oddtodd

I got the chisel today Mark. It is beautiful. You really worked hard on it didn't you? How did you get the finish? I want to know how to do that. I am planning on using it tuesday when I have my tours for the kids. I am now going to create a gallery for everyone to see of my smithy. I have a few other pitures too you might enjoy. Hope you all like them! Oddtodd out

I took them yesterday Frosty. The admin assistant will email them today and i will post them on here. The website is brand new so they haven't got everything up yet. I took a BUNCH of pictures of the shop, but I ran out of time to take pics of the indoor blacksmith display. I will do that tues. I took pictures of a few carriages that are either restored or getting ready to be restored too. That's why thye needed me. I will be making the parts that are missing. I just need a lot more practice.

Thank you David! I got the hammers today and the book. I was sick yesterday so I didn't get them till this morning. I will be using them tuesday for my first tour of the week. I am so fortunate. I had to go home early tuesday because I was coughing very hard and I couldn't breathe. I went to urgent care and they told me I had bronchitis. I couldn't go in wednesday because I was off work till today. They let me work today since I didn't get to wedsnesday! I love this place! I wish I could work more often, but I have to take care of my, well I call her my wife but she isn't yet. She has to have both of her hips replaced due to avascular necrosis, and she said she wouldn't marry me till she could stand beside me at the altar. She is in a wheelchair right now.It's coming up quick though. May 13th. She gets her left one done first, then her right one. She has the same diagnosis as me, so we understand eachother bettter than anyone else can. I wear a wedding band and so does she so as far as I am concerned she is my wife. I took pictures of the blacksmith shop today and I will be posting them as soon as the admin asst emails them to me. It should be tomorrow. I should also have pictures of me forging tuesday too. That is my first tour of the week. Actually I have 2 that day. 2 groups at 9:15 and 2 at noon. I will be keeping busy, that's for sure! Again, Thank you for the tools and the autographed book David. THey will be much used and enjoyed! Oddtodd out

You are going to work your butt off with that. lol I'm just starting and I can tell that. I don't know anything about steels yet though. That's some big chain!

I am truly amazed by all the help and gifts I have recieved here. This will make my time at the museum so much more fulfilling. I already have permission to bring people in to see the forge, so if any of you are in Richmond, Indiana, or even passing through, let me know ahead of time and I will show you my wonderful smithy. You guys have made this a dream come true for me. I feel like I have a place in the world when I am at the museum. I feel like I have dear friends here on this website too. I can already do things with metal that is the envy of the facilities manager. I feel like a kid who has been turned loose in a toy store and told to play with everything! I even got a project from him today. He wants me to attempt to make new hinges for the outhouse door. Yes we have an outhouse on the property. lol It doesn't work, but it's a real one from 1886. This all started from 2 days a week to almost every day. lol The more I show I can do, the more I get to do. I never thought I would have a place in the world again after Iraq and being in hospitals and group homes for so long. Now I do, and you guys have played a big part of making it possible. Thank you so much.

Thank You so much David. I will read the book from cover to cover. I have been reading everything I can get my hands on. lol I will order your book next month when my rent goes down. THis is about the time of the forge. I will take pictures thursday of everything in the forge and how it is laid out, Have the admin assist. email them to me then post them on here. I will also have her take pictures of me using all the tools everybody has so gracioulsy given me. I won't be able to do that part till tuesday. That is when my tours start. WIsh me luck!

Thank you so much Mark. I will definitely use it. Guys, I just want you to know that the tools you are sending are not going to be the museum's they will be mine, locked up in a steel toolbox that only I have the key to. Not even the director has a key to this box. I oughta know. I bought the keyset myself. lol It was only 2 buck to have the cylinder rekeyed, and I can afford that.

Okay Guys, You have given me a lot of info and I really appreciate the help. I've decided to buy one hammer and one chisel. I will make everything else. I am still learning the site, so if I ask a dumb question, just point me in the right direction. The reason I chose menards is I have a local store and they will help me out. I hope I am not going into to much detail here, but Life is pretty new for me right now. I lived in a group home for a long time to learn life skills. I can now clean my apartment, cook, drive, and do laundry. I have been out of there for 2 months. I have a car, furniture, cooking utensils and a toolbox. My case manager gave me this computer and even though it is 6 years old I can still listen to music and surf the net. I am taking classes on how to pay my bills even though I have a payee. I live in an apartment for the disabled and I am beginning to have some friends here. I even have my own telephone! All in all it's a lot better life than I had before I got into the system. I have help now. My case manager says it's her job to keep me from ending up on the street again. You guys have no idea what a luxury it is to be able to take a shower anytime you want! I can sleep on my schedule now which is going to bed about 8 and getting up at 4. THis blacksmithing job is part of my care plan. I am responsible for eveerything. I have to let the director know when I need coal and metal. I work with the administrative assistant to plan tours and demonstrations. I do have to supply my own tools though. That's why everything is price price price. Oh, I found two chisels in an old cabinet in the forge! They are pretty beat up but my dad is going to let me use his grinder to clean them up. One of them is pretty big, but I figure it's going to take me about an hour to get it in good shape. THe other one is weird looking, but I figure if I shape it right it will make a good hot chisel. Thanks for all the help guys! I really appreciate it. You are a godsend.

Hi All! Well I am the new blacksmith at my local historical museum. Only problem is, the forge hasn't been used since 1997 and the only thing I have as far as tools go is 3 anvils, one of which is so dead you couldn't bounce a spring off of it, a blue million tongs, and one single solitary four pound hammer. I dug that out of the garbage with a broken handle, found an old framing hammer handle, and shaved it down and wedged it to fit. No files, chisels, punches etc. Nothing. I do have a flatter I need to make a handle for though. My question is this: Are these purchases enough to get me started for school groups showing some blacksmithing? Hammers http://www.menards.com/main/tools-hardware/hand-tools/hammers/5-piece-ball-pein-hammer/p-1690668-c-9143.htm Chisels and punches http://www.menards.com/main/tools-hardware/hand-tools/chisels-files-punches/5-pc-punch-and-chisel-kit/p-1773302-c-9122.htm I don't even know where to start. I did school tours for 3 hours yesterday and my forearms feel like they are going to burst. I know the 4 lb is way too heavy, but I don't know what to buy. I just needs something NOW. I have more tours next week, and I literally have 2 tours a weekday for the next month. As my budget increases I will buy better tools as I know what I need. But since these are going to be my personal tools and not the museum's, I don't want to waste money. I know the hammers and chisels are cheap, but I just need them for a month or two. I do have a little experience working metal. My grandpa was a farrier and I helped him out when I was 16. I do at least know how to light the forge and get a good hot working heat going. I also know how to cook coke. See, here's the thing. I am disabled with a mental illness. Iraq really screwed me up.I am finally coming back with the new meds they have now and I want a real job. But it's been 7 years. Nobody will even give me an interview, not even wal-mart. I figure if I do this and facilities upkeep for a year,and do a good job, I will have a good reference. I may even keep doing the tours because i really enjoy talking to the kids. I love working with metal and wood, and I will even help build the new displays they have at the museum. I just need good advice and with what I have read here I know I will get it. Thanks in advance! OddTodd Out

Hey everybody! My name is Todd. I am the new blacksmith for the Wayne County Historical Museum in Richmond, IN. I'm kind of learning as I go. I know some metalworking from being in heating and air, but I mostly do demonstrations for school children and tour groups. I did one today that lasted for 3 hours. It was my first one. I made a bolt eye and a holdfast for my anvil. I am going to try to make a pot hanger next. I am still finding my way around the site, so if I ask some stupid questions, please don't be harsh. I'm learning this computer thing too. I hope to learn a lot of things here and make some friends. Have a good one!