bruce a hylton

Hello all. I have been lost trying to remember where I have been and what or where I want to go. Apparently I have been signed in here for some time and made a few posts in the past. I have been breathing too many fumes in the past as my memory only works sporadically. My forge and tools are rusting while I think of a place to set them up permanetly. I really enjoy the "look what followed me home" pages. If I can remember how to login again, I will continue to try to keep up this time around.

For some background let me say that I come from a line of german smiths brought to this country by the railroads on my mothers side and English or Welsh from my fathers side and many were carpenters. I am wanting to find some sites that might explain and identify tools from numerous trades, mostly within the USA. Since I am a scrounger of scrap I find many tools that I cannot bring myself to dispose of. I have logging tools, carpenter tools, blacksmith tools, and more power equipment for welding and or cutting than I will ever use, but I can't pass up what I perceive to be a bargain. I would just like to find sites where I can learn more about any and all tools that I have or am likely to find. Thanks to all in advance. Bruce Hylton

I kind of have the feeling that we better get it while we can, as the prices may do what they did in the early eighties and have the bottom go out completely.

My hms #1 price got bumped to $300.00 a ton yesterday. That is what they call prepared when it is 3 foot by 5 foot or smaller.

chyancarrek; Where are you at in relation to Winlock, Wa? That sounds like a tale I heard last week about waste control. # 1 prepared { I am a steady customer} $250 a ton this past week, Clean cast iron $170 ton, Bright copper $3.20 a pound. Aluminum extrusions $.95 a pound. Clean radiators $2.00 a pound. All this was in one yard. What a wonderful week.

I just now read this thread and it is great. So will add my own vision of me.[not what the rest of the world sees] Former carpenter, operator, iron worker[rebar and red iron], contractor, sawmill operator, logger and farmer. Currently restaurant/bar owner and recycler of metal. Have a yard full of old toys that I have salvaged and manage to keep something else for my retirement every week. Will soon be 59 and should be debt free in 10 years if I live that long. I will look for stuff till the day I die.

and I am sad to say that you generally make me ashamed of myself. I scrap part time and collect full time. This along with running a restaurant/bar fulltime finds lots of tools and misc iron in my shop and yard at all times. There were very few items on the last 75 pages that are not laying around rusting at my home. I am unable to scrap anything that I personally think has potential and thus the yard full. Google "185 pinetree rd 98596" on google earth and you will see some of what I am talking about. Good luck to all on the hunt.

Thank you all for the answers. Olympia is really close to home. About 40 miles. John, she must be a distance cousin then, although my family came out to Washington in the late 1880's. Again, thank you all.

Hello all. Is there a specific thread on here that would have photos of blacksmith shops past and present. I have done a lot of reading with small results the last few days. I like to have stuff and would like to see if the few things I now have would look better in an original type setting. Not to mention that I just plain like photos. Thank you very much. Bruce