Hi all,
I've been doing all sorts of metalworking ever since I was around 13 or so. I got into all of it because I was a huge fan of Lord of the rings. I started filing knives from old lawn mower blades, then saved up and bought my first gas forge my freshmen year in HS. around that same time, my parents got divorced, but my father moved out to the country purchasing an 1840's farm house, 12 acres, a pond, and most importantly, a barn.
The bottom half is where I set up my shop. I began to forge more than just knives, I began to work on lots of theatrical things, tons of hardware, decorative hooks, holders, pulls and the like. I also began to make armour. Since I had no access to a welder, I raised everything from sheet, or from a billet form.
5ish years later, I'm 19 years old and I just moved into a new shop in an old warehouse building in the heart of Milwaukee. I'm making a masonry coal forge utilizing salvaged cream city brick complete with arches, soldier courses and other decorative elements. It will be a triple forge for when I start teaching again, as well as have a (melting) furnace in the rear for casting, heat treating, and possibly glass blowing. as of late, the theatre industry is keeping me busy, as well as the people whom I rent from; making lots of signage, interesting contraptions, and giving me lots of good connections. I work full time at a hardware store, but sometime in the next year or so, I hope to be self employed. I've just started working with bronze and copper-doing vases and forms, as well as repousse-fun stuff, and *just* like the leatherwork I do.
I'm really hoping to start connecting with some more smiths in the midwest soon. I've heard of these swap meets and hammer-ins (I've hosted several for armouring) but would really like to get involved. any ways that I can start? is there any events in the areas coming up soon? I'd really like to get involved and work with others as well as connect and add to my shop. any suggestions are welcome.
Also, this is an open invitation to anyone who wants to stop on by my shop and work-you are more than free. PM me on here and we'll talk. I generally have an open shop night every wednesday starting at 6pm as well as any weekend day that I have off.
Thanks,
Aaron