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JERRY, please forgive my ignorance, but what is a green grinding wheel? I know the grinding wheel part. I used my regular grinding wheel and it got tore apart. never heard of a green one?
 
JERRY, please forgive my ignorance, but what is a green grinding wheel? I know the grinding wheel part. I used my regular grinding wheel and it got tore apart. never heard of a green one?
Its used for sharpening carbide tools, used in a machine shop. Its green in color.

Jerry
GEDC0138.JPG
 
Jerry, i am off to TRACTOR SUPPLY to get a green carbide grinding wheel. thank you so much.
 
In my Gun bag (steel I made from a file)
View attachment 1567
Small Fire kit in greased leather bag:
Tin with charcloth (charcloth is for absolute emergencies such as when I can't feel my cold fingers)
Burning glass
Candle stubs
Tinder (Old tow, birchbark and inner bark)
Hemp cord for friction fires (I know they didn't make friction fires, but I carry it anyway)
View attachment 1569
In my pack:
Waxed bag
Cottonwood inner bark
Pitchwood
Candle stubs
Tin with charred punk wood and tree fungusView attachment 1570
Hand,
Thanks for the pics!
Gives me ideas on how to and what to pack.
Is the waxed bag linen or leather?
 
Hand,
Thanks for the pics!
Gives me ideas on how to and what to pack.
Is the waxed bag linen or leather?
The bag is made from scrap canvas leftover from another project. Linen would also work. Waxing tends to stiffen leather and if you use enough wax, you have jackware.
 
The bag is made from scrap canvas leftover from another project. Linen would also work. Waxing tends to stiffen leather and if you use enough wax, you have jackware.
Hand,
Did you just dip the finished product in melted wax ?
Another thing I was wondering along similar lines is if you'd wax a knapsack to weatherproof it ?
Not sure if the wax would start working its way off the material and onto you as it heated up against your back.
I have some left over oil skin material I was thinking about using but I'm not sure if it would irritate your skin or not
 
Hand,
Did you just dip the finished product in melted wax ?
Another thing I was wondering along similar lines is if you'd wax a knapsack to weatherproof it ?
Not sure if the wax would start working its way off the material and onto you as it heated up against your back.
I have some left over oil skin material I was thinking about using but I'm not sure if it would irritate your skin or not
The bag was placed on a piece of foil on a cookie sheet and molten beeswax poured on the bag. Everything was placed in a warm oven 180-200F for the wax to permeate. Once the bag had cooled, a combination of hand manipulation and a heat gun redistributed and softened the bag. The bag is still stiff (and flexible) but not board stiff.

I have waxed smaller bags but would not wax a knapsack. Any treatment that stiffens the fibers and limits their movement sets you up for tearing. This is my experience with cotton canvas while hemp or linen are far tougher and may fare better.
 
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I have waxed smaller bags but would not wax a knapsack. Any treatment that stiffens the fibers and limits their movement sets you up for tearing. This is my experience with cotton canvas while hemp or linen are far tougher and may fare better.
My experience has been very different than that. I made a haversack of lightweight knobby cotton more than 25 years ago and treated it with beeswax. It has been dragged over hill and dale big time in all conditions, and is still going strong. I painted melted beeswax on it, then held it near an open fire to let the wax penetrate. It is quite flexible and tough, waterproof, and has not cracked or torn in all that time. The original directions said that if it did crack you could just hold it to the fire and the wax would melt and flow to heal it. I think that's true, but I've never had to resort to that. This photo, with sunlight shining through the cloth shows its texture pretty well. One of my most successful projects, of many.

trek82Za.JPG

For the historically inclined, only, all others fair warning.

"The Pennsylvania Gazette
December 11, 1766
RUN away....a black crape neckcloth, old shoes, a pair of pumps, with square buckles, four shirts, a waxed linen wallet,..."

Spence
 
My experience has been very different than that. I made a haversack of lightweight knobby cotton more than 25 years ago and treated it with beeswax. It has been dragged over hill and dale big time in all conditions, and is still going strong. I painted melted beeswax on it, then held it near an open fire to let the wax penetrate. It is quite flexible and tough, waterproof, and has not cracked or torn in all that time. The original directions said that if it did crack you could just hold it to the fire and the wax would melt and flow to heal it. I think that's true, but I've never had to resort to that. This photo, with sunlight shining through the cloth shows its texture pretty well. One of my most successful projects, of many.

View attachment 1668
For the historically inclined, only, all others fair warning.

"The Pennsylvania Gazette
December 11, 1766
RUN away....a black crape neckcloth, old shoes, a pair of pumps, with square buckles, four shirts, a waxed linen wallet,..."

Spence
Thanks again Spence for sharing your primary information, very much appreciated.
Regards, Keith.
 
My experience has been very different than that. I made a haversack of lightweight knobby cotton more than 25 years ago and treated it with beeswax. It has been dragged over hill and dale big time in all conditions, and is still going strong. I painted melted beeswax on it, then held it near an open fire to let the wax penetrate. It is quite flexible and tough, waterproof, and has not cracked or torn in all that time. The original directions said that if it did crack you could just hold it to the fire and the wax would melt and flow to heal it. I think that's true, but I've never had to resort to that. This photo, with sunlight shining through the cloth shows its texture pretty well. One of my most successful projects, of many.

View attachment 1668
Spence
I have a "haversack" made from ticking that I waxed. As it isn't under any considerable strain, I don't worry about it ripping. I still won't wax my pack/knapsack.
 
My experience has been very different than that. I made a haversack of lightweight knobby cotton more than 25 years ago and treated it with beeswax. It has been dragged over hill and dale big time in all conditions, and is still going strong. I painted melted beeswax on it, then held it near an open fire to let the wax penetrate. It is quite flexible and tough, waterproof, and has not cracked or torn in all that time. The original directions said that if it did crack you could just hold it to the fire and the wax would melt and flow to heal it. I think that's true, but I've never had to resort to that. This photo, with sunlight shining through the cloth shows its texture pretty well. One of my most successful projects, of many.

View attachment 1668
For the historically inclined, only, all others fair warning.

"The Pennsylvania Gazette
December 11, 1766
RUN away....a black crape neckcloth, old shoes, a pair of pumps, with square buckles, four shirts, a waxed linen wallet,..."

Spence


Beautifully done Spence, do you reserve the waxed wallet of sorts strictly for your fire kit and tinder materials?
 
Nice kit, as usual, Spence. Just love the small gourd containers as well. I've got to grow some here this summer. I beeswaxed a possibles pouch of fustian some years back and it did just great.
Tb54, my charcoal forge blower is new-made from India and just doesn't have enough output. Looking for a nice old Champion or Buffalo. As I am a fan of the "neotribal" approach to blacksmithing, I won't have anything to do with powered blowers. Has to be hand-cranked.
 
I received a flint and steel kit off eBay (don't have a forge or anvil) and watched a few videos off you-tube. I started getting some pretty good sparks for a change. I then retrieved a couple of Altoids boxes and filled with punk wood I got off of a dead oak. Put this in the fire and made char-wood. Thanks to all and especially the gentleman on you tube I've made a few fires. I did learn you can only use the char wood in the tin just so many times no matter how it looks and you don't close the lid on the tin until the fire is going good.
 
I did learn you can only use the char wood in the tin just so many times no matter how it looks...
Charred punkwood (and charcloth) seems to pick up moisture from the environment, making it difficult to catch a spark. Try warming your tin of char to drive off moisture and try again (open the tin and/or spread your char and allow to dry). You may find the char is fine....
 
I received a flint and steel kit off eBay (don't have a forge or anvil) and watched a few videos off you-tube. I started getting some pretty good sparks for a change. I then retrieved a couple of Altoids boxes and filled with punk wood I got off of a dead oak. Put this in the fire and made char-wood. Thanks to all and especially the gentleman on you tube I've made a few fires. I did learn you can only use the char wood in the tin just so many times no matter how it looks and you don't close the lid on the tin until the fire is going good.


Keith.
 
I received a flint and steel kit off eBay (don't have a forge or anvil) and watched a few videos off you-tube. I started getting some pretty good sparks for a change. I then retrieved a couple of Altoids boxes and filled with punk wood I got off of a dead oak. Put this in the fire and made char-wood. Thanks to all and especially the gentleman on you tube I've made a few fires. I did learn you can only use the char wood in the tin just so many times no matter how it looks and you don't close the lid on the tin until the fire is going good.

I don't know if I will ever use what I've leaned from you but I do know I have had a lot of fun learning this fire making history from you. As I've said before you're a very good teacher and I hope you never stop teaching. Our school systems in all countries should go in more dept on how our countries and civilizations have progressed over the centuries. Maybe the younger people would appreciate what we have and what it took to get us here. Thanks Keith
 
I don't know if I will ever use what I've leaned from you but I do know I have had a lot of fun learning this fire making history from you. As I've said before you're a very good teacher and I hope you never stop teaching. Our school systems in all countries should go in more dept on how our countries and civilizations have progressed over the centuries. Maybe the younger people would appreciate what we have and what it took to get us here. Thanks Keith
Thank you for your comment RH, much appreciated.
Regards, Keith.
 

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