how did you get started smithing?

[Pault17]

I dug my first anvil out of a hillside a few years ago. found a little post vise nearby.built a bean-can forge and began learning

[Ramsberg]

After making a bunch of different stuff, such as a potters wheel and pots with it, painting etc. I got interested in carving wood and stone. I noticed that all of the best chisels were made by blacksmiths by hand! So I decided to learn blacksmithing to make some chisels, got a bunch of books and did too much research before I finally made my first forge.

After a few years and joining a local blacksmithing group I still hadn't made a chisel yet, got hooked on making more artistic stuff with the forge and anvil. A very fullfilling diversion from my original idea of what I was going to make!

Now I have my greatgrandfathers blacksmithing hammer, which my grandfather had brazed a metal handle onto. I anealed the head, ground off the mushroom(it had lost it's temper when the handle was brazed on), filed a proper profile on both sides of it(it was a machinist type hammer), then wraped the metal handle(which used to have leather rings on it) with twine.

The twine wrapping works GREAT, wraped tightly, one has great hammer control, the twine absorbs sweat from the hand, and gives a cushion from the hammer blow. I greatly prefer it over a wooden handle.

Caleb Ramsby

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by nc_cooter

Last year I fell from a ladder and broke my shoulder. Old folks don't bounce to well. They tend to break. I am still pounding metal, though I have had to greatly modify my technique. (thanks Mr Hoffi)

Bounce reduction is one of the worst parts of aging, I stepped (or slipped) off a tilt top trailer at work two years ago, shattered my left arm and am still semi-disabled.

I had a bone graft done two weeks ago (surgery 5) and yesterday's x-rays show new bone growth so it's looking better. Unfortunately the new surgeon put me back in an articulated brace and nixed me doing anything for the next month.

I agree, alpacas are kind of creepy, look cool, lousy personalities.

As to how fortunate we seem to be finding wives of supreme tolerence. WOOHOO!!

Yes I'm lucky!

Frosty

[civilwarblacksmith]

I was already a civilwar re-enactor when I became a type 2 diabetic. It scared me to be on the field after that. If for some reason my sugar were to drop would anyone know that something was wrong or would they just think I was pretending to be shot.

So in order to stay in re-enacting I became a living historian, portraying a medical officer, then I portrayed General Fitzhugh Lee, R. E. Lee's nephew. I then took a class at the guild that I'm a member of and brought that into the re-enactment scene.

[Frosty]

I can identify with that Reb. I was diagnosed type 2 in 2,000 after losing 60lbs in five months. It's changed my life in many ways, I know if I'd paid half this much attention to nutrition before I wouldn't be on life support now.

How long since you were diagnosed?

If you want to talk BS management, tricks, pitfalls, etc. please get with me on the side.

Frosty

[Doug C]

I too can relate to the low sugar problem, been type I for 20 years. I keep a supply of granola bars near by when I am at the forge. Many times I am having so much fun I forget to eat and check the BG. Next thing I know I am low.

[1860cooper]

I became involved unintentionally, for which I'm thankful. I was brought on for the summer as a demonstrator at Ft.Stephens, OR. I was supposed to do military demonstrations, talks, tours, but they Ft. had a falling out with their previous blacksmiths so a compete smithy shop was at my disposal if I wanted to tinker. And tinker I did.

I've been a Civil War reenactor on and off for 13 years. A year ago I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome so for that and other reasons I've come to terms that soldiering isn't in my future (sigh). And now I'm married, and my wife has a passion for history herself, so we're preparing to get back into reenacting as civilians, as you may guess, as a cooper.

So I'm trying to get back into smithing so I can make some specialized tools and such as I'll need for historical trade work.

Here's to equally crazy and supportive wives.

[tribal forge]

Hey Frosty!
We both seem to have a great Lady, mine can not only forge, but she is a Silversmith by trade, does leather work beads, does baskets and gourds! I forge, can work leather, do some bead work, but she outclasses me in those crafts/Selden

[Frosty]

Hey Seldon:

Yeah, Deb is good with her hands, a much faster study than I am. When we got together I tried to tell her she didn't need strength to work metal but it wasn't till a get together of metalhead friends that she really got it. There was fold forming, repousse and chasing, enameling and other light gage stuff she could do without hurting her hands.

Of course now she wants a "corner" of my shop!

Frosty

[Holzkohle]

It started with a camper when I decided to cook the evening meal in cast iron cookware(first addiction-now have a ton of CI cookware and cook at least one complete meal a week in camp cookware). This led also to participating in a living history group-circa 1840.

When looking for CI cookware earlier this year, I found a Hay-Budden farriers anvil, 140#, and bought it for $125. A neighbor is a blacksmith and machinist who helped (he did most of the work) build my first forge. Started pounded iron in June.

Since that time, I have picked up 3 post vises, an Armatage Mouse Hole anvil, another English style anvil, and a rivet forge with a small Bufco blower which I wanted for demo's.

Did my first demo earlier this month with another scheduled for 8 Nov. If things proceed like the first demo, this may be a self sustaining hobby (Is ther such a thing?).

You're never to old to start a new hobby. I'll be 70 years young on 3 Nov.