Ian

I'd agree with Beth, a kid that age willing to sweat for a fair old while is as rare as hens teeth John, one that'll sweat and then turn out summat that looks as good as that is as rare as rocking horse... well you get the picture Good on you mate (for taking him on) and good on him (for proving he was worth taking on)

Some very good things to listen to here. I'm also on the first steps of making a living from Blacksmithing, but I've already found that it's vital to educate your potential clients as much as possible before you give them a price tag for something. I've got three jobs on at the moment and each of them are going to make a profit. Not a huge profit but a profit none the less. If I hadn't educated the clients as to why their 'lamp', 'custom hanging brackets', 'rose arbour arch with built in benches and planters' etc were going to cost 'x' amount when IKEA sells something similar for less than half the price then I'd have really struggled to turn any sort of profit at all. All my clients have actually seen me at work, two have even had a bit of a go at forging themselves, net result they can see that what we do is ruddy difficult and is worth the money we ask for because not everyone can do it. I place a large emphasis on the traditional skills we use over mass production, the artistic and unique nature of our products and the pride and attention to quality we place on every item that comes out of the Forge doors. I also have more than one avenue to generate income, in fact right now I'm part way through applying for an adult education teachers course and also a job at a local adult education centre. One will give me recognisable qualifications to teach, the other will pay me a decent rate for doing so. Best thing is, I'll be teaching Blacksmithing there if it works out.

Hotels?!!! Bed and Breakfasts!!! Eh? I thought Aussies were the rufty tufty outdoorsy types? A proper shower? An outdoor dunny WITHOUT the budgies? Witchcraft I tell you!! It's not natural! Man, what I'd give for a chance to be out in the outback again.... city life sucks, but it's a necessary evil right now. Hope everyone has a blast :D

IMO way too little. You can stall those motors by hand with hardly any effort. You need something with torque.

Always good to see more Englishmen arrive, even better when they stay. There's a lot of folks from all over the world here to pick the brains of, enjoy yourself.

Those piccies look lovely John. Great to get to have a brew and a natter today, always nice to put a face to a name and to know there are fellow tykes venturing south of the border I hope you or some of the lads can make it over to the shinding in August, I'll let you know if the fifth is a definite goer as soon as I can. It's not down to me but the 'powers' so it's anybodies guess. If we can myself and Sean will try and make it down for the Iforge weekend too. Funds and time permitting. Tomorrow we're off to do a demo at a local show and we've got two messages about other possibles as well. Things are starting to move, this is the one pace forward I was telling you about! all the best

Hi John, I've heard of the NHIG and support what they stand for (even knowing I wouldn't meet their standards just yet, still gives me something to aim at eh?) I've no transport but I'll speak to Sean and try and convince him it's something we should go to. It's be a great chance to meet Lucy and the family and have a look at Fire and Iron. If you're going it'd be a chance for me to fill you in on the trials and tribulations I'm going through in person, give me a ring tomorrow afternoon if you like and I'll have a definite answer (07899780703). Can't make any promises mind, like I say, not my van but I will do my absolute best. Sunday we've got a demonstration day at a local event in London, looks like a busy weekend may be in store :D

Very nice stuff John, any chance you can show us the rivet header/snap you used for attaching the scroll. There's not a lot of room between the back of the rivet and the scroll and it'd be nice to see how you did it.

You'd be more than welcome to stop by my shed when you're back in blighty phil. It's central London, Stepney way. Send me a PM if you're interested

She'll be right Phil, Sheila's dig scars.... I'm with you 100% about not having folks sitting down near the anvil, either hand or power. Done it myself and ended up with a hot off cut sitting in my lap winking at me thanks to Brother Sean working six feet away. Lucky I had my apron on...... I'm trying to get hold of some decent polycarbonate or THICK perspex to make shields for when I start demoing at the farm or out in the wilds. H & S is bonkers over here at the best of times, when you throw ankle biters into the mix it's not even funny

Hi John, I'm really sorry, I've been so busy I haven't had a chance to log onto the site for ages and I completely missed this weekender. I'll try and see if we (myself and Sean) can make it over for the one in September (I looked on the guilds website) We might even try coming along to one of the shows the guilds at nearer to London before then. If I get a chance I'll send you an email with a bit of a progress report regarding what we've managed at the Farm in Stepney, it's not been, nor is is yet, all plain sailing but things are moving forwards. We might be having the Farm relaunch in early August now, but that's to be confirmed. As I say I'll fill you in on the details by email. Sorry I missed what looked like a good weekend and please consider yourselves welcome to come up to the smoke to say hello any time you're in this neck of the woods. Ian

You take off your glasses after a days work and the room gets noticeably brighter? You then have to blow on your glasses to make sure it stays that way. They make a crackly rasping sound when you put them back on? (fine grit really is a pain). Latin fun: Ad Malleus et Manus omnis artes statumen

Agreed mate, they have a tendency to try and warp/move so you lose the nice straight lines from the chisel. Thinking on it, would putting a twist into the tail as you looped it round on itself help? I'm thinking that your stretching the outside and compressing the inside so a twist might let you keep the lines in order by off setting that. I've got a dead clear image of what I mean in me head and can't explain it properly > Might just have to make one and try it for myself to see whether I'm talking claptrap or not...

Sorry John, I wasn't clear what I meant by a four way twist hammered back to flat. As you rightly say four cuts down the centre of the bar, twist a set number of times, flatten back to square, four new incisions down the new centres, then twist back in the opposite direction half the first number. I could have made one faster than trying to explain myself properly. LOL I helped a student (Manni) make a dragon door knocker that had a tapering pineapple twist for the body and tail. Fun but quite challenging to make it look right. here's the link: http://www.iforgeiron.com/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&section=viewimage&img=25319

If I was making that shape I'd forge it from square stock. Make a very short 90 degree bend in the stock. Forge down a shoulder right next to the bend, leaving the mass for the hammer head over the edge of the anvil and then shape that to roughly the shape of one side of the hammer, draw down the handle, then split the piece down the middle of the mass left for the head and fold out the two halves.

I don't suppose anyone has a source for these in the UK do they?

The fifth one along is something I know under two names. Pineapple twist or Dragonscale twist. I really like them, they're a four way twist hammered back to square, incised four ways again then twisted in the opposite direction. If memory serves you count the number of twists in the first direction then go half that number back? Last time I did one I just did it by eye, when the diamonds lined up I stopped. ;P

It could have been better but then again it could have been a lot worse. I agree that Monty Don is a bit of a tool but hey, he's helping to raise the crafts profile so don't burn his house down. I laughed at the bit where a hot cut was left in the hardy and was surprised that the cockney lad scored so poorly but one mans taste is not another's. Overall it was an enjoyable show and entertaining, which is what telly is all about right? John B, is that convention free or does it require a ticket? If I can make it over there (no transport per seh) I'd like to, if only for the chance to network and meet up with folks

He can at that, like a snake. All it takes is that little 'tch-psssh' you get when you open one of 'his' tinnies Sorry to hear about Sue bloke, hope she's not too bad again, but please, nuff said with the "All fall down go boom" stuff. You ain't falling over cos there's too many ugly sods around to catch youse. You know where I am.

Uncy Chop Chop.... If'n youse quit or sell a single b---dy thing I will personally get on a plane, come round to youse house and boot youse around like a football or at least until youse get angry, get off your ar-e and start fighting back. Last time I checked you were Dale Russell, THE Dale Russell. My friend and one of the few blokes barring my old man (God rest his bones) who I'll admit I admire. One of the MAIN reasons I'm still banging my head against the wall of bureaucracy here in London is because of you and the influence you had on me. I met a bloke who was like me, a battler, passionate about what he did and a b---dy good sort too. A bloke who humbled me by his openess and his generosity, by his skills (and yes you are VERY skilled) and by the way he could 'see' how things in iron were possible and how they could be done. A bloke who was always telling me to go for it, that I could do it and that they wouldn't beat me no matter what because I'd gotten iron in my blood and it never comes out. SO DO YOU you daft old f--t! What the heff and jeff is this? So your shoulders gone south and that means the butchers you guys call Dr's over there gets to carve you up, it a shonky deal, no ifs or buts but it can be fixed. If it can't then NO-ONE has a better brain to figure out a way round it than you mate. You never struck me as a quitter mate, never. Hearing you talk like this doesn't sit well at all. If nowt else remember you are Dale Russell, and that means a hell of a lot to some of us bloke.