text:
Raising Chickens/Death/Butchering

Preparing the Chicken for Slaughter
Birds that are to be slaughtered should be taken off feed long enough before killing (about 12 hrs.) to allow the crop and intestinal tract time to empty. A full digestive system increases the chance of contamination of the carcass during removal of the viscera. Birds should be caught and placed in crates or coops during the night to avoid excitement and possible injury of the birds prior to slaughter.

Slaughter Procedure
In slaughtering, birds are positioned with their heads down to facilitate bleeding. This can be accomplished through the use of killing cones, shackles, or a rope around the feet.

After the bird is properly positioned the killing and bleeding step follows. Several important factors must be kept in mind; the bird must be killed in such a way to allow most of the blood to drain from the body and at the same time limit struggling to prevent damage to the corpse.

A widely used method that accomplishes these objectives is making a cut just behind the jaw. The cut should sever the jugular vein without cutting the esophagus or wind pipe. A weight can then be hung from the beak to limit the movement of the bird. This is a more 'humane' method of slaughter because the bird is unconscious due to loss of blood from the brain.

Any method which involves beheading or wringing the neck accomplishes the killing but fails to produce a properly bled carcass. The heart stops when the spinal cord is severed.

The optimal, most humane procedure is to "debrain" the chicken *before* beginning the bleeding. The procedure: 1) Put the bird into a "killing cone" - breast forward - to secure it so it won't panic; 2) locate the slit in the roof of the mouth and insert a small bladed knife (commercially available: called a "chicken killing sticking knife") at a slight angle; 3) Push the knife point toward the back of the brain, with the handle approximately parallel to the upper beak; 4) Once inserted, twist the knife to destroy as much brain tissue as possible. This procedure takes less than a second and once complete the bird is "brain dead" and unconscious but the heart is still beating. When you cut the jugular the heart will pump the blood out of the bird killing it.

Scalding
Scalding involves submerging the carcass in hot water to relax the muscles holding the feathers. For small groups of birds a large bucket can work well. For larger numbers of birds a thermostatically controlled heated tank may be best. For birds that are difficult to scald (waterfowl, in particular) a wetting agent or detergent may need to be added to the water.

Scalding temperatures should be determined by the type of poultry and the difficulty of picking. For waterfowl and mature birds a higher temperature and longer submersion time should be used. For younger birds a lower temperature and shorter time is recommended.

Semi-scald or slack scald is the name given to scalding for 30-60 seconds in 125-130 degrees F. water. By using this time and temperature the epidermal layer is left intact. Birds that are being slaughtered for an exhibit should be scalded in this way to improve the appearance of the carcass. Water that is too hot will cause the outer layer of skin to loosen and be lost. Loss of that skin also results in loss of some yellow pigment on the skin.

Sub-scald is the use of water at 138-140 degrees F. for 30-75 seconds. The epidermal layer is broken down by this time-temperature combination but the feathers are usually much easier to remove. For home processing this method of scalding is recommended.

Hard-scald or full scald requires a water temperature of 140-150 degrees F. This method is faster and eliminates pinfeathers, but the birds tend to dry out and have a less desirable appearance. Waterfowl may be scalded at this temperature.

Whatever method is used the birds must be properly bled. No scalding should be done before all movement has stopped.

Feather Removal
Birds should be plucked immediately after scalding. If mechanical pickers are used they should be adjusted for the size birds being picked. Mechanical pickers make the job much faster. Birds that are to be exhibited should be plucked by hand being sure that all pinfeathers are removed, and that there is no damage to the skin. This procedure requires a good deal of time if done correctly. Rubbing the feathers from the skin is frequently more effective than a picking motion.

Evisceration

Evisceration involves the removal of the contents of the body cavity plus the feet and head. To remove the head, cut around the neck just behind the head, and twist. The neck skin should then be split down the back and a second cut made at the base of the neck. A twist will usually separate the neck from the body. Next the oesophagus, trachea and crop should be separated from the neck skin. They can be left attached and be pulled from the body with the viscera.

The body cavity can be opened by making a small cut near the vent, extending the cut around the vent, being careful not to cut the intestine or contaminate the carcass with faecal material.

The abdominal opening should be as small as possible to improve the appearance of the finished product. After the abdomen is open the viscera can be removed through the opening. It is very important to remove all the viscera, including the lungs which are attached to the back. After all the contents of the cavity are removed the bird should be thoroughly washed inside and out.

After the viscera have been removed, the heart, liver and gizzard should be separated and saved. The ends of any parts of the vascular system that may be attached to the heart should be removed by trimming off the top to expose the chambers. The heart should be washed and squeezed to force out any remaining blood. The green gall bladder should be carefully trimmed away from the liver. Next the gizzard should be split lengthwise and the contents washed away. The lining should then be peeled away from the rest of the gizzard.

After the evisceration procedure has been completed, the carcass should be cooled as soon as possible. Ice water or a refrigerator can be used, however, the ice water will do the job a little faster. If birds are to be frozen the gizzard, heart and liver can be wrapped in waxed paper and placed inside the body cavity. Many people also include a small packet of nutmeg to improve taste during storage. The birds can then be placed in a moisture‑vapor proof bag and frozen.

Cooking your Chickens
Preheat oven to. Pluck all feathers (because they taste bad). Place chicken and marinating sauce/condiments into an oven-safe container. Place oven-safe container into oven. Close oven. Wait about an hour or until golden-brown. Enjoy!

There are also lots of recipes for cooking chickens. There are also chicken recipes in the Wikibooks Cookbook.

Go ahead and experiment. If you are looking for a method of preparing chicken for the table but can't find what you are looking for in Wikibooks there are lots of other websites on the Internet as well as traditional cookbooks.

title: Raising Chickens/Death/Butchering


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Talk:Raising Chickens/Choosing a breed

Recommend a Breed
What varieties of chickens work for you? Production Reds. They are related to the Rhode Island Red. Mine were very tame and gave me lots of eggs every morning.

My chickens are a cross between Ida Red (Rhode Island red type) and Cornish Giant (big white meat bird). They are very tame and very winter resistant. They seen to prefer sub-zero temperatures (which is strange considering their jungle heritage)Klingoncowboy4 05:05, 25 August 2005 (UTC)

Bantams are pretty and tough but can be flighty. Hard to keep in a pen. Not great layers and their eggs are tiny. Two very good layer types are Silkies and Pekins. Come in a wide variety of types and colours.

Purebred meat chickens are prone to heart attacks and choking on their own feed.

Leghorns are good layers but flighty and scrawny.

Some of the more unusual breeds are in need of people to keep them so that the breeds can survive.204.101.233.86 07:39, 14 January 2006 (UTC)

I had a silkie/cochin bantam cross once. She was an absolutely wonderful bird who never clawed, bit, or hurt anyone. She also did well at the county fair's crossbred bantam class (reserve over all at only 4 months old) She died recently due to encephalomyelitis, and I now have a purebred blue cochin pullet who is just as sweet. She loves to sit on my head/shoulders and will fall asleep in my lap with her head resting on my arm. I have leghorns too, but they're high strung and rather ugly. I would recommend cochins or cochin crosses, as they have impeccable manners, are amazingly sweet, and will get you noticed in poultry exhibitions.

I have some Barred Plymouth Rocks, and they lay nearly every day in the summer, get to a good, healthy weight, are pretty, and not at all vicious. I also have a dozen Americauna's, and they are beautiful! Their feathers are colored in some ways like a falcon's; golden and dark feathers. Some of them also have a very curved beak that looks almost identical to a falcons, while others are not quite so curved and pointed. While they are beautiful chickens, and don't mind the cold(at least down to -20 F. here) they do not lay as well as our other chickens(In the summer it averages probably 3/4 egg/day). But also, the eggs they do lay are a nice light green/blue color. Quite pretty... Dictouray 03:46, 10 April 2007 (UTC)

The leghorns Ive had usually are mean. Bantams seem to be much bettor. They have interesting feathers and tend to be very hardy. However they seem to hate being cooped up. Bantam/Leghorn cross seem to be good layers but only if totally domestic. However mine, as they aged, got mean and started pecking. However they were not as inclined to roam because they put on weight as they aged so i didn't need to worry about them going too far and meeting neighbors german shepard

I have had good experiences with orphingtons, (idk how to spell, correct it please) they are friendlt, chatty, and adorable and beautiful against a lush green lawn.

Am new to raising chickens but have read a lot, and seemed to have lucked into a good mix for my flock. I have a Barred Plymouth Rock (barred rock) Rooster who is friendly and very handsome. 2 Barred rock hens, 2 Golden Comet hens ( rhode island red / leghorn cross) who are very friendly and let you pet them, 4 rhode island red hens who are a little shy yet, as well as 4 Black Star hens (barred rock/rhode isle red cross). They will flock to you to see if you have any treats. All seem to be good egg layers as I am collecting 8-10 eggs a day. I bought all of mine as adults.

Problem breeds
Have you had problems with a particular breed and want to warn others?

I wouldn't recommend leghorns for first-time or timid owners. They're great layers, and mine do well at local shows, but they tend to try to eat me alive when I feed them. I sold my rooster about a year ago. Even though he had been handled his whole life, he was terribly vicious and once took a large chunk out of my face. His daughter was kept ONLY with people (no other chickens) for the first 2 weeks of her life before I bought her a companion. She was handled extensively, but still bites....like father, like daughter.

Same here. also they tend to not have very much sense and are extremely alpha bird-omega bird. And in my experiance do not allow domestic leghorns and half wild part bantams to mix. The alpha female bantam cross actually fought with the leghorn roosters every time they met and every time they one. Then the roosters would respond by taking it out on the hens which seriously affected their egg producing.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Talk:Raising Chickens/Choosing a breed


text:
An Introduction to Weblogs

This wikibook is designed for use by candidates studying for Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) Unit No. DN8111: Weblogs. The unit specification can be downloaded from the SQA web site.

The unit is designed to enable candidates to locate, use and create weblogs (“blogs”) and provide candidates with an opportunity to explore the applications of blogs, create blogs and track blogs using aggregation tools.

Locating and reviewing weblogs

 * 1) Historical development of weblogs
 * 2) /Weblog providers/
 * 3) /High Quality Blogs/
 * 4) /Evaluating Blogs/
 * 5) /Blog Uses/

Creating a blog to perform a specific information task

 * 1) /Purpose and Target/
 * 2) /Utilizing Blog Creation Tools/
 * 3) /Readership/
 * 4) /Keeping Current/
 * 5) /Blogs as Information/

Tracking selected blogs

 * 1) /Generating Newsfeeds/
 * 2) /Aggregating Newsfeeds/
 * 3) /Personal Newsfeeds/

title: An Introduction to Weblogs


text:
Wikibooks:Bookshelves

Bookshelves, which, like our category system, serves to organize wikibooks along topical lines.

Bookshelves and Categories
The bookshelf and category systems complement each other. As a rule, bookshelves should not contain other bookshelves, unlike categories.

Adding Books
To add a book to a bookshelf, simply add a link to the book's title page to the appropriate bookshelf, along with an indicator of development. A book may be placed along more than one bookshelf.

Removing Books
A book can only be removed from a bookshelf if it is deleted altogether, in accordance to the deletion policy. Once a book is deleted, its entry should be removed from the bookshelf in question. However, books can be moved between bookshelves, in which case the entry should be moved to the appropriate destination bookshelf.

Why shelve books?
Bookshelves encourage the development of existing books over adding new books, especially forks of existing books.

Bookshelf management
Bookshelves should only be created if existing bookshelves are in excess of material and a significant number of books can belong on the new bookshelf. Likewise, bookshelves should only be removed if the bookshelf is on material that is considered too specific in scope and a very few number of books on the new bookshelf. Proposals on adding or removing bookshelves should be made at.

List of bookshelves
See All bookshelves

it:Wikibooks:Ripiani

title: Wikibooks:Bookshelves


text:
Raising Chickens/Death

Sudden Death from Heart Attack
This is uncommon for chickens, but if it does happen, there is nothing you can do. it will not "spread through the flock". There are a few rumors about it. But try to pull yourself together and move on.

Predation
In the UK, and many other countries, foxes pose a major threat to chicken stocks. Also, many of the larger birds of prey have been known to attack live chickens.

Known Chicken/Egg Eaters

 * Skunks (also eat eggs)
 * Weasels and mink (can go into killing frenzy and devastate a flock in a single night)
 * Hedgehogs
 * Bobcats
 * Coyotes
 * Foxes (can take one bird at a time over a long period of time)
 * Dogs
 * Cats (usually small chicks only)
 * Hawks
 * Peregrine Falcons
 * Owls
 * Magpies and crows (mostly eggs and young chicks)
 * Humans
 * In South America there is a type of spider that will prey on chickens
 * Opossum (will eat the head and guts)
 * Raccoons

Disposal of Bodies (legally) when your chickens die from "unusual" causes
In the UK, there is a legal requirement that you have your birds incinerated by DEFRA. However, this law is usually ignored by small poultry producers. Birds may be buried, incinerated or thrown out with the rubbish. However, if your chicken died of disease then it is imperative that you do not feed it to any other animal, due to the risk of a disease being passed on.

Other
If you want to butcher your own chickens then go to the Butchering Chickens section.

title: Raising Chickens/Death


text:
Cookbook talk:Denver Omelet

The name of this page is spelled wrong; it's 'omelet', not 'omlet'.

title: Cookbook talk:Denver Omelet


text:
The Descent of Man/Chapter II

Darwin begins by discussing how individual humans differ from each other in height, skull shape, teeth, artery courses, musculature, and internal organs. He also mentions that humans and monkeys alike differ in intelligence, and he touches on the work of Galton and the inheritance of genius.

He then discusses work that has been done to explain the causes for these differences within species. In the paragraphs on changed conditions, Darwin quotes an ancient Greek poem decrying the fact that human marriage arrangements were not made with the same concern for the offspring that farmers had for the breeding of their livestock. He can think of only two historic instances of selective human breeding, the Prussian grenadiers and the Spartans.

External conditions like climate and terrain had inconclusive results except for diet. He says that even though diet obviously plays some part in determining the height or weight of an individual, that is not the whole story.

The paragraphs on the use and disuse of body parts as a reason for differences in arm lengths, hand size, etc. include some ideas modern people would see as strange. He describes microcephalics and attributes the cause of this condition to arrests of development.

Another paragraph discusses cases of women with additional mammaries and double uteruses which Darwin attributes to reversion, inheriting traits from lower animals. He relates anecdotes of people with extra fingers and toes and mentions some sources, but finally concludes that this is not due to reversion. He then goes on to discuss various scientists who had noticed the similarity between human canine teeth and those of apes. He concludes that the connection is clear no matter how much some men might object even as they "retract...'snarling muscles'...so as to expose them [canines] ready for action, like a dog prepared to fight." Darwin cites cases published by other scientists showing humans with muscles similar to apes and concludes there is a "genetic connection" between the species (although he didnt use the word genetic because the term 'genetic' was coined by William Bateson in 1905.

Under variations Darwin discusses questions about whether one feature like arm muscles is affected by another feature like leg muscles. He calls this correlated variation and mentions other possible examples like sight related to hearing. He also mentions spontaneous variation.

The events that affect a population's rate of increase like space, food, and disease are also mentioned as reasons for differences between species. He proposes that increase in fertility may be inherited and discusses Malthus's description of the "checks" to the "savage" populations.

Again this chapter is heavily footnoted showing that Darwin was well-aware of the science of his day.

title: The Descent of Man/Chapter II


text:
User:GregChant

Hi, I'm GregChant.

title: User:GregChant


text:
Talk:Japanese/Grammar/～ている

Comments
This page is somewhat misleading, since many, if not most, verbs in Japanese are punctual, and when combined with いる do not form the progressive tense. For example, 行っている means "to be in the state of having gone" not "to currently be going".'
 * I've made note of this. There are other things missing from the page, too.  However, your point is well noted. --Retropunk (talk) 06:44, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

title: Talk:Japanese/Grammar/～ている


text:
User:UninvitedCompany

Also at:
 * w:User:UninvitedCompany
 * m:User:UninvitedCompany
 * commons:User:UninvitedCompany

title: User:UninvitedCompany


text:
Wikibooks:Book of the month/August 2005

The book of the month for August is Wikijunior Solar System - a guide to our solar system for children aged 8-11.

Vote for September - Book of the month

title: Wikibooks:Book of the month/August 2005


text:
Wikibooks:Book of the month/September 2005 voting

The voting for the Book of the month for September 2005 is open from 1 – 31 August, 2005, and will close on August 31, 2005, 00:00 UTC. The book of the month will be featured on the main page of Wikibooks.

'''Closed. Any votes added will be reverted.'''

Mandarin Chinese (8)
(Automatically nominated with 4 votes in July.)

Votes:

 * 1) Klingoncowboy4 00:57, 1 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 2) Serge 10:29, August 1, 2005 (UTC)
 * 3) italiandude707 21:56, August 1, 2005 (UTC)
 * 4) Mijokijo 02:28, 10 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 5) Anonymousbob 14:47, 11 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 6) Life 01:36, 15 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 7) Everlong 03:23, 15 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 8) Atreyyu 10:09, 25 August 2005 (UTC)

Comments:

 * Personally, I think that books on different languages that are comprehensive and can really help a person learn a new language should be top priority. This allows readers and contributors to read and contribute even more to Wikipedia. If we could have a truly comprehensive source of knowledge in not only English, but Chinese, Hebrew, Italian, Polish, etc. then this would make wikipedia a legendary source of knowledge. Wikibooks like this one could open that possibility to thousands more people.

 * I am personally interested in learning a few languages, Chinese being one of them (it is the most commonly spoken language in the world, 1/5 of the world's population speaks it). I've looked at this wikibook, and it presents a model that other similar wikibooks should follow. This book gets my vote. --Mijokijo 02:28, 10 August 2005 (UTC)

Programming:C -/- -/- (4)
(Automatically nominated with 4 votes in July.)

Votes:

 * 1) Klingoncowboy4 00:57, 1 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 2) Dirtyliberal 07:15, 1 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 3) Nerdman 10:12, 1 August 2005(PST)
 * 4) GatesPlusPlus 13:27, 10 August 2005 (UTC)

Comments:

 * As per WB:NC, this is only a section of a book - the book is Programming. KelvSYC 05:16, 3 August 2005 (UTC)
 * See Talk Page --Krischik 06:26, 3 August 2005 (UTC)

 * Any efforts directed at editing one of the 2 C++ books Programming:C plus plus and Programming:C -/- -/- could increase the difficulty of merging the two. Note that even Jimbo has talked of having policies disallowing forks within Wikibooks, which is one reason I'm hopeful of the two books getting merged some day. -- Paddu 19:27, 13 August 2005 (UTC)
 * See WB:FP - Aya T C 19:49, 13 August 2005 (UTC)

Mambo Open Source (2)
(Automatically nominated with 3 votes in July.)

Votes:

 * 1) Klingoncowboy4 00:57, 1 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 2) Dirtyliberal 00:31, 8 August 2005 (UTC)

Comments:

Raising Chickens (3)
Votes:

 * 1) Klingoncowboy4 00:57, 1 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 2) Triddle 16:48, 5 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 3) Cyberman 04:19, 13 August 2005 (UTC) Where are the wikibuttons?

Comments:

 * It will buy time for other wikibooks, and entertain the public until people work on a different book. Cyberman 04:19, 13 August 2005 (UTC)

Making an Island (6)
Votes:

 * 1) Klingoncowboy4 01:00, 1 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 2) Shdwninja8 00:10, 2 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 3) CivilCasualty 19:14, 2 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 4) Cspurrier 23:44, 9 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 5) Darkflib 20:06, 10 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 6) Lawman
 * 69.141.94.155 22:36, 23 August 2005 (UTC) (vote not valid)

Comments:

 * Worst. Wikibook.  Ever.  --69.44.116.57 16:36, 10 August 2005 (UTC)

Ada Programming / Programming:Ada (16)
Ada Programming took the criticism about not confirming to the Naming policy at heart and renamed the book to confirm to the standard. Templates and Categories are to follow. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may course in the time of change. Do continue to vote for us ;-).

Votes:

Comments:
 * 1) ManuelGR 18:54, 1 August 2005 (UTC) This is the largest programming book according to the statistics. It is also very well structured and with a well defined style.
 * 2) Klingoncowboy4 20:26, 1 August 2005 (UTC) Well structures, well written, I could see myself using this book
 * 3) Krischik 06:20, 2 August 2005 (UTC) As far as I know the only Programming book with fully working, tried and tested example programmes (see: Mathematical calculations, Converting data and Strings for examples).
 * 4) MartinDowie 18:27, 2 August 2005 (UTC) An excellent source of information.
 * 5) Grek1 20:20, 2. Aug 2005
 * 6) FJLoma 18:07, 3 Aug 2005 Excellent and very up to date.
 * 7) veenker 19:45, 3 Aug 2005 Great resource, complete and well written
 * 8) Thopre 14:01, 4 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 9) Gentgeen 23:39, 5 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 10) surueña 14:26, August 8, 2005 (UTC) A great book that also covers the last version of the language (and as far as I known there is no other book or on-line tutorial so updated)
 * 11) Aramael 18:50, 10 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 12) Preben Randhol 20:37, 11 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 13) Rob Horning 13:03, 15 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 14) Frodet 20:47, 16 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 15) Aerius 11:30, 19 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 16) Esoterica 14:27, 20 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 62.202.70.142 16:03, 14 August 2005 (UTC) (vote not valid)
 * Franco Gasperoni 14:37, 30 August 2005 (UTC) Unregistered user --Mijokijo 15:58, 30 August 2005 (UTC)

 * As per WB:NC, this is only a section of a book - the book is Programming. KelvSYC 05:16, 3 August 2005 (UTC)
 * See Talk Page --Krischik 06:27, 3 August 2005 (UTC)
 * While this argument could be offered in a number of ways (for not calling this strictly a Wikibook), the use of Programming in this instance is more indicating a bookshelf than a book. I support calling this a Book of the Month candidate as it is really a separate Wikibook.  Naming conventions are something that needs to be dealt with elsewhere (like Staff Lounge). --Rob Horning 18:10, 3 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Holly $&@# this book has 7 votes. I foresee this one being the next Book of the month. Klingoncowboy4 20:14, 3 August 2005 (UTC)


text:
Introduction to Psychology/Neuroscience

Introduction
Neuroscience (known archaically as psychobiology) is a relatively new scientific discipline. It arose from the merging of biology and psychology. As its name suggests, the discipline seeks to understand the biological bases of behaviour.

Understanding the Central Nervous System
The central nervous system is composed of seven main parts. 1. the spinal cord; 2. the medulla oblongata; 3. the pons; 4. the cerebellum; 5. the midbrain; 6. the diencephalon ; and 7. the cerebral hemispheres

The nerve cells in the central nervous system are called neurons. The neuron has four main parts.
 * 1) the soma (or cell body)
 * 2) the dendrites
 * 3) the axon
 * 4) the terminal buttons

The messages are received by the dendrites, processed in the cell body, then sent down the axon to the terminal buttons. Messages may be excited or inhibited and are known as action potentials.

title: Introduction to Psychology/Neuroscience


text:
Wikibooks:Collaboration of the Month/August 2005

The Collaboration of the Month for August is How To Build A Computer.

How To Build A Computer teaches you how to build your own computer, starting from choosing the right parts, assembling them, and choosing and installing the right software. You can learn more about computer hardware by building a computer than you can by reading every computer hardware textbook ever written. Aside from that, you get a totally personalized computer that no OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) could match, and the opportunity to save a lot of money in the process.

Vote for September - Collaboration of the Month


text:
Wikibooks:Collaboration of the Month/September 2005 voting

Voting Rules
The following are the rules and conditions for voting for the Collaboration of the Month:

 * 1) Only registered users with 20 or more edits to their name may vote.
 * 2) You may vote under as many nominations as you wish, however, you may only vote for each book itself once.
 * 3) Sign your vote with a number sign and four tildes, #~, after the most previous vote under the book's nomination. Unsigned votes will be removed.
 * 4) Any nomination which receives 3 or more votes in one month will automatically be renominated the next month if it is not chosen.
 * 5) If you wish to include a short comment for your vote, then you may do so. Make sure that if you leave such a comment, that you are also voting for that page.
 * 6) Do not post objection votes as these will have no effect on the final tally.
 * 7) Voting will end at 00:00 UTC on the first day of each month. In essence, when a new month begins voting ends. Any votes added after this time will be discarded.
 * 8) The nomination with most votes will be chosen as the Collaboration of the Month. In case of a tie, the older Wikibook will be chosen.

Raising Chickens
This book is nearly done but could still use some work. It also has sections that are intended as ongoing projects.

 * 1) Klingoncowboy4 01:25, 1 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 2) jsymmetry

Comments:

 * This is a very good start, but having raised chickens before, I can say that this book is definitely not almost done. The format is well layed-out, but it needs a lot of additional information. I'll do my best to help out when I get a chance. Jsymmetry 23:42, 16 August 2005 (UTC)

Biotechnology
Comments: Could use some help on this project some images and formating. So far I am the only person working on this and would like other to share knowledge too.
 * 1) tmaioli Tom Maioli 02:57, 27 August 2005 (UTC)

Wikijunior Big Cats
This Wikibook needs some formatting work done to meet Wikijunior Solar Sytem Standards. This is also the first Wikijunior book to be nominated for collaboration of the month.

 * 1) Klingoncowboy4 05:45, 1 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 2) Rob Horning 18:17, 9 August 2005 (UTC)

Comments:

Unless someone else votes this is going to be a unique instance. A book winning with less than three votes. Klingoncowboy4 19:06, 15 August 2005 (UTC)

Art History (3, 05:18, 24. Mai 2005)
This Wikibook is nearly empty, and could easily be collaborated on with hundreds of online sources. Serge 10:25, August 1, 2005 (UTC)

 * 1) Serge 10:25, August 1, 2005 (UTC)
 * 2) jsymmetry
 * 3) Emma 07:24, 19 August 2005 (UTC)

Comments:

 * A very sparse book on a huge subject. A good choice for major improvement. Jsymmetry 23:44, 16 August 2005 (UTC)

German language (3, 01:32, 14. Okt 2003)
This language-related Wikibook has got high potential, because it contains many very good lessons. It can be also used as a base for new language books. It needs some impovements and new lessons. Sblive 10:55, 17 August 2005 (UTC)

 * 1) Sblive 10:55, 17 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 2) Klingoncowboy4 04:14, 21 August 2005 (UTC)
 * 3) Shdwninja8 03:39, 24 August 2005 (UTC)


text:
User talk:Sarken~enwikibooks

Class Content Update
A course you are taking part in has new content available. Please visit the course page for more information.

Your account will be renamed
Hello,

The developer team at Wikimedia is making some changes to how accounts work, as part of our on-going efforts to provide new and better tools for our users like cross-wiki notifications. These changes will mean you have the same account name everywhere. This will let us give you new features that will help you edit and discuss better, and allow more flexible user permissions for tools. One of the side-effects of this is that user accounts will now have to be unique across all 900 Wikimedia wikis. See the announcement for more information.

Unfortunately, your account clashes with another account also called Sarken. To make sure that both of you can use all Wikimedia projects in future, we have reserved the name Sarken~enwikibooks that only you will have. If you like it, you don't have to do anything. If you do not like it, you can pick out a different name.

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title: User talk:Sarken~enwikibooks


text:
User talk:UninvitedCompany

Acetone peroxide synthesis
Sorry for the hassle UninvitedCompany. But, you got stuck in the middle of action taken to manage an ongoing edit war, it's nothing personal. It may be a day or two before I unprotect the page, then I will ensure that your contribution is preserved in some form. (Donovan|Geocachernemesis|Interact) 02:05, 1 August 2005 (UTC)

I have now unprotected Acetone peroxide synthesis, and restored your last edit. Thanks for your patience.:) (Donovan|Geocachernemesis|Interact) 00:52, 2 August 2005 (UTC)

 * Old mountains are young hills. Old hills are young prairies.  Old prairies are young deserts.  Old deserts are young oceans.  Time is on the side of the vintner and the landlord.  Purchase land and make wine, and you shall never grow tired of waiting.  UninvitedCompany 02:05, 2 August 2005 (UTC)

 * You might be interested in the Votes for deletion/The Manual of Crime discussion going on right now, as some of the topics are related to the Acetone page. MShonle 06:59, 20 August 2005 (UTC)

I have proposed the acetone peroxide synthesis for deletion. What do you think? Ewen 14:21, 13 November 2006 (UTC)

title: User talk:UninvitedCompany


text:
Handbook of Descriptive Statistics/Measures of Central Tendency/Median

Median Description: The median is the value found in the middle of an ordered set of data.

Median Formula: $$(n + 1) / 2$$ (remembering the data must be ordered)

Median Example: Let's say we have the following numbers: Data Set: 1,5,3,9,8 Ordered: 1,3,5,8,9 Formula: (5 [n] + 1) / 2 = 3 Therefore, the third value in the sample, 5, is the median.

If there are an even number of values in our sample then we simply find the two values either side of the formula result and average them. For example, Data set: 1,5,3,9,8,4 Ordered: 1,3,4,5,8,9 Formula: (6 [n] + 1) / 2 = 3.5 Therefore, the simple average of the third and fourth value, 4 & 5, is our median = 4.5

The best thing about the median is it is unaffected by extreme outliers. For example, using the Bill Gates example from the previous section, the median will ignore Bill's earnings giving a 'truer' indication of the central value within a dataset.

Additional Notes: Values in the dataset can be duplicated, they don't need to be unique - all calculated the same way.


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Art History/Ancient Art

Ancient Egyptian Art

As far as we know, civilization first began in the Mesopotamian river valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates in present day Iraq. Soon thereafter, it took root in the valley and delta of the Nile. The ancient Egyptian civilization was one of the longest lasting in the West. It began in approximately 3000 B.C and lasted until 300 B.C. When it came to their art, the Egyptians had a distinguished style known as frontalism. Figures created in this way are also called composite.

The features of frontalism are as follows:

 * In reliefs and paintings, the head of the character is drawn in profile while the body faces frontward
 * The eyes are drawn in full (even though the face is in profile)
 * The legs are turned to the side with one foot in front of the other
 * All of the figures, in all media, are rigid and stiff, yet the faces are calm or no expression

Although frontalism applies to the Egyptian art through thousands of years, there were slightly different rules for animals or slaves.

The Timeline of Egyptian Art
The Predynastic Period lasted from about 5000-3100 B.C. which was before Egypt became a kingdom. Many of the characteristics of their culture and art as we know it did begin during this time period.

 * The pantheon of the gods was established during this time period
 * The illustrations and proportions of their human figures was developed
 * Egyptian imagery, symbolism, and basic hieroglyphic writing was developed

The Early Dynastic Period lasted from about 3100 - 2686 B.C., which is also known as the 1st and 2nd Dynasties. During this time, the Egyptian government was strong and supported their arts.

During the Old Kingdom - from 2686-2181 B.C., the Egyptian pyramids were built. Sculptures that appeared more natural were built. The first known portraits were done. It is at the end of the Old Kingdom when the Egyptian style made a shift toward formalized nude figures with long bodies and large eyes.

Ancient Art of Other Civilizations
Kunstgeschiedenis/Antieke kunst

title: Art History/Ancient Art


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Down'n'dirty Blacksmithing/Tools, Materials, and Supplies

= Tools = In this section we will describe the tools that will be needed both to create forge and anvil and for the initial projects. More tools and more specific tools may be required for later projects. This section will concern itself with the basics to get up and running.

This list is not exhaustive or exclusive. If you have additional tools or the means to acquire them by all means use them.

If you would like more information on the tools listed check out Metalworking for links to descriptions of metal working tools.

Digging Tools
This is minimal and can be satisfied with a trowel, shovel, garden pick—basically enough of a tool to dig a hole roughly 8" in diameter and 8" deep.

Hammers
This is the one tool that you will likely want to buy, new if you can't find used. We recommend a two- to three-pound (roughly 1 kg) cross peen or ball peen "blacksmith's" hammer. If you have a choice between going lighter or heavier go lighter, but keep it over 1.5 pounds. Some works claim that the "standard" blacksmith's hammer was 4 lbs.In the 9th century. Maybe so, but you will find, especially if you are new to this kind of work, that a 2 or 3 pound hammer will feel quite heavy enough after about 20 minutes of work.

There are four hammer styles typically found in the U.S. -- cross-peen, ball-peen, "engineers" and "claw"—the first three will be most useful for our purposes. To get started you only need one.
 * cross-peen hammer (C) -- this style is most commonly associated with the blacksmith's trade. It has a fairly large diameter face, opposite the face is the peen which will look like a narrow face running perpendicular to the axis of the hammer handle. The face and peen are, typically, hardened. The straight-peen (B) and diagonal-peen variants are less common, but equally suitable for our purposes.
 * ball-peen hammer (A)-- typically the faces of these have a slightly smaller diameter and they are quickly recognized by the relatively ball shaped peen opposite the face. Generally these are easier to come by and come in lighter weights than cross peen hammers. Some refer to these as "engineer's hammers". We aren't here to argue jargon. If it's got the right shape it doesn't matter what it's called.Ball-peen hammer 380mm.JPG
 * engineer's hammer—these will look a bit like a cross peen hammer but with two faces (or the cross peen looks like an engineer's hammer with one face and a peen, depending on how you choose to look at it) and generally they come a bit heavier than cross-peens or ball-peens if acquired commercially. Again, some call a ball-peen hammer an "engineer's hammer", and again we won't argue the jargon. Others may call them "hand sledges". Engineer's hammers tend to have softer faces, because these hand sledges are designed for striking cold metal. What this means for us is that you can do forge work with an engineer's hammer but the face will deform more easily. If you have a choice between an engineer's hammer and a ball or cross peen we recommend that you start with the ball or cross peen if it's in good condition ... by the time you know enough to argue with us you'll probably understand why we suggest this. Eventually you will want one specifically either for the greater weight, to spare the face of the "good" blacksmith's hammer when striking tools like cold chisels or simply because you like the heft of it for some work.
 * claw hammer—this is the typical "carpenter's" or "framing" hammer. We don't recommend using one of these unless it is all that is available. A claw hammer will work, but the face tends to be smaller and the weight lighter and both combine to make more work out of the task. Again, if it's what you have, go for it with a claw hammer.

Sources for hammers:
 * If you have the cash it might be worth the time savings to go to a blacksmith supply store like Pieh Tool Company or Blacksmith Supply to buy your first hammer. Hardware or automotive supply stores do carry lesser grade hammers, depending on how much forging you'll be doing. Look for a hammer in the 2-3 lb range. It is more important that the hammer have a smooth, slightly domed face than whether it is ball or cross peen. Ball-peens tend to have flatter faces.
 * flea markets and rummage sales—we prefer the latter simply because it's usually a better bargain. If you've got some facility with tools already this can be a great source. Often there seems to be the odd box of metal junk in the corner that can be had for a few dollars. In the junk are usually a hammer head or two and often with a decent handle intact.

Locking Pliers
"Vice grips" is the brand name. There are other brands available. While these might not be absolutely necessary, they come in very handy, especially until you have developed the skills to make your own tongs.

Get at least one pair of heavy locking pliers. They'll serve a number of uses around your forge in the various projects we'll be taking on.

Also, some blacksmith's tongs are available if you don't want to make your own. Scout garage sales and the like for tools that can be used as tongs; nippers, pliers, shears, etc. can often be adapted, even when rusty or worn down past the point of utility in their original role. You'll learn to bend these to your will, adapting them for the particular job at hand.

Anvil
Our "standard" anvil for this book is a 6" x 6" x 36" section of mild steel found as scrap or purchased from a steel yard.

This can be used either lying on the ground or set upright in a bucket of concrete to give it a base.

This will likely be your most expensive purchase if you have to buy it. Scrap steel prices vary, but the last time one of the authors bought such a piece of stock, scrap steel was selling at $1.50/pound. The "anvil" cost about $80.

There are alternatives. In an industrialized country pieces of metal like that or similar can be "scrounged".

Additionally other pieces, smaller, of different shapes can be found and cost less. Do some checking and looking before you call up the local steel yard and ask them to cut three feet off the end of a steel beam.

It is worth it too to look around and price real anvils. If you have no luck scrounging and can afford it a small, decent anvil is well worth the investment, esp. if you find you have a new hobby. A 25 to 50 lb. anvil is more than adequate for a great deal of work and can be found for under $200.

There are available inexpensive imported "anvil shaped objects", which can be useful, provided one doesn't mistake them for an actual anvil. They are prone to numerous defects, including being too soft, too brittle, peculiar shapes, and painted or rough surfaces. If you can afford a decent anvil, don't even think about these. They do have potential as accessories or alternatives to homemade anvils.

Steel plate also works. One author has used a 2" by 12" x 12" steel plate. It isn't as lively as his anvil, but it works adequately.

A section of railroad rail makes a good, if smallish, anvil. If you can find someone to make cuts, you can put a horn on one end and undercut the other to make a table. Avoid grinding off the top surface; it's probably already smooth and work-hardened for you.

Others may prefer to use a flat sided dumbbell weight. The advantage is that its flat sides are good for flattening and tapering, while the round portion in the middle is a suitable horn.

Machine parts can be found as well that will serve the purpose.

Not only is it larger, but it has a hardy hole and a pritchel hole; it's even mounted at a good height to use without bending over.

Vacuum Cleaner
The vacuum cleaner will serve as the bellows for our Down'n'dirty forge.

Get one that has a "blower" hole that the hose can be connected too. Ideally one with a metal end on the hose.

Truthfully, this will provide much more air flow than you really need. It's almost overkill and this is one of the first things you will probably want to find an alternative for if you elect to pursue blacksmithing beyond the basics we outline here.

Despite the problems with vacuum cleaners one of the authors has done a lot of good work with an old Hoover vacuum cleaner that was acquired at a rummage sale for $2. He tends to "blip" the vacuum cleaner. Which is to say that he has the vacuum cleaner positioned so that the switch is in easy reach while he is at the forge and will run it for just a second or two and shut it off, repeating as necessary to bring the fire and the metal in it to heat. Periodically he'll run it for longer without metal in the fire to get the fire to a point where it is burning well and then will let the metal soak in the now hot fire without any air flow.

Another possibility for controlling the airflow with a vacuum is to put a galvanized valve between your forge and vacuum thus giving you the ability to decrease or increase air flow as needed.

Alternatives to a vacuum cleaner:

The "gun" style hair dryers also work for this purpose. If the one you find doesn't have switch settings that allow the dryer to run without heat, get creative and disable the heating element yourself: the heat is unnecessary.

Small fans might work as well with some kind of funnel fastened to the "blow" side to direct the air flow into the pipe.

Finally, if you have access to the "real thing" there are mechanical blowers that are available new and used from different sources. Additionally if you're a woodworker and up to the project it is possible to build a bellows: http://www.celticknot.com/the-elektric-anvil/blacksmithing-101/61-building-a-bellows-fed-portable-forge.html

How to deal with plastic hoses:

More and more both hair dryers and vacuum cleaners are coming with all plastic components. If these get too close to the fire they will, of course melt.

Keep in mind that the tuyer—the metal pipe that will feed the air into the bottom of the fire pit—is part of the fire, effectively. Metal is a good conductor of heat and heat rises. The tuyer pipe will be at about a 45 degree angle passing into the bottom of the fire hole. So the longer the forge is worked the more the pipe will heat and that heat will pass up the pipe to where the vacuum cleaner hose or hair dryer is connected.

Removing the hose periodically from the tuyer is one solution. Also letting the fire "rest" in combination with removing the hose will combine to keep things "cool enough". A longer piece of pipe may also help.

If you are using a plastic hose or hair dryer we suggest that you periodically wet the part of the tuyer pipe that projects from the ground to cool it. Additionally use a 36" piece of pipe the greater length will mean it takes more time for the heat to pass up the full length.

Your situation will vary and you'll have to experiment, watch and learn.

Safety Glasses
Another item there is no substitute for buying. And we recommend that you buy the best that you can afford. Safety glasses that don't fit or are uncomfortable or difficult to see through are almost worse than none at all. Get them. Get the best you can. Use them. Looking at a hot fire can irritate the eye, find safety glasses that filter infrared light if you can.

Gloves
For a lot of the work of a blacksmith we actually suggest that you not use gloves. Not only can gloves make handling a hammer more difficult and more work, but if you have a pair of close fitting gloves on by the time you feel the heat through the leather it's almost too late to avoid a burn. And the time it will take you to strip off a sweaty, tight fitting leather glove will be more time for the burn to get worse.

Gloves do have their uses for things like hot rasping where you might bump red hot metal with your hand. In a situation like that they are worth having on.

We suggest loose fitting welding or linesman's gloves or mittens. A good fit is loose enough that if you "flick" your arm you can throw the glove off your hand. This might sound crazy but you only have to imagine holding red hot metal in vice grips in one hand and feeling the glove on your left hand get hot for some reason. You can't drop what's in your right hand and you need to get the left glove off right now. A shake of the left arm and the too hot glove is on the ground. OK ... you'll look ridiculous shaking gloves off your hand in the hardware store: you'll be more ridiculous with your hand wrapped in gauze Monday morning at the day job because you had a glove on you couldn't get off in time to save your hand.

Leather or suede are the best glove materials, since they're durable; cotton will do, but you're going to wear them out quickly. Avoid synthetic, plastic, or rubber gloves, as they're apt to melt, stick to skin, then ignite. The sole exception is for oven mitts and similar items designed for handling hot materials; they may not stand up well to gripping rough steel, but should cope with the heat.

Bucket
Several buckets are handy things to have. You'll need one metal bucket of at least 5 gallons (20 liters) capacity for a slack tub or "quench bucket". This you'll keep close to the fire as a source of water for controlling the forge fire and to quench metal either to control the heat or for heat treating.

It's handy to have one or two other buckets around. The plastic 5 gallon paint bucket is pretty common and if you can't scrounge them they can usually be found for a few dollars. They find a number of uses around the forge (but keep the plastic ones away from the fire!). I keep some extra water in one, they're an inexpensive tool tote, they also hold scrap so it isn't scattered all over the ground.

Metal buckets are preferred but are getting harder to come by. If you can find more hang onto a couple. Beyond the uses mentioned filling one with Perlite makes a fireproof container for annealing and normalizing metal.

Tin cans, especially the large #10 size, are available cheap or free. Befriend someone who works in a restaurant or volunteer at the local soup kitchen.

Hose
If you have access to an outdoor spigot, having a length of garden hose and a nozzle that can reach your work area is handy. It's a bit of fire prevention insurance and it saves having to carry five gallon buckets of water around.

Fire Extinguisher
Another item for which there is no substitute for buying. And really you need to consider getting the largest and best that you can manage. We recommend one that will work on a range of fires. Don't just rely on the garden hose. While water is enough to control a small coal or charcoal fire, if your interest in blacksmithing develops you will likely have quantities of oil and other flammable materials about your forge that water can make worse. (Oil floats on water, so if you spray an oil fire with water your fire might keep on burning and float away.)

Rags
We recommend cotton shop rags. They have a number of uses. They're inexpensive. They're absorbent. They don't melt when they get hot.

Drinking Water Jug
A jug of drinking water is good to have. Blacksmithing is hot work and heat stroke is no fun. Keep a jug handy and "drink before you're thirsty".

One author keeps an insulated 1 gallon "Coleman" jug around with ice and water in it both for drinking and should you burn your hand you have ice handy to treat the burn.

An ongoing process
You'll gradually add further to your collection, as you encounter "targets of opportunity", build tools suited to the kind of work you undertake, and develop skill with techniques that call for specific tools.

= Materials =

1. steel There are many alloys of steel; for smithing, you'll want the basic, cheap grades with only carbon as the main alloying element, around 0.5% carbon is suitable for basic projects. Higher carbon content, up to about 1.5% is needed to make tools that need a sharp edge. Above 1.5% is cast iron, which is too brittle to forge without extraordinary measures.
 * kinds of steel

Most chain hardware stores will have a limited selection and high prices. Don't expect that the staff will be able to tell you much about alloys or anything. The main advantage will be that if you decide that they have what you need, there's a good chance they'll have the exact same stuff available 6 months from now, if you need a bit more. These folks are apt to be able to supply steel in whatever shape and alloy you want, but are generally set up for large quantity orders. This might be a bit of motivation to find a smithing club in your area. Scrap can be economical, but you generally won't know what alloy you're getting, so it'll be a bit of guesswork to figure out whether the piece you're making is too soft to keep its shape or so hard that it shatters in use. Try to get a large enough lot of the same stuff that you can get some experience with it and decide what kinds of projects it's good for and what heat treatment it needs.
 * sources for steel
 * hardware store
 * steel yard
 * scrap

Avoid painted, plated, or galvanized items, since they give off toxic fumes when heated and removing the coating is usually more trouble than it's worth.

Don't be shy about rusty bits. Most rust will flake off easily when it's heated to forge heat. Just be careful with the first couple of strikes that the chips don't hit anything you'd rather they didn't. I've heard rumors of small steam explosions from water trapped in or under the rust, but I've never encountered it. It's probably best to heat stock with heavy rust gently at first, just in case. Springs are popular, since they must be of high-quality, hardenable alloys to work. You'll want to anneal them before trying to cut them into convenient pieces. Rebar can be an inexpensive source, just remember that it's usually made from the lowest grade of recycled material, so it will be fairly soft, but not reliably so. A stock of rebar to fit your pritchel hole can make some Quick'N'Dirty holddown tools.
 * automotive parts
 * odds and ends

Nails are made from a low-carbon alloy, to prevent chipping the hammer face. You won't be able to harden them to any useful extent, unless you want to learn case-hardening. They're handy for items where softness is desirable, such as rivets.
 * bedframes
 * nails

= Supplies = 1. Fuel
 * Coal
 * Types of coal

There are basically two types of coal that can be found: bituminous and anthracite.

For blacksmithing bituminous is what is needed. Any decent supplier should be able to help you identify a grade that will suit your purposes.

If you have to hunt for a supplier some rural feed and farm supply stores will carry it as "blacksmith's coal" or "farrier's coal".

 * Sources
 * Charcoal

Charcoal is wood with the impurities burned out of it: charcoal is to wood what coke is to coal. The most common commercially available charcoal is briquettes which are 'not' suitable for blacksmithing.

"Natural" or "Natural Lump" charcoal is the ideal charcoal for blacksmithing. It is made from any number of woods but unlike the processed, uniform bricks it is made the "old way" by charing the wood. It can be found commercially, usually as specialty charcoal for cooking and barbecue.
 * Natural lump

"Found" charcoal also works for smithing. This is "natural lump" and it's nothing more than the charred remains of a wood fire. Some smith's will make a special rake or sieve to separate the charcoal from ash. Check the charcoal and remove any uncharred wood before using in the forge.
 * "Found" charcoal

 * Making charcoal

There are several websites and books on how to make charcoal. The simplest is to build a fire and after it has burned enough to char all the wood in it, douse it or wait for it to go out and collect the charcoal that remains. This is not the most efficient method, but it does work.

More elaborate methods with higher yields can be researched on the web or in books.

2. Newspapers

Or some other kind of flammable paper. Newsprint has a number of uses from tinder to light the forge fire, to cheap, disposable rags.

3. Wax
 * This is the simplest form of lubrication and rust prevention around. Traditionally beeswax, although that can be expensive unless you're committed to being traditional. Candle stubs are fine. Canning wax will work too and its pretty cheap to buy in bulk.

4. Machine oil
 * a little can of 3 in 1 or some other brand of light weight machine oil will come in handy for a lot of little things.

Next Chapter: Safety


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Talk:Raising Chickens/archives

Chicken Breeds
For the book we need someone (or multiple people) who know about various chicken breeds. --klingoncowboy4 Saturday June 25, 2005 7:17 UTC

Wording of Sections
I am beginning to edit the sections of the book that refer to myself as "I", or "My Chickens" to a more approprate form for a Wikibook. Any help is appretiated. Klingoncowboy4 18:42, 29 July 2005 (UTC)

I think I fixed this problem for now Klingoncowboy4 19:36, 29 July 2005 (UTC)

Book of the month/Collaboration of the Month
Get your votes in and lets get some work done on this book because I have nominated this book for Book of the month August. Lets try to get at least 3 votes in...

Klingoncowboy4 17:48, 2 Jul 2005 (UTC)

I have manually re-nominated the book. Get your vote in. Klingoncowboy4 05:08, 1 August 2005 (UTC)

All we need is one more vote in Book of the month to autmatically get renominated for next month. We still need two for Collaboration of the Month so get voting. I doubt we will win Book of the month for September as Programming:Ada already has 9 votes. But if we can carry on to the next month then we can try again (without manual renomination that is). Klingoncowboy4 16:44, 6 August 2005 (UTC)

minor complaint
From the main page:

''Since this is a Wikibook editing is allowed, however, for anything more than a minor edit, please see the discussion page for this book. You can also request things to be added to the book there.''

I don't think that this message is fair, for 2 reasons. First, this is supposedly a collaborative project. Even if you're the main contributor, that doesn't make you the dictator. Second, this will definately turn off new contributors. Snargle 05:30, 29 July 2005 (UTC)

All too true and I shall fix this Klingoncowboy4 18:42, 29 July 2005 (UTC)

Ok the introduction is fixed for now Klingoncowboy4 19:01, 29 July 2005 (UTC)

title: Talk:Raising Chickens/archives


text:
User talk:Klingoncowboy4

Archived material can be found in my Archives Section.

Gender Ratio
What is a good ratio of rosters to hens? Personally I would be more interested in raising chickens for their eggs then for their meat. Please provide information on how to accomplish this. How to make nests for the birds, how many eggs to expect per hen, etc.

Thank you!

Sorry if I have kept you waiting for a reaponse but I havn't been online in awhile. This is a good question and information on this should probably be included in the Raising Chickens book. Althouhg my Chickens were bred for meat they are laying eggs. One rooster to 10 hens or less is a good ratio. Roosters can add a plasant sound to your pen however, too many roosters and they will get aggressive. Also a roosters' crow can be heard for miles so you don't want to get a rooster if you want to keep the area quiet. Hens will lay eggs without roosters but they won't be fertilized.

Klingoncowboy4 22:24, 28 July 2005 (UTC)

Just wnted to say it is a really good bookDolive35 16:03, 19 February 2006 (UTC)

Crayfish
You are welcome on the vote. I found the information to be helpful so thanks for taking the time to prepare such a well written book. Triddle 06:55, 6 August 2005 (UTC) i was sent this address by a friend who knows i am interested in keeping chickens, but i am afraid i do not understand the site - where is the book? only a few sketchy notes. how about 'rearing crayfish for food' any contributors?

Resigning from the german book (voting) twice
Hello, I think you should just keep your vote for German, since you already voted for it, plus you did that for the march vote, and it caused the German book to lose, it is really annoying when you think you have a vote for a book, but then somebody takes there vote out. Thank you. Fitchguy20 05:05, 5 March 2006 (UTC)
 * If you do add your vote again, its's only fair that you do the same for French. :) --Hagindaz 06:09, 7 March 2006 (UTC)

Contributions to WebDesign
Hi KC4 :)

Just writing to say thanks for your editions on the WebDesign book. You might want to checkout the Javascript section, as I've done quite a bit of work in there recently (Getting to know your window, document, and JavaScript Challenges). Would be glad to get your feedback :) Michaelnelson 05:51, 29 March 2006 (UTC)

Books
Thanks for the cattle and chicken books. Very interesting, might give it a try. 83.5.237.75 12:18, 23 May 2006 (UTC)

The Elements
You are listed as either an interested participant or voted for "The Elements" for Wikijunior New Book of the Quarter. This message is to let you know that we are starting work on The Elements because it was selected for 4th quarter 2006. --xixtas 03:34, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Since you're the one who was working on the pictures of the Periodic Table, I thought I should let you know that Arsenic is incorrect (it has the same image as Argon). Also, the bottom row of the Periodic Table is necessary to include Uranium. No rush, but just letting you know. Thanks. MiltonT 02:16, 12 October 2006 (UTC)

BOTM and COTM
I have started a discussion about not having a BOTM or COTM for december. I've outlined a number of reasons why I think we should do this. My proposal is only temporary, We can have BOTM and COTM again in January, if people want. I am sending you a message because you are an active voter on these things, and I figure you should be in the loop. I've started the discussion on Staff lounge. --Whiteknight (talk) (projects) 02:34, 14 November 2006 (UTC)

Thanks!
Thanks for your contributions to Programming:Game Maker/Installing. It is a great module. Thanks for contributing this to Wikibooks. Tannersf 23:43, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

Wikijunior Human Body
You are listed as either an interested participant or voted for "Human Body" for Wikijunior New Book of the Quarter. This message is to let you know that we are starting work on Human Body because it was selected for 2nd quarter 2007. -- xixtas talk 02:12, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

Chicks do so like bananas
I feed my baby chicks a ripe banana as a treat, and they love it! I have 18 chicks, and I give them one banana every day, by hand. You can use this or not........The adults like it, too.

Wikijunior:World War II
You are listed as either an interested participant or at one time voted for "World War II" for Wikijunior New Book of the Quarter. This message is to let you know that we are starting work on World War II because it was selected for 3rd quarter 2007. -- xixtas talk 23:35, 11 July 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:Klingoncowboy4


text:
Wikijunior talk:Big Cats/Puma

Visualizing Pumas
In the article when describing the puma using all of the numbers it can get confusing. It it is difficult to picture just one puma let alone male and female. I think a picture of male and female pumas next to each other and maybe an adult human could be useful in comparing the sizes of the pumas and something that children would be farmiliar with.

 * Hdavis

title: Wikijunior talk:Big Cats/Puma


text:
User talk:Snarius~enwikibooks

Chickens
The killing chickens bit you added was fairly accurate. I just added a bit to the end. Klingoncowboy4 05:34, 1 August 2005 (UTC)

That's a relief. We're actually thinking about geting some chickens here, as pets Would a feral and/or rabid cat attack a chicken, I wonder? Snargle 05:56, 1 August 2005 (UTC)

A cat would attack chicks and eat them. However, any bird that is 6 weeks old or older will be able to fend off a cat on its own. Klingoncowboy4 17:18, 1 August 2005 (UTC)

regarding The Wind Waker
I'd like you to hold off formatting this guide. I've just found it's a dump from This FAQ hosted by IGN. Until I hear back from the author as to whether this was his doing, I don't think you should spend time formatting what's likely going to have to be deleted.

Thanks! GarrettTalk 04:56, 22 August 2005 (UTC)

Policy change
Why did you change What is Wikibooks without discussion? I am going to revert it back and would like to know your reasoning. Thanks. -- LV (Dark Mark) 20:00, 14 December 2005 (UTC)
 * That's really weird. All I did was change Main article: Annotated texts to Main project page: Annotated texts.  I must've been editing a really old version somehow... —Snargle 15:43, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Hi
It's laserbeak. You had just emailed me, sorry if i'm defacing your page, but i cant find my way around the wiki stuff yet... —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Laserbeak (talk • contribs).
 * Hey. Nothing wrong with comments on talk pages. --Snargle 19:11, 14 May 2006 (UTC)

Can you rename me?
Yes, but are you sure? You are known here and at Wikipedia under your current name, many people may not recognise you if you change your username. --Derbeth talk 09:04, 17 May 2006 (UTC)
 * Yes, replied on your talk page. --Snargle 11:33, 17 May 2006 (UTC)
 * Done. I made redirect from your old user and discussion pages. I suggest you write something about the renaming so that other users don't get confused. --Derbeth talk 12:01, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

Computer science bookshelf
I have seen that you reorganizes some of the book on the Computer science bookshelf.

However you have overlooked that books which do not exist are only "suggested" and do not belong to the main bookshelf. As part of the collaboration of the month project suggested books will all be moved off to Requested books and any red link at all will be banned from the main bookshelfs.

See Domain-specific languages bookshelf how this will look like.

--Krischik T 12:27, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

 * Whatever you say. The red links were on Console Game Programming until someone merged it with the csc bookshelf.

 * Yes we know that there are lot's of red links on the shelfes. Is just they should not be there - and we are in the progress of cleaning things up - see Wikibooks_talk:All_bookshelves. And in the mean time it it's difficult to see where we come from and where want to go. --Krischik T 18:12, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

Editing disputes policy
This policy needs a few more people to take a look at it and vote. Any help would be most useful. RobinH 14:38, 5 June 2006 (UTC)

copyvio tagging
Hi Snarius,

Thanks for checking on the copyvio status of PSP programming. Just to make it easier on the admins, please don't blank the page when you tag it, so we can double-check without having to chase page histories around :). I'm deleting them now. -- SB_Johnny | talk 12:44, 24 August 2006 (UTC)

SNES Tutorial Page
Hello, I have a project I was doing research for and was wondering if you were going to be working on thet SNES Programming guide any longer? I'm specifically interested in having the SPC700 Programming Guide (making audio from scratch) and would really like to know more. Even if you have some notes or links I'd like to see them if possible. I can tell you exactly what my project is if you want. This is somewhat weird though, there's no email address to contact you. perhaps you can email me at: nmcdavit at alcor dot concordia dot ca? Thanks.

 * Okay. I've emailed you. --Snarius 18:15, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Wikijunior:World War II
You are listed as either an interested participant or at one time voted for "World War II" for Wikijunior New Book of the Quarter. This message is to let you know that we are starting work on World War II because it was selected for 3rd quarter 2007. -- xixtas talk 01:16, 12 July 2007 (UTC)

SNES programming
I have been reading and searching for information on SNES programming, and I happened across some of your SNES articles here. They have helped me much more than any others, but was wondering if you had any more information on it, e.g. sprites, intro screen, etc. or had any idea of where I could look.

Thanks --Nyquist562

I might as well just add this to the SNES programming section of this page: I wanted to personally thank you for the page; it's helped me immensely in getting started with my new hobby! Thanks! =] --Lateralus778 20:15, 18 November 2007 (UTC)

 * Glad you like it :) I don't deserve all the credit though. --Snarius (talk) 22:07, 16 December 2007 (UTC)

Your account will be renamed
Hello,

The developer team at Wikimedia is making some changes to how accounts work, as part of our on-going efforts to provide new and better tools for our users like cross-wiki notifications. These changes will mean you have the same account name everywhere. This will let us give you new features that will help you edit and discuss better, and allow more flexible user permissions for tools. One of the side-effects of this is that user accounts will now have to be unique across all 900 Wikimedia wikis. See the announcement for more information.

Unfortunately, your account clashes with another account also called Snarius. To make sure that both of you can use all Wikimedia projects in future, we have reserved the name Snarius~enwikibooks that only you will have. If you like it, you don't have to do anything. If you do not like it, you can pick out a different name.

Your account will still work as before, and you will be credited for all your edits made so far, but you will have to use the new account name when you log in.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Yours, Keegan Peterzell Community Liaison, Wikimedia Foundation 23:42, 17 March 2015 (UTC)

Renamed
 This account has been renamed as part of single-user login finalisation. If you own this account you can |log in using your previous username and password for more information. If you do not like this account's new name, you can choose your own using this form after logging in: . -- Keegan (WMF) (talk) 05:30, 19 April 2015 (UTC)

title: User talk:Snarius~enwikibooks


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Down'n'dirty Blacksmithing/safety

Some Simple Precautions
"There are two kinds of smiths: those who have been burned and those who have yet to be burned."

Blacksmithing is captured for many people by a Norman Rockwell-esque painting of the bare chested village blacksmith working close to his fire with sparks flying. While that makes for a nice image it is probably not the safest way to go about blacksmith work.

If you are considering exploring blacksmith you need to accept that a certain number of minor burns, cuts and scrapes are part of the process. We do need to be concerned with limiting those injuries to minor injuries and protecting ourselves from major injuries.

The most common injuries in the forge are burns, eye injuries, and cuts and scrapes. This is not an exhaustive list. All smiths and potential smiths are encouraged to continually develop their knowledge of safe practises in the workshop.

At a minimum, before pursuing blacksmithing, we recommend the following:

1) An appropriate fire extinguisher for the workplace

2) Some well fitting and comfortable eye protection

3) Close fitting work clothes of natural fiber without turned up cuffs or open topped boots—nothing that could catch a coal or hot piece of metal and hold it near the body

4) A first aid kit with appropriate burn remedies—many basic first aid kits don't have much in the way of burn treatment. (In addition, it may be a good idea to keep one or two aloe vera plants - the gel the leaves contain is excellent for treating burns)

What to Wear
Cotton work clothes, close fitting at neck and sleeves with no cuffs. Pants over boot tops. Clothing in good repair: no frayed edges that could catch a spark and ignite.

A leather apron is handy to spare the clothes (often clothing turns black in color).

Sturdy boots are recommended. Steel toed boots aren't a bad investment, especially if you find yourself getting into smithing more: they spare your toes some if you drop a heavy tool on them. (And a 3 lb. hammer feels plenty heavy dropped from 36" when it hits your toe.)

A hat or other means of restraining hair will also be needed. Hair is quite flammable and many grooming products will make it more so, so save the "preddying up" for after you've washed off the soot and grime. Even those who are blessed with baldness may find that a hat will reduce the incidence of getting nipped by sparks or sunburn.

People with an interest of revived history (reenactors) may want to consider different materials than cotton, since cotton isn't "period" for most reenactors : Do not wear synthetics, even if they are fire retardant. Even if they don't burn, nylon and other synthetic fibers tend to melt and hold enough heat to burn the wearer badly. Kevlar might be an exception to this. One author has seen kevlar shop gloves for metal workers that are designed for the purpose and do not burn or react much with fire.
 * Wool works as well. It is probably less flammable than cotton, but too warm for most people.
 * Linen is dicey, especially if there are any unfinished edges to the clothing: an unfinished edge on a linen shirt seems to be a magnet for sparks and catches and smolders easily.
 * Leather is also pretty good as it does not burn easily, but it is hot to wear, esp. if you are wearing enough of it to protect.

Next Chapter: Constructing a Down'n'dirty Forge

title: Down'n'dirty Blacksmithing/safety


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User talk:Bloglord

Weblogs
You realy don't know on what date you checked Weblogs for it's content?

Well I checked it on the "01. Aug 2005" changed the page to #REDIRECT and reduced the rating to 0%.

School of Library and Information Science
Click edit and see for your self. ;-) --Krischik T 15:01, 2 February 2006 (UTC)

title: User talk:Bloglord


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Talk:Ada Programming/Libraries/Ada

Tags
Currently there are some packages tagged with Ada 83 because they are "only for backwards compatibility with Ada 83." They are packages like Ada.Integer_Text_IO or Ada.Long_Float_Wide_Text_IO, but as far as I known these preinstantations of the generic Ada.Text_IO.Integer_IO and Ada.Wide_Text_IO.Float_IO with the predefined numeric types are not for compatibility with Ada 83, but for simplifying the usage of IO facilities (e.g. when teaching the language, to use IO without learning generics). Did I missed something? Also, In my opinion this page should be split in two sections: Standard Ada packages and implementation dependent packages (like the modules about pragmas and attributes), and those generic instantiations allowed in the RM (like Ada.Long_Long_Integer_Text_IO) should be tagged as Optional, because although they are implementation dependent in the sense that not every compiler has the type Long_Long_Integer, these packages are not completely new like Ada.Wide_Text_IO.C_Streams. The package Ada.Command_Line is also optional, for instance. --surueña 08:23, August 1, 2005 (UTC)

 * Agree about Ada.Integer_Text_IO or Ada.Long_Float_Wide_Text_IO not compatibility. Agree about splitting in sections. Not sure about Optional packages, I don't know what the RM says about it. ManuelGR 16:29, 9 August 2005 (UTC)

 * The RM says about the package Ada.Command_Line []:
 * Implementation Permissions: An alternative declaration is allowed for package Command_Line if different functionality is appropriate for the external execution environment.
 * Also, the AI about package Ada.Directories states [(]:
 * Ada 95 has already opened the door to standard packages that are not necessarily applicable to all implementations with Ada.Command_Line.
 * Maybe the term "optional" is not very exact, but I think that it reflects well the status of these packages. --surueña 10:04, August 10, 2005 (UTC)

title: Talk:Ada Programming/Libraries/Ada


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Down'n'dirty Blacksmithing/Constructing a Down'n'dirty Forge

This page is here to show you how to construct a simple, cheap blacksmithing forge.

= Objective =

Construct a simple forge that will heat steel to temperature for forging.

The forge will be a hole in the ground about 6 or 7" deep with a narrow, angled trench leading to one side of it from about an inch below the bottom of the hole inclining upward to ground level at about a 30 degree angle.

A section of scrap steel pipe large enough in diameter to accommodate the blower/bellows outlet will be placed in the trench so that the lower end projects a little into the bottom of the hole.

With the bellows attached to the pipe and the hole filled with tinder and fuel, the pipe will then transmit the air flow into the base of the fire.

= Location of the Forge =

 * Pick a place to dig where no one will get upset with you for putting a hole in the ground. If it's not your property: ask. If you have a partner or housemates, double check.
 * You will want an area about 10' square to have room for the forge, the anvil and yourself and room to lay out tools and materials.
 * Locate it far enough from existing buildings, brush, and trees so that you minimize the fire danger.
 * Pick a spot where, if the ground isn't clear already, it will not hurt things to scrape the ground down to the dirt, and where it won't matter if you trample the grass.
 * If you're inclined to put up an awning or lean-to as a wind break or screen from the sun, make sure you have room for that as well and set it up first. Erect it so that the forge will be out from under the tarp or so that the tarp is high enough that it will not be affected by the fire. Make sure that any ropes and stakes supporting the tarp are out of the way so that you won't trip or get hung up as you work.
 * You will also want to consider where the nearest electrical outlet is to provide power for the vacuum cleaner (or substitute bellows). Remember that this outlet should be a GFI outlet as you are working outdoors.
 * You may also want to consider how far you are from the nearest source of water or the end of the garden hose.

= Digging the Firepot =

1. Locate where the center of the hole will be on the ground. Mark it with a stake or something. Clear the ground around this hole down to the dirt for at least a 2' radius around the stake.

2. Using your digging tool, dig a hole 6 - 7" in diameter and about the same depth.

3. Dig a trench perpendicular to the hole and wide enough to accommodate the tuyer pipe. The trench should slant upward starting from about an inch from the bottom of the hole to ground level at about a 30 degree angle.

4. Pack the bottom and sides of the hole and the trench.

= Setting up the Tuyere =

1. Place the tuyere pipe in the trench so that it projects about an inch into the hole with the base of the pipe about 1" from the bottom of the hole. (This gives a little space below the air inlet for ash and clinker to drop into.

2. Fill in the trench and pack the dirt tight over the tuyere.

= Connecting the Blower/Bellows =

1. If you're using a vacuum cleaner or hair dryer and the pipe is a large enough diameter, it should be a simple matter to stick the outlet of the dryer or the vacuum cleaner hose into the pipe.

2. Connect it to an outlet and try it out. You should feel a strong air flow from the pipe outlet in the bottom of the hole. It should be blowing into the hole, not sucking or drawing. Be sure that the hose is attached to the "blower" or "exhaust" of the vacuum cleaner. (If you don't, you can draw fire into the tuyer, and hot coals into the vacuum cleaner: it should go without saying that this is BAD.)

Note: a fairly loose fit of the hose into the pipe is fine: vacuum cleaners usually create a much stronger draft than is needed for our purposes. Some even drill a few holes in the pipe above ground to reduce the air flow into the bottom of the hole.

= Conclusion =

There really isn't much to constructing a forge. If you completed everything correctly, you should have a 6" diameter hole in the ground with the tuyer pipe coming up from the ground about 18" from the hole. The vacuum cleaner bellows should be hooked up and connected to the tuyer pipe and when it's on there should be a strong draft at the bottom of the hole.

= Afterword = You may find it inconvenient to work directly on the ground. We describe the in-ground configuration because it is the simplest, but it does have the disadvantage of making you work a lot on your knees.

For your first forays into smithing this configuration will be more than adequate for many.

If that is not a configuration that works well for you, some alternatives are:

 * build a forge on legs
 * there are a number of ways to do this some possibilities are:

 * using an old brake drum connecting steel plumbing to the hub hole to create the tuyer and use a steel drain plate to keep the coal from falling down the air hole, the legs of pipe can be bolted on.

 * building a 2' square by 12" deep wooden box on legs at a comfortable height, fill the box with dirt and build the forge the same way as described in this section: basically you're bringing the ground up to a workable height.

 * get an old tire rim. Place it on cinder blocks (pack dirt into the hollow of the blocks for heat insulation). Use a drain cover to keep coal out. Take a dryer vent pipe (it is flexible and doesn't conduct heat) to channel air from a leaf blower to the bottom of the rim. You add a butterfly valve to the pipe to better regulate air flow.

 * buy a commercially made forge used or new

Next Chapter: Constructing a Down'n'dirty Anvil


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Down'n'dirty Blacksmithing/Constructing a Down'n'dirty Anvil

This guide will show you how to construct a makeshift anvil out of nothing but scrap steel.

Objective
Set up the anvil for use.

Setting up the anvil
If you are working with the guidelines of simplicity and have found a 6" square by 2-3' piece of mild steel or an equivalent, the set up is fairly easy: lay it on the ground about 6' or so from the fire pot.

This will be adequate for the first several exercises.

This will give you a rectangular anvil with a face about 6" x 2-3" (15 cm x 5–8 cm).

Alternatively you can dig another hole a foot or two in depth, depending on the length of your "anvil" and set it in the hole upright and pack the dirt around it leaving about a foot exposed. This will give you a smaller work surface but one that is more than adequate for our purposes.

If the ends of the "anvil" are rough cut you will want to lie it on the ground and use the longer face.

Positioning
Over time you will find a place for the anvil that ideally suits your work. And you may find that you need to move it to suit different kinds of work.

To start we recommend one of two positions.

Many prefer the anvil "in line" with the forge. That is where as you're facing the forge the anvil is immediately behind you and a step or two back. The idea being that when the metal is at the right temperature the smith simply turns 180 degrees and takes a step and is at the anvil ready to work wasting no time and effort to get there and into the work at hand.

If you are working on the ground as this guide suggests you may find that the anvil is better at about 90 degrees to the "front" of the forge. If you're working on your knees, it's difficult to turn about safely with hot metal. Therefore, place the anvil before you such that the forge is on the side of your non-dominant hand. This may not work well for larger work, but for most of the projects in this course it will be fine.

Assuming a right handed smith, the forge would be roughly on the left and in reach, the anvil before. Hammer and tools to the right. The hot steel can be brought to the anvil quickly for work, the tools are ready to the dominant hand.

Reverse everything for the left handed.

Why the concern for placement? Despite the fact that steel at an orange-yellow heat is very hot (over 1200 degrees fahrenheit) it will cool rapidly in the open air. There is little time to work the hot metal while it is at a malleable temperature. Smiths work hard to make the most of the time that the metal is at working temperature. So anvil and forge are placed such that the least amount of time is lost between the fire and the anvil, maximizing the working time.

Further an experienced smith makes certain that the tools that will be needed for the next operation are ready and immediately available. If a particular hammer is needed, for example, that hammer will be on or adjacent to the anvil, ready to grasp. If a hot cut is to be done, chisel or set, hammer, quench cup will all be laid out.

The ideal is to accomplish the task in as few "heats" as necessary. A heat being the term for bringing the metal to working temperature. A rough gauge of skill and experience is how many heats a smith requires to finish a particular operation. For example a given smith might be making S hooks. To do this requires pointing either end of a rod, dressing the end and bending each end. An inexperienced smith might need many heats to accomplish this. A better smith might need four: one heat for dressing another to fashion the hook and two more for the other end of the S. A still better smith might accomplish all in two heats: one for each end. That smith is working efficiently enough that dressing and bending are accomplished in the same heat.

While this particular project in our example is not immediately contemplated it should illustrate a couple of key points:

1) Visualization: before you have the hot metal in hand have a clear idea of what shape you want it to be when you're done. 2) Planning: having visualized what is to be accomplished, plan the tools and arrangement of tools and yourself before you take the hot metal from the fire to work it.

This is one interpretation of the adage: "Blacksmithing is 90% preparation and 10% persperation."

Alternatives
As with the forge, you may have problems with working that close to the ground. If that is the case you have a few alternatives:

 * Using scrap wood build a wooden frame that leaves a square in the middle to hold the steel upright and at a height were the uppermost face of the "anvil" is at the height your knuckles will brush when you're standing next to it.
 * If you prefer the larger work surface build a frame that will hold the "anvil" horizontally with the uppermost face at the same height as in the previous paragraph.
 * If you have a spare 5 gallon paint bucket you can set the "anvil" upright in the bucket and fill the bucket with concrete. Once this has set up it will act as the "stump" for the anvil.
 * If you have access to raw wood use a part of a tree trunk. If the diameter is large enough it will stand stable, if not you have to sink a part of it into the ground to keep it from toppling over.

Improvements
The first improvement you might want to make is to flatten one of the narrow ends if the "anvil" has come to you with rough torch cut ends. The easiest way to accomplish this is at a steel yard where they might have a steel cutting band saw. You might have to grind and polish, but the end will be smoother than the rough surface torch cutting leaves.

Less easy but practical if you have access to a side grinder is to grind the end relatively flat.

Much more work, but doable with the tools at hand would be to hammer at the end until it's relatively flat.

Another improvement, especially if you have access to a side grinder is to make sure that one edge has a fairly sharp edge to it and the others are rounded. You'll do most of your work on or around the rounded edges. The sharp edge can be used as a cut off hardie for hot cutting.

An advanced improvement would be to add a square hole about 3/4" across (a "Hardy Hole) or a round hole about 1/2" diameter (a Pritchel Hole) in whichever face you decide to use as the top. These are useful when punching or dimpling.  You can also use them to attach accessories to your anvil.  If you are fortunate enough to acquire hardy tools or pritchel tools within your budget, size the holes to match whatever tools you have.  If not, choose sizes compatible with the size stock you'll have available when you want to make some accessory tools.  Hardy tools should fit a bit tight, so they don't wiggle around; pritchel tools are generally allowed to rotate, so should fit a bit loose.

Once you get your anvil cut, holed, and smoothed to your liking, consider hardening it, so it'll stay that way.

Next Chapter: Basic Blacksmithing Techniques


text:
Down'n'dirty Blacksmithing/Afterword

This Wikibook was started by erraunt aka Timothy Park. I don't say that out of ego (OK a little bit) but more out of responsibility: "I started this mess."

And because sometimes folks like to know who wrote what and what their background is and why they think they could do something like write something like this.

Who am I? I live in the Midwest (Minnesota at this writing.) where I've had a career in Technical Education and Computer Systems for almost 20 years. Most of the later has been with a mix of graphic arts systems and high end networking.

I've liked working with my hands much longer.

I come by that honestly I think. I've got family on both sides going back a way who seem to do pretty good with their hands. My paternal Grandfather was always doing some crafty thing and had some kind of gadget or another catching his fancy. The other Grandfather actually was a blacksmith although I regret he never taught me the craft: we were busy doing other work. He did teach me how to work and gave me an appreciation for work.

I'll also give credit to Dan K. and Karen E. If Karen wouldn't have needed a carving tool and I hadn't said "for what that costs I should set up a forge, figure out how to smith and make it for you" and if she hadn't said "Dan! He's a smith." and if Dan when she introduced us hadn't said "sure I can make that but I'll want some help" ... well I wouldn't have started this.

Credit also to the Minnesota Guild of Metalsmiths who fertilized the seeds planted by others. They're a great group and very supportive of anyone wanting to learn this wonderful craft. There was one fellow in particular who said to me while I was taking the basic workshop that since I seemed to be good at teaching I should consider teaching smithing because that's the best way to learn it. Which is part of why I'm writing this.

Another chunk of why I'm writing this is because of the years before I met Dan K. I had an itch to learn how to smith from sometime in high school back in the 70's. In the late 80s I started picking up books on the subject and trying to figure out a way to get started.

There seemed this huge abyss between the pictures and words and actually doing it. I just couldn't figure out how to make it all work and to buy gear seemed prohibitive at the time.

I haunted antique shops and rummage sales and flea markets trying to find used equipment with no luck. The new gear I could find made it look like I needed about $2000 just to get started. So since I was finding a lot of cool woodworking tools I picked those up and started working with wood. The whole time there was this nagging feeling, wonderful as woodwork is, that I'd rather be smithing. But where to get an anvil? And how did a tuyer work? Putting a chimney in the garage and investing hundreds before I could get started in something I wasn't sure I'd be any good at seemed foolish.

Then I got to spend an afternoon with Dan. That was all it took. I've continued to smith with Dan over the years since. And with others. But it was that first Saturday afternoon that really told the tale. I *did it*. And that removed the mysteries. Sure there were still things I didn't know. But I had gotten up close with the tools and gear, I'd built a coal fire and made metal hot enough to move when I hit it.

A few weeks later I ran into someone with an anvil ... *spare*. He was kind and I got a beat up 75 lb. Atwood for $20. The magic began. A few months later I found my forge in a scrap pile and Dan had a blower that would fit.

I've been smithing more and less for over five years now. It has not been lost on me that it was just a few things that kept me from doing it in the ten years previous.

Nothing replaces experience or a chance to get hands on. But if out of this can come some words and illustrations that will make it clear enough for someone to try this without someone else around to show them, then this book has succeeded.

My hope too is that this might spark some more craft related Wikibooks. If I can get this one off the ground more I wouldn't mind spending time expanding what's available in Wikipedia on tools and wood and metal work. I've also started thinking that it would be really great to get more books on smithing here and developing a repository of techniques and such.

We'll see what grows.

More to come.

Timothy Park aka erraunt

title: Down'n'dirty Blacksmithing/Afterword


text:
Down'n'dirty Blacksmithing/Project 1

Objective: Using the techniques you developed in exercises 1-5, make a simple "S" hook.

= Functional Description =

An "S" hook is called that because the stock is shaped to make a figure "S". These handy hooks have been around for centuries. They were used a great deal in the home hearth to adjust the height of a pot over the fire. They find uses in the modern household as hangers for plants and other odds and ends.

Functionally the "S" hook will work with two bends in the stock in opposite directions to make the characteristic "S" shape.

The challenge you will encounter in this project is that you will need to use locking pliers to hold the metal when you work the second hook into the other end.

= Tools and Materials =

 * Forge
 * Anvil
 * Hammer
 * Locking Pliers
 * 3/8" round or square stock at least 14" long

= Steps =

1) If the stock is longer than 14" mark it 14" back from one end.

2) Heat one end of the stock and work a curve into one end that is roughly 2" in diameter leaving a 1" gap between the end of the hook and the stem.

3) cut the stock at the 14" mark if necessary

4) dress the cut end if necessary

5) work a second hook into the other end holding the metal with the locking pliers

That will function fine. And we suggest you make a plain one first to get the feel of it, but the next project will challenge you to "make it pretty" and use more of what you have just learned.

There are two challenges you will likely encounter in this project: 1) Working with the locking pliers and 2) Getting the right length of stock.

In the exercises we've had you work with longer pieces of stock and cut off the end when you're done with the exercise. With the "S" hook you will start with stock longer than necessary, work the first curve, then cut it off with enough stock to complete the second curve. Unless you make a very long "S" hook you will have to use the locking pliers as tongs to hold the stock while you work the other end. Working with pliers or tongs takes some getting used to. The stock handles differently, and you'll have to keep an eye on the grip so that the stock stays put in the pliers.

As for the second challenge, this will be your first exposure to determining how much stock you will need before you begin the project, and the double curve presents something of a challenge.

We're going to make a "S" that's about six inches from top to bottom. For some reason there seems to be a desire to start with 6" of stock or maybe 12". And then one starts thinking it through and realizes they need something else.

Let's refine what we're after: a 6" overall "S" hook with 1" radius curves at either end.

So 2 curves with a 1" radius is about 2" of overall length. 4" of stem to make 6". Now the 4" of stem is pretty straightforward, but how much more metal will be needed to make 2 curves with a 1" radius?

Math to the rescue (and the fact that this is not an exact science).

Remember pi? 3.14159, etc.?

Circumference of a circle is 2 x radius x pi. Or diameter x pi.

OK, you say, but we aren't making circles.

No but we're close.

Pi for blacksmiths can be simplified a bit to "three times and a bit".

If we were making 1" radius circles we'd need 6" of stock. 1" radius = 2" diameter 2" X pi = 6+" (a bit more than 6.25" actually)

So 6" or so to make a 2" circle, but it's not a full circle, we'll want a gap of maybe 1" so it will be an "S" instead of an "8".

So call it 5" to make a hook with a 1" gap between the end of the hook and the stem. Two hooks = 10". Add a 4" stem and it's 14" of stock to make a 6" "S".

That's for a simple "S".

Next Chapter: Project 2: A Fancy "S" Hook

title: Down'n'dirty Blacksmithing/Project 1


text:
Down'n'dirty Blacksmithing/Project 2

How much if we taper the ends and put a little curl on the ends?

Since we're reducing the width and depth the length of the metal will increase. When we make the "fancy" "S" hook we might only need 12" to make a six inch hook.

So let's try this: Forging An S Hook

Next Chapter: Advanced Blacksmithing Techniques

title: Down'n'dirty Blacksmithing/Project 2