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I Forge Iron

Benefits of being a blacksmith


divermike

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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!!

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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

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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

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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
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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

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!!

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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.

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