ironrosefarms

I was sent a link today that has been a lot of fun to play with. yearbook yourself You have to have a picture of yourself looking straight ahead but in just moments you can be transported back to high school in year 1950 or year 2000 or any where in between! Here I am 25 years before I graduated figure that one out... oh and notice NO beard...

God bless your daughter for creating a place to support those who are going through such a traumatic time in their lives! Our prayers go up for this young man and his family! Keep us posted on his progress... James

Our prayers cry out for this young lady... What hospital is Makayla going to? I think it important to pray for those offering care as well... James

Well beyond blacksmith I dabble in leather work, carpentry, antique ford tractors, automotive repair, anything you can cook in a well stocked kitchen I can pretty well match out on an open fire including baked goods, sewing by hand, treadle or electric machine, some graphic arts work, have done sound engineering and installation of sound equipment and video projection systems, demolition, gardening (5 acres), raise cows- hogs- goats- sheep- chickens- ducks- rabbits, amateur photography, Scoutmaster, Cubmaster, Eagle Scout, computer skills including numerous computer builds proficient at PowerPoint, Excel, Photoshop, Word, and have never tackled a program that has stumped me yet (coding is an area I am looking at learning soon), expert marksman 8 years in a row while in the Army, water purification specialist (77W) during the same time frame, drive backhoe, forklift, semi, armored personnel carriers, etc etc, I crochet, I've done some stained glass, and glass etchings, shoot long bow, compound bow, cross bow and can start a fire with a bow....... Actually I don't say I can't, I was raised with the idea that I can do anything I set my mind to do... and if I don't know how yet, I'm always ready to learn... I also know my learning style is hands on and visual, so I look for those opportunities. My wife says I make her sick cause I can do anything, I think she means it as a good thing???

Mail, what I am watching in high hopes of my Hofi hammer's arrival

It was because of a patient smith at a reenactment pioneer village that took this young kid's comment of my great grandpa was a blacksmith with grace. He asked me what exactly he did, to which I answered I only know that he was the smith for a coal mine and a few stories related to me by my great grandma. He then said he was planning to work in the shop the next weekend and if I had an interest I was welcome to come by. I did and we then worked side by side for about 3 1/2 years. I handle the questions in much the same way, though I don't often have the availability of a next weekend or anything of that nature. I have had some very good conversations with folks who remember a smith in their family and the work they did. I find that allowing people to reminisce about a fond memory is a great way to give me a chance to allow them to leave away from me with another fond memory of a smith in their life. For me, maybe they will someday be a customer, but that is not the important part... for them, to know someone took the time to recognize their story as important is worth more than anything I could forge in my coal fire. James

Simply gorgeous! Out of all the knives I have viewed here and elsewhere I think I just found my favorite. Wow...

Well at the moment it is 18 to 11 and 2 sometimes. Facial hair seems to be winning at the moment. Personally I find shaving to be an immense waste of time!!! I trim my mustache frequently but my beard gets a trim only about 4 times a year. I have a personal goal of having a beard that the mall santa's will be envious of by the time mine turns white. I do keep my hair short. My wife likes my beard and my daughter cry's every time I trim it and she is 12... I don't think my kids even remember me without a beard and if they do it is only from my military photo's...

OK, I got accused of only having a beard because I blacksmith... and although this general topic has been discussed (do-all-blacksmiths-look-like-blacksmiths) I wonder how many of us do have a beard or mustache or what ever... Post a picture of yourself if you dare!!

I went to my moms to work on her computer and ended up bringing some goodies home. Since Dad passed away just over a year ago he had many projects he had not finished. Most of those projects no else knew what they was going to be... most would have been to customize his motorcycle or his pickup... Well mom gave me a 2foot by 4 foot sheet of very shiny stainless steel, move over chrome!!! This is about as thick as a box cutter blade and pretty stiff stuff. I also got a 3/8 inch round Stainless steel rod about 3 foot long... I also got a weapon... as the story goes behind it my great grandfather made it while he was a blacksmith. It is a cross bow and although the "string" (steel cable) is broke now, back when I was a kid my dad fired it using some solid aluminum cross bow bolts he bought. When he tried to fire the solid aluminum shaft the cable split the shaft and stuck to the "string". Later he used an iron shaft of about the same thickness and it shot but was never again found. It won't use any standard "string" and honestly I doubt I will ever string it up... it is a monster to set the string and I'm not so sure about a steel cable stretched inches from my face... So there is the stuff that followed me home! James

Not so much a problem as wanting suggestions... This weekend I was given a sheet of Stainless Steel about 2 foot by 4 foot, bright and shiny and one side has a protective sheet to protect the finish (just peels off). I thought about using part of it for some spatulas, but I also thought that it might not really be the best use for this. No tag or anything wrote on the metal and I didn't have my micrometer to measure it but it is about as thick as the blade in a box cutter and pretty stiff. It is really nice stuff and I'm now trying to decide the best use... So I come now to ask all of you what you would do with such a piece... James

Excellent, I have tried to do some filming of my forging, but have a lot of trouble with the lighting. One I am still outside and can not control the amount of light real well. I am thinking inside would be better for filming the fire and such but any hints that you have would be greatly appreciated. James

I agree with the above, however it may also do this if the air filter is real dirty. Chances are though it is a fuel issue that is causing it to pulse. If it isn't the air filter (you will know as soon as you take off the air filter if it is that) then I would pull the carb off (make sure the engine is off and cold!) and gently remove the bowl. It will probably have some junk in the bottom that should be cleaned out. Then remove the float and inlet valve clean well with some carb cleaner and reinstall. This short and easy procedure has cured about 70% of the times I have had this problem brought to me... If not this then it is time for a kit and a real cleanup.

Your inlay has got me interested in a new project, however I'm wondering what tool you use to cut the design for the metal to lay into. Thanks James

On my old ratchet forge with the leather belt... I have cut out sections and put in new and shortened mine up and all kinds of stuff. When I got mine the belt was "spliced" together using a copper rivet with a small thin copper washer on top and bottom. So when I cut out the rotted section I simply punched a hole on each end and riveted it together with new copper rivets. It has held thus far for 4 years of active forging and 2 years of sitting and now being put back into service with no adjustment or further repair. It does look a bit odd with 1/3 being fairly new leather and the rest being really old... but I didn't have enough leather at the time to refit the whole thing and now why fix it if it ain't broke? One extra hint don't grease or oil the ratchet assembly, some dry lube such as graphite if needed but no oil or grease...

Doc, after looking at your website and seeing RAGE, I feel like offering a design suggestion is a lot like the 1st grade student instructing the College prof... Your first post said the guy is a hunter and you wanted something outside of the basic picket design. That brought a idea of not using vertical posts at all. Using the idea of the elk that you mentioned I sketched a pretty good version on paper, however I don't have a scanner so I have a hack job drawing made in paint... Maybe it will get my idea across... I added the second pix using a bellowing elk pix to help define the lines... the left panel could be any terrain texture or even pickets? James

I cheat, I carry a pad that I sketch out ideas as I see them in museums, reenactment camps, other forges, grave yards or where ever I see something that catches my eye. I seldom try and perfectly match the item I have sketched up. I prefer to allow my personal style and ability to take effect in a piece, thus I don't feel to bad about steeling any bodies ideas. I lost a sketch book once, I was so bummed out for about a week then someone called and said they had found it. When I went to pick it up they asked what all those ancient Egyptian symbols drawn out was??? They would not believe me that they was sketches for my metal work, but they did gladly except the $50 I offered to get my book back... I do sometimes get the inspiration from custom work requests... currently a guy is talking about building a very custom grilling and cooking station... I just don't know if he is willing to pay what it will take to build this thing? His idea is interesting to say the least and will be a great challenge, thus another point of inspiration... James PS... oh and I forgot to add I go through the blueprints here and similar things I find elsewhere to gather up ideas as well. I have several binders with blueprints and other printed out pages of materials that I keep on hand. I print the pages out then slide all the pages for that item into a single page protector then put the page protector into a binder. This keeps me from loosing pages due to ripped out page holes and such.

I also don't like purchasing discs from the Lowes, home depot or menards... I have found far to often that these discs get dropped or beat around causing weak spots in other wise good brands. I will buy from our local hardware store as the guy is very careful with his stock, other wise I go to a welding supply house or similar place to avoid the mass handling and flunky careless stock boys that they tend to get...

My father in-law is 92 and I can tell you that more than anything he just wants someone that is willing to listen to him and about what he used to do (railroader). I know more about old time railroading than I ever cared about and yet it was a lot more than his stories. Each time is an opportunity for trust and friendship to be built. Because of my willingness to sit and listen he tends to trust me more than his own sons... as to if that is a good thing or not I don't know the right answer, but I can tell you when the family comes to me to talk to dad I tell them over and over... just take some time and sit down to listen to him... If you have an old smith willing to speak, take your video camera or tape recorder but be sure to ask him about his feeling of using them, it wouldn't be worth much if it offends or causes him to stop talking... James

I live out a ways and don't have the close neighbor problem... in fact it is just the opposite, I have a neighbor I would like to bother and am far enough away that my smoke dissipates far to quickly and the forge noise doesn't carry quite far enough and my music has to be too loud for even me to enjoy it... Drat, I guess that puts me back to trying to love thy neighbor again! James

I was going to suggest keeping a can of Dinty Moore stew or Spaghettios on the edge of your fire... or even some hot dogs but you might have to make a fork to cook those dogs first ehhh? wouldn't that qualify as cooking? I wish I could suggest something in the propane world but like you I truly like coal... James

Thanks for the update, we will continue to lift your bride and you up in prayer!!! 6 months is a very long time to keep a red head in shackles and cuffs made in your own forge... might actually get you in trouble with the law as well?

Thanks Nett and Nate, I have printed out the UN books and the FTP book, I don't know that I will take 100% of them because of the overall size and weight, but it won't be hard to pull out specific lessons and add some of the blue prints found here on IFI. I don't know when I will get a go or no go on this but a lot of it depends on being able to pull it off. It changes my focus for this year. I intended on focusing on getting my hammer control back and getting a decent stock of items to sell. Now it is to focus on hammer control and back to basics including forge welding. If I make anything to sell, it will just be a added bonus.