2003-01-22 - 9:52 a.m.
So I made the big jump yesterday. I joined the local Gym. Monday my membership goes into action and so will I. The current plan it to spend an hour and a half down there Monday-Friday, and then depending on the plans for the weekend I will do time at the Gym on the weekends as well. I am finished with being 100+ pounds over weight. I am also tired of feeling like I am not strong enough. Granted I am not sure what I am not strong enough for�just that I am not strong enough. Now all I have left is to try and convince my roomie Vlad that he wants to join the Gym as well. I dunno why, but it is always easier to stick to a workout plan in the beginning if you have a buddy to suffer through it with ya. Sides I think it would be funny as hell watching him do step aerobics. Almost as funny as watching Tholen doing em.
Thinking back over the last few dozen entries that I have posted I realize that I haven�t been writing much about my blacksmithing. I am not sure why. It is not cause I am frustrated with it (aside from not having as much time to do it as I want (day light issues). So with that in mind, I think an update on my smithing is in order.
Monday saw me working at the forge, trying to figure out how to create a trigger mechanism for Mungoe�s ballista. It is based off of a Roman design and is currently using a gate latch for a trigger. Now, while this is a good trigger, it unfortunately sticks out like a sore thumb on the siege weapon. So with a rough sketch of what he is looking for I set to work at creating this �thing�. I light off the forge (I was feeling a bit lazy and decided to use the gas forge) and start looking for a piece of appropriate bar stock while the forge came up to temp.
Then I set to trying to decide how to build the thing.
So what does this thing look like? Kinda like this I guess...
Well there is a trigger pawl that engages the sling loop/string. Now from what I gather, the trigger pawl in this case looks much like a fork, in that there are two �fingers� that engage the sling/string. This unit is mounted on a vertical pivot so that it can move up and down freely. The sling is then drawn back, the �fingers� of the pawl are then dropped down on the sling so that the sling cannot pass underneath the �fingers�. Another (this time horizontally pivoting bar) bar is used as a shim to keep the back to the pawl raised up, and thus the front down. The trigger is released by yanking the horizontal bar out from under the tail of the trigger pawl.
Sounds like a pretty simple design, and I have to admit�it is. The only problem that I am running into at the moment is sizing the device. The only measurement that I was given was that the interior distance the �fingers� must be from each other (1 1/2 inches). So I did what any good smith would do. I began to make it up as I went. To create the �fingers� of the trigger, I used the same technique that I use in making forks. Oh�and I HAVE to pat my back on this one. With out using any measuring devices, I eyeballed the distance of the fingers and came in at a little over 1/16 of an inch off. I so rock! The next obstacle that I had to cross was creating the pivot point. Being that I was using 1�x1/4� flat stock I did not have enough material on the horizontal plane to create a pivot point. So I again pulled from another project design that I been working with. A while back I had learned how to make these things called �twist tongs�.
This is a basic tong design where you take a flat bar and turn part of it 90 degrees to create the jaws of the tongs. Well I just took this a step further and placed a twist in the section of the trigger where I wished the pivot to be. I have to say�it worked very well. Hmm�I SO need to get ma digital camera so that I can follow in Roland�s steps and post pictures of what it is that I am trying to describe.
Well anyhow, the rest of the time was spent trying to put the correct bends into the trigger so that it would set flat, pivot correctly, and still look good. Cause ya know, part of the fun of smithing is making a boring tool look like so much more.
Well boys and girls�I think that this is about it for today. I have a class that is due to show up any minute so I had best run.
Today I learned that (haven�t I already said this?) I NEED a digital camera. Hmm�any suggestion folks?
What have you learned today?
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