TomN

Sorry I couldnn't make it John. I hope you had a good and productive show.

It was a shame I couldn't make it. Got to keep the wife happy at the moment though. Training for joining the army is taking up a fair bit of time, with job searching, plus the weather is extremely unpredictable at the moment. I'd like to get there on the weekend to help you John, but the wife has planned things and is determined to go to Ikea for some reason.

I may well be there John. Currently have nothing made to sell though. Its a busy week as well, so getting things made is going to be difficult, but I will try. I could do with making some money now i'm out of work, so it would be great to come along. Hope you all had a good time down at the AGM.

Couldn't make it. I am spending some time trying to fix up my current workshop instead.

John - I will be looking to make a variety of tools. Some tongs and punches etc. I will mostly be fine, just might need your input every now and again. Hopefully I will see you there tomorrow. Right i'm off home to cook the wife dinner and butter her up a bit.

Might be coming tomorrow, but getting some strong hints from the wife that indicates that she may not be happy about it. I will be there if I can, but don't count on it.

Good luck in Oz. Couldn't deal with that heat meself. Should be welding up my anvil stand later, if the weather and the wife relent.

Cheers. When i'm welding up my anvil stand I was wondering how rediculously high yours would need to be at 6'5''. Life would be too far from the ground for me at that height. Good luck with your stuff. I will bring back pictures soon!

Could I bring down some leaf spring and make some tools John? Thats what I need mostly at the moment.

Marvelous. A bit of cake might help me get some connections as well. Looking forward to it!

My jobs are actual jobs i've applied for, not commisions. I might bting some things down to make though. Any particular cake you fancy?

Lee - No offence was meant. Artist blacksmith to me, makes me think more of the sort of pieces that serve no function, but cost thousands. Its for some people, but not for me. Something functional, that is further embilished is fine by me! I'm just old fashioned. John - The poorly paid jobs, were actually full time jobs, not commisions. One of them is in forrestry for example. But they are jobs I will enjoy and be happy to do. Will try and do more smithing in my spare time, to build up skills and start selling pieces. See you next weekend John. Any particular type of cake you fancy me bringing down?

I think i've got the go ahead from the boss. I'll bring down my tent and some cakes!

Thanks John. I got in contact with the NHIG and they have filled all their places for this year. I have up till mid October to decide if I am going to take up the opportunity to train at Hereford. My only problem is getting a job whilst its on, because I will need 5 weeks off a year to train and I am also training to join the TA at the moment too. Got some possible jobs lined up, and if I get them i'd like to make blacksmithing a thing to make a bit of extra money from, as the jobs lined up are poorly paid. Lee - Thanks. I've had a good look over the courses and they seem sensibly structured to me. I'm definately not the artst type. I'm more old fashioned and go for the functional over the pretty. However, I don't mean that I would just knock out any rubbish if it works, it has to be well made. I don't like half arsed jobs!

Lovely work. The handle end is stunning. Wish I had look you up, when out visiting my Dad in Houston, a few months ago. I have to say that I wouldn't like to be stood next to a forge in the heat of Texas.

Very nicely executed work. Beautiful lines and it looks even better with the sign and lamp hanging on it. Great craftmanship all round. What did you use to finish your work? I was expecting paint, as it is going to be outside a lot.

After a massive lull in activity, over the extremely wet summer I am back to doing little bits of work on the workshop. I recently got made redundant, and whe not job searching, or trying to keep the wife happy I am trying to get some things sorted with the forge. Things have gone a bit sour over there. I left a load of stuff out in the rain and lots of my tools got rusted. They anvil top is a bit orse for wear as well. Can't believe I forgot about it all out there. I have now moved into the house where my forge is, so can work more frequently on it now. I have started on welding up my new anvil stand. Once I have it together i'm going to forge some 'extra's' to weld onto it, then paint it up. I have also commisioned a stand for my big leg vice as well. I will bring along new photo's soon. Finding a job is extremely difficult at the moment. Might be time to think about making some things to sell and see how I go. I'm also thinking about going to Hereford College from October to do their blacksmithing course, as many of the design and instilation modules look very usefull.

Thanks John. I will attempt to convince the wife to let me go off for the weekend. Can I bring my tent down and camp on the site, for the Saturday night?

I might be ok to come to this, now i've been made redundant. Would be a nie change of pace from job searching and doing housework.

Hrrmmmmm. I'm back from America on the 1st, and am supposed to be going to watch my cousin boxing in Clevedon on the 7th. Tempted to come along, even if it is to watch people and maybe make a few bits.

Very nice. The face on the hammerhead is something I think i've seen before, but can't put my finger on it....

On second thoughts, this may have come a year or two early for me. There is a need for the applicants to be able to weld and solder which I cant do at the moment. Not properly anyway!

So very VERY tempting. Annoyingly i'm away over the later half of June. If this could lead to a full time job in smithing, then i';d probably jump at the chance! Definately need to have a talk with the wife about this later.

I'd like to hear about this just so I can see how far I am off the pace 'officially'. Will the qualification just stick to the techniques of blacksmithing, such as drawing down, upsetting, fire welding etc? Or will it go further, to things such as design work, business skills as well?

Obviously I am far too innexperienced to add anything useful to these discussions, but I would be interested in the outcome! Will there be a formal qualification to achieve in Blackmsithing on the back of this research?