Okay I know I have it bad, when on vacation in paradise, I log onto Iforgeiron.com to check out what you fellows and ladies are up to.

It is HOT and HUMID down here. Lots of iron work, but simple. If there is any twists and curls it is very rudimentary. There are some cast finals on some of the fencing.

Dang near every window has iron bars on them, if they don't then the whole house is surrounded by tall fencing with spikes and/or barb wire at the top.

Very nice people, they just don't have anything and if something isn't bolted down...well they take it.

It has been 90+ the whole time, good air conditioner here in the condo though. The water is clear, warm, and the waves of medium height. A lot of fun for a dry land locked cowboy like myself.

I was wondering if there were any Costa Rican or central American smiths on Iforgeiron?

I checked the weather for home...they are expecting highs in the 30's and it is snowing! Good time to go south, however I have been Jonesing for some time at the anvil...

This is one xxxx of an addiction!

John

I gave a 3-week school/workshop in San José for Johan Cubillos, in 2004. Johan is an interesting lad, originally from Venezuela. He and wife, Jennifer, moved to Costa Rica, and at the last minute, his visa was denied, so that he could not come to my Santa Fe, NM, class. He offered to get me an apartment near him and to pay my airfare...a good deal whereby I could give instruction in his smithy in San José. We had a great time. Check out http://www.johancubillos.com

Josh Greenwood has a forge in the country maybe 50 km north of San José.

http://www.turleyforge.com Granddaddy of Blacksmith Schools

Been living in Costa Rica going on 2 years now and just recently started to get into smithing. Hell of a thing to get into a hobby/craft in a country where the hobby/craft doesnt exist. Half the time when I start asking around as to where I can find an anvil people dont even know what it is and I have to explaine what it looks like and it purpose. For the time being I am banging on a 10 in long 5 inch wide and 6 inch think piece of steel that I picked up at a scrap yard in the states and brought back in my luggage. I guess the pros of the craft is once you develop some rudimentry skills you can start making all the tools that you need that you cant find. I would love to find an experianced smith in the area to learn some tricks from or even an intermediate smith. I am pulling materials together for some DIY equipment. Have a 3/4 hp GE Electric Motor and a hitch reciever in the bodega for a belt grinder/sander. The metal tubing is easy to come by down here but the pullies are going to be a pain or I will have to learn how to fabricate them. Also have a 1 HP GE Electric Motor and a trailer leaf spring that I have been holding onto to build my own rusty krusty power hammer. The main body will be easy to find metal for at the local hardware stores but once again pullies will be the big problem...

Also have a 1 HP GE Electric Motor and a trailer leaf spring that I have been holding onto to build my own rusty krusty power hammer. The main body will be easy to find metal for at the local hardware stores but once again pullies will be the big problem...

You could drive it as a tyre hammer system,(Motor to tyre directly as a clutch) you wouldn't need any pulleys then.

"Hell of a thing to get into a hobby/craft in a country where the hobby/craft doesnt exist."

Sounds like the start of possibly an excellent business model. What better outlook could one have for a new business, no competition. As long as the economy can support customers buying what you are making it looks like it has potential.

"Hell of a thing to get into a hobby/craft in a country where the hobby/craft doesnt exist."

Sounds like the start of possibly an excellent business model. What better outlook could one have for a new business, no competition. As long as the economy can support customers buying what you are making it looks like it has potential.

KaliGuy talk to DiverMike on this forum. He is in New York and goes down to Costa Rica every year. He might be able to help you out that way.