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I Forge Iron

notownkid

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  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    South Woodstock, Vermont
  • Interests
    Hobby Blacksmithing, Historic research esp. Blacksmith shops and barns, tools, farming, trains, Military History.
    anything a retired country boy decides to have an interest in. Hunting, Competitive Shooting, Horses & Carriages, Travel.

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    forgottenfarms@sbcglobal.net

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  1. YUP. These were 5,200 lb pair of cattle and about 6 yrs old, Hamburg Helper might have been a better additive. How you doing Steve/ Still up and about I see.
  2. Just catching up on postings here after an extended time off and ran across this subject. To answer the question the answer is get someone else to do the shoeing. I had experience a number of years ago when a great uncle talked me into shoeing a pair for him so he could do a photo shoot for a New England Magazine with them hauling out some logs in fresh snow. He had a barn lined up with almost new stocks in excellent shape. Sounded simple enough as I had put many shoes on our horses over the years. Just lead the ox into the stock tie his head down, hoist him mostly off his feet, tie down the one your going to work on, go to it simple enough. first thing I noticed was we seemed to have gotten a number of visitors in the barn. Got my tools laid out and went at the near front foot. WELL unfamiliar to the full anatomy of an OX I did know they had 3 stomachs, YUP sure enough when the ox went up and the foot was tied down he got a bit anxious and everything he had eaten in the previous 6 weeks instantly turned to liquid, brown in color and very smelly. The more I hammered and rasped the more he bellowed and squirted all this in about a 50' arc. The next thing I noticed was the visitors all seemed to have found better viewing spots outside the barn doors. Things were bad enough until I started on the hind feet right under the tail which was swinging a whole like a 10" paint brush covered in the above described material hitting me a number of times before I got it tied down. 3 hrs later I had the stupid shoes on, the visitors were now gone in a cloud of laughter, my uncle had the barn hosed down telling the owner he would get somebody up there to pressure wash it better soon, oxen back on the truck, I was covered in Organic Matter of the brown smelly type so I had to ride in the back of the truck with the equally smelly Oxen. I got dropped off at my farm and my wife must have been warned as I was met in the door yard where i had to strip to the birthday suit throw all my cloths in the trash, even had to throw away my wallet, she put the hose to me standing in the flower garden, didn't want to waste the fertilizer. Some discussion about me sleeping in the horse barn for the night before the horses put their foot down and said no. After all this time I still figure I came out ahead of the other participants. No Photo shoot took place as my Great Uncle was killed in an accident with a logging truck 10 days later, the owner of the barn died the following day. Because of my Uncles wishes the Oxen were shipped so they wouldn't fall into some else's hands who might miss treat them. We did use the Oxen to carry his casket to the cemetery I think of this about everyday as I drive by his farm every day just a mile north of mine. As I said at the beginning take an old man's warning and have some else lined up to do it. Oh yes, this was about 35 yrs ago somethings you just can't forget.
  3. My work will have to improve to be a Forgery, right now it's a Joke, a real bad one at that. Being misunderstood is so easy these days. Went into the little rural P. O. with my required mask on, when the post mistress asked how I was doing I said fine but haven't seen so many masks since I gave up Robbing Banks, A lady standing at the window heard it turned looked at me and raced to the door and flew out of the parking lot leaving her mail behind. The Postal Lady said she would be exp[aining that tomorrow when her husband comes in.
  4. I have found over Many years if it looks good, this seems to, something you want or need, got the money in your pocket, buy it before some one else does. You get it home don't like it for some reason put it back on the market with a 100% markup, settle for a little less and keep looking. As we were told in the Army "He who Hesitates is Lost".
  5. USAR Spc.. 5, Engineers 52B20 65-71 Growing up my father was Air Force Reserves LT. Col. a Combat Glider Pilot, 3 combat drops in Europe WWII and all his friends were also former AF Pilots in Europe . Quite the group of fellows very fortunate to have known them.
  6. Please take this in the light it is offered. You get the .88% of a vehicle at the same time you get the .52% of the human, It's called a Crash. In my nearly 30 yrs. of Volunteer Fire Rescue time I unfortunately saw the after effects of some of these Crashes, didn't set about a fine measurement of any but they are never forgotten. Also agree with Buzzkill 72% of Statistics are made up on the spot. Like Political math 2 + 2 = what ever it needs to to prove a point.
  7. First do as Glen suggest turn off the news esp. major networks, nothing they say can You do a single thing about. X local news for a short time. In our case we have been watching old TV shows and movies. Also do as Glen mentioned, pet the dog/cat/horse what ever, play with the kids and thank your wife for fixing dinner, then take your turn making a meal, wash the dishes after your wife has cooked. Do some laundry, vac. the floors. Give her a hand she is suffering as well. And get exercise how ever you can even walking during the night. Being told to stay in is most difficult, We are 100 yrds from nearest neighbor, 23 miles 1 way to get groceries and try to be there at 6am for geezer shopping times. In Vermont we have been social distancing since 1885 someone said recently. Some of us have started calling friends some we have been seeing regularly before this and some we haven't, old class mates from 1964! army buddies from the late '60s , people who retired and left the area. relatives. We have about 20 people we call most weeks or every 10 days. Up lifts them as well as you. It isn't easy to keep ahead of all this. Smile.
  8. Charles & Sandy you are in my thoughts and prayers, it is most difficult esp. during a Holiday Season. Be Safe.
  9. Dale Russell, so glad to see you on here and Safe at the moment and your report on Moony. Often think of you guys esp. since the chat room seems to have gone away, miss you guys. Don't get on IFI as often as I did life seems to be dragging me hollering, kicking and screaming in 20 directions since retiring and returning to the home farm. Now the first major snowstorm of the season started couple hours ago will slow things up more. Great to see you on here Dale best to your and yours this holiday season. Dale Johnson
  10. So sorry to hear, hope his passing was swift and without pain. We have him and your family in our thoughts and prayers. God Bless.
  11. I guess getting back to the original question, Why should we adopt metric? The rest of the world can follow us if they want. We have no need to follow them.
  12. Maybe a roofing hammer for shingles with the nail puller.
  13. If me and this amount of $$ I would look into a New Anvil and see the difference in costs, somebody will buy this and at these prices you know it will not be in scrap. What are your plans for use if land it and leave it in one place 236 lbs ok but if you might want to do demo's or move it to use a 125lbs is a lot more pleasant to have. I have both. vise value? I have spent $45 and $100.
  14. After the loss of our great dog a few years ago we decided not to have more as we travel 4 - 5 months a yr and will for as long as we can but this morning I was in the blacksmith shop moving things around into winter storage position so the Backhoe can get in when we leave in 3 weeks .Out of the corner of my eye I saw something white scoot across a bench then behind a box setting there. Couple minutes later a white Weasel appeared with a mouse in it's mouth and calming had it's breakfast keeping an eye on me all the time. So Herman the Ermine will be the shop pet/security system for the winter. Will be interesting what happens when he runs into the red squirrels in the Big garage / tractor shop hoping he wins.
  15. you can purchase a new cast fire pot from New England Blacksmiths and they can ship. They ship them all over the country and you can get infor from their sight on IFI here
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