I really like the honesty of whoever is behind the camera "thats the dumbest thing I have seen you do, and I've worked here for four years"... Being able to have people around you to hold you to account like that is invaluable! Some of the best lessons I have learnt regarding tools and safe practices has been from the brutal honesty of my peers
@@deadlyhydra yeah already had that happen to me and the impact split my nail in multiple pieces and also ripped the flesh of my finger down the center Not fun at all but lesson learned 😂
I love the fact that you take safety very seriously and didn't edit out or downplay a mistake that could have taken your hand or worse. It's a great reminder that absolutely anyone can find themselves being lulled into a false sense of security working with dangerous equipment and end up mangled in an instant. Much respect, Alec.
The first time you take a gun and shoot it off range. Meaning on someone’s big property or in the wilderness. You realize without the table in front of you to put the gun down, you have the tendency to let a live weapon swing down by your side which could easily lead to accidentally shooting a bullet all the way through your leg which could lead to amputation or rapid death. But most definitely a great deal of unbearable pain. It’s good to be careful.
@@thetruthexperiment I’ve shot off-range a fair amount. I had trigger discipline literally beaten into me years ago, so I really don’t feel imminent danger of shooting myself without a table. It is a pain in the ass to not have a suitable holster though, such as when shooting someone else’s hardware.
@@_topikk_ o yes, I had to learn quick. I’m glad I had the instinct to realize that the thing I was holding was very dangerous and I was basically pointing it at my own leg. It’s just something to be aware of for people who have never shot off range. Fun stuff but you’ve got to remember, fast lead comes out the front!
@@thetruthexperiment I like to think of any gun as a weaponized free electron laser emitter that can only be disabled if the barrel is physically removed from the gun. I don’t point it at any part of myself or anyone else accidentally with that mindset.
michaelcthulhu isn't exactly a blacksmith (well, he *has* built what he calls a "ghetto forge") but he's teaching his daughter to weld and make swords... It's a lot of fun watching him try to get her to not swear in the videos. ;>)
When you understand what you did wrong and how much worse it could've been, I think anger tends to overtake the pain and fear response. I had a similar experience whilst sharpening a blade and I was more pissed off with myself and my lack of safety than in pain from the wound.
lmao reminds me of the NHL Stanely cup finals just like 4 games ago petry took a high stick to the face and just got up pissed instead of in pain from the like 10 stitch worthy cut on his nose
Lathes can literally rip you apart with zero hesitation. You're whole one second, and shredded the next with no time to react. I can guarantee you won't be forgetting that mistake you made for a very very long time.
8:22 - "That was the dumbest thing I've ever seen you do." This hurt him more than the lathe. Big up for owning up the mistake and let it sink in. Respect for putting this in the video.
When I was in highschool we had a workshop, the first thing the teacher told us was that the machines don’t care what they’re processing, they’ll do their jobs regardless.
The fact that you almost lost your thumb and not a single word came out of your mouth afterwards. I would be inventing new curse words if that happened to me.
That feedback he got was interesting. "That was the dumbest thing I've ever seen you do. And I've worked with you for 4 years." You could tell he was still in shock at that point. Lights on, but nobody home. Not to take away from the severity of what happened, but Alec, if that's the dumbest thing you've done in 4 years of working in a shop full of exceptionally powerful tools, then I'd say you're doing a great job at minimizing risks.
I worked with lathes and other machines and honestly a lot of jaws have chamfered edges to not grab things... definitely touched a file to a jaw lightly before and it didn't grab and throw it.
We have been watching your videos for 4 years now and we have loved watching you grow as a blacksmith and young man. I am glad you are okay and only ended up with a minor injury doing this. Jamie, you are the master of editing! We love the music you use in the videos.
Jamie- "That was the dumbest thing I've ever seen you do" Alec- "Yea" lol I'm so glad you're alright buddy. I could tell your friend was upset with you because he cares about you and he was just being honest. That could have been way worse, so thank God you're alright bro.
It's been a plan of mine to make a steel barrel Damascene pen.. I've had the perfect kit for years.. Just never the time to get started. I've made many wood pens but never a steel one.
Which ofcourse would actually justify claiming your pen is worth 10k rather than using the internals from a cheap pen that doesn't have great tolerances.
Only a few blacksmithing channels are not only entertaining and informative, but actually captivating... Alec and That Works. The only two that I actually have the bell hit for. Hope the thumb heals quick, Alec
The lathe is the most dangerous thing, it's my machine where i work and the things i see people do makes me shiver, even though i do some stupid things myself
I've seen a video of a guy that put his arm under a spinning industrial lathe to pick up a tool he dropped. His sleeve got stuck on the chuck and I suppose you can guess what happened next.
@kuroryuu010 Idk if it's the same one or a different one, but the one I seen, after his shirt got stuck and his arm wrapped itself around the lathe, it picked his hole body off the ground and proceeded to smash him into the ground over and over. Pretty sure he wasn't alive after that.
"Disgustingly Expensive" is perhaps the single greatest way I have ever heard platinum be described. Also, the way he handled that injury was incredible. There definitely seemed to be a bit of shock there for a few seconds, but that he acknowledged his mistake, slapped a bandaid on it and went back to work was impressive.
Thank you for actually owning up to the rangers of becoming too confident, without trying to play it off. Some of your tools are potentially very dangerous. It's important to always be mindful. Keep on being awesome! 😎
"Hm... How am I going to open the package this pen is in?" - Alec "Lift the flap and pull it out?" - Sensible person "You're right! Stab it with a knife and shred the packaging!" - Alec :)
I always love your editing of the power hammer running to the beat of the drum. The subtlety of changing the speed of the strokes, from slow at the beginning of the stroke to fast at the end, to emphasize the hit does not go unnoticed. It really makes you feel the hit. I love it.
@@spis_dritt He saves the rest for other projects... but even if he didnt... as far as wasting steel goes I really dont think hes at the top of the list😂
@@samuelyoung2671 what about the shavings and dust. I've never seen him do canister Damascus. He starts with a block and files, shaves, or grinds it down to a pen.
@@spis_dritt I mean... it’s a $10k pen, and that’s the best way to get the chevron pattern he was looking for. He really didn’t waste all that much anyway
Thanks for the shoutout Alec! If anyone is interested in thousands of tips like this, or full curriculum we are working on, consider subscribing to our UA-cam page and following us on Instagram. The sanding trick is meant to keep accidents like that from happening, and to free you up to do other things. Sandpaper acts like a strap wrench when it grabs a finger and can do a lot of damage in the blink of an eye.
@@mrbfox1775 I disagree. The title insinuates that Alec Steele is making a pen better i.e. more luxurious. The materials required (both waste and the material in the final product) may not have been worth that much, yet there are paintings that may have only cost two-hundred quid to make, yet sell for millions. I also know that multi-million subscriber UA-camrs make well in the hundred thousands.
@@yaishmatheen4274 all I am saying. His business is not in blacksmithing. It is video production, sponsorship and merchandising. He will make loads more money off the video series than he will ever make selling this one pen, no matter how fancy he makes it.
Leaving in the mistake with the lathe & making sure we all knew how easily that could have been the end of your career is exactly why people love you, Alec. You make entertaining videos, but when a serious lesson can be learned, even at your own experience, you do not hesitate to make sure that it is learned in full.
The most likely time to do a stupid thing is after a smart thing. You knew it was dangerous to hold the sandpaper/belt yourself, so you felt good about that setup, and forgot to think about the next thing.
So... yeah.... about ten bucks. Ok 9.64 but close enough. And isn't Tesco a grocery store? Or, kind of a combination grocery store/convenience store? That was the impression I had always gotten. I mean, kind of vaguely like, well..... Ok. If you gave a vague description of a bodega to a British person and had them open one based on that. That that's pretty much what Tesco is?
@@corwinweber693 We don’t call them grocery stores in the UK. Neither do we use dollars. Alec being English, and still in England, is the basis for my quip.
Which is far more realistic that using the internals of a $10 pen and claiming it is worth 10k, I would feel so gypped if someone sold me a porsch shell with a commodore engine.
@@Wookie_oo7 I have seen 1000$ pens that still have cheap plastic parts inside. Most of the time with pens, fountain or otherwise, the internals are all the same. The barrel, nib, clip, and cap are what matters.
@@captobvious9596 Aye and if Alec was claiming to make a thousand dollar pen then it wouldnt be as big an issue. He is however claiming to make a pen worth as much as a car and then re-using one of the cheapest parts he can find for it.
Everything I know about forging is from channels like yours, however when I talk with my friends and family, I appear to be the forging god of knowledge. Thank you for great content!
Also very dangerous is the wrench of your turning machine, since i learned using this machines we always use wrenches with a feather. So it pops of when not in use. So it can not kill you when starting the machine. Love your videos. ❤️
Love watching you create buddy, and I love the style you have, you show the mistakes and accidents which just makes this channel and you all the more human and real, keep up the amazing work buddy
what always bugged me about that saying is that the one controlling the sword tends to controll the one who holds the pen. it only works if the penholder can't be intimidated or reached by the swordholder, which nearly never was an option, the swordholder could always send someone to poison or kidnao the penholder, plus the writings could br destroyed ...
Great content as always. I am really glad to see you only got a minor damage. I have been using a Chuck guard from Ferndale, and that makes me remember to be careful trough the whole process. Take care.
Watching the square corners of spinning lathe chucks always makes me nervous. Alec did the thing I'm always afraid someone is going to do, but handled it amazingly, just being able to explain so calmly afterwards what happened. I'm glad it wasn't serious.
Instead of a ballpoint pen, you should make a fountain pen! You could do damascus steel, platinum, and a gold nib, which would make it worth even more!
A Parker jotter was the pen of choice of my grandfather. To this day is the only one I use just to maintain a connection with his spirit. How I miss him... how beautiful is to watch someone giving so much love to such emblematic industrial design. Thank you.
It's a shame Parker ruined the jotter with the recent changes to the manufacturing process. Cost cutting measures have meant the quality that previously set the pen apart from the rest is now gone from the pens you can buy new today. If you want a jotter, buy an old one online.
If you think that hurts, imagine getting the finger tip, right behind the finger nail cut off by a garage door roller. Yep, I did a really dumb thing too!
I saw Adam Savage also seriously damage his hand on a lathe and his reaction was similar to you. He was angry that he didn't respect the machine! Great video.
I make inkpens on the side, I got to say from the first video I've seen of your ( a few years ago) I thought it would be great to have some scraps of Damascus to use in my pens. Great video can wait for part 2
Nice to see the "objectiveness" of the recorder. Get in there with the "Dumbest thing iv ever seen you do". However thankfully it was only a bit of skin & nail. it will grow back.
the lathe is just reminding you who the real boss of the shop is. Everyone knows the most dangerous tool you have is the boss of the workshop and deserves all the respect you have to it.
Hey Alec, i have never written a comment to you before. But this time i feel i had to. I cant remember the first time i came around and was blown away by the energy and love you gave to your work, and have been watching like a slave ever since. You have spend more time than many do in a workshop, and from what i can see, you care alot about keeping safe and injury free. The highlighting of wearing safety equipment like face masks when grinding, gloves, the right clothing when welding, and the videos of the first aid kits. Its more than i have seen from many of the other content creators that fabricate stuff. But to the point. The Lathe, its something that scares me watching anybody use it. cause its so dangerous. And t i feel you have been pretty careful around it. However like everything else if we do something enough something will happen. We are just people, we make mistakes. The thumb was a lucky mistake, and think we are all happy its still on your hand. Here in Norway we use something calles SJA (Safety Job Analysis) al the time while doing riskful jobs, and i feel there are points that could be improved on the Lathe. Like a "Chuck Guard". I want you to keep filling me with joy for as long as you can. Love Andreas
Can imagine someone walking by the shop being like: "What's that?" "I'm making a multi layered, forge welded billet!" "Damn! What are you making with that?" "A PEN!! :D" ".... "
Modifying my favorite pen. That Parker is a classic. Although I have not bought one in the configuration you did. I don't like the accented clip. But I have bought many of these parkers over the last 20+ years
We're learning about spindles, gears, belts, etc in uni atm which includes threads. Seeing Alec's very "if it works it isnt stupid" attidute vs all the calculations we have to do) finding the pitch (distance between each thread), the three different diameters for spindles (all of standardised size), stress calculations, etc) creates a rather odd feeling of "but what about wear on the thread?". Also give the man a medal for being silent during and after the thumb injury and calmly educating the audience about the lethalness of the lathe (and also showing footage of the consequences of not paying attention to safety), it has very Coyote Peterson vibes of "I will show you what its like to be stung by an entirely reasonable but potentially dangerous creature and how to deal with them so you dont get stung, also here is what to do if you DO get stung."
just an FYI, a lot of lathe chucks have chamfered edges on the jaws so they dont "grab and throw" things when they get hit. it takes less than half an hour with a file or angle grinder to just soften the edges, and could save you from any more accidents in the future!
Looks like it’ll be a special pen! Got an idea for a new challenge someday...how about a black powder rifle including a Damascus barrel, handmade lock,etc.
It's nice to see Alec doing damascus again even better when it's twist damascus and its great with double twist damascus and just amazing with twisted double twist twisty twisting damascus!
Alec, even tho I am late, I'd like to give you a tip. Cover the bed of your lathe with a piece of paper when you are sanding steel or anything harder. Small steel particles + oil = really crappy grinding paste and it can mess up your lathe a bit in the long run.
Ouch I felt that. I'm an hvac tech that does a little small smithing as a hobby. I caught my finger in a machine belt once and ripped the tip of my pinky off along with the nail and breaking it in 2 spots. Not a mistake I'm likely to make again. Respect your machines... even when they are powered down as I learned the hard way. That etch kind of like a fingerprint. Pretty cool
I really like the honesty of whoever is behind the camera "thats the dumbest thing I have seen you do, and I've worked here for four years"... Being able to have people around you to hold you to account like that is invaluable!
Some of the best lessons I have learnt regarding tools and safe practices has been from the brutal honesty of my peers
I was expecting so much worse thankfully it’s just a minor flesh wound, incredibly all three teeth on that Chuck hit his thumb with minor damage
@@deadlyhydra flesh wounds are very British aren’t they 🤣🤣
@@deadlyhydra yeah already had that happen to me and the impact split my nail in multiple pieces and also ripped the flesh of my finger down the center
Not fun at all but lesson learned 😂
That is jamie i think..his editor and camera guy. Been in this channel for years. All the best bits are made by him
Yeppers, that's Jamie. Editor and camera operations expert.
I love the fact that you take safety very seriously and didn't edit out or downplay a mistake that could have taken your hand or worse. It's a great reminder that absolutely anyone can find themselves being lulled into a false sense of security working with dangerous equipment and end up mangled in an instant. Much respect, Alec.
he even left his blood on the chuck
The first time you take a gun and shoot it off range. Meaning on someone’s big property or in the wilderness. You realize without the table in front of you to put the gun down, you have the tendency to let a live weapon swing down by your side which could easily lead to accidentally shooting a bullet all the way through your leg which could lead to amputation or rapid death. But most definitely a great deal of unbearable pain. It’s good to be careful.
@@thetruthexperiment I’ve shot off-range a fair amount. I had trigger discipline literally beaten into me years ago, so I really don’t feel imminent danger of shooting myself without a table. It is a pain in the ass to not have a suitable holster though, such as when shooting someone else’s hardware.
@@_topikk_ o yes, I had to learn quick. I’m glad I had the instinct to realize that the thing I was holding was very dangerous and I was basically pointing it at my own leg. It’s just something to be aware of for people who have never shot off range. Fun stuff but you’ve got to remember, fast lead comes out the front!
@@thetruthexperiment I like to think of any gun as a weaponized free electron laser emitter that can only be disabled if the barrel is physically removed from the gun. I don’t point it at any part of myself or anyone else accidentally with that mindset.
No other blacksmithing channel appeals to me anymore, not only is Alec talented he also knows how to engage the audience.
True
Exactly! Like I love blacksmithing, but I don’t really like watching some UA-cam blacksmith just beating a piece of steel for 15 minutes
The production values of his videos is off the chart.
I agree but try kyleroyerknives
michaelcthulhu isn't exactly a blacksmith (well, he *has* built what he calls a "ghetto forge") but he's teaching his daughter to weld and make swords...
It's a lot of fun watching him try to get her to not swear in the videos. ;>)
Alec: *Smashes thumb on lathe* "oh gosh, that was a bit stupid of me"
Me: "How are you not screaming in pain?!"
When you understand what you did wrong and how much worse it could've been, I think anger tends to overtake the pain and fear response. I had a similar experience whilst sharpening a blade and I was more pissed off with myself and my lack of safety than in pain from the wound.
The shame of making an extremely dangerous mistake overtakes the temporary pain
shock, anger, shame, and the injury being much less bad than it couldve been
quite shtewpid innit?
lmao reminds me of the NHL Stanely cup finals just like 4 games ago petry took a high stick to the face and just got up pissed instead of in pain from the like 10 stitch worthy cut on his nose
One of many things I truly love about these videos is the editing.
The syncing of the music to the power hammer hits is an awesome thing to behold.
My musically inclined children say the same thing!
Lathes can literally rip you apart with zero hesitation. You're whole one second, and shredded the next with no time to react. I can guarantee you won't be forgetting that mistake you made for a very very long time.
Yes, between Alec and Adam Savage I have a healthy respect for the dangers of the lathe.
There are videos online of people being literally torn apart by getting a sleeve or something caught in a running lathe. It's scary as hell.
8:22 - "That was the dumbest thing I've ever seen you do."
This hurt him more than the lathe. Big up for owning up the mistake and let it sink in. Respect for putting this in the video.
When I was in highschool we had a workshop, the first thing the teacher told us was that the machines don’t care what they’re processing, they’ll do their jobs regardless.
yeah lathe injuries are no joke
The fact that you almost lost your thumb and not a single word came out of your mouth afterwards. I would be inventing new curse words if that happened to me.
just goes to show that he isn't one of those youtubers that "almost die" from a skinned knee
i respect that
Alec is a true English gentleman.
You could say he’s made of “Steele”... I’ll show myself out
That feedback he got was interesting. "That was the dumbest thing I've ever seen you do. And I've worked with you for 4 years." You could tell he was still in shock at that point. Lights on, but nobody home.
Not to take away from the severity of what happened, but Alec, if that's the dumbest thing you've done in 4 years of working in a shop full of exceptionally powerful tools, then I'd say you're doing a great job at minimizing risks.
I worked with lathes and other machines and honestly a lot of jaws have chamfered edges to not grab things... definitely touched a file to a jaw lightly before and it didn't grab and throw it.
I have waited about 2 1/2 years for the return of the "Blue Dykem" song. My wait has been rewarded.
FINALLY!!! It was a joyous moment.
That music slaps so hard!
sad
I had a moment of "wait.. is that... noooo. IT IS!"
Dyyyyyykkkkkeeeemmmmmmmmmm
We have been watching your videos for 4 years now and we have loved watching you grow as a blacksmith and young man. I am glad you are okay and only ended up with a minor injury doing this. Jamie, you are the master of editing! We love the music you use in the videos.
Jamie- "That was the dumbest thing I've ever seen you do" Alec- "Yea"
lol I'm so glad you're alright buddy. I could tell your friend was upset with you because he cares about you and he was just being honest. That could have been way worse, so thank God you're alright bro.
I can tell this will be an INKredible video
Im sad to say this made me laugh
Thats pretty punny.
You make a fine point my friend
I really wish I did not laugh but I did😂
I don’t want to like this, but I feel that I must
Look into woodturning pen kits, you get all kinds of different pen internals without having to break open another one.
It's been a plan of mine to make a steel barrel Damascene pen.. I've had the perfect kit for years.. Just never the time to get started. I've made many wood pens but never a steel one.
Which ofcourse would actually justify claiming your pen is worth 10k rather than using the internals from a cheap pen that doesn't have great tolerances.
This was what I was going to suggest
Only a few blacksmithing channels are not only entertaining and informative, but actually captivating... Alec and That Works. The only two that I actually have the bell hit for.
Hope the thumb heals quick, Alec
The lathe is the most dangerous thing, it's my machine where i work and the things i see people do makes me shiver, even though i do some stupid things myself
I've seen a video of a guy that put his arm under a spinning industrial lathe to pick up a tool he dropped. His sleeve got stuck on the chuck and I suppose you can guess what happened next.
@@jordyv.703 I'he seen that video too... It's horrbile what this machine can do
In machine tech people would try to push each other out the side door right next to the running lathes.
@kuroryuu010 Idk if it's the same one or a different one, but the one I seen, after his shirt got stuck and his arm wrapped itself around the lathe, it picked his hole body off the ground and proceeded to smash him into the ground over and over. Pretty sure he wasn't alive after that.
@kuroryuu010 you can picture toilet paper
"Disgustingly Expensive" is perhaps the single greatest way I have ever heard platinum be described.
Also, the way he handled that injury was incredible. There definitely seemed to be a bit of shock there for a few seconds, but that he acknowledged his mistake, slapped a bandaid on it and went back to work was impressive.
Alec you inspired me to do blacksmithing and I've been doing it for 2 years now
Cool
Im just getting into it
Thank you for actually owning up to the rangers of becoming too confident, without trying to play it off.
Some of your tools are potentially very dangerous. It's important to always be mindful.
Keep on being awesome! 😎
"Hm... How am I going to open the package this pen is in?" - Alec
"Lift the flap and pull it out?" - Sensible person
"You're right! Stab it with a knife and shred the packaging!" - Alec
:)
Alec has studied at the AvE school of package opening techniques.
@@kierangrasby5728 Not really, AVE uses a mini chainsaw.
@@sithus1966 I didn't say Alec has got his degree yet.
@@kierangrasby5728 Savage... :-D :-D :-D
I mean, this is the man that used a plasma cutter and an industrial lathe to open a can of tomato juice, let's be glad it was only a knife....
I always love your editing of the power hammer running to the beat of the drum. The subtlety of changing the speed of the strokes, from slow at the beginning of the stroke to fast at the end, to emphasize the hit does not go unnoticed. It really makes you feel the hit. I love it.
I like how in the UK videos you interact with the cameraman (Jamie) must be great working with a close friend!
13:48 wow that is absolutely beautiful even at that stage. True craftsmanship, created with love, pride and enthusiasm.
"Okay, so we're gonna make the pen barrel out of damascus steel."
*Proceeds to hammer a shortsword sized block of damascus *
Because he wanted to get the right pattern
Waste of steel.
@@spis_dritt He saves the rest for other projects... but even if he didnt... as far as wasting steel goes I really dont think hes at the top of the list😂
@@samuelyoung2671 what about the shavings and dust. I've never seen him do canister Damascus. He starts with a block and files, shaves, or grinds it down to a pen.
@@spis_dritt I mean... it’s a $10k pen, and that’s the best way to get the chevron pattern he was looking for. He really didn’t waste all that much anyway
Thanks for the shoutout Alec!
If anyone is interested in thousands of tips like this, or full curriculum we are working on, consider subscribing to our UA-cam page and following us on Instagram.
The sanding trick is meant to keep accidents like that from happening, and to free you up to do other things.
Sandpaper acts like a strap wrench when it grabs a finger and can do a lot of damage in the blink of an eye.
At some point I thought, "This might end up still being a $10 pen, just with $10,000 worth of work into it."
The value is in the youtube money, not the pen itself.
@@mrbfox1775 i personally disagree.
@@yaishmatheen4274 then I believe you to be either naive or ignorant to the amount of $ content creators make
@@mrbfox1775 I disagree. The title insinuates that Alec Steele is making a pen better i.e. more luxurious. The materials required (both waste and the material in the final product) may not have been worth that much, yet there are paintings that may have only cost two-hundred quid to make, yet sell for millions. I also know that multi-million subscriber UA-camrs make well in the hundred thousands.
@@yaishmatheen4274 all I am saying. His business is not in blacksmithing. It is video production, sponsorship and merchandising.
He will make loads more money off the video series than he will ever make selling this one pen, no matter how fancy he makes it.
Leaving in the mistake with the lathe & making sure we all knew how easily that could have been the end of your career is exactly why people love you, Alec.
You make entertaining videos, but when a serious lesson can be learned, even at your own experience, you do not hesitate to make sure that it is learned in full.
The most likely time to do a stupid thing is after a smart thing. You knew it was dangerous to hold the sandpaper/belt yourself, so you felt good about that setup, and forgot to think about the next thing.
So gratifying to have a machine shop/forging channel that works in metric. How civilized.
No, Alec, it isn’t a “$10 pen from a grocery store”, it’s a 7 quid pen from Tesco!
🤣🤣👍🏻🇬🇧
So... yeah.... about ten bucks. Ok 9.64 but close enough.
And isn't Tesco a grocery store? Or, kind of a combination grocery store/convenience store? That was the impression I had always gotten. I mean, kind of vaguely like, well.....
Ok. If you gave a vague description of a bodega to a British person and had them open one based on that. That that's pretty much what Tesco is?
@@corwinweber693
We don’t call them grocery stores in the UK. Neither do we use dollars.
Alec being English, and still in England, is the basis for my quip.
@@corwinweber693 It looks more like WHSmith to be honest.
@@sudo_nym Right on sir....i agree
@@CheekyPeach if it was smiths then it would be atleast 20 quid
“That was the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen you do” *Alex not knowing what to say* “yea!”
This was like the second time that I've seen Alex hurt himself on camera, as an infrequent watcher. He is extremely careful.
There is no show on TV that even comes close to being as entertaining as an Alec Steele video.
I like to say thank you for changing it up lately. Keep having fun
You missed my vid where I turned a £10,000 pen into a £10 one 😏👌🏻👍🏻😂
Make it. Do it. You won't. You should though.
Which is far more realistic that using the internals of a $10 pen and claiming it is worth 10k, I would feel so gypped if someone sold me a porsch shell with a commodore engine.
@@Wookie_oo7 I have seen 1000$ pens that still have cheap plastic parts inside. Most of the time with pens, fountain or otherwise, the internals are all the same. The barrel, nib, clip, and cap are what matters.
@@captobvious9596 Aye and if Alec was claiming to make a thousand dollar pen then it wouldnt be as big an issue. He is however claiming to make a pen worth as much as a car and then re-using one of the cheapest parts he can find for it.
He also ned to make a damascus brik or a damscus house
I appreciate you leaving your mistakes in the video. A good reminder for all of us. Glad your ok.
Everything I know about forging is from channels like yours, however when I talk with my friends and family, I appear to be the forging god of knowledge.
Thank you for great content!
Same here.
Also very dangerous is the wrench of your turning machine, since i learned using this machines we always use wrenches with a feather. So it pops of when not in use. So it can not kill you when starting the machine.
Love your videos. ❤️
Good to know that every maker on this platform loves TOT
Love watching you create buddy, and I love the style you have, you show the mistakes and accidents which just makes this channel and you all the more human and real, keep up the amazing work buddy
Turning a £7 pen into a £7,000 pen!!! Part 1
He really added a whole lotta weight to that 😏
Yeah, you’re back here in the UK, now, Alec…. GBP please, not USD!
From a shop/supermarket (not grocery store!)
How does anybody lift a 7000 pound pen?
Hahahaha Everyone knows that's not a real currency
I don’t know why you never used to leave the Jamie commentary in but it is great and it should always be left in
"The pen is mightier than the sword" nice to see you make something other than a weapon, what ever you make it's always entertaining.
what always bugged me about that saying is that the one controlling the sword tends to controll the one who holds the pen. it only works if the penholder can't be intimidated or reached by the swordholder, which nearly never was an option, the swordholder could always send someone to poison or kidnao the penholder, plus the writings could br destroyed ...
That is one bruised hand. You’re commitment to safety has always been excellent and it’s always the stupid things that lead to stitches or worse.
Job opening for Alec states “constant eye for safety”...and then he goes and tries to take his finger off...love the videos man!
That's why he needs somebody with an eye for safety :)
I mean, they're the wrong side of 3500 miles of ocean, but still.
Love that montage in the beginning.
Alec: makes a damascus pen.
Also Alec: uses 4 pounds of steel
Great content as always. I am really glad to see you only got a minor damage. I have been using a Chuck guard from Ferndale, and that makes me remember to be careful trough the whole process. Take care.
Watching the square corners of spinning lathe chucks always makes me nervous. Alec did the thing I'm always afraid someone is going to do, but handled it amazingly, just being able to explain so calmly afterwards what happened. I'm glad it wasn't serious.
ok WOW. The first part of the pen looks AMAZING!
Instead of a ballpoint pen, you should make a fountain pen! You could do damascus steel, platinum, and a gold nib, which would make it worth even more!
Who else loves seeing steel get twisted and break off the outer layer. Awesome video.
A Parker jotter was the pen of choice of my grandfather. To this day is the only one I use just to maintain a connection with his spirit. How I miss him... how beautiful is to watch someone giving so much love to such emblematic industrial design. Thank you.
It was my dad's favorite pen, I can't really find them around here but when I see them I buy them
It's a shame Parker ruined the jotter with the recent changes to the manufacturing process. Cost cutting measures have meant the quality that previously set the pen apart from the rest is now gone from the pens you can buy new today. If you want a jotter, buy an old one online.
We ues scotch bright dish scourer to polished our machine rollers . Works a right treat . Respect from Australia.
"Why is he blurring the thumb, it can't be looking that bad"
8:28
"OH GOD NO!"
I manged to rip a partial fingernail off without a lathe once.
It HURTS, man. It fucking *HURTS!*
If you think that hurts, imagine getting the finger tip, right behind the finger nail cut off by a garage door roller. Yep, I did a really dumb thing too!
Imagine getting your hand into a table saw... that was fun 😄 my thumb looked like it exploded
It’s so cool seeing your business grow to having more employees. Thanks for always making great content, and inspiring me to create!
That lathe mishap gave me anxiety. I've seen too many lathe accidents and I'm so glad you're safe!
善は急げ - Zen Wa Isoge. Japanese proverb akin to "strike while the iron is hot"
Literally "hurry while its good"
I just wanted him to point it in the air and shout 𝘌𝘟𝘗𝘌𝘊𝘛𝘖 𝘗𝘈𝘛𝘙𝘖𝘕𝘜𝘔!!! 🧙♂️
Loving the look so far. Can’t wait to see how the Platinum turns out! 👍🏻
I saw Adam Savage also seriously damage his hand on a lathe and his reaction was similar to you. He was angry that he didn't respect the machine! Great video.
Alec: lathes off his thumb..... righto...back to work!
Love this old school content with metal soundtrack and fantastic editing.
Notification squad, keep up the great work. Love the content as always
Whoop whoop🙌
Favorite part of this video. (90% through it) the cheeky comments from the camera man. 😄
Alec: the lathe ripped the nail off my thumb.
Also Alec: well, let's wrap it up and continue...
It is great to hear Jamie's comments on your works! keep it up guys
Alec: I want to make this component of the pen out of..."
Me: Oh cool, a Damascus and gold pe-"
Alec: P L A T I N U M
Yeah instantly tought that to since he also posted some gold ready to be forged on his insta
Kudos for leaving the part with the thumb in, good teachable moment without too much happening.
Hope it heals off quickly.
I make inkpens on the side, I got to say from the first video I've seen of your ( a few years ago) I thought it would be great to have some scraps of Damascus to use in my pens. Great video can wait for part 2
I really love that he’s is wearing his selfmade gauntlet
Hope the thumb heals quickly Alec...glad it wasn't a worse injury...also, that's some great looking damascus
Nice to see the "objectiveness" of the recorder. Get in there with the "Dumbest thing iv ever seen you do". However thankfully it was only a bit of skin & nail. it will grow back.
the lathe is just reminding you who the real boss of the shop is. Everyone knows the most dangerous tool you have is the boss of the workshop and deserves all the respect you have to it.
The most dangerous thing in a workshop is you. Without you doing a simple action or movement nothing can hurt you
I was not prepared for the blue dykem song, but I was glad to see you finally choose the proper color. 😁 Thanks for sharing?
I remembered a kid at school sticking a file in the end of a lathe 😬 and it hit me on the other side of the workshop 🙃
Very excited to see you tackle the platinum work! It’s going to be an incredible piece I’m sure.
Now I challenge Alec to make a fountain pen and also make the nib himself.
Hey Alec, i have never written a comment to you before. But this time i feel i had to. I cant remember the first time i came around and was blown away by the energy and love you gave to your work, and have been watching like a slave ever since. You have spend more time than many do in a workshop, and from what i can see, you care alot about keeping safe and injury free. The highlighting of wearing safety equipment like face masks when grinding, gloves, the right clothing when welding, and the videos of the first aid kits. Its more than i have seen from many of the other content creators that fabricate stuff.
But to the point. The Lathe, its something that scares me watching anybody use it. cause its so dangerous. And t i feel you have been pretty careful around it. However like everything else if we do something enough something will happen. We are just people, we make mistakes. The thumb was a lucky mistake, and think we are all happy its still on your hand. Here in Norway we use something calles SJA (Safety Job Analysis) al the time while doing riskful jobs, and i feel there are points that could be improved on the Lathe. Like a "Chuck Guard". I want you to keep filling me with joy for as long as you can. Love Andreas
Can imagine someone walking by the shop being like:
"What's that?"
"I'm making a multi layered, forge welded billet!"
"Damn! What are you making with that?"
"A PEN!! :D"
".... "
Nice work Alec I've swapped from metalwork to woodwork - pens are my thing now - keep up the good work my friend.
does anyone else think that he has the perfect surname for what he does
Yes, mine is perfect too. It’s MeatJerker.
guy I work with in the workshop where I am atm has the surname "Hammer"
He was born to be a proper blacksmith. I've been saying that for a few years.
Modifying my favorite pen. That Parker is a classic. Although I have not bought one in the configuration you did. I don't like the accented clip. But I have bought many of these parkers over the last 20+ years
Imagine if this pen had been made out of Damascus with the occassional random copper Damascus stripe thrown in with a copper clip.
I work at a flex circuits shop and we use ferric chloride all the time to etch metal foil into circuit patterns, like copper
Alec's lathe mishap is no joke, the lathe is known as the murderer in the workshop! Please be careful around it!
It is always the moment you become too comfortable with a machine that you run into problems!! Glad you didn't seem too injured!! Be safe! Have fun!!
Ehm ... why dont you try and find a oil "can" with a longer nozzle so you are never tempted to move your hand as close as you did before
We're learning about spindles, gears, belts, etc in uni atm which includes threads. Seeing Alec's very "if it works it isnt stupid" attidute vs all the calculations we have to do) finding the pitch (distance between each thread), the three different diameters for spindles (all of standardised size), stress calculations, etc) creates a rather odd feeling of "but what about wear on the thread?". Also give the man a medal for being silent during and after the thumb injury and calmly educating the audience about the lethalness of the lathe (and also showing footage of the consequences of not paying attention to safety), it has very Coyote Peterson vibes of "I will show you what its like to be stung by an entirely reasonable but potentially dangerous creature and how to deal with them so you dont get stung, also here is what to do if you DO get stung."
i have so much respect for people that can do these sort of things.
Finally some actual forging again!!! Thanks Alec!
Dude that's so epic.. the world just doesn't understand how amazing machinery really is. 🤯
just an FYI, a lot of lathe chucks have chamfered edges on the jaws so they dont "grab and throw" things when they get hit. it takes less than half an hour with a file or angle grinder to just soften the edges, and could save you from any more accidents in the future!
Looks like it’ll be a special pen! Got an idea for a new challenge someday...how about a black powder rifle including a Damascus barrel, handmade lock,etc.
Absolutely beautiful work Alec, It takes a split second to lose concentration and injur yourself, 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🦘🦘🦘🦘
It's nice to see Alec doing damascus again even better when it's twist damascus and its great with double twist damascus and just amazing with twisted double twist twisty twisting damascus!
9:10 DO IT! ALEC'S FIRST RIFLE, R700 BUILD WITH A DAMASCUS BARREL. MAKE IT HAPPEN.
P.S. you have a belt sander, round the edges and tips on the chuck jaws. It does not alter the grip that is in the center of the chuck.
Alec, even tho I am late, I'd like to give you a tip.
Cover the bed of your lathe with a piece of paper when you are sanding steel or anything harder.
Small steel particles + oil = really crappy grinding paste and it can mess up your lathe a bit in the long run.
Whoever the editor is that does your music, does an AMAZING job
Oh no i cant wait to see the next episode! Thats such an amazing little pen
British craftsmanship is in safe hands with people like Alec Steele
Ouch I felt that. I'm an hvac tech that does a little small smithing as a hobby. I caught my finger in a machine belt once and ripped the tip of my pinky off along with the nail and breaking it in 2 spots. Not a mistake I'm likely to make again. Respect your machines... even when they are powered down as I learned the hard way. That etch kind of like a fingerprint. Pretty cool