Friday, March 8, 2013
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Troubles
Computer that is. wildblue has been giving us trouble again, so we have the hughes net people on the way. Maybe they will allow me to at least check my email once in a while. Wildblue has not been cooperative at all, everything is our fault. We use up our service a week into every month, but our Ipad on basic service will last for the same month.
On to better things.
My friend Frankie, who runs the locker plant in Cross Plains, called me in a panic last Thursday afternoon. The ladies that actually do all the work had had a steer get out of their pens, and he was reeking havoc around our fair city.
He was a big old ex roping steer, longhorn of course, and was extremely agitated with the trailer ride to, and his new accommodations at, the butcher shop. He left at a dead run, passed through the tire shop, ran everybody out of the Dairy Queen parking lot, emptied the gas islands at the convenience store, then ended up inside a chain linked fenced in area filled up with deer stands and feeders that J&L has for sale. Joe and Brittany at the deer stand place had the good sense to shut the gate.
I found Joe, my ace cowboy, and we loaded our horses and headed to town.
We arrived to a crowd of on lookers and well wishers that would have made the Ft. Worth rodeo crowd look small. I commented to Joe that if we missed very much, or screwed up something that they would talk about us for years. The pressure was on.
The steer had kept himself busy keeping everybody inside the office inside the office, and was head hunting for anybody that might venture inside the gate. He was a bad one!
We unloaded our horses and waded into the maze of deer hunting equipment. We finally got him out into a small opening in a corner, got two ropes on him, and headed to the trailer. He drug hard, but we got him in the trailer and I heard the gate slam. I backed my horse up to give the steer some air and heard a scream. It seems Joe the deer stand guy had not gotten the gate shut good, the steer hooked the gate, then hooked Joe, tossing him over the trailer gate, then was making another run for it till the rope came tight again. We reloaded him and got back to the locker plant before he could hurt any one else.
I'm still wondering how the eighty-something year old couple that owned him got him loaded and to town in the first place.
On to better things.
My friend Frankie, who runs the locker plant in Cross Plains, called me in a panic last Thursday afternoon. The ladies that actually do all the work had had a steer get out of their pens, and he was reeking havoc around our fair city.
He was a big old ex roping steer, longhorn of course, and was extremely agitated with the trailer ride to, and his new accommodations at, the butcher shop. He left at a dead run, passed through the tire shop, ran everybody out of the Dairy Queen parking lot, emptied the gas islands at the convenience store, then ended up inside a chain linked fenced in area filled up with deer stands and feeders that J&L has for sale. Joe and Brittany at the deer stand place had the good sense to shut the gate.
I found Joe, my ace cowboy, and we loaded our horses and headed to town.
We arrived to a crowd of on lookers and well wishers that would have made the Ft. Worth rodeo crowd look small. I commented to Joe that if we missed very much, or screwed up something that they would talk about us for years. The pressure was on.
The steer had kept himself busy keeping everybody inside the office inside the office, and was head hunting for anybody that might venture inside the gate. He was a bad one!
We unloaded our horses and waded into the maze of deer hunting equipment. We finally got him out into a small opening in a corner, got two ropes on him, and headed to the trailer. He drug hard, but we got him in the trailer and I heard the gate slam. I backed my horse up to give the steer some air and heard a scream. It seems Joe the deer stand guy had not gotten the gate shut good, the steer hooked the gate, then hooked Joe, tossing him over the trailer gate, then was making another run for it till the rope came tight again. We reloaded him and got back to the locker plant before he could hurt any one else.
I'm still wondering how the eighty-something year old couple that owned him got him loaded and to town in the first place.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Benefit knife
One of our local cowboys was injured severely in a car wreck a couple of weeks ago, and there is a benefit team roping and auction planned for him on March 16. The damascus knife and anything else I can get built will go into the auction. If your in the Cross Plains, Texas area stop by, I'll loan you a horse if you need one. Mutton busting and shetland pony bronc riding is also part of the show.
Farmer I am not. There is a big difference in a farmer and a rancher. I am a rancher.
A farmer makes his living tilling the soil, making things grow, then selling what he has grown, hopefully for a profit. He usually keeps a few cows to borrow money against and to make his neighbor mad when they get out onto his farm.
A rancher is in the livestock business. His livestock produce baby livestocks which he attempts to keep alive long enough to sell, never for a profit. He makes a half-assed attempt to farm a few acres, usually something to feed the livestocks he has scattered all over the country, and it is usually a disaster.
Amboyna burl and mokume' handle, 1095/15n20/nickel damascus blade.
The next was made for inventory. W2 tool steel and a micarta handle. 3" cutting edge, 7.5" overall length. These are popular knives for those that carry and use every day. 100.00$ w/o a sheath.
Farmer I am not. There is a big difference in a farmer and a rancher. I am a rancher.
A farmer makes his living tilling the soil, making things grow, then selling what he has grown, hopefully for a profit. He usually keeps a few cows to borrow money against and to make his neighbor mad when they get out onto his farm.
A rancher is in the livestock business. His livestock produce baby livestocks which he attempts to keep alive long enough to sell, never for a profit. He makes a half-assed attempt to farm a few acres, usually something to feed the livestocks he has scattered all over the country, and it is usually a disaster.
2 hours to start the tractor. As you can see, it is both heated and cooled, depending on the season.
Finally up and plowing.
Yep, it's still there.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Specialty blades
These are on the way to my old friend Jr. Jr. cowboys around the West, Texas area and, yes, there really is a town named West. It's just east of Tokio.
He wanted a castrating knife with a blade shaped something like the second blade on a trapper pocket knife, but needed some extra handle to hold onto. Arthritis in his old age I'm sure.
I used 52100 steel on this knife. It holds an edge well, but can be sharpened without a lot of work or equipment. A 2.5" cutting edge ground to zero, and 4" handle. These things are more like scalpels than knives, which I guess is good, they will be doing surgery.
Heat treating 52100:
Normalize 3 times, 1750 degrees, then 1550 degrees twice.
Heat to 1500 degrees and hold for 20 minutes, then quench in oil.
Temper at 350 degrees, twice, for 2 hours.
He wanted a castrating knife with a blade shaped something like the second blade on a trapper pocket knife, but needed some extra handle to hold onto. Arthritis in his old age I'm sure.
I used 52100 steel on this knife. It holds an edge well, but can be sharpened without a lot of work or equipment. A 2.5" cutting edge ground to zero, and 4" handle. These things are more like scalpels than knives, which I guess is good, they will be doing surgery.
Heat treating 52100:
Normalize 3 times, 1750 degrees, then 1550 degrees twice.
Heat to 1500 degrees and hold for 20 minutes, then quench in oil.
Temper at 350 degrees, twice, for 2 hours.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Random pictures from the week
The rest of the crew was sure they called each other and coordinated their wardrobe.
Christmas bits being put to good use.
Jacob
I built these stirrups years ago. I need to build some more.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Working cattle
We have a lot of pastures that have no, or very poor facilities. Most are lease places, but some aren't. The cattle on these places have to be worked just like the ones close to the good pens. We have a choice, drive the cattle a long ways to some good pens, or work them the old fashion way. The choice is usually made by which is less stressful on the cattle.
Had we chosen the drive, we would have started out at daylight, arrived at the pens midday, worked them, then driven a bunch of sore cattle back, arriving around dark-30. The cattle would have laid around for the next several days not eating and not making money.
The old fashion way, we showed up at 2:00 o'clock, penned them in a dry lot, worked them, and had them back grazing by 5:00 o'clock.
I might add, this only works with a good crew, and these guys are some of the best.
These calves are weighing around 600 pounds. Thank god for young guys who don't mind working on the ground.
Had we chosen the drive, we would have started out at daylight, arrived at the pens midday, worked them, then driven a bunch of sore cattle back, arriving around dark-30. The cattle would have laid around for the next several days not eating and not making money.
The old fashion way, we showed up at 2:00 o'clock, penned them in a dry lot, worked them, and had them back grazing by 5:00 o'clock.
I might add, this only works with a good crew, and these guys are some of the best.
These calves are weighing around 600 pounds. Thank god for young guys who don't mind working on the ground.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Knives with sheaths
I got these back in the mail friday. Dwayne at http://www.armoralleather.com/ did his usual terrific job.
Anaconda skin inlay.
1095/nickel damascus.
This knife sold for 225.00$
Neck sheath. Run a ball chain or leather thong through the attachment and you've got a handy little knife that stays out of the way or concealed. This one is for sale for 150.00$ plus shipping.
EDIT: This one sold, thanks Clay
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