Meadowgrove

Exemplar first post! This should be stickied for reference. It's great to see someone who's clearly done his homework concerning the art. Also, you look just like a friend of mine... Any relatives in Finland?

I bet this guy doesn't let us touch anything in his shop!

Last I checked LibreOffice was pretty light on the requirements. What are your specs?

Thomas was saying you could try LibreOffice. If you're using a smartphone search for a pptx reader app.

Sorry if I seemed blunt. Your knife looks prerty rad, much better than anything I've come up with. Just wanted to point you to the thread, some golden advice there.

Shouldn't that be the other way around, to learn to taper and draw out first, then move on to more complicated projects? That's what all the experienced folk here repeat to us newbs. This thread here accumulated a lot of valuable information for beginners. Especially This post has stuck in my memory as a great training rudiment.

Oh, great. Thanks @JHCC. That xxxxxx song has been looping in my head for the past month or so, got it out of my system just yesterday. Here we go again, and again. And again!

Poor little guy stumbled under The Ban Hammer...

I'd keep the name as it is. It's very distinctive and takes some effort to pronounce right. The switch from J to R feels so weird! I tried saying it out loud(and got some strange looks from work buddies :D), and noticed I subconsciously try to say "Urjavasalo". Maybe it's because our languages are related? "Urja" is mentioned in Kalevala a few times, just thinking if it means anything in Hungarian?

A picture book could be a good course of action. No, I'm not being smart. Studying pictures is my preferred method of learning, a thousand words and all that. I struggle with text or talk, but a good set of pictorial instructions really helps. Wish I'd known that back when I was still in school...

I bought the book a few years ago when I was visiting Stockholm. Found it from a little viking themed shop in the old town that had all kinds of interesting stuff for sale. Bought a few hand forged jew's harps from there as well. The book is an excellent read, though there's a tinge of elitism seeping from some comments on how to build a forge. In page 16: "Any recommendations about forging on pieces of railroad tracks or steel girders can be left to tgose who prefer the more improvisational. Get an anvil..." I remember frowning to this so bad my glasses fell off. And next page the smith wants you to get an anvil that weighs at least 100kg or 220lbs. A blue-eyed smith wannabe taking everything at face value could be completely discouraged from even trying after reading stuff like that. Of course it could be something was just lost in translation, but I disliked some of the parts about building the forge due to those odd undertones. Maybe the advice is directed more to those who want to start a career in blacksmithing? The different techniques, drawings, everything else is just awesome and informational. The forge building part should have said only: Visit this cool website I just found...

I would just scream hysterically and run away But hey, next time a PR person approaches you with a camera, you know exactly what to do!

"The smith on the bus goes crank crank crank..." How does it feel to see yourself on the side of the bus?

...when you check your workplace's metal dumpsters many times a day. Or is it just hoarding?

Process operator at a PE coating factory. We make raw material for milk cartons, disposable cups etc.

Congratulations and enjoy the ride! Kids are the purest form of amazing.

Great info, especially the illustrations are superb! Simple yet informative.

Sounds like zinc residue. I'd not subject it to fire. Back when I didn't know danger I "cleaned" the zinc coating off some scrap ventilation duct pieces by burning. The smoke made me pretty nauseous and the scraps had formed some unsightly yellow powder on them. Few days later I read about Paw-Paw Wilson.

Mist päi sie tuut, ethä Karjalast? That's a wicked cool puukko, mate. I like the texturing on the back, haven't seen that very often. I'll see if I can find my very WIP vuolupuukko(carving knife) somewhere. Just remembered I took a puukko making course some years ago... IIRC I finished the blade part, but the handle is still missing. Why, oh why did I have to get sick on the last part of the course...

If you have an infinite supply of wood, it would be useful to build some kinda retort and make your own charcoal. Search the forum for further instructions. I think there was a pinned thread about it in the solid fuel forges section...

That's what I thought. Never burned mulch, what kind of BTUs should I expect... Just kidding Iactually live in a neighborhood that's built over a dried-up swamp bed, so clay is over abundant here. Just need to find a good digging spot on the yard.

Just wanted everyone to know I'm super thankful for all the advice here. If anyone of you ever visit Finland, be sure to let me know so I can buy you a beer. No further questions just yet, don't know what to ask since I'm still missing the earthen fillings for my JABOD. At least I got the basic frame together today! Wonder how badly old garden mulch would work... Wait, that counts as a question, right?

Sorry for double posting, but I had a real "facepalm" moment today. Ha! This one didn't exactly follow me home, it's always been here. So I've had an anvil for like six years now, meeeh! Though it's only 10-15cm long, not a whole lot of mass. Have to fix it firmly to whatever I'll use as a stand.

Great idea, thanks @Gergely!

Thanks guys. Excellent answers all round. Kid just went to have a nap soI just might have an hour or so to do something...