Leah

A coat rack with a square wooden post and forged hooks and feet. A shelf to hang near the door with a place to put hats on the shelf and forged brackets and hooks below. A CD rack with a "V" shaped wooden trough and forged feet and ends. I have also seen some nice iron and wooden bookends. Just look at some magazines and catalogs that show things that people use to decorate there homes and you will see lots of items made of wood and iron. Forging a hammer would be cool, but I would not have wanted to try that as my first project.

Like Jr., I don't put my fingers between the reins. I hold the tongs with one rein over the other, and kinda tuck the top rein between the base of my thumb and index finger with the rest of my fingers under the bottom rein. To open the tongs, I just let the bottom rein go and gravity does the rest.

I have an air leak I need to fix on the pipe from my compressor. One of my roll up doors has something that rolls around in the top when I close it. I really need to take the cover off all my welding machines and my plasma cutter and blow out all the dust and grit. I need to take the guard off my hammer and grind and paint it. This is a good idea, maybe now I will get some of this done. Kinda like a "honey-do-it-myself list.

You and your mother are in my prayers.

Gene,
I am so sorry. I will remember your family in my prayers.

Thank you for sharing that with us, Jared. I may just have to hang this in my shop.

I love your truck!!!!!!!!! Cookie better watch you, that truck is a real chic magnet.

Mine is on my right shoulder. It is a pink hammer striking an anvil with sparks flying out like from a forge weld. I got it on my 50th birthday.

I really like the line "There was more thinking going on at the bike shop than there was at the think tank."

I am afraid that, one day soon, we will not be able to find anything that has "Made in the USA" on it.

JWB,

I am glad you had a good time. Everything you made looks great.

I also use Ingersall Rand synthetic oil.

Mammooth, I really like what you've done with the place. The wagon-turned-forge is great.

Thomas,

Jim C., Trying-it (Stan), and myself all plan to be there. I am not sure who else will be there.

Jr., I am so sorry to hear this. All of you are in my prayers.

Thanks Ron. I had also been looking at the earthbox and did not want to spend that much.

Thanks Frosty

I have taken seven or eight classes there and have enjoyed every one of them. My husband and I take our camper and stay in their campground, so I can't tell you anything about the housing. We eat lunch at the school, but I cook the rest of our meals. Most teachers will let you come back to the shop after supper and work if you want to. I really like the creative atmosphere there and usually come home with my artistic batteries fully charged.

Take care, Sandpile. I hope everything goes well for you.

Jim,
I am sorry to hear about your loss. Your family is in my prayers.

Hang in there, Ed. I'm praying for you.

Jim, you and your family are in my prayers.

Rick, the guy who helped me went to a local metal mart and bought a rubber boot. It has a square, flat base and the middle is stair stepped like a round wedding cake. You choose the size you need and cut it at that "layer" and slide it over your pipe. He cut it a size or two smaller and had to push to get it to slide over the pipe. He put some kind of sealant around the pipe under the "layer" and also all around the base. He then used screws all around the base. The rubber conforms to the ridges and flats of your roof because the base has a soft metal band around it. He said to be sure and get the right sealant for the kind of finish your roof has. It has been up for 5 or 6 years and has never leaked.

I have 8" triple wall ss stove pipe on my forge. I have a sidedraft hood and the stovepipe goes straight up through the roof. I admit that I get a little smoke in the shop when I first light a fire, but I have done the same with a 12" pipe. Once I get a fire going, I don't have any trouble with it not drawing. I tried for a long time to find triple walled pipe in a larger size and could not. I thought about making it or having it made, but I decided to go with something that I could easily replace by going to the local hardware store. I know this is not supposed to work well, but for me it really does. My shop is an all metal building but my husband insisted that I use triple wall. I am glad I listened to him.

Alan, I am so sorry to hear about your father. Please know that you and your family are in my prayers.

I hope you all have a great 2007.