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New blood in Canberra


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Our club had a visitor from Canberra on the weekend 24/03/13. David Binny was in Tamworth with his Wife and two new arrivals in the form of twins (a pigeon pair) to show to his wife's relatives. David took time out to visit with us and belt some hot steel.

David has a good sense of humor and all enjoyed the day.

I have invited David to become a member on IFI etc. David is just starting out and wishes to join other hobby blacksmiths in Canberra, could you please contact me if you know of any. cheers John.

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Hi to all in this part of Aus. My name is Ian and I live in south west Sydney. Have gathered most basic equipment to start forging in my spare time and built a shed to house it. I am about 60% in to my power hammer build , I have built a coal forge and a gas forge.

 My problem is that I need to spend time with people in the know so I can learn. I don't mind a bit of travel but don't have a destination. I am a boilermaker by trade so am not clueless with metal but I struggle with going into my shed and not having a plan. I have made some basic tools and a couple of nic nacs but need to increase my confidence with this endevour.

 If there are any groups around that can be watched I would be thankful to be informed.

Cheers Ian    

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Ian, you are welcome to come to Tamworth to have a hit, but it's a long drive mate. There are smiths in Sydney who should be able to help you out.

At the top of this page there is a post by AndrewOC send him a message requesting his help I'm sure he can assist you. Cheers John.

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Hi,

My name is Hazel Flynn. I'm a journalist and contributing editor for Reader's Digest Australia. I'm starting a new column about various changes people make in their lives and I was looking for someone who has taken up an unusual hobby - your site caught my eye.

 

I'm particularly interested in making contact with any Canberra residents who have taken up smithing (correct term?) in the last couple of years. If you fit the bill, I'd love you to email me at hazelflynn[at]hazelflynn.com so I can email back and let you know a bit more about how the column works and see if you might be interested in participating.

 

If you'd like to see my bona fides, search me on LinkedIn.

 

Thanks,

Hazel

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Ian, I hope you got my message. Basically lots of little things go on in Sydney with minimum co-ordination!

 

Hazel, have a look at http://www.rundellandrundell.com.au/#!lost-trades-australia/c1p7p

This was an event in Kyneton Vic a couple of weeks ago.  Unfortunately this update of the web page doesn't include the long list of 'rare trades' craftspeople that were expected to attend.  In Rundell's blog for the day is at; http://rundellandrundell.blogspot.com.au/ see the entry of Wednesday 19th March 2014 for a video of the event.

 

Manspace magazine usually has an article in the field of odd masculine amusements.

Also get to know the Australian Men's Shed scene.  Mostly retirees doing woodcraft, but some 'unusual hobbies' crop up as well. http://www.mensshed.org/home/.aspx

 

There are other craft magazines of course; Aust. Model Engineer and various wood work titles come to mind. 

 

Closer to you is the AAF group; http://www.aaf.org.au/ ('living history' types).

and old engine club; http://cdhec.au2.com/

 

Tell us how you go.

AndrewOC

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Got your message AndrewOC and thank you for taking the time to reply. As of Tuesday am out of action for 6 weeks due to poor judgement with a 5" grinder and a slitting disc. Looks like I will be again tied to the computer instead of putting my power hammer together. Very frustrating to say the least. Hope to make it to Ironfest this year to have a look around and talk to a few people. Thanks again.

 Cheers Ian

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Good GRAVY guys! This thread isn't what I expected at all. When I saw, "New blood", in the subject line I expected a report on an injury. But noooooo, you're talking about new smiths, meeting up, and world class PUBLICITY.

 

You aren't leaving me much room for poking fun at you. <sigh> On a serious note, I LOVE the thread, all good stuff.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

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reread my thread and start to poke fun as you wish. I have been a boily for 37 years and then i go and cut the extensor tendon in my left thumb in two with a slitting disc. i think my brain is starting to fade.

 

Can't say much about brain fade, I dropped a tree on my  head 4 1/2 years ago. It was really starting to get to me till a member here started a roast Frosty thread and it made me feel good again, like there was hope.

 

I know about tendons, Dad cut tendons in his hands his to often, so I might be able to poke fun if I had a few details. Boily? Unless you're covered with boils I'm pretty clueless. Then again, when talking with guys on the far side of the planet, feeling clueless gets to seem normal.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

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I think you blokes call us metal fabricators, over here we are boilermakers. Some say we are a bit backward but we think of ourselves as setting the standard. We have regular visits from the owner of a mid west american supplier of brickmaking tooling and it took him a while to get his head around our cultural habits and querks. All is good now and he is a good bloke.

Cheers Ian

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 Boily, got it. I held multiple certifications in the day though I never worked boilers. I got called sparky a lot. It's funny how a lot of folk think we who DO things with our brains and hands are kind of backward, old timey, or whatever but let something go wrong and who do they call? You and me, eh mate?

 

Ain't it funny how a fellow with a broken widget suddenly becomes polite?

 

Frosty The Lucky.

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Thanks very much, Andrew(OC). I really appreciate you taking the time to post those links & leads. People are certainly out there doing some gorgeous work!

 

I'll follow up your suggestions, but want to also say to anyone who's just coming into the discussion, is based in Canberra and has taken up blacksmithing in the past few years that it's not too late to contact me, I'd still like to hear from you. Email hazelflynn@hazelfynn.com.

 

Thanks,

Hazel

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Funny how you say that Frosty. Last year the company i work for sent me 1000klms away for 5 months without notice to do major repairs to another plant which was fire damaged. All good, money was great and i was no1 boy while there. Since my injury i am up to the fourth investigation and feeling quite the outcast. Maybe next time they need me to travel for them i might think twice.

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Are they investigating you regarding the injury? I smell insurance company or big liability suit worries by management. Do you have a lawyer? If the company is making you feel the outcast you may need one. Don't say a word first though or they'll have time to get their stories straight. It's better to present them with paper and let the negotiate or face the judge.

 

It's stories like this that make me really happy I worked for the State gvt. sure I could've made 3-4x  as much in the private sector but getting injured on the job was paid 100% including time lost without hesitation or hassle. The one time I put myself in the hospital not one day went by without some of the guys from our camp visiting, head man down. Sometimes money isn't the only compensation.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

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Due to see an external investigator next week. All this carry on is due i think to the company recently taking on self insurance and putting unreasonable targets in place for middle management. Workers compensation in this part of the world is an ugly business at the moment. Probably due to years of fraudulent conduct from a minority and too many pay outs. Laws are being changed to put responsibility back on the blokes at the coal face which is fair enough I suppose but a bit harsh when it happens once in 20 years in my case. 

Anyhow my only concern is to get well enough to finish building my power hammer and play in my workshop.

Thanks for your concern and advice and enjoy what you do.

Cheers Ian

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hello all  yes this is glenn moon  here  yes it good to see more hitting away  ,   i have a hammer in the last weekend of october  all welcome  and   i am starting to have classes i will be advertizing at mg industrial supplies  fishwik  

   or contact through here by  sending a private message

  moony  

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