chyancarrek

Dang, Avadon - You outta be writing for a travel guide! Nice pics too. When you've lived in one place all your life, it's always interesting to hear someone else's impression. Larry's right, a drive-by never gives you the insight that being local provides but I think you did a bang-up job of a check out based on what you're looking for. No matter where you end up we're down right glad to have ya! The NWBA has a conference in October at Stevenson Wa. Try to make it up if you can - I'll buy ya a beer!

Colleen, No worries - You didn't set anyone off in regards to this. Most of what is going on is some blunt force commiseration - We're all impotent in any chance to "make it right" for Dale and Sue and given how heinous the offense was, swinging at empty air is a pretty natural reaction. While I don't doubt that all things being equal, Dale wouldn't hesitate to exact justice, it sounds like he's got his head screwed on pretty straight and knows where his first duty lies. He's on the right track in his dealings with the authorities and lets all hope and pray they will take these two mistakes of humanity off the streets soon. Dale, stay strong and please let Sue know that we're all holding her close in our hearts right now!

Larry and Grant are on it - just put a little something in there to bind it all together and go for the second round - I've done it a number of times on casting furnaces - some times it's a little slap-dash but it'll hold heat and do what ya want.

Dale, I can't even begin to express how I feel for your wife and you for what you've had to go through - I can only hope that somehow justice will transcend the usual path and give you your time alone with these base bast***s. May you and your wife find a way to have peace again and thank you for trusting us enough to share this - never hesitate to call on any of us if you need to. Be well brother and please tell your wife my GF and I are truly in awe of her strength and force of will!

Good to hear you're on the mend Jimmy! you've got one therapy left to do . . . go out and get a hammer in your hand - it'll do wonders for ya!

Sounds like a fun idea AG but Thomas is right - study up on it a bit - temp differentials between the disparate materials may give you some fits. Make sure to share some pics of the results and have fun!

Hey Fe, As Beth said, it's good you shared it with us - Getting it out there into the light o' day puts the best kind of healing to it. I got some serious understanding as to how you're feeling right now - I lost my mom to heart disease - 3 months after that a best bud to suicide - a year after that my dad to cancer and 11 months after that an older brother to a massive brain bleed. Putting the arms out so others could help hold me up a bit is what got me through it - When folks asked what they could do, I just told them - "Love each other the best you can while you can" Be at peace bro!

Beautiful work as always Colleen! Please take some pics during the exhibition and post them for us!

This has happened to me a couple of times and I always try and keep it friendly at the outset. For minor infringement like this, just email them a heads-up that you've noticed the use of your photo on their site, inform them that all of your photography/images are CR'd and can't be used without your express permission. If they don't remove it in a timely manner, have an attorney draw up a "cease and desist" letter and deliver it via registered mail. If you know for sure that they've done it with lack of regard or ill intent, then you can ratchet it up a notch if you feel its worth pursuing.

Steve, my family went through something similar with my mom and my brother - I know how much stress you're under right now so BIG kudos to you for being there for your family. All our thoughts to you and yours!

She's on the list here Eric - Godspeed to her and kudos to you and family for the care you're showing her!

Congrats PL! Make sure to document what you do to get her up and running - then a little video of it in action would be nice - I'd like to see that hammer at work. Have fun!!

Good on ya John! That was a nice piece of exposure there - you were well spoken too . . . might wanna work on that tho . . . come off as being too articulate and folks might start to doubt you're a real blacksmith . . .

The gals get along famously and think the world of each other . . . it's me who gets the smack-down when the forging is done and we settle in for the evening over a beer, they start swapping Neil stories past and present. After that bucket of water, there ain't much fire to play with

My ex-wife is planning on doing an art placement (concept sketch attached below) at BRC for this year's Burningman event - she needed to forge up a straight forward tapered spike about four feet long for the armature so I invited her up for the weekend to pound out some iron and get her hands dirty. She did a super job! She took it all in stride and had a great experience trying out a power hammer for the first time. We tried a couple of different directions for the look but she decided on slender and sleek. I'm looking forward to seeing the pics of the finished piece installed on the playa. Between working some iron, the GF keeping us fed and refreshed and having a great visit from the ex, it was a fun weekend!

Nice "Table" - Given the way I make coffee, it just might be the ticket . . .

Frosty's tips are right on - My Bernzo has been cranky since day one - open it all the way up and maybe after 5 or 6 tries it'll light - keep it absolutely vertical and she makes a great candle - tip it at all and out she goes . . . that is unless it's Tuesday, after 3 pm with an 8/10th's full bottle and while doing just a bit of a jig while holding it over my head - then it works every single time . . .

Oops . . . double post

Frosty, Thanks a lot pal . . . I gotta go out on a real thin limb now - My GF just saw the pic you posted and I now have no choice but to show it to her 9 y/o daughter . . the fact that I'll NEVER find her a dog as perfectly cute as your Abby is not going to help my credibility any! Drop spindle eh? I'll look it up - even though it wouldn't be the first time I couldn't do something as well as an 11 y/o . . .

Hey Thomas, I thought I was the only one who saved that kind o' stuff - I have bags full of undercoat fur from my Siberian Husky - unfortunately I don't have a live in wool spinner to make yarn out of it. There's folk around here who'll do it for you, I just have to add it to the get - er - done list . . . Frosty, That's one adorable pup! Make sure to share some "growin' up" pics as time goes on!! Spears, I handle the steamy glasses issue with a fan standing at head height a few feet away from me when I forge - for me, that little bit of air flow seems to keep me cool enough to take care of it.

Understood, but Frosty Grant has more of a brand name ring to it - I thought maybe you guys could get together on a little line of iron eyewear . . .

I'm in the Frosty Grant camp on this one - you can armour yourself up all you want and just be asking to be eatin' alive by the gear you think you're protected from. The one thing I NEVER compromise on is eye protection - I came equipped with only two Mark I peepers and they aren't the impact resistant model. The outright best PPE you can invest in is the ol' thinker - the best warranty you can get for it is experience and being willing to listen to those who know what they're doing while you're learning. I've only been smithing and doing foundry work for 12 years (10 professionally) but I've been around whirling knives as a woodworker for a lot longer and there's no substitute for using common sense, being situationally aware and keeping your head on a swivel anytime you're occupying the same workspace as someone else. I hate using tongs (Sorry Grant) - I prefer to hang on to that metal with my hand for as long as humanly possible to keep my feel for the work - that habit has yielded a pair of mitts that can hold on to some metal that'd make a lot of folks cry and when I do have to go to a glove, it's tight fitting and as thin a leather as I can find - I never put anything on the hammer hand for all the reasons stated above . I never hesitate to work in short sleeves or cutoffs and regularly wear just good ol' sneakers in the shop when I'm forging - when I'm pouring hot metal it's a different story entirely because the circumstances are different. Do what's appropriate to the work - Stupid can work it's way up both sides of the scale so take a critical look at what you're doing and how you're going about it.

Well, the last barter job I did wasn't for beer - it was poultry products. I did some skinning work on a neighbor's property backfilling and leveling out an area around his new shop. When I first looked at the job I told him I'd do if for a couple of his fryers ready to go on the spit and a couple dozen eggs - he threw in the diesel for my tractor and a six'er of Black Butte Porter. It was a good day. A few of the other things I've received in barter: Home cooked meals from lovely women. Post vise Burnout kiln Custom made clothing Telescope A great dog The list goes on but the best thing I've ever bartered for was the heartfelt thanks and sincere appreciation of some folks who couldn't afford anything else!

Make sure to post pics of what you come up with!

Good to hear you're still kicking Fe - I was wondering where you went. Nice looking scrolls!