JimsShip

That looks awesome for a first attempt! I'd clean it up a bit and maybe try a simple twist on the handle. Look around the forum, and search for twists.

Blacksmithing is a lot of fun, but don't stress yourself out. If a project seems to be giving you trouble take a break. I sometimes work a project to death before i decide to put it on hold for awhile and do some hooks or something so my day doesn't end on a sour note!
I'm my own worse critic. I've had people take things from the scrap bin and ask for them, things I thought were horrible. I must have made a dozen heart objects before I relaxed enough to know both sides will never be exactly the same. (for me at least!) but people liked them anyway.

(My OCD still bothers me about it at times!)

Have fun!

I put one of those on the hood of my old '72 ford pinto when i was 18...

Looks like he used a pair of open ended wrenches, closed one up and made tongs from them! That's great thinking there!

I was excited to see what this was all about! Hope he reposts soon!

This also was another thread back in the day, but I'm with Spanky, I say "I Blacksmith as a hobby", even though what I do  technically is Blacksmitthing. (amateurish as it may be)

I posted earlier I had a goatee. I've had the same bald head/goatee for 15 years now.
My son wants me to Be Obi-Wan-Ken obi from Star wars for Halloween, so I'm growing the beard out, but last night I shaved my head again, so now It's just a beard.

Not sure if i like it or not, so far no comments other than the wife who simply said "Ugh."

(She hates change!)

Just in case anyone was in the area, the Cooperstown Farmer's Museum is hosting it's annual Blacksmithing event this weekend.
Lots of great smiths gather to talk iron and pound steel.
This is where I got my start in Blacksmithing,  It's a nice drive and there's plenty to do in town. (and the Baseball hall of fame of course!)

Here's the link: http://www.farmersmuseum.org/Blacksmithing-Weekend

I also remember the other thread, but didn't find it in a search!

I wanted to learn how to weld, but the only class my wife could find was a blacksmithing one at The Farmers Museum in Cooperstown, NY and after that, that's all I could think about.

That class was the best birthday present ever, but I still don't know how to weld. (without a forge that is!)

Congrats!

I like Frostys suggestion, but I see it more a plant hanger.

It looks like a pot would fit nicely in there, with some sort of plant overflowing an hanging down. Maybe a bleeding heart or something, you know?

Well that's pretty cool! 

I need to learn how to weld....

Do they use any small tools you can work into an opener? Or maybe a shield from a helmet can be attached to a piece of iron for a wall mounted opener.

But thats at the end, right?
 

Let me put it this way- the way you're describing it is if your looking at the end of a pencil (like the top of the eraser) like the candy, when cut down in sections towards the point you see the lettering.

But the barrels look like the lettering is along the weld seam, like if you carved the pencil along the side, and placed it against another pencil also marked, and those 2 markings make up the letters. Does that make sense, or am I seeing this all wrong?

I did Google  Blackpool rock when it was mentioned earlier, and I understand how they do it so when pieces are cut of you see the lettering, but this looks like it's along the weld seam, which makes me think it's 2 halves of the name (or letters) that must line up, no?

Love it!

Warm cookies with cold milk are indeed Heaven.
Hell is biting into a delicious looking chocolate chip cookie and discovering they're raisins. 

(phabib, you can enter that comment now!)

I don't have a gauge because my forge didn't come with one, but I like the idea of keeping a log of what worked when. Can anyone suggest a trustworthy brand?

Ok, that is cool, but I still can't believe thats how they got the name to repeat so perfectly.
I couldn't stamp it that clearly!
That is the most impressive thing i've ever seen. I can't even fathom the planning it took to work that out.

How did they weave his name like that?

I like them, are you thinning the top of the spike to allow it to grab the cap, or just bending it forward a bit?

How do they pedal that bike?

I was thinking of different ornaments I could make for friends, and the idea of using pipe to make hard wrapped candies to paint and hang came to mind. Searching has yielded no results that this has been done before but I think it's pretty straightforward. (I like to see if others have attempted a project before so i can learn from any mistakes they may have made before making them myself!)
I think if i used the guillotine to neck down the 2 sides of the pipe and then twist the ends once, flatten and spread out the "wings" that should look pretty decent, right?
Any thoughts or suggestions? Any other ornament ideas?

(For some unexplained reason, i'm unable to upload the image of a "Hard wrapped foil candy", so if you like you can Google that term to see what i'm thinking of.)

$50.00!? I want one! You can't find anything like that in Upstate NY, all the wineries here charge a fortune!

I am guilty of a few of these infractions! (not so much the language stuff)

When I'm travelling and see a smith doing a demo, I always introduce myself and ask a few questions on things that may be done different than I have learned. I will also explain to my son who's usually with me, what he's doing and why. If others are nearby and hear me, I've never thought it rude, or that somehow I was stealing a spotlight.
Spanky is right (in her other thread) there aren't many smiths, and to find someone with common intrests is exciting. Where are they from? Do they have any groups i've not heard of? Any hammer-ins? Any tools to buy tor trade?
If you're working in the public eye, you need to realize the public will engage you. If that bothers you, perhaps you could silently demo and let another engage the crowd.

I've never done a demo, but I think I would like the additional info, so that i can either correct the information or enjoy the time to get the demo done right while another helps with the jibber-jabber.

I'd just be happy the public is still learning!

I've always been a woodsy kind of guy, and had adopted the acorn as my touchmark many years ago, ("Tall oaks from little acorns grow" was a favorite expression) but when my son was 3, he kept calling my time at the forge "Anvilling", (are you going anvilling? Dad's anvilling in the garage, etc.) so when I decided on a name I kept it going. and created "Acorn Anvilling"
I thought it was a play on words, like "Dunkin' Donuts" but it ended up being a real word even though it sounds juvinile!

I like Spankys idea of using the last name, but I would use "Power Hammers"

Forging Carver- That's a great idea, making a list of finishing methods (and hopefully pics of the results!)
I always thought that would be a good reference thread, but never had the time to compile it! (There are a LOT of different recipes and methods out there!)

Can't wait to see it!