what are you making?

[^Rhino!]

What am I making?

Ever since the friggin' coronavirus hit I've spent a LOT of time living totally alone, but I've manged to perfect my take on Chex mix. It's better for me than that stupid premade prebagged stuff you get at the so-called convenience stores. I'll share the recipe:

Rhino's Party Mix

You'll need:

2 cups corn Chex cereal
2 cups wheat Chex cereal
2 cups rice Chex cereal
3 cups Crispix cereal
1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
1/2 cup unsalted roasted almonds
1 cup Cheez-it cheese crackers
2 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 stick (1/4 lb or 8 tbsp.) unsalted butter

Don't worry about brand names. I use Kroger's Rice Bitz and Corn Bitz instead of Chex, and they work just fine and are a buck and a half cheaper per box. Seasoning salt is your choice.....you can use Lawry's as a fallback, but any of the Bacon Salts will work, too. I omit the pretzel sticks since I can't find them unsalted, but if you must, add them after the mix is complete so you don't OD on salt. They're already crispy enough.

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F,

Mix together all of the cereals, the cheese crackers, peanuts and almonds in a big bowl. Set it aside.

Now in a second bowl, put in the butter. Melt it in the microwave about 1minute until liquid, Add the seasoning salt, the onion powder, the garlic powder and the Worcestershire sauce. Mix it up with a wire whisk. This is your seasoning mix.

Add the seasoning mix to the bowl of cereals, crackers, and nuts. Stir it up so as to cover everything lightly. Now, pour everything out onto large baking trays or dishes, covering them with a single layer of mix. Put your trays into the oven and bake the mix in for 1 hour and ten minutes.

When you're done, you can pour all of the baked mix into a large serving bowl. It tastes great warm or cold. This recipe makes enough for a party of up to sixteen people, or will feed a Rhino happily for three days.

[Miura-7]

World's smallest camper. 4ft x 9ft, 4" thick cooler panels front, top, back, & floor. 3" on the sides. Double floor has gallon water containers between. Got 2 Chevy Gen 2 batteries, totalling 55ah, and 120v. 2 wind alternators, one 8 amp, & one 90 amp. Hitch comes off, and can be replaced with a motorcycle fork, with a HP E-bike hub. Torsion axles give me independent suspension. More then enough power for the size, only because this skewer box, is expandable. I was going to call it the Coffin Camper, but decided on "Lego Liven."

[Popeye]

World's smallest camper. 4ft x 9ft, 4" thick cooler panels front, top, back, & floor. 3" on the sides. Double floor has gallon water containers between. Got 2 Chevy Gen 2 batteries, totalling 55ah, and 120v. 2 wind alternators, one 8 amp, & one 90 amp. Hitch comes off, and can be replaced with a motorcycle fork, with a HP E-bike hub. Torsion axles give me independent suspension. More then enough power for the size, only because this skewer box, is expandable. I was going to call it the Coffin Camper, but decided on "Lego Liven."

Pictures please?

[Miura-7]

Got a WordPress account, but I haven't gone through the process of setting it up. Long story short I'm computer illiterate. Going home to Vermont soon. Got awesome nieces and nephews to help me in that department. It's sort of frustrating, because I got alot to unveil. I'd actually just prefer to show photos. "It's Safer."

[Miura-7]

Actually, now that I look at it, it's nothing more then turning a golf cart into a camper. Still needs a destroylet!!!

[Miura-7]

I watched the movie,"Into the Wild." That has been my inspiration for more then a decade. My heart goes out to the guy that wrote it, but running one rope across the river could've gave him more chapters. Currently my design exercise leans more toward miniature mobile work bench then a camper. The real deal, and photos will come, when I relocate. The frame I'm currently using now, came off the bottom of the refrigerator box, of my truck. So the trailer will sit perfectly on the back. Gotta get this shit done, and roll out of the South!!!

[josbuttlerwk63]

I enjoy making my own beef jerky using a large dehydrator purchased from the Bass Pro locally. It has several racks, adjustable temperature and timer, and works quite well. I like making my own because I avoid the addition of preservatives, and can control the spices and other flavors in a marinade mix I use to marinade the beef for about 12 hours. I always use London broil, which I slice myself on a home style meat slicer while still partially frozen so I get nice, even slices. The dehydration process usually takes 12–14 hours, and when it is done, the taste and aroma is an absolute delight. I use almost exactly the same recipe to product venison jerky. This is so good I have given friends small baggies of it and they don’t even get home before it is gone and they call to see if I have more they can get from me. Making my own is a labor of love and I enjoy it immensely while producing a product that many feel taste better than any commercial product. That’s hard to beat!

[ygmir]

finally got the rock work and steel outer doors done on the Hof. Now, feeling "weather proof". Hoping to get the inside done next year.
22 tons of hand split granite bricks, about 100 working days.

[Miura-7]

Shoot Man! That's gonna be a tough castle to storm.

[burner von braun]

The Hof looks great yg! Quite an achievement! I especially like the 'fractured' granite designs on the side door panels. But really, the whole thing blows my mind! I've said it before somewhere, but I'll say it again; it amazes me how you have the capability to be able to build such a thing! But then again, we're talking about the guy that built the Frankencamper, haha!

Did you have a little ceremony when you put that last granite brick in place?

[ygmir]

Shoot Man! That's gonna be a tough castle to storm.

The castle Anthrax!!!!

The Hof looks great yg! Quite an achievement! I especially like the 'fractured' granite designs on the side door panels. But really, the whole thing blows my mind! I've said it before somewhere, but I'll say it again; it amazes me how you have the capability to be able to build such a thing! But then again, we're talking about the guy that built the Frankencamper, haha!

Did you have a little ceremony when you put that last granite brick in place?

thanks BVB! it's a long, ongoing project, but everything I could make myself and construct, I did.
no ceremony, yet.....I did one when I put the roof on, maybe when it's complete....but anytime is good if friends are there! I hope you can make it one day.

[Miura-7]

Fuck Yeah! "Anthrax!!!"

[Canoe]

finally got the rock work and steel outer doors done on the Hof. ...

Amazing!!!

(Considerably less epic...)
Back in the '80s, I once manged to gather a bit of that wild rice from the lake he mentions. Not even enough for one serving...
Wild Rice Broccoli Cheese Casserole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Odm2pv2ijU

[BBadger]

Wow, that's amazing work ygmir!

[M F Bonz]

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[M F Bonz]

Not my work My son made all of this. The Damascus blade is made from the cable with a bronze handle added.

[ygmir]

very interesting metal work there Mozy. I've often thought of cable for damascus, but never tried it. looks like it works nicely. well done.

[M F Bonz]

very interesting metal work there Mozy. I've often thought of cable for damascus, but never tried it. looks like it works nicely. well done.

Hello my friend.

John is a professional welder at a hydraulic shop and he ended up with the remnants of the end of the cable spool. Like you see in the picture He has to twist it more after it comes out of the forge to tighten up those lines.. The fire box was done at his work shop. The edge blade was done in his home forge.

I will post some more pics of his blades when I can reduce the size of the pictures. He was interviewed a couple times for the forged in fire show but never made it to the show.

[M F Bonz]

We have more if you want some.
You need to weld up the ends before you stick it in the Forge.

[M F Bonz]

You know I’ve been watching your work for years. The Quality of the finished product does not surprise me.
We both know that a project never really ends though. That’s the fun part for me.
If there was only a ...Burners Without Borders fire pit thread... to sit around and talk about this kind of stuff. hmmmm.

[M F Bonz]

We have more if you want some.
You need to weld up the ends before you stick it in the Forge.

He just said about 40 or 50 feet left. I think we can spare a piece.

[ygmir]

We have more if you want some.
You need to weld up the ends before you stick it in the Forge.

He just said about 40 or 50 feet left. I think we can spare a piece.

HI Mozy. Long time no see!
That metal work is very nice indeed. I'm sure he's very proud, as are you, of his skills. you're no slouch, either, in the world of makin'...
I have some cable, thanks though. Also have my grandfathers forge, anvil, and tooling. Just gotta get time...but I'm glad to see cable will work. Might take me a few tries to get it as nice, but, well, that's part of the fun!
I, and I'm sure others, will look forward to more blade pics. Blades are a special, magical treat to make by hand, and see made.

[M F Bonz]

Yes I’m very proud. He does other types of Damascus also. He built the bike, some cars and small metal toys on brakes or at lunchtime out of the scrap bin. The firebox’s breaks down flat for storage or transportation. I think he got the patterns off the Internet for the CC machine. He built his own forge and Anvil. I’ll try and post some pictures he documented it pretty good. Him and his girlfriend moved into a new house. So he doesn’t have the same shop space. They were hoping to move into a good place for that before the pandemic ....but not after that hit. Not much work coming out unfortunately.

When I told him you had interest in making Damascus with cable.

He said... “”Oh cool I have some prepared he can have.””
The ends are already welded up, clean and ready for the forge.

He sent me a picture of it but I need to reduce it ..it’s too big to post on here. I think the cable is inch or inch and a quarter. Nice size for forging.

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[M F Bonz]

68B2155F-969B-4F31-91B4-F8A92C9E53C0.jpeg

Cable is 1.25

[ygmir]

Beautiful work there!
I love the blade pattern.
Some people are have the "touch"for things, more than skill, it's art. I see your son has this for metal. So glad he found it and follows it. Many go in different directions and don't allow their natural talents to flower.

[M F Bonz]

I have more I’ll post.... that anvil is the one he built the stand is actually solid like a ram you would use to knock down a building with. That’s the kind of equipment he works on. The CC machine he uses ....I thing will cut 6 to 8 inches or so of steel. The bump will ever let me back into the office I’ll try and find a picture of him cutting the anvil out.

[ygmir]

I have more I’ll post.... that anvil is the one he built the stand is actually solid like a ram you would use to knock down a building with. That’s the kind of equipment he works on. The CC machine he uses ....I thing will cut 6 to 8 inches or so of steel. The bump will ever let me back into the office I’ll try and find a picture of him cutting the anvil out.

always enjoy photos of the good work of a craftsman. and tools...

[M F Bonz]

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[Canoe]

Various "Twists" of high/low carbon steel can produce some dramatic looks, and some great edges, but does anyone know of anyone getting close to true 'Damascus' steel?
The closest I've seen are some knives coming out of NW India.

[M F Bonz]

Various "Twists" of high/low carbon steel can produce some dramatic looks, and some great edges, but does anyone know of anyone getting close to true 'Damascus' steel?
The closest I've seen are some knives coming out of NW India.

I agree. People tend to use the word “”Damascus””as a general description of a style of metal work.
I don’t know the answer to your question. l did pose the question to my son.

I would guess that you would need to know the metallurgy used at the time to reproduce a period correct Damascus blade. Today we have and use modern steel. Although we do look for old tool steel to use.

Edit>> from my son.

Anything made today is “Pattern welded” real Damascus came from Damascus and was made from crucible steel like a katana or samauri sword.
Wootz steel sorry