Pault17

All,
I spent 9 years in the VA Guard but never went "anywhere". I have a little brother who dropped his employment as an LEO and SWAT team member to become a trainer in BPC, a relatively well known police college in the middle east. He leaves tomorrow for the second half of his 1.5 year contract. We talked a little about what he does, who he works with, and what he has seen.
Nobody should have to see, never mind live with the things he has seen and lived with. I know there is a different spot in the forums for this stuff, but please keep him in your prayers.

Carpe Malleus,
pt

speaking of 'carpe', I like Carpe Malleus

Many congratulations. we have given our parents seven grand children with one on the way. Get togethers are usually pretty fun.
I'll get the kids praying for you and your daughter-in-law. although I know that "new" mothers can be rather protective.

carpe malleus
paul

Good Mornin'. I have been looking for people to talk to about blacksmithing, but everybody just says "ooh, you blacksmith? that's cool", but they don't know anything about it.

I almost accepted an apprenticeship in spain about twenty years ago, but chickened out. Then about a year ago, I literally stubbed my toe on the toe of a little heavily worn 75-pound anvil. I dug around a little and found a 40+/- pound leg vise that needed a little tlc.

I went online and, seeing as how I don't have a real space to make a "smithy", decided to start small and not too expensive. I built a couple of "bean-can" forges using a plumbers propane torch for heat. I have not been able to get it up to welding heat, but I can reach orange-yellow.

I have been practicing making hooks, sconces, candle holders. I even made a little humming-bird nosing into a flower. Basically, anything that can be heated in a chamber 4 inches in diameter and 10 inches deep.

Someday I will make a real charcoal forge and try to heat up some bigger metal.