Hello! My name is Ian I am from Carroll Ohio, which is SE of Columbus in Fairfield County. I am in my mid thirties. Ive worked in the automotive industry for almost 20 years (started when I was 13 washing cars at a dealership). I've been welding/building things in my free time at home since I tore apart my first truck when I was 15. I taught myself to weld when I was 16. I did attend college for a few years for mechanical engineering, however did not finish. I do play guitar and some piano. I love history, especially interested in local and my own genealogy. I have 2 Allis Chalmers D14s, a '58 and a '60. As well as a few small garden tractors. I have amassed quite a collection of tools, some of which I haven't used yet, but just in case... I also have an unhealthy affinity for collecting cows, not real ones mind you, ceramic, paintings, pictures. But back on track... My experience smithing is limited as I've only been dabbling for about a year now. My grandfather was a pipe fitter most of his life and his grandfather was a smith. (His father owned and operated a funeral home in Point Pleasant WV, and my father is an engineer, apparently the metal bug skips a generation.) I've been lucky enough to have acquired my gg grandfather's anvil and vise and so began this "addiction" as so many here refer to it. His name was Edward Green from Gallia county. Patriot and Gallipolis to be exact. I'm always searching for more info, so posting that in case anyone knows of anything. The anvil is a 1909 140lb Hay Budden, which I've cleaned up and used for about a year now. It spent many years under my grandfather's porch and then under my father's workbench. The vise is a large 4.5" jaw (82lb) but is unmarked. Both are in good shape. I started to clean the vise up too and then stopped after I cleaned up the threads and screwbox, as I thought the dirt and crud built up on the legs probably actually came from its original home, and well, I'm sometimes overly sentimental and didn't want to get rid of it. I do have a small finger vise as well, that is simply marked "Germany" and with a small "S"/scroll touchmark. I started by cold forging copper leaves and rings. Then used my wood stove and an air blow gun as a forge, then put coal in it. Then got afraid i was going to burn the shop down or melt the stove down. So I built a proper coal forge. however I haven't found a good source locally for fuel supply so it prompted me to build a gas forge. I fell into the beginners trap and built a huge 3 burner behemoth that works ok but is way too large and I've adapted to blocking 2/3rds off and using one burner most days. I do have a "super C" in the works that I've robbed plans from David Hammers videos. I unfortunately did a bunch of research about lining, insulation, and burner design, but ignored all the advice about starting small. I haven't sold anything, simply built gifts and trinkets for my own use or for the sake of learning. Watched probably hundreds of videos and read a large chunk of this forum since finding it a few months ago. So I figured it was time to actually post something. I've been involved in many forums, Garage Journal, Practical Machinist, Welders Web, The H.A.M.B, Pirate 4x4, etc. What seems special to me about this one is the willingness to help, to actually see people EXCITED to teach their craft. I for one definately appreciate it. I apologize for being long winded, I do that sometimes.
