Excellent video! I have two original miners candles from the 1880's from Tombstone's Silver boom era. As someone else mentioned they were always called "Tommy Sticks or Sticking Tommys". They were used in our mines up until around 1905 when Carbide Lanterns became widely availble. Tombstone legend is that miners were only issued/rationed only 3 candles per 10 hour shift and each candle lasted about 1.5 hours 3 doesn't get you to 10). Like everything in Tombstone, candles were very expensive to ship to the middle of nowhere. So miners would often put out their candles to preserve them for later once getting a dynamite hole started. They would then "singlejack" or "doublejack" (hand drill) in total darkness. Muscle-memory allowed them to drill with their eyes closed anyway. And they would need some candle left at the end of their shift to find their way back out from 200-600 feet underground. -- I'm a retired silvermine tour guide in Tombstone
Great project. My grandfather started in the coal mines of western Kentucky way back in 1907. His dad had died and as the oldest, half way through the first grade, he had to go to work to help support his family. He took time off from the mines to be a tanker under General Patton in Africa in WWII. THEN, when he got sent home with a German bullet in his head, he went back to the mines. He met my Grand mother while serving as she was in the Army Air Corps. 7 girls later he retired from the mines in the late 1990s with black lung and early onset Alzheimer's. With approximately 75 years total service as a miner. So, this build definitely brings back some memories of his old stories.
With all the garbage filling the internet these days this is by far the best Channel on RUclips. I've been watching since day one and I appreciate not only the information you convey but how you provide it. Please keep this channel going and keep the videos coming, you're a treasure thanks.
I find that inadvertently hitting the areas you don't intend to gives more character to the final look. At least that's what I tell myself. Excellent work.
Your production quality is getting better and better! Love the multiple angles with the different heats. It really shows how to do this project. And I really do appreciate you showing the WHOLE thing. Not fast forwarding and jumping time. Thanks for this! It'll be my next project
Very nice work on that project! Love your videos John. I worked in a underground coal mine for twelve years and can not imagine having that as your only light source!!! Very Dangerous!!!
Very much appreciate this and many other of your videos. I have recently taken up some blacksmithing as a retirement hobby and find these videos very helpful and informative. Thx.
You're getting pretty good at this RUclips stuff Mr Switzer. I only use my forge in the wintertime but this makes me want to fire it up early. Thanks for the video.
This really is getting fancy John. I have never really cared much about the video quality, it was always plenty good enough for me. It was the content that I was after. But I must say, Your videos are really a pleasure to watch. Next thing we'll have dancing girls maybe. A really great project, and well done too!
Another great instructiona vid John. It´s just awsome how far your videography and editing skills have grown compared to let´s say just 12 months ago - steep curve and a giant step ahead - Imho. Plus all the zooming, sliding in/out up/down made possible by new gear makes for a really versatile interesting watch. Love it. Regards Smarty
John you are a great teacher, I have learned so much from your videos you have inspired me to do things I never thought I could being a newbie, I've always liked these candle holders I will give it a go you made it look so easy thanks so much
@@BlackBearForge I'll put some pics up on the group and/or reply to your fp post announcing the project. It will be a good example of volume calculation.
That's Briliat John and very advanced Smithing...I'm looking forward to seeing the PDF for the blank but I will need a whole bunch of practice to get anywhere close to your expertise....I was just facinated how such a complicated forging could be created from a pice of flat bar..Thank You John
Unrelated topic but my first project in metal shop in jr-high was to make a candle holder (not blacksmithed) but out of sheet metal. Lots of bar folding, tinkering and soldering later and I was pretty proud of the result. Still have it today in my house.
Hey John, just a tip for the template. When you do the PDF make sure to put a scale on there to make sure someone can check to see if it printed out to the right size with a ruler! Keep being awesome! Love your videos!
A trick I learned (for botany, and yes, in university) is to put a known object in your photo of whatever subject. A lighter, credit card, pencil etc. It gives a good order of magnitude. Nice piece, am jealous.
My prof said the same thing happened to his notes but as luck would have it the lower edge of his notebook was in the photo. As it was a standard one and in the same plane as the subject specimen, no problem.
I enjoy your subjects and teaching style. I like the transition of the flat bar to the cutout to the forged piece. I am curious to know how many minutes your gas forge takes in stage one to get to yellow heat. I have a Monarch three burner gas forge and I think it takes a good while to get to yellow on a 1/4 x 1 1/4 piece.
I hadn't planned on it. But it was getting a bit long. I may do a more brutal edit once part to is complete and see if I can get the whole thing down to 15 minutes. But by that time, it may not be worth it.
hey, shouldn't be to hard to do that isolating completely on the anvil, right? i will try hammers peen or a rounded punch for the end sections, then hot chisel or punch the fishtail maybe. little less material lost :D
Hello john been blacksmithing for about a year now got my first Anvil at a very good price it's a little rough around the edges I was wondering if it would be worth putting a new steel plate on it and kind of sprucing it up a little bit
What is your thought about drawing out material on the "Brian Brazil - Alec Steele" way? It is at minimum twice as fast compared to over the horn at the anvil that you use to do. By the way I will send you the pictures of the big drifts soon. I did however most have big round ones and two oval ones. To much to do at work just now and beeing sick at the same time.
Hey bud awesome video. The intro was Spooky lol. Not only the pdf file but have you considered selling the miners candle holder blank already marked out and or cut out. If so I’ll take five. Haha Also does it matter the angle of cut when isolating the mass why not make straight cuts Thx again.....Paul
I have been thinking about having some cut. Water jet would be ideal, but maybe to expensive. I would have to see if plasma would leave a ready to forge edge or if they would then require filing first. The angled cuts prevent folding the corners over creating cold shuts.
I can't help but wonder why you did that convenience twist instead of just getting a smaller round file. Or was that just to demonstrate that you could do the twist if you didn't have the proper file?
The twist is primarily to get the hook section out of the way so it isn't as vulnerable while drawing out the sections on either side of it. Plus it is way faster to file with a larger file after its twisted. Even if I had the blanks water jet cut and didn't need to file, I would still do the twist.
Hey John great video yet again!! Hey quick question,,,, when you were round facing the handle/loop on this , you mentioned the right hand orientation of the holder itself.... was this out of standard practice or relative to the majority of Smith’s being left or right handed?? Hey thanks again for such great content and instruction!! Stay safe!
Hey John I have a couple question, Why does your steel look like soft butter but when I am forging it refuses to budge? could it be just technique or is it a hammer weight? also why do you draw out over the horn? If you've already explained that in a video could you tell me which one so I can go and watch it.
You draw out over the horn because of the focal point of which is the small contact point between the horn and the hammer. Just like if you where to use the half-face blows technique. Same force just on a smaller focused point.
If I'm taking a picture of something and I want something in the picture for scale, I use a quarter. Just put it next to whatever you're taking a picture of. A quarter is roughly 1" in diameter.
@@BlackBearForge thank you for the advice. Ive been getting whatever the local hardware store has and only get a couple out of them. Ill check online for the brands you mentioned.
@@moreauvalleyforge3348 And, generally speaking, look for bi-metal blades, they tend to stay sharper longer. Also keep in mind that the teeth per inch (tpi) should be selected for the size work you're cutting (lower count for thicker work). It's not required, but it does make life easier.
While it often appears that I am filing in both directions, cutting pressure is only applied on the push strike. The exception is hot filing or rasping where the hot material cuts in either direction.
Most likely. How ever with the huge variety of these things out there, many factory made, there were lots of different approaches to the entire process.
Tip when taking reference photos always include a common object business card, paper folding money, common coin that way you have a reference point for scale
Excellent video! I have two original miners candles from the 1880's from Tombstone's Silver boom era. As someone else mentioned they were always called "Tommy Sticks or Sticking Tommys". They were used in our mines up until around 1905 when Carbide Lanterns became widely availble. Tombstone legend is that miners were only issued/rationed only 3 candles per 10 hour shift and each candle lasted about 1.5 hours 3 doesn't get you to 10). Like everything in Tombstone, candles were very expensive to ship to the middle of nowhere. So miners would often put out their candles to preserve them for later once getting a dynamite hole started. They would then "singlejack" or "doublejack" (hand drill) in total darkness. Muscle-memory allowed them to drill with their eyes closed anyway. And they would need some candle left at the end of their shift to find their way back out from 200-600 feet underground. -- I'm a retired silvermine tour guide in Tombstone
Great project. My grandfather started in the coal mines of western Kentucky way back in 1907. His dad had died and as the oldest, half way through the first grade, he had to go to work to help support his family.
He took time off from the mines to be a tanker under General Patton in Africa in WWII. THEN, when he got sent home with a German bullet in his head, he went back to the mines. He met my Grand mother while serving as she was in the Army Air Corps. 7 girls later he retired from the mines in the late 1990s with black lung and early onset Alzheimer's. With approximately 75 years total service as a miner. So, this build definitely brings back some memories of his old stories.
Wow, thats a rough way to make a living.
With all the garbage filling the internet these days this is by far the best Channel on RUclips. I've been watching since day one and I appreciate not only the information you convey but how you provide it. Please keep this channel going and keep the videos coming, you're a treasure thanks.
Amen to that....:)
I find that inadvertently hitting the areas you don't intend to gives more character to the final look. At least that's what I tell myself. Excellent work.
Your production quality is getting better and better! Love the multiple angles with the different heats. It really shows how to do this project. And I really do appreciate you showing the WHOLE thing. Not fast forwarding and jumping time. Thanks for this! It'll be my next project
I am glad you enjoyed it. Sadly, lots of people tune out the longer a video runs
Another very well explained video, thank you Mr. Switzer.
All Made out of one piece , thnkyou for showing the full process and steps to do it.Very nice work smithing and video editing ;)
Every time I watch one of your videos I appreciate you using both metric and imperial, so thank you for continuing to do that!
Thanks, its getting easier, but I still forget on some projects
Very nice work on that project! Love your videos John. I worked in a underground coal mine for twelve years and can not imagine having that as your only light source!!! Very Dangerous!!!
I don't know if these were popular in coal mines or not. They do show up in the west were it was gold, silver and copper being mined.
Very much appreciate this and many other of your videos. I have recently taken up some blacksmithing as a retirement hobby and find these videos very helpful and informative. Thx.
Miners candle stick had been something I’ve wanted to make for years. Thanks John
I hope this helps. Also check out Mark Asperys video.
Quality ending with them in use, on display, and with the whimsical music playing 👌🕯️! Job well done! 👍
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it
Enjoyed how the metal is stretched and formed as you can do with putty. Really a great process to see. Thanks for sharing with us.
Die kleine Kneipe in unserer Straße
Great project. Once again the layout step is so critical! Very well done. Looking forward to seeing part 2!
Enjoyed it AGAIN
Always enjoy your videos.
Thanks
You're getting pretty good at this RUclips stuff Mr Switzer. I only use my forge in the wintertime but this makes me want to fire it up early. Thanks for the video.
Thanks.
This really is getting fancy John. I have never really cared much about the video quality, it was always plenty good enough for me. It was the content that I was after. But I must say, Your videos are really a pleasure to watch. Next thing we'll have dancing girls maybe. A really great project, and well done too!
Vary nice/Neat shot at the end of the video, and thanks again for all you do for the blacksmith community,
You are very welcome
Fascinating to watch the forging and final project & thinking back to what the original pattern looked like. Good work.
well, thats some great work man!! awesome camera angles soooo enjoyable to look at!
thanks a lot for the videos keep it up!
Very nice details John!
Thanks John this is a really cool method. Looks great.
Well done on the intro 😁
Thank you
Well future John.. I will see you when I come back to the future.. Thanks for the share.. carry on and be safe
Really cool project, thanks for the inspiration!
Another great instructiona vid John. It´s just awsome how far your videography and editing skills have grown compared to let´s say just 12 months ago - steep curve and a giant step ahead - Imho. Plus all the zooming, sliding in/out up/down made possible by new gear makes for a really versatile interesting watch. Love it. Regards Smarty
I am glad you're enjoying it
John you are a great teacher, I have learned so much from your videos you have inspired me to do things I never thought I could being a newbie, I've always liked these candle holders I will give it a go you made it look so easy thanks so much
Thanks, I am glad the videos are helping you with your journey. Keep on smithing
Ditto
Nice project!
Your like a sculpture you see rock/piece of metal and from it you make something. Thinking outside the box Amazing ability
I wish I could take credit for this design. But I was very much influenced by the ones Francis used to make
Its a cool item to have hanging around the shop as a conversation piece! Take care and God bless John.
Brilliant, I am in awe.
Totally awesome!
I'm lovin' this project. I think I will isolate using 5/8 square stock, half on half off on two adjacent sides.
That will be an interesting approach. If you do Instagram or Facebook I would love to a picture of the finished piece.
@@BlackBearForge I'll put some pics up on the group and/or reply to your fp post announcing the project. It will be a good example of volume calculation.
John! You are a wizard!! 👍
Love it, John! Looking forward to part two!
That's Briliat John and very advanced Smithing...I'm looking forward to seeing the PDF for the blank but I will need a whole bunch of practice to get anywhere close to your expertise....I was just facinated how such a complicated forging could be created from a pice of flat bar..Thank You John
These are a great exercise in isolating material to get things moving in the right direction
Unrelated topic but my first project in metal shop in jr-high was to make a candle holder (not blacksmithed) but out of sheet metal. Lots of bar folding, tinkering and soldering later and I was pretty proud of the result. Still have it today in my house.
Thats very much related and a good leson in working with thinner material
Very fine video thank you sir. There is something comforting in the Rhythm and purpose of hammer and an anvil that is producing good work
Thank you
The Miners candlestick was two fold. In addition to light it was also an indicator of oxygen....kinda like the fabled Canary in a cage. Jc
it was also a one time only flammable gas detector...
Great job 👍
Amazing process ...love your work Brother!
God bless the drafting department.
Another great instructional video, John!!
that is a good exercise for smithing great vid
Very nice work! Really enjoyed the length of the video as well.
Thanks, I worry about people tuning out anytime it goes over 20 minutes
Double thumbs-up!
Hey John, just a tip for the template. When you do the PDF make sure to put a scale on there to make sure someone can check to see if it printed out to the right size with a ruler!
Keep being awesome! Love your videos!
The size is on there
The candle holders look good on the tree stump.
Thanks
So cool. I was just looking at these. I would love to make one.
No time like the present
This is a great project!! Another great video series ;)
Thanks
Nice!
Thanks for this video John! Next show us you making one under the Little Giant, I Love that Old power hammer...
That might be a fun video
Amazing
The sound of a hammer on an anvil is better than rain on a tin roof.
A trick I learned (for botany, and yes, in university) is to put a known object in your photo of whatever subject. A lighter, credit card, pencil etc. It gives a good order of magnitude. Nice piece, am jealous.
That would have been smart. I probably took measurements, but of course, I don't know where I put the notes.
My prof said the same thing happened to his notes but as luck would have it the lower edge of his notebook was in the photo. As it was a standard one and in the same plane as the subject specimen, no problem.
I also like to see how you drew the metal into the different parts of the candle stick.
Funny, I have that same hacksaw
I sent this to my Blacksmith friend in Japan and part 2
Like for the silent envil.
I enjoy your subjects and teaching style. I like the transition of the flat bar to the cutout to the forged piece. I am curious to know how many minutes your gas forge takes in stage one to get to yellow heat. I have a Monarch three burner gas forge and I think it takes a good while to get to yellow on a 1/4 x 1 1/4 piece.
Once hot the forge will reheat a bar this size in a minute or so
They also served to eliminate the build of explosive gases in mines. Very effective.
Thank you very much this is a desirable pc
👍
Than kyou
You are welcome
Who would have thought you would pull a cliffhanger from your bag of editing tricks
Actually I think it’s an old, mostly broken, 5-gallon plastic bucket of tricks...😜
I hadn't planned on it. But it was getting a bit long. I may do a more brutal edit once part to is complete and see if I can get the whole thing down to 15 minutes. But by that time, it may not be worth it.
hey, shouldn't be to hard to do that isolating completely on the anvil, right? i will try hammers peen or a rounded punch for the end sections, then hot chisel or punch the fishtail maybe. little less material lost :D
I’ve just made one of these!!! I wish I had have watched this first... mine is a load of crap!!!😆... I know these things as a “sticking Tommy’s”
As long as it holds a candle it is a success.
As fun as the candle cup will be to make, I'm more interesting in knowing where you got your ruler
Mark M. It looks like a modified/cut down framing square.👍✌️
@@timminstraprs2169 not the edge ruler. The one used to show scale of the blank
ruclips.net/video/3_ZqaJ93dpc/видео.html
Mark M. Oh I’m sorry, my mistake. ✌️
Mark M. Someone sent that to me from the UK
Hello john been blacksmithing for about a year now got my first Anvil at a very good price it's a little rough around the edges I was wondering if it would be worth putting a new steel plate on it and kind of sprucing it up a little bit
I think you’re probably better off using it as it is. The other option is to build up the edges with hard facing rod. But thats a pretty big job.
What is your thought about drawing out material on the "Brian Brazil - Alec Steele" way? It is at minimum twice as fast compared to over the horn at the anvil that you use to do.
By the way I will send you the pictures of the big drifts soon. I did however most have big round ones and two oval ones. To much to do at work just now and beeing sick at the same time.
I will get the file because I would love to support you as you have taught me so much! But “ETSY” ? Big problems getting orders into Australia!
I'm not sure why Etsy would make downloading a digital file difficult in one part of the world.
Hey bud awesome video. The intro was Spooky lol. Not only the pdf file but have you considered selling the miners candle holder blank already marked out and or cut out.
If so I’ll take five. Haha
Also does it matter the angle of cut when isolating the mass why not make straight cuts Thx again.....Paul
I have been thinking about having some cut. Water jet would be ideal, but maybe to expensive. I would have to see if plasma would leave a ready to forge edge or if they would then require filing first. The angled cuts prevent folding the corners over creating cold shuts.
Grease lamp next?
Those would be fun
I can't help but wonder why you did that convenience twist instead of just getting a smaller round file. Or was that just to demonstrate that you could do the twist if you didn't have the proper file?
The twist is primarily to get the hook section out of the way so it isn't as vulnerable while drawing out the sections on either side of it. Plus it is way faster to file with a larger file after its twisted. Even if I had the blanks water jet cut and didn't need to file, I would still do the twist.
@@BlackBearForge LOL I'm a little slow. That's why I'm here and you're there
Hey John great video yet again!! Hey quick question,,,, when you were round facing the handle/loop on this , you mentioned the right hand orientation of the holder itself.... was this out of standard practice or relative to the majority of Smith’s being left or right handed?? Hey thanks again for such great content and instruction!! Stay safe!
More out of standard practice with regard to the majority of the originals. But they aren't 100%
Bravoooooo jezukrishti te ruejt of albanjia
Hey John I have a couple question, Why does your steel look like soft butter but when I am forging it refuses to budge? could it be just technique or is it a hammer weight? also why do you draw out over the horn? If you've already explained that in a video could you tell me which one so I can go and watch it.
Try keeping a high heat as well as aggressive hammer blows. if you're using a lighter hammer you need to swing faster.
You draw out over the horn because of the focal point of which is the small contact point between the horn and the hammer. Just like if you where to use the half-face blows technique. Same force just on a smaller focused point.
If I'm taking a picture of something and I want something in the picture for scale, I use a quarter. Just put it next to whatever you're taking a picture of. A quarter is roughly 1" in diameter.
Smart idea
Was there a part 2 yet i cant find it 😢
Found it 😁
Found it 😁
What hacksaw blades do you use? You just fly through pieces youe cutting. It takes me a goats age to saw through smaller material
I buy what ever the premium blade is where I happen to be at the time. Starrett and Lennox are very good blades.
@@BlackBearForge thank you for the advice. Ive been getting whatever the local hardware store has and only get a couple out of them. Ill check online for the brands you mentioned.
@@moreauvalleyforge3348 And, generally speaking, look for bi-metal blades, they tend to stay sharper longer. Also keep in mind that the teeth per inch (tpi) should be selected for the size work you're cutting (lower count for thicker work). It's not required, but it does make life easier.
@@sladoeii thank you, im fairly new to buying hacksaw blades, ive used sawzalls and cutting wheels typically
Do you have a camp cook rack video?
I think this is what you're referring to.
ruclips.net/video/sT-gacyANxQ/видео.html
@@BlackBearForge speaking of any plans to go back to that when your leg is fully healed or has it you havent said
Why do you file both ways?
While it often appears that I am filing in both directions, cutting pressure is only applied on the push strike. The exception is hot filing or rasping where the hot material cuts in either direction.
@@BlackBearForge Thanks for the reply, that clears things up. Cheers
In the time frame where a miners cancel was used cutting out the blank would have been done with chisels
Most likely. How ever with the huge variety of these things out there, many factory made, there were lots of different approaches to the entire process.
I can't see why I wouldn't split the end of the bar like a fork and just draw one tine out at 90°.
Tip when taking reference photos always include a common object business card, paper folding money, common coin that way you have a reference point for scale