ironwolfforgeca Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Are you in THE real Northern Ca or the want to be northern Central LOL or Southern ?? My self I am on the coast @ the Ca / Or line after that you're in Brooking Or ?? any smiths in Or north of me around on the coast OR ? / close ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawnJockey Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I am in the Bay Area and I am having to drive to Sacramento for CBA classes. I would sure like to hook up with others in my area too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Isn't Crescent City where folk go who want to view tsunamis from the beach? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I'm also in the Bay Area, work in the City and live in the East Bay, not far from BART. I've got coal and propane forges set up on the patio. Only just took my first class in April after nearly a decade of messing around with fire and hot steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal Dave Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 LawnJockey and Michael: You have a Master Blacksmith Tim Cisneros whose shop is in San Francisco somewhere. Look him up and see what you can work out with him. I would but I'm in Southern Cal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawnJockey Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Dave, thanks. I checked out Tim's web site, very impressive and open forge on Thursday nights. He is located near Half Moon Bay. I will have to cross the dreaded Silicon Valley to get there but it looks like it will be well worth the effort. I am going to be traveling for a couple of weeks but on my return I will check it out and report back. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 I've met Tim at a bunch of CBA events, real nice guy. He was striking for Peter Ross at a demo a while back. Shawn Lovell and Jim Austin are right nearby as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinobi Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 im down in the southern CA area in Santa Barbara and Ventura, so I smith and take classes out of Los Angeles for now. I have seen a lot of class offerings in the SF area online and in the CBA newsletter, so you shouldn't need to bump out as far as Sacramento for instruction. James Austin forges a mean axe and is meticulous in his methods and experimentation process, if you can find and excuse or reason to spend time in his shop you would be in great hands! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawnJockey Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 What I have been finding is that some of the CBA classes shown are no longer active or they are not taking new students due to being full. Then there have been my own scheduling conflicts which I am working on removing to open more opportunities. My son will be taking a course at the Crucible next month and that may be something for me too. I am looking for networking opportunities as well as classes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 What I have been finding is that some of the CBA classes shown are no longer active or they are not taking new students due to being full. Then there have been my own scheduling conflicts which I am working on removing to open more opportunities. My son will be taking a course at the Crucible next month and that may be something for me too. I am looking for networking opportunities as well as classes. Everybody has scheduling problems, good instructors are almost always booked in advance, some a year or more. We find ourselves trying to book clinicians close to a year in advance unless they're already visiting Alaska and then we have to book them months in advance. In short, welcome to our world, good instructors aren't everywhere. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal Dave Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Right on Frosty. I have missed a few instructors because I waited to long and the class filled up. The greater San Fransico area has lots of experienced blacksmiths to network with. I would imagine that Alaska has difficulty getting instructors up there? Because of that, do you Alaskan blacksmith's network more or work alone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawnJockey Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Frosty, I am learning that lesson. I figure I will keep putting my desire to network out there and attend CBA events and instruction as it is available and in the long run it will all work out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Right on Frosty. I have missed a few instructors because I waited to long and the class filled up. The greater San Fransico area has lots of experienced blacksmiths to network with. I would imagine that Alaska has difficulty getting instructors up there? Because of that, do you Alaskan blacksmith's network more or work alone? We're not only a young club but Alaska is so spread out it's hard to get together if you don't live within say 50-60 miles of an event, say meeting. for most of us networking involves getting together with maybe one or two other guys. club meetings with more than 10-12 guys is a HUGE turnout. <sigh> There seem to be plenty of clinicians (Yeah, a farrier term, lots of our guys are farriers and we try to schedule clinicians in conjunction with the farrier's guild, it's a win win for both groups.) willing to come to Alaska but scheduling for them is usually pretty tight. Of course most folk coming to Alaska want to look around some,maybe do some fishing so they need another week or so free making it a little harder to find the time in a schedule. Lawn Jocky guy: I didn't mean to come across like a lecturer, I was trying to commiserate, I know and feel your pain. Here in the Mat Su Valley if a guy wants to take a few lessons guess who they call? Yeah, ME. I'm mostly an old duffer at the anvil, until the internet went public I was entirely self taught and hadn't even found a book till maybe 1979, "The Art of Blacksmithing" to put the name on the first title in my library. I didn't know ABANA existed let alone other organizations, heck the only blacksmiths I knew were sill working were farriers. As it stands I learn from everybody I watch forge, good, bad, average, every single one. I always learn something and the "DON'T DO THATs! are for sure the more valuable on average. You've probably noticed I spend a LOT of time reading Iforgeiron, I read everything I can get a hand or monitor on. One of my best good fortunes is to have a nearly eidetic memory for the written word, not as well organized and accessible since the accident but most everything I've ever read is in there somewhere. All I have to do is find it. <sigh> Anyway, I'm a font of book learning, I'm literally full of IT, <smirk> Before the accident damaged the nerves to my left eye I was pretty good at the anvil and had enough experience to adapt and apply book knowledge. Mostly now I try to put it in language other guys can get a handle on and apply. Criminy! I'm starting to get maudlin on top of windy. Think I'll sign off for now. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinobi Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Frosty i'd enjoy the breeze from your windy posts in any weather :) LJ you are in luck, the 2015 April CBA conference is to be held in Hollister, id keep an eye on the various websites starting about thanksgiving and jump on registration for that shindig as soon as it goes live! Ill have to see what my schedule looks like for next year before I can start deluding myself into thinking I can make it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawnJockey Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 I will be in Hollister for sure. I had not heard about that before. I am also watching the CBA site for info on ther Oktoberfest, that sounds like a great weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinobi Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 Im looking forward to Waynes World, Scrambler you should try to get in on that too, its going to be pretty close to you. Oktoberfest is a solid haul from my area, IDK if that's going to happen for me =/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreySmith Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Sounds like there are a lot more people around here than I thought! I'm based out of SO Cal, the Temecula area. Moved here just over a year ago from Nampa Idaho. I ALMOST have my forge up and ready so I'm about to get started ;D Don't forget that there are black smithing classes one can take down in Vista at the steam engine museum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fe-Wood Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 The CBA event in Hollister is also the Western States Conference which includes Oregon and Washington Blacksmiths. Plan ahead and plan to attned. It will be sooo worth it! Also for you so cal guys, Adams Forge in the LA area (http://www.adamsforge.org/Adams_Forge/WELCOME.html) is a great resource. As is Vista mentioned above. Happy forging! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt_K Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Are you in THE real Northern Ca or the want to be northern Central LOL or Southern ?? I dunno. Is where they discovered gold in California Real Northern, East Northern, or just Almost Tahoe, But Not Quite?(I'd put a laughing Smiley in here, but lately all the options have been greyed out.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironwolfforgeca Posted September 13, 2014 Author Share Posted September 13, 2014 LOL Matt CBA should be at least broken it to 3 zones min & this memo is just for us on the coast ! there is northern - central - southern ! Ca to drive the full length of Ca on the coast from north to south is what 1400 miles + or so ? time 24 Hrs + straight most meeting happen from Sacramento down / = central Ca & further south in the big city's yet for the rural northern smiths ?? well 8 + hr drive south will get you to a meet :( yet there the northern smiths Well we are the Jefferson Smith OF Northern Ca & Southerner Or :) ! whats my point well we are hands on ! here in the north ! i am not saying that southern cba is not ! hands on we just have a lot less folks to deal with in the north & that makes hands on easier & yea I know I don't follow well its a thinking outa the box thing DARN !! I was hook into welding & fab of metal in 76 I was hook into smithing in 80 I got board we built a forge LOL Opps :wub: :wub: that became an addiction for Hot work !! in metal theirs so much to learn & well then theirs glass working theirs also so much to lean & yet the same :) I guess I am toast LOL ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madwing Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 relatively new to smithing here, brand new to cba as of a month ago. i'm currently 4 weeks in to kirk mcneil's level 1 course at freedom forge in santa cruz. what a lot of fun. i couldn't go to oktoberfest this year (sunday was my 18th wedding anniversary), but hope to get there next year. definitely going to hollister in the spring. i've had the pleasure of working with michael (at his incorrectly named "know nothing forge") in richmond, and look forward to making and learning and sharing this work. best, bill felton, ca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal Dave Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Seems to me that there is a good deal of blacksmithing going on from San Francisco and Sacramento areas and Southern California at Vista. Except for Adam's Forge, which doesn't have an organized club/guild, there is not much blacksmithing in between the north and south. I have to travel about one hour to Adam's Forge so I only make it for special occasions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinobi Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 yea, we are in kind of a dry zone, im only about 60 miles out from A.F. so I try to get in on classes there as frequently as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beammeupscotty Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 I am not currently a CBA member but that is just the result of laziness. I will be joining again in April at the beginning of the membership year. I am in the Concord and have a shop set up in two connected sheds in my back yard. I have been blacksmithing off and on since about 1992. The last few years, since my son became old enough to leave him alone in the house without worry, I have been forging pretty often. I have been mostly making and selling a lot of bottle openers in the last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakesshop Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 I guess I'm in what you'd call the "central" zone of California. I'm in a town called Oakhurst in the foothills just south of Yosemite NP. We meet once a month (second Saturday 9am) in Mariposa at Bob Ringrose's place. You can message me here for details.You can also find us at some of the local Museum's, Mariposa History Center, Fresno Flats Historical Park in Oakhurst and Coarsegold Museum.My shop at home has a full setup and I sometime announce a hammer in day on my FB page. Forge has been cold lately since I've had another long term project going. Also I'm currently in Tucson Arizona getting ready to attend WWWC4 ( it's a steampunk convention). I do plan on being at the CBA Spring Convention in Hollister. I'm bringing a truck and trailer load of German and English anvils, about 5,000 pounds worth and some cones, post drills, tongs, hammers and stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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