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I Forge Iron

Mountainjack

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  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    The Green Mountains, USA.
  • Interests
    Fly Fishing, History, French and Indian War Reenacting, BSA, F&AM.

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  1. Mr Powers, thank you for your insight. It's sad to see a system that created so many fine craftsman die. The last sentence you posted is a scary reminder of the world we live in. When I was a kid my father would send me to his craftsman friends and I would work for them in exchange for learning a new craft. I loved it! All that said, I don't want to hijack a thread. Once again Mr. Powers, thank you for your insight. Mountainjack. edit. I read the anvilfire article you suggested. Good read!!
  2. Mr Stevens, why do you think apprenticeships have fallen to the wayside? I don't disagree, but I'd be curious as to your opinion on it. Mountainjack also, Mr Barrett, welcome to the forum, I'm new here myself but have already learned a boatload.
  3. Good morning, After examining the steel sheds at Lowes I decided to they weren't for me. So, I took my chainsaw, took down a wall in the shop I was renovating and expanded it another 2.5 ft. I have the new wall framed up and am placing windows in it that will strategically shine on my anvil while leaving the area where the forge will be in the somewhat dark. My mentor started me on a stock removal blade last thursday which is exciting. He's teaching me how to achieve different grinds on his grinder as well as how to conceptualize the different dimensions of a knife. I also got to help him make damascus billets by doing all the pre-grinding and preparation of metal. Its neat to help him create the billets and then return later to see what he's forged out of them. Mr Powers, your shop design sounds like a sight to behold, I'm jealous of your fair weather. Last saturday it snowed here and the temps are beginning to feel like winter. Hot Anvil, making knifes is what I'm learning to do. If you ever want a visitor, shoot me a pm, I'd love to meet another fellow Vermonter. MountainJack.
  4. Evening, Thank you both for your kind words! Judson, I live at the base of Mount Mansfield, on the Smugglers Notch side. I would love any and all contacts, once I figure out how to pm I'll shoot you a message. On this front, things are progressing swimmingly. In the past week I have purchased both an Anvil and a Post Vice. A coworker gifted me some tongs and a guillotine looking fuller. Also some basic hardy tools. Friday I'm going to go look at prefabbed steel sheds. The shop I was working on renovating is to small for my liking. It was 8 x 8 (8 x 6 with my bench) and I found myself bumping around like a bull in a china shop. I know that many people have worked and created beautiful pieces in that space requirement, or even smaller, but that aint me. I brought in my buddy to try double hammering and we were cramped in tighter than a can of grizzly dip. I saw a prefabbed unit at the lowes website that was 12 x 14 for less than 500.00. I priced out what it would cost me to buy the equivalent in materials and build it myself and I can't compete with that price unless I milled my own wood and i kinda like the idea of steel sides. With winter coming I may have to figure out a partial insulation and also ways to cut out windows to shine light on my anvil. That is all to be seen when I check out the shed in person and see if its quality. If its not I may build a smaller 12 x 12 shed of partial steel and wood sidings. Anyways, thats the progress over here. Good tidings to all of you and if you hunt, good luck this upcoming season. MountainJack.
  5. Howdy! I've been around blacksmiths all my life and have recently decided to try my hand at it as a hobby. I'm fortunate to have two friends that make their living forging knives and both have agreed to show me the ropes. One was kind enough to lend me an anvil and I ordered an Ellis forge. While Ive been waiting for that to arrive, I renovated an old structure into a small forging area. So far I've built the workbench and put cement board up on the interior walls to prevent fire damage. I'm in the process of covering the floor with sand. Also I should mention that after I ordered my forge, my coworker told me he had an old coal forge that he would give me!! So now I'll have both styles to learn with. These are the books I've ordered and am in the process of reading, or have read. A Blacksmiths Primer, The complete Modern Blacksmith, The Backyard Blacksmith, The Art of Blacksmithing, Practical Blacksmithing, The Complete Bladesmith. If I'm missing necessary literature please let me know, I love books. I've been in the process of learning MIG welding off and on for the last two years and recently traded for a very old small welder; but have decided to bite the bullet and buy a newer more powerful unit. My friend who is teaching me how to weld recently took me on a road trip to meet an older blacksmith. This guys forge and shop was amazing!! While there he showed us a belt sander he had constructed at a workshop for making knives. The design looks fairly doable so in the future my welding mentor and I are going to weld one up for the shop. I feel like my interests in smithing are a little scattered. I want to make knives and tomahawks, but I also get very excited when I see colonial hinges, hasps, candle holders and such. That said, I'm starting out slow and methodical. Right now I have cold pressed round stock sitting in my shop waiting to become hooks. My mentor showed me how to make a hook and told me to bust them out until all my friends are sick and tired of getting random hooks as gifts. Any advice, thoughts and random musings would be appreciated. MountainJack
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