About that post on Lee reloading stuff,

right now I've got a Lee .308 loading die set which brought it up, because I needed to adjust the depth of the decapping/expanding pin, and it would not stay in place after that.  Same thing that happened once before: make sure the pin is clean of any lube, same for the collet nut, but no matter how hard you tightened it down, it would not stay.

This included scrubbing them with degreaser, and then using sandpaper to roughen the surfaces, didn't work.

That time before(no, I can't remember what die set, years back) I wound up getting a new pin and nut, made sure they were clean, and that sucker locked down no problem.  So I'll try it again and see what happens.

Few days ago the security light in the driveway fell

when the screws backed out of their anchors over time.  It wouldn't work, so figured that fall onto the floor finished it off.  It being an inexpensive Harbor Freight light, and it lasted about ten years, figured it reached its limit.

Today finally remembered to look for a new one.  Got it home,  took the mounting bracket I'd made off the old and put it on the new, and got it set up.  After which I messed with the old light, and it was working...

Ok, so now the new one is in the driveway, the old is mounted over the door of the shed, where it should be pretty nice at times.

I've read about sperm oil over the years,

here's a bit of history on the subject.

Well, this is something I wouldn't have expected to see

Streamlight Sues Harbor Freight Over Weapon Lights

Well, they still work

 The Israeli military has used a medieval-style trebuchet to lob incendiaries across the northern border into Lebanon.

A video that first emerged on social media on Thursday appeared to show Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers loading the wooden siege engine with flaming projectiles and launching them into Lebanese plantations.

The military responded that the use of the contraption was “a local initiative and not a tool that is widely used”, reported Israeli state broadcaster KAN News.

The ancient artillery weapon was used during the Middle Ages in sieges of castles and other fortified locations.

In this case, the device may have been used to clear dense vegetation in the border area which could help the army prevent terrorists infiltrating Israel, suggested Emanuel Fabian, the Times of Israel military correspondent, who initially posted the video.

How screwed is (formerly Great)Britain?*

This screwed:
But now the maker of the pocket-knife, with its red or blue shell and multiple tools, has bowed to what an English judge last week called the “plague of knife crime” by designing a new range without blades.

In response to an increasing number of countries imposing bans or restrictions on carrying knives, Victorinox, the Swiss firm that produces the pocket tools, is in the early stages of developing the first range of bladeless products designed specifically for activities where a blade would not be required.
'Not required' meaning "The Government and the Crown Prosecutors has no taste for actually going after criminals, we would rather hold all citizens untrustworthy and stupid and ban them possessing knives that can actually cut."

Holy shit, from a country that produced subgun parts in bicycle shops and stood against Hitler, to "No knife for you, we say you do not need it."


*I know most of you know already, but just in case someone wanders by to check out my screeching.

Sword dynamics

Nice video, and a fine response to the "Swords were heavy!", etc., BS.  The people making and using these needed speed and fine balance, and they got them.

Be warned the closed captioning isn't very good.

A few years ago I bought a pruning saw

Good brand, seemed sharp.  Worked ok.

A while back, when going through Dad's shed, I found two that had belonged to his father.  One I left for later use, this one I brought home.

No idea how long Grandpa'd had it.  The sheath is heavy leather with a wood liner, no marks on the blade.  And it puts the new one to shame.

Some old things are very worth having.

Back when I was smithing, I never used any of the highly-alloyed tool steels (with an addition on steels)

such as D2, and 154CM, or a number of others.  Being as I am, I wanted to do the heat-treat by myself, and the process on some of them is downright intricate: very specific temperatures, some giving the best results when brought up to heat in a certain profile(First to A temp for x time, then to the next, etc.)  Some are air-hardening, as in they come out of the fire/furnace you just let them cool in the air.  But the tempering... that's touchy.  A lot of blademakers who worked with them sent the blades to a professional for heat-treat, with notes such as "This blade should be RC58 when done."

A lot of people use an electric furnace both for both hardening and tempering since you can very precisely control the temperature, and thanks to electronics set a specific heating profile.  They were fairly damned spendy(back then and now) and I didn't do this enough to make that affordable.  So I used coal, prepped the fire carefully, and heated the quench oil so it would flow well and give the most even quench(and that is one trick I wish I'd learned a lot earlier).

Favorite steels I used... depended on the piece.  Big chopping blades, and swords, 5160 spring steel.  Smaller blades I wanted to hold an edge really well, generally O1.  Once I'd had a chance to try some, I liked harrow teeth; a blade forged of those held an edge really well.  Especially when I accidentally found out something: I did the tempering in the oven, and usually did three heats, letting it cool completely between the first two.  One night I forgot a harrow tooth blade on its third heat in the oven over night.  Lord, that thing held an edge!  I did that as part of the process from then on.

Added:

I forgot one: 52100B, a high-grade bearing steel, used in both bearings and the races the ran in.  I will tell you, forging a large bearing out to a bar would wear you out; just remembering it makes me wish I'd had  or had access to a power hammer.  But handled right, made damn good blades.

Things other than knives, anything that would work.  I made a LOT of flint & steel strikers and screwdrivers, things like that, from overhead garage door spring, and I could often find a section of a broken one and get it free.  Unwinding it was a pain, but worth it.  Mild steel for candleholders, eating sets, fireplace/campfire tools, belt buckles, and other things.

I also discovered stone drills, the old kind.  Which I cannot find a picture of.  Generally either round or, all the ones I found, hexagonal in shape and anywhere from a foot to several feet long for some big ones, with four flutes and a point formed at a shallow angle.  You held them in place on the stone and hammered to drive them in.  I've found them anywhere from about 3/16" thick to 1/2".  You could forge them to shape and then grind to final size, use an oil quench to harden and the go by color(with some experimentation) for hardening, and they made damn good chisels and punches.

Yes, the wondering about tempering on Forged in Fire reminded me of some things.  I miss it, though it may be partly why some of my joints are so worn.

That show 'Forged in Fire'? Something I've wondered about

 Lots of shots of blades being quenched, but nothing on tempering.  No chance for dramatic video, or they don't want to bother?

Be it noted, whoever designed the battery cable clamps on some Fiats

is a bleeping idiot.  If he's dead, he was a bleeping idiot.  

Due to exhaustion I didn't think to take a picture, and I can't find an illustration right now, but imagine this:

Instead of a simple clamp where you tighten a bolt, you have a body that includes a sliding piece that has to be held tight while the locking bolt is tightened.  There's no screw to tension it or good place to, say, put a screwdriver in place to lever it tight and then tighten that bolt, oh no; you have to find something like some channel-lock pliers that has jaws narrow enough to hold the clamp tight while not being in the way of the socket to tighten the locking bolt.  Because if you can manage to just pry it tight, the negative in particular wants to turn as you tighten and really pulls on the wires...

It's telling that every auto parts place that carries replacement cables shows the nice, simple clamps.

I can literally say I would never have imagined such an idiot way to design a clamp.

A product I can't remember if I've mentioned before,

and if I haven't I should have.  Blue Wonder Gun Cleaner.

You may have noticed I like to try stuff; ran across this a few years ago, and it works well.  It's a thin gel.  Process is

Set your gun where it'll be stable.

Put a good amount on a bore brush.

All the way through, back & forth, five or six times.

Repeat.

Let set a while.

Brush again.

Patches and a jag to clean it out.
Oil.

The stuff, is real good at working under bad fouling so the brush can break it loose and the patches push it out.  And you can leave it for a few hours without damage if the bore is really bad.  It works pretty well.

Has another use: for surface rust, put some on a piece of #0000 steel wool and rub lightly, it takes the rust off without bothering the finish around.  Then clean off completely, and whatever oil/clp you use.

I do recommend it.  They've got a number of other products, I haven't tried those.  Maybe someday.

I have never heard of a fractal vise before

This is... incredible.  Patented 108 years ago.

A nice addition to Walker earmuffs

I've got a set of Walker Razor muffs that work pretty well, with one problem that's developed: the pads have become fairly stiff, almost hard.  Which means both they're uncomfortable and don't seal very well.

Enter these gel replacement pads.  The old pads popped off*, these snapped in.  HUGE difference, they're far more comfortable and seal a lot better, especially around my glasses earpieces.  Also: with some rifles, I have to shift the stock-side muff up; with the old pads that made plugs as well as muffs a requirement.  With these pads they still seal pretty well, which makes a big difference in the noise level.

I've only had them a few weeks, so far they don't seem to be collapsing or doing anything else obnoxious.  As of now, I'd rate them "Get a set."

Called Eezox,

'There's a shortage of the cans due to the virus, there should be more in August.'
Well, at least I've got enough to last till then

Dear Eezox: What the hell?

I'm running low, so looked up their website to order it.  And there's no way to 'add to cart'.

Check Amazon: no 4oz cans, 'We don't know when or if this will be available'.

Nobody else has them, either.  And a quart bottle is not only more than I want to spend, but would outlast my life.

Know those Swiss machinegun cleaning kits?

Used to be common?  I have a couple, and had an idea: since they use a metric thread, make an adapter so I can use standard brushes and jags with it.

Recently son helped me find a tailstock chuck for that old Sears lathe, so used a piece of 1/4" brass rod to make these

Metric thread to fit the rod, 8x32 for the jags and brushes.  And a lot easier to make with the lathe.

Kroil is a penetrating oil

that works very well for some things.  If you'd like to try it out, or you need some, they've got a very good deal going.

I was just reminded of an old gunstock stain I've used on knife hilts and stocks,

and thought I'd pass it along.

Note: it uses acid, so you have to be careful making and using it. 

Here goes:
1 part acid(nitric or muriatic work, the original formula specified nitric)
5 parts water(can use more, but the acid has to be strong enough still to dissolve the steel wool)
Steel wool(back then it was iron filings)
Mix the liquids in a glass jar by slowly adding the acid to the water, make sure it's thoroughly mixed.  Then add a little steel wool. It'll react, you'll get some foaming, let that die down, then add a bit more. Keep going until the solution is saturated and won't dissolve any more, then loosely cap and set somewhere cool for a couple of days.

To use it, you make sure all previous finish is removed from the wood, then you'll need a heat source, a heat gun will work or a gas burner, and linseed oil. And use gloves.

Use a swab of some kind to wipe the finish evenly over the wood, keep doing it for a minute or two as you need it to soak into the wood. When you're sure it's soaked into the wood evenly, wipe off the excess.

And now you work it over the heat, or the heat gun over it. What happens is the solution carries the dissolved iron into the wood, and the heat makes it rust and darken the wood.  It has to get hot enough to do this, so leather or some other type of heat-resistant glove is needed.  Keep working the heat evenly over the surface until it's a bit lighter than you want, and then stop the heat and hit the wood with linseed. Not just a little, wipe or brush it on HEAVY; it kills the traces of acid left and stops the process, but it will darken a bit more before the action stops completely. Keep it wet with linseed for at least 15 minutes, then let the excess drip off for a while, then wipe it off and give it- depending on weather conditions- at least two days and probably a week to dry completely. If in doubt, give it more time to make sure it's dry.  After that you can use whatever surface finish you want on it.

This works very well to darken wood and bring out the grain.  You can darken it just a little, or make it just about black.  But if it gets darker than you wanted, the only way to change that is to sand it down and do it all over again, so I'd suggest experimenting on some scrap pieces before you put it on that stock or grips you want to use it on.

Seems like a lot of these turning up lately

The 700-year-old sword, discovered in the Vrbas River, was found 36 feet underwater, stuck in a rock while archaeologists were excavating a nearby castle, The Sun reports. The Vrbas is a 150-mile long river in the heart of Bosnia, right near the city of Banja Luka.

Archaeologist and curator at the Museum of the Republika Srpska, Ivana Pandzic, said the sword was stuck in "a solid rock, so special care was needed when pulling it out" in comments obtained by The Sun.

In Denmark
Workers digging a sewer in the Danish city of Aalborg have unearthed a remarkably well-preserved sword that dates back to at least the 14th century.

Norway

The incredibly well-preserved Viking sword was found by a reindeer hunter on a remote mountain in Southern Norway.

The Glacier Archaeology Program at Oppland County Council was recently notified about the sword, which was found in late August in the high mountains of the Lesja area. “It is a common type of Viking sword - what makes it special is the context and the preservation: It was found at 1640 m [5381 feet] above sea level,” explained Lars Pilø, an archaeologist at Oppland County Council, in an email to Fox News. “To my knowledge, a Viking sword has never been found at such a high altitude before.”

This one truly is in incredible condition, all things considered.