ironrosefarms

What a RUSH

King me!!!!!

BRRRRR, wind and rain and ice have been the order of winter weather here and I'm just not up to forging outside in it. Thanks for making me look bad ... James

That would be the LAST thing I'd want

The symmetry of the pieces is amazing, very interesting pieces.

Drinking and Driving ain't nothin to JEST about

Welcome Reginald, don't forget to go up and click on the user CP, once there put in your location so we know where in the world you are from. It has amazed me in the time I've been here how helpful a location can be on here. Looking forward to seeing you around IFI James

I just wonder how hot the ole feet got when they got up on that ring? That was definitely back when men were men! James

I wouldn't expect any LESS

Welcome fellow Hoosier.. Ornamental is a wide range of things, I have personally not figured out a way to make a living at the forge but others here have. Many of those making a living are also doing some more industrial type stuff such as gates and things. Like many other crafts you have to find your niche. Look forward to seeing you around IFI James

but don't forget the FEDS will have to have their take even when your gone!

OOOOhhh yeah stopped today to check on a piece of metal... very very disappointed, it was plastic... Now as for the robbing of a steel supply, I wouldn't joke about a thing like that, you know those guys know me by name! If they seen me on tape in the middle of the night I'd be cut off from my source! I can't be cut off from my source! That just isn't funny! :D

Primetech that is cool. Now if you pair those up with a nice big flat washer you can give folks their very own heavy duty washer and drier! James

and thus will be your final FATE

I thought maybe your daughter over heard me stating when asked what I want for Christmas, that "I've been really really bad... as bad as I can be, so Santa will bring me lots and lots of coal for my forge!" then I seen your from Finland, so my remarks just arent' that original! Out thunk by a 5 year old... wow... James

One thing I noticed over the two years that I could not forge was that not using and anvil can and will encourage additional corrosion and such that I had never seen when it was used regularly...

Mike that is a great point and one I can completely appreciate. James

I like many others started out using another persons equipment... as time went on I have accumulated my own and have grown pretty accustomed to it. Today I had the chance to visit with the Wabash Valley Black Smith Assoc, friendly bunch who made me feel very welcome and with 5 forge stations available had the chance to hammer a bit. Rick, Max, Tex, John and the rest of the guys was great First the project I had in mind didn't work out, I only took one hammer with me and a couple sticks of 1/2inch square stock. So other than my Hofi 2.75 pound hammer, everything else was "borrowed". I will also admit that it has been a very long time since I smithed side by side with someone, I had trouble keeping my attention on my own work:D, so much going on I found myself forever looking around. I don't have a lot of time in using the Hofi, It is the best hammer I have ever used for moving mass, but I'm not used to the square head for smaller detail work. So I scrapped the first idea and after a while started making some "crucifixion nails". 3/8" shank 6-8 " long with a square 5 facet head. It really took me a little while to get into the flow of using a strange forge, anvil, tongs... But in the end I had a great time. I really look forward to pulling out my own "stuff" again though. Gives me an even bigger ITCH to get that barn turned into a shop!:D

Diver, uh blister on the hammer hand... Well a few forging sessions ago I wore two large blisters one just below my fingers from my pointing finger all the way across to my ring finger, and the other was at the base of my thumb. New hammer, not modified to fit... OUCH... so I went inside got some moles skin and padded it all up found a glove (I never forge with a glove on) and went back at it. Now this isn't a vain effort of masculine ego here, just relation how badly I need BSA when you don't listen to your own bodies screams for mercy... you have gone over the edge! Later, it dawned on me... I didn't even feel the blisters coming on... I was way overly focused on the projects at hand... Oh and I have since took a few licks at that hammer handle too!

Break a pact with the pirates and you won't have time to PACK your bags for your final trip!!!

Welcome, good to have ya here at IFI. As you spend some time here go up to user CP and put in your location and such so everyone can remember where your from. By the sounds of it your well on your way to getting a shop together... Looking forward to seeing you around IFI! James

Started with S hooks, each with a variety of ends and twists. I think I found alot of my "style" in those very early S hooks

The production plant I work at uses a good deal of compressed air and vacuum operated equipment. We have two 50hp screw compressors, we run one at a time 24/7 use the other as a back up. Very expensive units, however very efficient. As for maintenance the parts are expensive but they are fairly easy to work on, second the maintenance is done on a 6 month rotation and costs about $1000 each time. Our budget is $4000 for maintenance on these units. Remember there is one running 24/7. We only use about 1/2 of the available air from one unit, we never bog them down and our air usage is incredible. As I sit here no machine is running, the only sound is constant air loss from the idle machinery. Our screw compressors use no storage tank, it is on demand... It isn't like the compressor I have at home that is constantly trying to keep up with filling a tank by moving a couple pistons up and down. Another note they are quite noisy, ours sit in their own room their only neighbor are the two very large vacuum pumps (very noisy and inefficient), not a room you would want to sneak away in for a nap! If I had the chance to build a forge here at work, compressed air would be my air source... at home a blower will do very nicely thank you.

I went North South EAST and West looking for Muskie...

MOST of us have had to do that a time or two! :D