divermike Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 2 days ago, while plowing, I lost a pin to the plow, from the 3 point hitch. I looked around and could not find it, and did not have a spare. So I said to myself, I'll just stop and get one at Lowes or the local sport vehicle place here. So the day went by, and on the way home, I realized, xxxx xxxx xxxx, I had forgotten to get one, and knowing snow was coming, I started to stress. Then Like a bolt out of the blue, it occurred to me "hey! I'm a blacksmith!!" funny how you get so wrapped up in things, you don't see the forest for the trees. Any way, after digging a path through hip high snow to my shop, there I was, 5:30 pm, in my forge, it's 12 degrees outside, and I'm in a t-shirt, sweating and rocking out to tunes, while I merrily hammer out a new pin, grind the end, drill a hole for the pin. Put it in this morning, did a quick plow, and as I put the old John Deere away, I lovingly gazed down at my little pin, which had done its job, and thought to myself, yes, I am a blacksmith!! No words can describe the satisfaction of that moment. Can you imaging the old days when the village blacksmith would walk the village, and see his work on every door, shutter dog and door latch! man, it was a hard life for them, but if what I felt for that brief moment is how they felt, I know I'm doing something right!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWCarlson Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Awesome! Making your own anything and putting it to use is always gratifying! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chyancarrek Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Outstanding Mike! I love it when one o' the neighbors comes over to have something made they can't get anywhere else or need ASAP and you save the day for them! Stay warm and stop breaking plows! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fe-Wood Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Ah the pleasure of making what one needs...I'll bet hour for hour, you spent less time making it than it would have taken to stop and make a special trip to buy it. Wonderful Story! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bully Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Just had a help the neighbour experience the other day when I caught up with my neighbour up the road who drives a tip truck. He mentioned how he needed a pin for his back flap as the old one had rattled out somewhere on his journeys I enquired as to what he was after and and the following day presented him with a large 1 inch diameter pin with a flattened head and hole so as to insert a split pin. he was mighty impressed and inside so was I, as it was the first item I had actually made that was practical and could help a fellow friend. Great feeling and to think I was payed a bottle of bourbon without asking was even better. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragons lair Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Bully, Love it getting paid with coin of the relm. Wish my neighbors did that. I get a lot of the old farm stuff Cast iron. Had one oldtimer with a OLD massey tractor. Man was told no parts in stock in the world, Just buy a new tractor. He is 78yrs old. Told him no warrenty but I would try. Never came back. Either it worked or he is dead. Had a nother old gal wanted her husbands aluminum cane welded. He has oldtimers and kept changing the lenght( he fall) Spent some time to rivit it in place (might need to change it later) She starter looking in her purse. Said I don't have much. Asked how much do I owe. Nada. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David E. Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 What I found really impressive was that you went ploughing in hip high snow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 We had a water pipe break on us once, *under* the slab. While waiting to get it worked on we would turn on and off the water at the meter a lot---so I forged an extra long tool to do so so my wife didn't have to bend over to turn the water valve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rio Bravo Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 What I found really impressive was that you went ploughing in hip high snow. You must be one of those spoiled fellows in the sunny south! For where I sit, the inference is that he's talking about a snow plow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David E. Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 You must be one of those spoiled fellows in the sunny south! For where I sit, the inference is that he's talking about a snow plow. It's still impressive !! Yes I am spoiled, we are only calf high and have to shovel it :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David E. Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 We had a water pipe break on us once, *under* the slab. While waiting to get it worked on we would turn on and off the water at the meter a lot---so I forged an extra long tool to do so so my wife didn't have to bend over to turn the water valve. HaHa, I do admire a man who looks after his womenfolk :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Mike, it is a good feeling isn't it I have kitchen utensils that are conservatively worth over 800$ all together, all high quality and I probably don't have more than 100$ materials into all of them combined. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divermike Posted February 17, 2010 Author Share Posted February 17, 2010 I was able to help a co worker, she has an old farm house, and one of the suffolk latches had a missing piece, she brought the remainder to me, and with a little research, I was able to find a diagram of what the parts were, and whipped one up for her. Now she wants a couple sets for when the old ones break, I told her the first one was free, but the sets are gonna cost her some pies, (she makes the best goodies in the office). I am the barter king of the world when it comes to desserts!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 Benefits? We get benefits? Like winning the "blackest booger contest"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easilyconfused Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 This is why I got into blacksmithing. It was easier to fix things on the farm. I don't know it all fixes are less time consuming though. I spent an hour and a half getting a handle rivetted back onto a caulander. Most of it was spent looking for a good rivet that would work so I could do it cold easier than with mild steel. Would have taken half an hour to go to the shopping market and buy it for $5. But it was fun and my fiance lauged at how proud I was that I fixed it because I was giggling. She was happy I had fixed it. Less waste and my hobby saved us some money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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