beth

hi there greywolf - it would be good to see some pictures of yr tools and bows and all that - hope you enjoy using this site - bet you find what you want and loads of other cool stuff! :)

hi Patty really nice that you joined to encourage your son - people on here have loads of ways to help him get into smithing - i think there are a few youngsters on here , i was talking to a dutch boy last night on the chat who is 14 - there must be others. as a mum of young- uns myself i reckon this is a great forum for them to learn from if thats what they want. hope you/he finds the help he needs:)

hi harlen i'd be interested in yr photos too - good luck with the rebuild - you'll get lots of encouragement on here:)

hi nigel - another brit ! hope you find what you need on here - its a brilliant source of info!

i use whatever i pick up but instinct tells me if i had more valuable hammers i may not do this....;)

once saw a nice bench seat with curved back and little roof of welded together shoes - no frame just shoes- quite sweet really:)

hi there Dave - hope you enjoy the forum and learn some blacksmithing techniques to try - sure your years of welding will come in useful for the rest of us too! :)

absolutely brilliant - the timing of all those hammers - started to look like ants or something. cant imagine the work of a lifetime of making anchors....! fantastic footage thanks for putting it in!:)

brilliant work Connor - you should be very proud too - hope you go on and make a load more things - keep posting the pictures!:)

hi there Dennis yeah like Dick said - how lucky that your dad can be your on hand teacher!! you make the most of him:) hope you enjoy the forum - theres all sorts on here!

hi there your things look great! metal is a great medium for the artists out there - hope you keep posting your pics!

hi mike im quite new on this forum too - if i were you i would check out the blueprints and see if you can try one of the simpler techniques. do you have any equipment or anywhere to work? where do you live? there is a book review section here that has lots of titles you could try reading - hope you find a good place to start - just get stuck in really would be my advice!:)

frosty your way too cool .... how sweet about your ma! perfect:)

Hi Ema where you from? i bet you will love this forum- i think its brilliant!:)

nice one Ted - very mellow approach! would be so boring if we all knew the same stuff...

great videos thanks - must really try harder to get into the whole you- tube facility...:)

rosco - spot on what you said - in my oppinion its fine to behave like you described when teaching someone something- its often part of the learning process. What makes me sad and what i hope i never do (when ive learnt anything someone other than children want to know!) is crush anybodys enthusiasm. Somebody might be stupid, naive, careless, lazy, undedicated, whatever and sometimes its best that is dealt with, but enthusiasm should always be recognised as the good and precious quality that it is. There are far too many cheerless cynics in this world without adding to it! For the record i have found ALL you experts lovely and patient and informative, but anyone tired of answering beginners questions should maybe ignore our posts and let someone else take up the task - everyones a winner!:)

WOW!!! i say too - what an amazing building! the photos on the other site look great - what a beautiful building - would be fabulous full of smiths again.. the sort of thing there should be funding for.

hi james ive not been using this for long but its a great forum, a lot of knowledge! hope you like it:) beth

thanks brian that hammer is beautiful- am always amazed by some of the stuff you lot make! bet JK loves it - it will be put to good use in his hands i would have thought.... Frosty do you think we start a campaign for this book? I agree you have a great clear way with words Brian, its got to be wortha thought. I would be on the waiting list for one. I love the photos that you are putting on with your posts, for me they are just right. I suppose for a book you would want to ask lots of opinions on photo/illustration styles to see what was most clear for most people. I would offer help too but i doubt i would be of much, except being a reader guinea pig???

brian i was going to say the same - you def got a good book in you! JK love your stainless version - theres those cute little stamps again.. Whats the amazing hammer brian referring to?

thats will make them smile - ive never seen a fork like that - nice unique work:)

you'll love my bench - its cast, about 8ft by 4ft and around 2 inchs of solid top it has 6 massive legs , and it was a pig to move i reckon about 3 tonne.. But it is the business, i totally love it (can you tell?) nothing i do is going to warp that, you can climb on it hit it use it as an anvil. Its a BEAUTY. Its def worth not being able to shift it easily - and i got it cheap because of that very reason.

great tip for work and life in general Mike - nice one!:)

thats very cool John! looks amazing:)