The title says young newbie but I feel older than I am... Nevertheless, I am still a newbie. I've been investigating blacksmithing for about a year now, and unfortunately being a very busy college student I haven't had the time to devote to building a forge, etc etc.. However, I have done loads of reading in spare time trying to aquire as much knowledge about black smithing as I can, which I imagine is a great start.

A little information real quick before my next class. Im 23, originaly from the Knoxville, TN area (about 20 miles north of downtown actually) and Im currently trying to finish up my degree here in Nashville. I located through ABANA a local chapter near my home, actually extremely close to my home. I've sent out an e-mail to the guy that owns the shop that the chapter meets at every month but he doesn't seem to want to reply, so Ive kind of giving up on the hopes of that. Some interesting things have surfaced in my collegiate career and quite frankly I might be looking at seriously taking up black smithing and really getting into learning and perhaps persue it as a second career. I've been lucky enough to find this site, via the reference of a fellow black smith.

Anyways, thats enough about me. My question is, does anyone know of any chapters of any black smith assosciation, group, whatever.... besides ABANA around Knoxville? I've actually had an idea as to a specific person that I know of to contact, but I'd have to do some searching to find some information on them. But if anyone has any information to pass along that would be great. Because I would definately imagine locating someone that could be a potential mentor would be a hell of a lot better than just putting together my own equipment and hammering away and teaching myself what is good and what isn't good. After all there is only soo much reading can offer, when the real experience is gained from actually doing.

Thanks a lot guys!

Bristol Forge at Rock Mount Tn
This has a java or QT attachment that locked up my system.

River Bluff Forge Council Tn

You are within 4 hours drive of Charlotte NC, Atlanta GA, Chattoonga, TN, Nashville TN, and Louisville KY. This expands your possibilities greatly.

Go to the opening page of I Forge Iron.com > Blacksmith locations > Tenn and find a pin stuck in the Tenn map in Anderson County at Museum of Appilachia Blacksmith Shop - Norris, TN. (Jason Herrera is a member of I Forge Iron.) That is some approximately 27 minutes or 20.98 miles up Interstate 75 from your location. Aristotle, that is about as close as I can get to your location from here.

Everyone is encouraged to put a pin in the blacksmithing locations map, and it doesn't have to be in your yard, but in your general area.

This is a great place to read a lot and try to soak up collected knowledge. Check out the archives and blueprints, etc.. Welcome :)

Welcome Aristotle! I too am new. As you have been previously told, lots of good stuff to soak up here. I don't live in a college dorm but I do live in a rented farm house. Lots of wide open spaces so I can make as much noise as a rock concert and outbuildings I can use but I can't go putting holes in roofs for chimeneys, etc. So I am building a forge on wheels. Roll it out of the barn- clang bang woof hiss- roll it back in the barn. Or put it on the truck and go anywhere. The on campus thing might leave you without a forge unless you have enough ingenuity to fabricate something you can store in the trunk/bed of a vehicle and go someplace off campus to work your magic. You will find a club to join and they will have a forge to instruct you on/ one you can use. 23 is not so young, I had four years in the Marines behind me by then. I am assuming that since you are in college you are single. If so you have more freedom now than you know. Now could be a good time to leave your major behind for a semester and take a sabbatical at a blacksmithing school, they are out there and releatively short term. If you have truly been bitten by the blacksmithing bug then maybe now is the time to bust a move. Good luck and keep on hammerin'. Dan:)

Bristol Forge at Rock Mount Tn
This has a java or QT attachment that locked up my system.

River Bluff Forge Council Tn

You are within 4 hours drive of Charlotte NC, Atlanta GA, Chattoonga, TN, Nashville TN, and Louisville KY. This expands your possibilities greatly.

Go to the opening page of I Forge Iron.com > Blacksmith locations > Tenn and find a pin stuck in the Tenn map in Anderson County at Museum of Appilachia Blacksmith Shop - Norris, TN. (Jason Herrera is a member of I Forge Iron.) That is some approximately 27 minutes or 20.98 miles up Interstate 75 from your location. Aristotle, that is about as close as I can get to your location from here.

Everyone is encouraged to put a pin in the blacksmithing locations map, and it doesn't have to be in your yard, but in your general area.

This is great. I can't believe I didn't stop to think about te Museum of Appliachia. Literally I live a mile and half from there, and have my entire life. I definately feel like a moron about not thinking about checking out the Museum, the ABANA chapter that I mentioned in my original post is in Lake City which is about 5 miles from the Museum. Thanks a lot for the sources and addresses! I was actually thinking I could make contact with the blacksmith that works at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, which I'll do anyways but wow I definately feel stupid for not thinking of the Museum of Appliachia.

Welcome Aristotle! I too am new. As you have been previously told, lots of good stuff to soak up here. I don't live in a college dorm but I do live in a rented farm house. Lots of wide open spaces so I can make as much noise as a rock concert and outbuildings I can use but I can't go putting holes in roofs for chimeneys, etc. So I am building a forge on wheels. Roll it out of the barn- clang bang woof hiss- roll it back in the barn. Or put it on the truck and go anywhere. The on campus thing might leave you without a forge unless you have enough ingenuity to fabricate something you can store in the trunk/bed of a vehicle and go someplace off campus to work your magic. You will find a club to join and they will have a forge to instruct you on/ one you can use. 23 is not so young, I had four years in the Marines behind me by then. I am assuming that since you are in college you are single. If so you have more freedom now than you know. Now could be a good time to leave your major behind for a semester and take a sabbatical at a blacksmithing school, they are out there and releatively short term. If you have truly been bitten by the blacksmithing bug then maybe now is the time to bust a move. Good luck and keep on hammerin'. Dan:)

Thanks for the encouragement Dan! I actually have an apartment off campus but this still doesn't help my situation with having a forge, but back home it shouldn't be a problem to build a decently sized coal forge to use in the back yard when Im on breaks and such. Im assuming you found the instructions for building the rolling forge online, I know I saw several plans for that, but it seemed a bit small and not very practicle for what I want... Actually this is the problem that directed me to this website to begin with, a black smith that I foudn online that was looking for blueprints to build a good coal forge directed me here and told me to look up the prints for building a forge out of a 55 gallon drum. Which I believe will be a bit more heavy duty thank the rolling forges that I've found online. A moveable forge has its perks like you mentioned for moving it in and out of stored places but I think the disadvantage there is that you might be limited as to how much work you can actually do with it, especially in regards to air flow and heating the fire enough to do forge welds, but I could definately be mistaken in my assumptions about that and Im sure its a larger matter of knowing your equipment and how to use it.

Keep us up to date on your progress.

I'm the Blacksmith at the Museum of Appilachia. I've been really busy as of late but would love to meet with you. I'm currently only at the forge on Saturdays right now but I think we can get together next week. Give me a call at 865-216-6225. You can come out and have a pound.

I love this place

Yeah, me too!
Where else can you find so many folks willing to offer their time and knowledge to help people with a genuine interest in this wonderful craft? Welcome to the site Aristotle
p.s. love your books