Comments on "Mark" nameplate

Mark is manager of a group of skilled toolmakers.  When one of them makes something that is not up to par, they poke fun at it as “just blacksmithing.”

So when I gave Mark the nameplate, I said it looked a bit rough and maybe he could fix it up to look more polished.  The joke is that none of it can be done by machine, only by blacksmithing.

·       The “M” is a single long 1/8 in. steel rod that I braided then bent into an M.

·       The “a” is a 3/8 in. square rod that I punched a 3/8 in. hole through, then threaded the tail of the “a” through the hole.  I also flattened the top of the “a” and rounded on the tail.

My joke here is to ask the toolmakers if they can make a 3/8 in. hole in a 3/8 in. rod.  The question makes no sense to them.  Then I say I can do it.  You see, when blacksmithing, you don’t remove any metal like you do when drilling.  When you heat the metal, you actually move the molecules and reshape it.  No metal is removed so the rod stays in a single piece.

·       The “r” is another 3/8 in. square rod that I split by heating it and using a hammer and sharp chisel.  With the split, you can make the cut gradually disappear into the solid metal, unlike a saw, which would leave a distinct gap.  Then I added a dotted texture by heating the “r” then putting an old file against the face and hammering it.

·       The “k” is simply a hex rod that I heated, twisted, tied into a square knot, then bent.  

So much for just “just blacksmithing.”