Drawn on with Magic Pencil ...

(Have had some killer Migraines lately. One put me down today. After I woke from a forced nap. Head was still splitting. I made a cuppa tea and just surveyed the shop. Slowed down the brain.

In about a half an hour, I noticed enough difference to start cutting. I kept improving as I cut. Hours passed. Radio shows, iPod Shop lists .....



Eventually .... I had this side of a Vest Pocket Knife, and felt better too. I'm now having a light dinner at almost 11pm. Artists!!!

Gary

Nice work Gary, if it helps migraines, even better!

I'm watching two grown men punch each other in the head trying to give each other migraines. Not sure why I like boxing now, never liked it when I was younger.

Hello Sal,

Perhaps now that you've had life experience, you'd like to punch out some bad guys too ... but are too civilized. So; it's Pay Per View. hahah.

Yeah - I couldn't watch that .... I'd get hurt.

Thanks Sal,
Gary

Oh ... Tell your Son I've got Rudolf checkin' on him to make sure he's good. So far - so good.

Gary,

Wow.. How much is that Pencil? Cannot find one here.. All are made in China and only draw chop sticks for me..

Hey Larry,

Staples. Under $10. They are a little bit more then the base jobs. .09 lead ... is that right? Anyway ... you can buy lead that draws Old Mill Scenes ... Lead that draws Antique Cars in the Country. Good stuff. Ya have to just hang on for dear life!

Thanks for Commenting!
Gary

Another beautiful piece on the way. I'm amazed that doing such intricate work would allow a migraine to get better!

Hi Jerry,

Pretty much everything about me is backwards. However; I do find engraving to be calming. I sort of step through the magnifying glass, and begin to relax. Most of the headaches are probably stress related. There's sort of a logic there, I guess.

Thanks,
Gary

So...if you could get your power forging hammer up and running the migranes would be pretty much gone?

On the other hand, they'd be just starting for your next-door neighbors.

Haha.

However; I sort of thought of them.

The shop is heavily spray insulated - walls and roof, and the hammer will sit on a thick, solid, isolation Matt.

Shop is also isolated pretty well. And only run during the daylight hours for an hour or two. I'm a pretty decent neighbor. Hehe.

Thanks for thinking 'bout it all though. And posting.

Gary

Now you just have to track down a supply of soft coal for the forge. As a bonus, you can get to know the local volunteer firefighters.

Propane. Hah!

Half a Million BTUs. Nice tool. Will be fun to fire up. Might be best to weld my steel in Feb. and March. hehhe

Gary

Gary,

That is a nice scene. It looks strangely familiar, except for the notch in the brass in the upper right....
TSA almost got mine last week. When I mailed it back to myself the Priority envelope was shredded. USPS almost got it too! I will be checking my pockets better before my next trip to the airport.
I hope the engraving therapy is working!

Scott

Sooo, if I did have talent and could engrave, the further along I got, the more the stress would climb as I fear being surprised and suddenly scratching the mark of Zoro across the scene...

Good thing I don't have talent!

Hi Jerry,

The difference between a Hack and an Artist: Artist has learned how to cover his tracks. Your Mark of Zoro becomes a nice winding stream.



Calm ..... inhale ......... .............. ..................................................................................................oh! exhale!! Exhale!!! I got a text there .....

Oh my goodness! That's my worst nightmare.

Sounds like that knife "wants" to be with you. Like a faithful dog.

Wonder if my TSA knife with ever surface.

Hey ... did I ever tell you the story of one of my knives. A contractor friend, bought a custom knife from me - to give to a Client for whom he'd done a huge multi-year job. Many years later ... the Client's office was burgled .... the knife in the desk drawer - was stolen.

Fast forward about 15 years .... I get a phone call. A fella has bought a knife in an antique store ... he just has a hunch I made it. He'd bought it as an antique ... but was checking. He described it. Ah HA! Hey - could you send me a pic of that?

OK ... you peeked!

Well, yep - it was the knife. I told the guy the story. He was willing to allow me to buy it back from him, at the cost he'd paid. And I returned it to the Client it had been stolen from. I'd also done work for him, and felt I wanted to do that.

You see - these knives might move around. But they will NEVER be tossed out.

Gary

Beautiful scene and very impressive.

Hi Don,

You know ... my Great Grandfather had a mill like this. I recall a story, from my young man years ..... how the Mill Wheel main shaft broke. And, how they FORGE WELDED it ... IN PLACE ... by building a firebox around the break in the shaft, and building a hot enough fire to bring the large diameter shaft up to welding heat. That took some fire and airblast. Once to welding heat, and fluxed, the shaft was hammered on end, with sledge hammers. The weld took ... and held. Amazing thinking outside the box. They brought the forge to the shaft, instead of disassembling the water wheel, shaft, bearings, gears, and carrying the hugely heavy shaft to the forge.

I've always had a soft spot for mills.

Gary

Yikes, sounds like a good way to burn the whole mill down. On the other hand, probably safer than thermite welding it on-site. That's quite the fireworks show.

The finished knife is going to be nice and thin, isn't it?

Yes - very thin. Scott can attest. It can hide in a pocket.

I am pretty sure my old family story had a cavet regarding the wheel being out along the mill dam, and the shaft to the building being rather longer then the typical Zbarnes Engraving. Remote mount probably gave just enough torsion to eventually fatigue.

But, I'd have loved to see the weld sequence.

Gary

Yes - Thermite is quite a show. Amazing technology and technique.

That is a great story. That would have been quite a show. I hope to visit you sometime. You are a little closer now.