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Hello from Gidgegannup Western Australia


Heelerau

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Ladies and Gentlemen,  I have been messing around with forges off and on for some years, mostly minor stuff, making sets of horseshoes, odd brackets, sharpening the odd crowbar, pick and the like.

 I have a small clay lined riveting forge, and a recently repaired Buffalo with a 200 series hand blower.  

   We have a small hobby farm, so plenty of sheds, one of which we will convert to a smithy, with a stoop so horses will be shaded whilst shoeing.   I plan to make a knife or two and any other thing that takes my fancy. Mostly small projects as I learn how to go about things. This forum looks like an excellent place to learn. Not sure how many other smiths from down under may be lurking here.  

 

Kind regards to you all not to mention Tubal Cain and Weyland Smith !!

 

Gordon

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G'day Gordon.

I'm a Sydney-sider at the moment, but have heard of a Perth based blacksmith group.  They are at Claremont showie.  

See www.bawa.net.au for their website.

Sounds like you have the advantage of space (that I don't have...!), blacksmithing involve quite an stockpile of steel, tools and 'handy stuff'.  

True about the forum being a place to learn, if you can filter out the yap...

Good one for you might be charcoal making retorts, what with all that handy space you have.

see ya,

AndrewOC

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Andrew, thanks for the reply,  I have been using charcoal from the stoves and open fires we have, mostly wandoo and jarrah, but may have to consider a retort to make it in quantity. I am going to approach Griffin Coal down south and see if coke can be bought from them in any quantity. I find coke better than charcoal, a softer heat. 

 

Cheers 

 

gordon

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Welcome aboard Gordon, glad to have you. There are some good advantages to using charcoal, it doesn't add flavor to lunch.

 

We LOVE pictures, all kinds of pics, shop, tools, equipment, projects, Pets, family, scenery, whatever.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

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post-24525-0-90990900-1396240822_thumb.jGents,

           here is my current but temporary smithy. I am not sure of the make of the rivet forge, came of a friend of the families farm in the mid north of South Australia it is clay lined. The anvil, unknown make and about 120 Lbs,  1 legged blacksmiths vice set on a post, and a buffalo forge post drill got from another mates farm dump. It is missing the arm and pawl that automatically feeds the drill down, if anyone knows where to get such?

 The big forge has just had a 6mm basally plate fire pot and tuyerre iron made at work, for a carton of cider!!  The hand blower is a Buffalo forge 200, the forge itself is a Buffalo forge no 650.   I got it at a farm clearing sale 30 yrs ago in South Australia, off a farm with a bunch of blacksmithing tools. I make a few hoof picks as you cannot buy a decent one now days. They are great gifts for fellow cowboys and other horse people.  I knock them up from 3/4 of an old horse shoe.

 

 

Cheers

 

Heeleraupost-24525-0-85732200-1396240186_thumb.j

 
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  • 3 weeks later...

 

Not sure how many other smiths from down under may be lurking here.  
  
Gordon


G'day Gordon,
I'm lurking here from North Queensland. Good to have a few Australians on this site. Blacksmiths are a bit thin on the ground up this way so we have to learn as best we can and there are some great ideas on these forums.
I have visited the west a couple of times - that tall Jarrah country in the 'up' area is fantastic. And I've never seen a jetty as long as the Busselton one. Unfortunately, I had a slip on the wet steps of the lighthouse at Bunbury and broke my leg. But most memories of WA were favorable.
Anyway, enjoy the site and perhaps you will post pics of your creations.
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  • 5 weeks later...

Another Aussie here, just joined. In central QLD now but lived in Perth twice and spend several years in various parts of WA, mostly parts north.

 

Ausfire, where in QLD are you?

 

Gordon, you're lucky to get that gear, I just got a heap of nice tools but they are hard to find.

 

______

Rob

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