I answer a few questions people had from last weeks project Making A Bowie Knife.  One of the common question I received was why I didn’t lower the tang of the knife in the vise to prevent it from bending.  There was an existing hole in the tang portion of the knife blank for a finger hole when it was being used as a table saw insert.  When heating and hammering the end it wanted to bend out of shape due to the lack of metal.  To correct this I inserted a bolt to try and stop it from deforming any further.  As I mentioned a few people wanted to know why I didn’t get a lower grip on it in the vise.  The only reason is because the vise would have then acted as a heat sink preventing me from heating the knife enough to peen it over the pommel.  I was looking for a good clear way in which to explain metals and how that can act as a heat sink.  And in turn, what does it acting like a heat sink do to my project.  I then remembered an experiment I had seen from back in 6th or 7th grade involving two balloons.  One of which is filled with air and the other with luke warm water.  Watch the video for this one.  It is pretty darn cool.

I also brought up the act of freebooting and video theft.  Most of us are taught from a very young age that stealing is wrong but it seems others may not have gotten the prepubescent memo.  Stealing is wrong people, just don’t do it.  Thanks as always and if you have any comments or questions leave them below.