April 20, 200917 yr hi all.......i'm 56 and have always had an interest in blacksmithing,i also have only been a member here for a very short time and have wanted to learn how to go about it......well i have finely bitten the bullet today i paid a visit to the local historical village to see if i can do a bit of learning there,they said if i become a member and do voluntary work everything should be sweet.....they said i can do the voluntary in the blacksmiths shed....yahoo.....the smithy's that are there are all amateur's so here hoping it all works out.......they actually like to just have people in all of the village shops during week days for school excursions and on weekends for tourist....i'm hoping this turns out to be an enjoyable experience regards mike
April 20, 200917 yr Congratulations! What historical village is it? I too have done most of my smithing at an historical setting (Ft. Vancouver) and have enjoyed the last 5 yrs. Where do you live?
April 20, 200917 yr Note that in general "smithy" is the building, Smith is the person. Learning the jargon will make you look like a pro in no time! What date is the village set at? I can probably suggest some books that have some smithing info from that time period.
April 20, 200917 yr Welcome aboard Mike, glad to have you. Historical and living history sites are excellent places to get forge time. There's been more than one time while traveling I've stopped at one and asked when the smith would be in or if I could join the smiths working. On one occasion the people there made a phone call and then got the keys and let me work solo. My folks called ahead once and the museum actually advertised locally and opened the gates. Many other times I've been allowed to join the folk working, usually amateurs and usually enthusiastic. Always been fun. Anyway, I highly recommend volunteering at a historical site if you have one handy to get your feet wet (don't step in the slack tub!) or all sooty. If you'll click "User CP" at the top of the page and edit your profile to show your location it can make a big difference. IFI is represented by members from more than 50 countries and a lot if info is location specific. Also, if local folk know you're there they can invite you to get togethers, tip you to tool deals and offer hands on help. Frosty
April 20, 200917 yr Author Congratulations! What historical village is it? I too have done most of my smithing at an historical setting (Ft. Vancouver) and have enjoyed the last 5 yrs. Where do you live? Caboolture historical village which is at at Caboolture Queensland Australia
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