Mycroft

No problem. I honestly don't head that way much, but most likely will be in a few months for the Balcones/HABA combo demo that usually happens in February in Bryan.

I've had success going to a metal recycler and asking to look around. They were a little surprised at first, but let me walk the yard. Got a couple axles w/coil springs for about $30. Bet they got a laugh off of me loading it up into the trunk of my Cavalier.

On a whim, with no planning at all, I attempted a corkscrew as a gift for my wife for Valentine's day. I used a bandsaw to cut the top part that became the heart, and over did it a little. Originally I was going to make the heart even, but as I was attempting to do that, this showed up, and I liked the way it looked. The tapering down to the screw part is ugly, and honestly, I just didn't feel like dressing it up as this was a first go and there was plenty else wrong. Finally, I have the screw going the wrong way. So it works, but messes me up whenever I try to use it. The heart makes an easy spot to pull from when removing the cork.

"Never make irrevocable decisions while tired or hungry" - Robert Heinlein I'm fond of this one whenever someone is complaining about something: "Life sucks, get a helmet" - Dr. Denis Leary or for the same situation: "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11 (NIV)

Welcome! I know I'm a bit late with it, but I'm the Killeen area newbie mentioned in an earlier post. I joined with Balcones back in November, and they're a great bunch! Looking forward to the meeting this weekend with HABA, hope to see you there

I've been using Diamondback's Two burner Smith model for a few months now (well, since I started). As I'm just starting out, I haven't gotten to playing around with forge welding yet, and I usually only run at about 3-4 PSI. I haven't been keeping detailed usage records, but I'd estimate that I've gotten about 10-12 hours out of a 15lb propane tank. I still need to get a torch or something though. There are times when I only want a small part of the steel heated up, and that's difficult to get done in the gas forge. Overall though, I've been pleased with it.

Thanks for the link to balcones forge, I never found them in my google searches (somehow). I'm gonna hit up their monthly meeting this weekend.

I've had an interest for a while now, and have read some beginner blacksmithing books, but haven't actually fired up a forge yet. I'm in the military, and my schedule doesn't really permit me to take a regular course anywhere, and where I'm living probably would not appreciate me firing up in the driveway. I'm currently located in central texas, and plan on taking the beginner's class at Dallas Heritage Village, but not sure where to go from there. I'd like to find a private instructor in the area that could work around my schedule and is relatively close (within 2-3 hours of Killeen). Or if anyone knows of a course at an institution they could point me towards, I'd appreciate it. Austin CC has one, but I'll be gone for significant portions of the semester and during the rest I doubt my boss would let me out early two days a week for it. Any help is appreciated. Thanks for the site, it's amazing what you've all forged.