Post replacement

I had to delete a post from yesterday. Sorry to anybody that tried to read it and couldn't. I will try to figure out what went wrong, and repost in a few days. In the mean time, here are a few more of Kim's pictures to keep you entertained.

Badger

Badger's job is to stand in what ever gate we are trying to get cattle through and get yelled at.

Moving to another pasture.

Too bad diesel will soon be 5.00$ a gallon, I guess we will be back to trotting cross country.

A wheat pasture cowboy's rig.

Good looking bull.... the white one is nice too.

Little using knives

I got these back from Armoralleather this morning. For the steel on these I used 52100, which is the same thing ball bearings are made of. The handles are micarta.

These top two don't have a home. Both have around a 2.5 inch cutting edge, green  canvas micarta handle, and are 1 inch wide. These are made thin to be easy to carry. 175.00$ each. Email for more details. 

The whole lot.

Tom, learning how to run off with hobbles.

What a fashion statement!

Knife, spurs, and buckles by Chad Cunningham, chaps by James Jaggars.

Surgery 2

Kyle, holding his end

Brain surgery complete

Threading the needle and ready to close

Sewing it up

Tying it off

Doctors Steve, Joe, and Chad are available for all you surgical needs. Brain surgery to hemorrhoids, we can fix you up.
We also build rockets in our spare time.

New labor laws

http://doublehphoto.blogspot.com/2012/03/dol-child-labor-law-revisions.html

Double H photo sums up what is going on with the new labor laws that the federal government is intent on pushing through no matter how bad an idea it is.
This, and the fact that they are also wanting to do away with the 4-H and FFA in favor of of some kind of nationalized system hasn't gotten much attention from our regular media sources. Most people have no idea how we live here in fly over country,  where their food comes from, or how it is produced.
These rules will reach a lot further than the farm or ranch. The way I read them, your kid won't to be able to mow the neighbor's lawn for a few bucks.

I often wonder what will happen when I finally decide not to give up any more of my freedoms.

Where will America's Siberia be?

Shall I dress for warm or cold weather when I'm sent to the re-education camps?

Surgery 1

Sometimes we have to doctor cattle, and what we have to do just can't be done in a conventional squeeze chute. This one required a little surgery on his belly.

Two for one

Caught, and ready for the heal trap

Heal trap set

Stretching him out

John, holding his end

The doctors have arrived. I am the anesthesiologist on the right.

The actual surgery will be on the next post. Kim Goldsmith was our photographer, and was pretty brave to be around all this with a camera blocking her view.

Scrap damascus buckle

I save all my cut-offs from other things I make, pitch them in a coffee can, then every once in a while I weld them all together, and make something out of the scrap.
I weld these all together using what is called a canister weld. Basically what I do is cut a length of 10 gauge square tubing, weld an end on, stuff it with scrap, fill the voids with steel powder, weld the other end shut, then heat it to welding temperature in my forge and hammer it out flat.

This buckle was made in this fashion.

It's amazing how lighting makes the buckle change. One was taken outside, one inside. 

More cow working pictures from Kim Goldsmith.

Kyle and I working the alley. I'm the distinguished older gentleman... or the grouchy old fart, depending on which one of us you ask.

John cutting one out.

Joe, working the chute. 

Damascus buckle

I've been pretty busy the last week or two on our cattle, but I did manage to get these buckles done while I was waiting on daylight. The damascus is a mix of 203E, 4130, 1018, and nickel. I have never tried a mix like this and had no idea how it would contrast. Carson and his wife will get a truly "one of a kind".

Kim Goldsmith has been around the pens and pasture taking pictures, and was kind enough to share some with us. I intend to show a few every post for a while. She is pretty handy with a camera.

Hannah feeding Tom a cube. She has a friend for life.

Another world problem solved!

Yours truly.

The crew. John, Joe, Steve, Kyle, and Chad