I even made the nails

[peter nap]

It's 3:55am here and being old, I don't sleep much. Got up at 1:00. I'm leaving for the farm in a few minutes and earlier I forged about a dozen nails using an old swage that I picked up somewhere years ago. I get a little more unusual this time of the morning so I'll tell the reason for the nails.

My wifes father was a Senior Appeals Court Judge (may he rest in peace) and her cousin is a personal injury lawyer (ambulance chaser). Neither one of which could drill a plumb hole with a drill press.

Anyway....Years ago the cousin decided to become a rugged black powder hunter and build his own rifle. He bought a few parts and commenced to cleaning them up at the office. Sometime later, he magically produced a beautiful .40 cal rifle. I'm a rifle builder and was impressed by the quality.

My father in law liked to put me in my place and told me that Jim even made the screws. As a builder, I know all the other better builders in the state. One day I was expressing my amazement that a lawyer could build such a beautiful gun and a friend of mine, who specializes in mountain rifles, started laughing and told me Jim had brought him a box full of handmade parts that he had bought from a builder in West Virginia, and had him build the gun for him...He also said he got the screws from Track of the Wolf and they were made in China.....

Ever since then I try to make a few screws or in this case, nails, and put them in a prominent place ( around the front door on this cabin).....and tell  everyone that sees them..." I even made the Screws"!

That usually brings swift and severe reprisals from my wife, but I think it's funny!

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

That is riotously funny!!

[glenn kangiser]

That's a lawyer for you.

I have found quite a few square nails around here and bought a few on Ebay.  They are pretty common here as it is gold country and was settled right after 1849.  they quit making (mostly) square nails about 1890 when they came out with the round wire nails.

Square nails can still be bought new as hardened masonry nails in some places.  Still made the same way and heat treated.

[peter nap]

The cut nails are different than forged nails Glenn. I used to watch the blacksmiths at Williamsburg forge or more properly, swage them. These are a square that tapers to a point instead of the flat cut nails.

I can't imagine swaging enough of these to build a house but they did.

An interesting note about cut nails though. They are generally made of L6 steel and I use them to make small precision chisels and inletting tools. If your careful about not overheating them when you grind them, you don't even need to heat treat.

If you do get the dreaded blue point, just bring to critical (Non magnetic) and quench. Stick it in a toaster oven for two hours for two hours at 500F.

L6 really needs a little more than this for tough use but this method is good enough for their intended purpose.

[williet]

Having made a few guns..a couple with file and forge...that's a great story. Years age, while in clock maker and jewelry design school, I was told this by my instructor:

A fellow comes in with an old watch that's been crushed and wishes to get it fixed.It was his grandfathers watch. The watchmaker tells the man that the case can't be fixed and he'll need to get a new one...the man agrees, so a new one's ordered and the works are put in it. Later, the man returns and states that the watch stopped.....so...the repairman looks it over and sees more damage to the watch. The customer gives instruction to repair it with all new works. The watchman does as he's told and the watch works fine.

The watch owner is so happy, he tells everyone he sees......look at my grandfathers watch.

Grandpaws watch had been replaced and nothing of it was left, but the owner was happy to fool himself.

Maybe your cousin-in-law is the same way....fooling himself with his gun.

The master gunmaker that I studied with often said....
Those who can ...DO....those who can't ...tell others how it's done ...or take credit from those who have done it.

[peter nap]

That's a funny story!
Your a pretty talented fellow! Watchmaker, jewelry, Rifle building and I assume house building.

Very impressive!

[glenn kangiser]

Yeah, Peter - I think I am improperly or generically referring to cut nails as square nails.  Whatever they built with in the gold rush days which is the tapered flat rectangular nails.

[williet]

That's a funny story!
Your a pretty talented fellow! Watchmaker, jewelry, Rifle building and I assume house building.

Very impressive!

Not really...

I've been very lucky to cross paths with several master craftsmen and like a sponge, I soak in whatever I can from them. I've found that MOST people who work with their hands are glad and even EXCITED to share their knowledge with someone who is really interested in learning.

I've made a few long guns (flint and precussion) and one flint pistol. All of these but one was for other people 2o or so years ago. I've made a few pieces of jewelry and built a grandfather clock. A dozen or so log house projects, a few garages and a few stick framed houses.....I'm 50, so that's not that much. Most of my time ( the last 15 years) was spent working a rotating swingshift at a chemical plant. Not very rewarding work for a person who loves craftsmanship.

Now retired, I build furniture for myself and do "ruff" and finish carpentry whenever I can "get along" with other people enough to do it.

Craftsmanship is learning to work with your hands and brain, not just following a plan. The crafts don't matter too much....it's the focus and enjoyment of the "doing" that's rewarding.