CrazyGoatLady

Frosty: I know you love goats. Here's a big dose of cuteness. The newest editions to our family. They are a week old. They just got banded today, so they are a little uncomfortable

Thomas is exactly right. Even at the scrapyard where my little anvil came from, the guy in the yard told them to charge me $30 for it. After all, it's an anvil. Nevermind what shape it's in. They charged me scrap price, hence the$11.37

Thank you Snuffy. I was thinking that too, that I could draw the top parts out and give it a nice scroll ending or something. They look kind of plain to me. Thank you for your input Made some of these little guys

I agree

That is so amazing! Excellent work

Now I did buy a leg vice from an "antique" store that was$195. But, it was mounted on a tire rim with thick angle iron for legs and a thick steel plate for a table and I love it. It had been the guys father in laws. He had already sold the anvil

Mine is a Vulcan also. And it works, so it's all good. Leg vice prices are stupid high also. I saw one"rare" and it works, for only $800.00 US. Looked like it had been sitting in the weather for years. At least clean it up if your going to ask for an incredible price like that

Ok thank you so much. I will have to try that

Very nice doorknocker. Does that require welding? And I saw those little tongs before in one of your posts and thought they were really neat. Thank you

I see the ad on CL. It's like a four hour or so drive for me, so that's not happening at the prices they have. If I'm going to spend $1000+, I think I'd just buy a new one.

Das, thank you for the compliment. I love your dragonflies! All your work is second to none. My hearts sure look better than they did when I first started. I was given a box of various size shoes and I've tried figuring out other things to make with them. These need to be finished. Any ideas on something I could do better are welcome.

Chris Its frustrating in my neck of the woods also. I don't even know of anyone around here who smith's but me, so information about anything seems hard to come by. Unless it's an antiques dealer who wants an arm and a leg. I have a 67 lb. anvil with a broken heel and tip of the horn is gone. Junkyard find for $11.37US. I've well gotten my money's worth and I'm content, but I would like heavier for sure. Im sure you've seen that antiques place in Guthrie, OK that has all those anvils. Steep prices on them though. But lots of people know I'm looking, so it'll come, and it will for you too

Such wonderful work from everyone! I haven't posted in quite awhile and didn't do much forging through the winter. But been back at it the last few weeks. Been working on several things but I haven't got pictures of most. Hope y'all have a good day.

That too. But in this instance, everyone knows who they are getting something from. It's kind of important to me this year because I went with my father in law up to Kansas about a month ago to his Grandmothers funeral. She was 105! Anyway, there had been long standing bad feelings and I never really met anyone from there. After finally meeting them for the first time, I'm really excited about being able to put a face to a name and make something with my own hands for them.

I have a couple of hammer handles made from Bois' D'Arc. What Ranchmanben said about it staining your hands, he's not joking. Plus it's hard stuff to shape

SLAG Of course! It's just a list where everyone in the family is randomly assigned another family member to get a gift for. My mother-in- law has tasked me with making the adults something from the Texas branch of the family. I've always heard it called "Chinese Christmas" growing up. I'm not sure why:)

I learned to make these from John Switzer/ Black Bear Forge on you tube. I'm going to make several more for my husbands family in Kansas. They do a Chinese Christmas exchange and most of them love hand made items.

I wanted to be a farrier to start out with. Then I messed up my knee, and that went out the window. Making knives was appealing to me. But as I started picking up on books ( and my husband found I Forge Iron), I began to really look at blacksmithing as a whole. You can make artful pieces and useful pieces as well. I can draw, with graphite being my chosen medium, but I don't like being stuck in the house for hours doing it anymore. Gets a little depressing without some sunlight and fresh air. With blacksmithing, I can have the best of both worlds. With the added bonus of putting in good, old fashioned hard work. Since I am new to this, I'm sure I wouldn't be considered a "blacksmith". When would I get that honor? I don't know. But I do know that when I am doing anything that has to do with it, I am completely immersed in it. That is a place away from all the cares of the world. And even if what I make at this moment isn't technically perfect, I'm still happy to make it. And I know the more I work at it, the better I will become at it

Time management is a biggie for me. Household chores, farm chores, miscellaneous chores. And my MIL depends on me a lot as she doesn't get around very well. Now working in forge time. Seems like everything is on a time constraint, which is common to everyone I'm sure. Just figuring it out a little at a time

Never underestimate a rabbit either...they aren't all cuddly, little bunny foo foo

Nice work everyone! I got some time in yesterday, but wasn't vey successful. I haven't been feeling too great, and it really shows. But on to today. I made this hammer handle from some Boise' D'Arc my husband had cut out for me. Dressed the face and peen. Got some linseed oil on it. Dressed a chisel that's working better for the veins on leaves. Made a leaf keychain and showed my husband how to the best I can, not being real great at it myself. I'm sure he will be along to post his work. Anyway, good days work. Hope everyone has a good day:)

As Mr. Stevens said, there are many here who deal with struggles. You can feel free to talk. We will listen. Sometimes all you need is to be able to talk. Blacksmithing has been very therapeutic for me. When I get out to the shop, the rest of the world and its worries fade away.

Indeed the box stores are expensive. I just got a 72" long 3/8 "hot rolled round rod. 7 bucks. I'm going to try to utilize every bit of that. If you can find something you can use at a scrapyard, it'll be much cheaper. Plus foraging in a scrapyard is just fun. You never know what you'll find

I use mostly hot rolled bars that you can get at metal yards or shorter rods you can get at places like Tractor Supply or Attwods. I'm sure you can get it at other farm and ranch stores. Those are just close to me here. Look in scrapyards also. I'm sure someone will be along soon that can tell you better than I can.

I see you are fellow Texan! Welcome to IFI