contraption maker

Hello Tristin and welcome to IFI. I also would be curious whether your knife was forged or stock removal. Nothing wrong with either one, just wondering as I have never made one by stock removal.

Welcome J. One of the things I really appreciate about blacksmithing is the ability to make a lot of my own tools. Making stuff to sell or give is great but out tools become extensions of ourselves. Seems to me anyway.

Welcome aboard Wiliam.

A very happy 94th birthday to him.

Welcome aboard Cole. I`m pretty new here as well. What drew me to the forum is the vast amount of know how here. I have been studying lots of said know how and have lots yet to absorb. Great for beginners as well as anyone of whatever knowledge level. Again welcome.

Welcome to the forum.

Nice to have you here Josh.

Welcome aboard Lou. Great place to learn lots. I have been reading and perusing for days since I joined.

Welcome Lester, good to have you here. Really nice work on the knives as well as the copper badge. As far as the shop goes in mine if it is not cluttered I`m not getting much done.

Hello and welcome. I`m pretty much new also, just been here a few days. Been nasty weather for a while now so have been spending all my time here studying up and waiting for warmer days.

Welcome Derek, I think you will find welding and forging go hand in hand.

Hello from another noob Shmygelbryl. I only signed up a couple of days ago but have lurked for a while pouring over the site and ingesting and digesting everything I can. This is a great site and absolutely loaded with info. I have smithed on and off for a few years and I am finding new to me info. So hope you like it here and welcome.

Yep Frosty. If there is one thing I know it is that there are way more connections in this world than most of us realize.

Frosty: Born in Yakima and mostly raised in Toppenish which is 19 miles from Yakima. It`s a little farming community on the Yakima Indian reservation. Spent some time over around Othello and Moses Lake. 2 1/2 years in Bellingham. Then moved to Michigan about 40 years ago. I do miss the weather out there and find it not so much fun during the cold winters here anymore.

Frosty: I had not thought of that and it just might be one to check out. Used to be a lot of logging in this area and then it moved to mostly farming. Now even a lot of the farming is gone. I can sure ask around about any old dump sites. I`m originally from Washington state and can remember as a kid a lot of the farms had their own dump somewhere on their property.

Right now I`m working on some rivet sets as I want to build some steel chests. The forge is actually on hold at the moment waiting on a bit warmer conditions as a good bit of the work to be done involves working outside on the stack and at 15 degrees out I`m not willing to take it on yet. The rivet sets I`m doing on the lathe. Don`t have a camera just now but will pick one up before to long and take pics of the forge. I will be using a 55 gallon drum for the base and going from there. I have an outside brake drum forge but found I was not happy with it`s limitations. The new one will basically be a squared box of approximately 24 x 32 that is built onto the top of the barrel and will have a bit deeper fire pot. This one will also be inside the shop. Have an old vacuum that I will using as a blower with a valve setup to control air flow. Shop is 24 x 35 pole barn with 2 roll up doors and one walk in. As far as future projects to make it`s whatever I get interested in. I have had several smithies over the years and use to make and sell items at black powder rendezvous . Lost interest in making that kind of stuff and do whatever catches my fancy now. I have perused the site quite bit and see a whole lot of knowledge and wisdom here and even though I have had prior smithies I am by no means a pro. Looking forward to much learning here. I also want to say thanks for the kind greetings I have received.

Actually during the flea market season there is 1 about 20 miles from us that usually has between 3 and on the best weekends maybe 10 vendors, but I have picked up a few items there. Other than that there is one about 60 miles from us. We are in the sticks. I am able to hit a few farm auctions once in a while. Even yard sales are not especially plentiful . I have bought a little steel from an Amish fellow that has a small machine shop about 25 miles from here. No ornamental, no demolition. I have picked up a few truck axles and a bit of front end parts from a couple of repair shops but a lot of them scrap the junk parts.

Hello all. Looking forward to learning from all the knowledgeable folks here and making some new friends. Have done a bit of forge work through the years but am by no means a professional smith and just like tinkering and making stuff in my shop. It`s my therapy. LOL. I am basically in the middle of nowhere and so my materials either must be bought online or scrounged. About an hour and a half out of Grand Rapids but don`t make that trip very often. Few scrap yards close and none that I know of where they will let a person look around for stuff.