed onto the back end of the spider.  This had to be ground off to allow the shaft to turn.  I can’t for the life of me understand why it was brazed on there in the first place.  It didn’t take as much work to get it off as I had anticipated.  The shaft was hoisted back up onto the frame and I was ready to put the bearing caps on the shaft.  They were tight the first time I tried so I cut a couple sheets of thick paper to use a gasket on both caps.  The shaft turns pretty easily now and after tightening it all back up I flooded the caps with oil to lube the shaft.  Oil flowed pretty freely out of the bearings but it took long enough for me to know that it will be oiled well while the machine is running.

One of the last things to do is to get the ram guide on properly.  The area that the guide attaches needed to be painted so that was done while it was still in the 50’s outside.  That was all that could be done for the day. 

My cat came into the shop and I noticed that her face looked really swollen on her left side.  She had a small cut by her ear for a couple days that seemed to stay open but now she was scratching the fire out of it.  After trying to look at it she ran off.  I knew she’d be back for food, so at supper time I caught her and put her in the house inside a cage.  With the extreme cold overnight I didn’t want her to deal with that along with whatever infection she has going on.  Hopefully it can be treated easily.  Another trip to the animal hospital.  It’s always something with these darn critters.

Took her in to the animal hospital on 1/6/14 as soon as I got home from work.  It turned out to be an abscess on the cats face.  They had to put her out, drain and clean the wound.  She gets to come home with a cone around her neck ans has to be kept inside for 10 days.  So I bring in a rabbit hutch from the barn and stuff her inside for the duration.  Luckily she's got a good disposition.  Can't wait for her to get the stitches out and let her outside again.

Leaving on a good note...at the time I posted this, I have the hammer about ready to go.  It has a small electrical issue that has to be addressed.  Seams like 2014 came in like a lion, lets hope the lamb stays with us the rest of the year.

In With The Old - Out With The New

I have been putzing around with the hammer the last couple weeks but knew that a few major issues had to be accomplished.  The frame needed to be drilled for a motor mount which I was in the process of creating.  After looking around the shop to see what materials I had available, I came up with a suitable mount idea.

A piece of steel strong enough to support the weight of the motor and mount was needed, so I decided to use a piece of channel.  There will be no flexing this stuff when it is in place.  Next I had to actually drill into the hammers frame.  A quick look online gave me enough information to do this myself. 

First I made a drilling guide from some scrap oak I had.  It needed to have a pilot hole guide and the final hole guide.  The guide also had to be clamped to the frame so it wouldn’t move.  This was an easier process than I had anticipated. 

Next, the holes had to be tapped.

This is how the channel will be bolted to the frame.

For the motor base plate I found an 8 ½”x11” frame made of angle iron.  To this frame I welded a piece of ¼” steel plate and drilled holes to bolt the motor to.  

The clutch pulley had to be put in place to find the motor location.  This wasn’t very easy.  I had to carry the shaft, flywheel and pulley assembly up a ladder and put it on top of the frame.  Then I lined everything up and marked the location of the hinges needed to connect the motor frame to the channel.  Holes were drilled to attach the hinges, nuts and bolts were tightened up and she is ready to be painted.

Got it all painted and let it set overnight.  Next day I put it all together and measured for the drive belts.  Wouldn’t you know…the store only had one belt of the size I thought I needed.  Turns out they measure these belts by the outside and not the inside dimensions.  The belt I bought was a little too small.  Call’m up and order two of the right size belts.  Getting so much closer to Hammer Time!

I was really hoping for this project to be complete by today, Dec. 31, 2013.  All that is left to do is to get the ram or hammer head to ride properly in the guide.  Hook up the toggle arms to the flywheel and set the ram to the right height, so it hits the way it is supposed to and give it some electricity.  Lets see what I can accomplish today.

Happy New Year to all of you! 

  Talk To Y'all Next Year

Thanks for being part of all this.

Knife Guy From Waynesboro, Tennessee

The end of the year is always a busy time.  My posting comes long after I jotted all of this down. 

The weekend after Thanksgiving a guy named Dan called me wanting to look at my knives.  His cousin had one of my knives and gave him my card.  He told me that he tried to Google “Knife Guy From Waynesboro” which didn’t come up with my name.  So…I figured if I posted this it may come up in the future.

Dan picked out two knives, one as a gift and one for himself.  I also get to make a second sheath for his cousin who had his own idea of what he wanted.

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Planned a trip to Milwaukee to see our newest grandson, Henry Jack, long before he was born.  I headed up to Nashville in the midst of inclement weather throughout the plains and Midwest.  My plane was lucky enough to fly over the storm so there were no delays.   

Had a glass or two of Single Malt with my son.  Check out the buffalo horn scotch glasses I made for Sam a few years ago.

My folks drove 200 miles south to Milwaukee to see me.   

We had breakfast together with all my brothers.  Makes a son feel special.  It was so nice to see everyone.  My dad was about to turn 89 so seeing him was a top priority for me.  Then I took mom to see her great grandson for the first time.   

She held Henry for 2 hours and I didn’t even get to hold him…go figure.

Had a great Turkey dinner with my daughter Jess & Bob, son Sam & Mara, li’l Bobby and Henry on Saturday night.  I got to hold Henry for hours.  Babies sure give you a whole new perspective on life.  Hope to see all of my family again real soon.

Witnessed the aftermath of two large pileups on Hwy 894 in Milwaukee.  The first one was on the other side of the road and about 12 cars.  They were all over the road in all states of wreckage.  The second pileup was another 7 or 8 miles away.  We noticed that there were no vehicles were on the other side of the freeway and figured it wasn’t a good thing.  Between Lincoln Ave and Greenfield Ave there was close to 30 vehicles strewn about.  It was utter chaos.  Apparently there was a death at each pileup.

On the way back from this excursion, I saw a guy smash into a light pole and it ended up across the hood and windshield of his car.  Left Milwaukee to go back to Tennessee.

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Took a couple of days for me to adjust back to the slower lifestyle.  Finally got to spend a few hours in the shop so I laid out some hunting blades and measured the motor I picked up, for the pulley.  I need a double pulley so I’ll head to Etheridge, TN.  There is a machinist that makes pulleys for the Mennonite community.  On the way I saw two dead COWS on the side of the road!  They were gone when I came back to get pics.

 I stopped at Sweetwater Machine on the way back from Etheridge and picked up the pins that I ordered from Binford. You can see the difference 100 years can make in steel.  Binford also broached a keyway into the new pulley for me.  That will keep it nice and tight on the shaft.  I always learn so much at the machine shop.  The pins fit well and there was only slight modification needed to another part for perfect fit in the whole assembly. 

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Within the last week we took a bunch of product out to the Rivers Edge store in Clifton, TN to stock it for the upcoming "Stroll Through Clifton" Dec. 20-21, 2013.  I'll keep the goods there until shows start next March. 

Leslie does such a great job of displaying everything to make it look more appealing to the eye.  Rivers Edge is only open Fridays and Saturdays, but it gives my work exposure during the off months.

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I recently finished a Christmas gift for my co-worker at the sewer plant.  I couldn't post this till he opened it.

It's a small damascus knife with buffalo horn handles and a black leather sheath.

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And last but not least...

Only in Waynesboro can you stop at the bank to do your weekly transaction, and someone you know asks you if you would like a dead coyote.

The pelt looked in fine condition, it was small and it was free!  After a little work in the shop I transformed it into a beautiful piece that will go on my show table.  I'm trying to get a bunch of different hides on the table for people to touch.  It really draws folks in to the table.  

That's it for now.  Trying to get the hammer ready before the end of the year.  When I do I will try to get a video of its first use.  Till then, hope Y'all get what you wish for!!!

November Was Busy

Well, November is over!  Thought I'd post the last of the happenings before they are gone from my memory for good.

Started work on a few Chef knives.  These are the first large kitchen knives I have worked on.  Trying out some 154CM high carbon stainless steel on two of them and the third will be made from 1095.  I'll post pics when they are looking pretty.


Thankful for a kiss from my beautiful wife at our Thanksgiving celebration with so many good friends.


Thankful for the deer that my buddy Tony dropped off at my house on Thanksgiving day.  I am a very lucky man.

Finished a display for a customer that wanted something to show off the knife she bought from me.  It should be in her hands soon.  Have to beat that Christmas rush.

Have got most of the parts together for the hammer.  Need to find the motor and make a mount for it.  Hoping to have it running by the new year.  What a way to start 2014.

And Something To Chuckle At.

Oodles of Poodles!

 As Leslie and I were going to pick up a few things at our not so local Walmart store in Savannah, TN, we spotted a minivan with at least a dozen furry little poodles inside.  They were laying about in all sorts of crazy ways.  You can see 8 in the picture but there were more in the back.  I just had to take a pic of them.  We actually thought they were stuffed animals before we saw them move.  Hilarious.

All Dressed Up - LGPH Pt5

Nov 11

After cleaning everything up and assessing the damaged parts, it was time to start makin’ her look pretty again.  I stopped at the hardware store to pick out the color I want it to be.  My initial thought was a green as it had a green base color to it after I stripped it all down.  The final color ended up being Ace Safety Blue.  Next was to paint all the parts, giving at least two coats to protect every bit of it.

The frame was the first thing painted.  What a dramatic difference in appearance.  It didn’t take long to see how good this machine still looked. 

Next I painted the flywheel or Faceplate.  I can’t believe this is the same ships anchor I found in the woods.  A few of the other parts were also painted safety blue.

While I was elbow deep in blue paint I talked to Roger from littlegianthammer.com.  He gave me the only piece of history they had on it…the original Ship Date and Buyer.

No. 16 was shipped to F. Peterson of Madelia, Minn. on Monday March 9, 1908.  What a lucky guy.  Wish I knew what it did for most of its life.  I’m pretty sure Mr. Gene and his father had it for 40-50 years.

Nov 12

I had to use a die grinder to get a couple of the parts free of rust and grime.  Completed painting all the blue parts.  Now I need a little warm weather to paint all the smashy parts.  That would be the ram, toggle arms and the tread.  The tread also needed to be beaten back into shape as well as a mess of grinding to make it look good.

The rest of the night I spent racking a big double batch of beer into 2- 5gal carboys and 1- 2gal carboy.  These will help me through the holidays.

Nov 14

The weather warmed up enough to paint some of the last parts.  I went with a gray for contrast to the blue.  Parts were ordered from littlegianthammer.com and took drawings to a machinist to make 5 pins.  When all the parts come in I will be able to pre-assemble the hammer.  The only thing it need is a motor.  I placed an ad on Craigslist to find a used motor.  We’ll see if that pans out.

Nov 16  Homestead Work

Got a pic of the beast on the trail cam, a couple weeks ago, that’s been tearing up my barn and eating all my cats food.  Haven’t seen much of him lately.  This morning I finally caught this big ol’ possum.

Ain’t he scary?

 Leslie and I went over to a friends farm to help butcher a steer that I put down the week prior.

 There were seven of us and it all went very fast.  We dealt with one quarter at a time.  Ribs and steaks were cut out of the quarters before we cut the rest.

Most of it was boned out and ground into burger or left cubed for stew meat.

I was really surprised at how similar it was to butchering a deer.  Which I do myself a time or two per season(Five times last year).  The steer was on a different scale though.

When we returned from the farm I dealt with Mr. Possum.  His pelt was prime after all the cold weather we’ve had.  After skinning him I fleshed the hide.  This was not my first attempt at fleshing but the first successful attempt.  If I was going to sell the hide I would have case skinned it, but I want to put it out on my show table for people to touch.  The hide was stretched on a flat board and borax was rubbed into the flesh to preserve it.  After it dries it should last through years of shows

The Move And CleanUp - LGPH Pt4

Friday afternoon, Nov 8^th, a friend came over to help me get this hammer standing up after at least 15 years on the ground. 

We got the trailer backed into the shop with little to no room to spare.  I couldn’t see a thing once the trailer was partially in the shop, but Chase directed me in.  Hooked it to the 2 ton chain hoist and as it was raised it started to pull itself off the trailer. 

As soon as the base came off the back of the trailer, we attached the wooden platform/base.  After that it was easy to move.

Here it is still hooked up to the hoist, in the air, waiting to be moved around into position.  I decided to set the whole thing on a few 6x6’s so I could work on the base first.

It has been a long time since she has stood on her own legs.  This is a happy me after touch down.

Took apart the whole front section of the hammer and disassembled everything.  I laid it all out on a table with cardboard so I could make notes about how each piece was configured.  I stamped a few parts with an “X” to mark position.

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Saturday  11/9/13

Muzzle loader hunting started this morning.  Before getting to my stand, a deer busted me by snorting and running off.  Only saw the ghost of a deer a little later.

Lots of stuff to do before working on the hammer.  Finally, I got to work on taking the bearing tops off.  This lead to the shaft- John Shaft.  For some strange reason this thing did not want to come off.  I hooked it to the hoist because it is heavy and too high to manipulate safely.  Hoisting it up it would raise one end off then the whole machine with me on it would raise off the blocks.  I tried and tried and tried again until it released its grip and raised up.  At that point I lowered it to waist height and unhooked it. 

Now it is almost completely disassembled.  She looks kinda naked.

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Sunday 11/10/13

Today I put the LGPH onto my pallet jack to move over to the shop door.  My plan is to clean all the parts off with a wire wheel.  Big issue is lead paint used back in the day.  I started cleaning up all the moving parts- toggle arms, clutch fork, clutch collar, clutch pulley, crosshead, pitman, ram guide and ram.  Getting years of rust and crud off was very satisfying but took a couple hours of work.  Everything looked so different by the time I was done you wouldn’t have thought it was the same parts.

Next thing to clean was the frame.  For safety I wore a respirator mask and had a strong fan blowing to take all the lead dust out of the shop.  So I’m thinking they used lead based paint…but it was actually LEAD painted on!  Hate to be the guy who had to do that painting, talk about a deadly job.  It took a good while to get all the crud off the main frame.  After that I had to clean the lead paint off the flywheel.  The spider is also on the shaft with the flywheel and it needed to be cleaned more carefully. 

When I was finished I was covered with all kinds of soot and crud.  Time for a long hot shower.