Hello from Alaska:

[Frosty]

Hi all:

My name is Jerry Frost, AKA Frosty.

I grew up working metal of all kinds and have been blacksmithing as a hobby, sometimes for a buck since I was maybe ten.

I've lived in Alaska for going on 35 years and am building a new shop.

Look foreward to meeting and talking.

Frosty

[Alan DuBoff]

I've lived in Alaska for going on 35 years and am building a new shop.

Frosty,

Welcome to IFI. I'm just learning how to forge, but was wondering if you know Phil Koontz up in Galena?

[Frosty]

Hi Alan:

Do you have any idea how often I get asked if I know so and so, just because we both live in Alaska? Do you have any idea how big Alaska is? If you could land a jet at Galena airport it'd be about a 1 1/2 hr flight from the closest jet capable airport to my location.

Funny thing is, I have indeed met Phil, he and his wife stopped by our place a few years ago and we E-mail back and forth on occasion.

Small world eh?

Frosty

[Alan DuBoff]

Hi Alan:

Do you have any idea how often I get asked if I know so and so, just because we both live in Alaska? Do you have any idea how big Alaska is? If you could land a jet at Galena airport it'd be about a 1 1/2 hr flight from the closest jet capable airport to my location.

Funny thing is, I have indeed met Phil, he and his wife stopped by our place a few years ago and we E-mail back and forth on occasion.

Small world eh?

Frosty

Frosty, he happens to be one of the galoots I know up there, and why I asked. His son and DIL just built a kick @$$ log home, and he forged some awesome strap hinges for them...

Phil forged me some holdfasts (for woodworking) with bass clefs on the leaf, I play upright bass.

Do you know Jake the Russian that lives off the grid? He forges a lot also. I don't know Jake, since I don't think he has a computer.:confused:

Phil's a good smith, no doubt.

Again, welcome to IFI, I still have training wheels on my hammer! :p

[Frosty]

Well Alan, I guess you can add me to the list of galoots you know in Alaska.

I've been to Phil's site and that's all I know about Jake the Russian. It doesn't look like Phil's updated his site in a year. I hope he's just been too busy forging things to get around to it.

I haven't been doing much forging myself in the last couple years, I've been concentrating on building my shop and doing it virtually solo means taking my time. I got married going on 10 years ago to a gal who raised pygmy goats in the UP of Mi. SPRING PROMISE PYGMY GOATS

At that time I lived in a mobile home in a suburb of Anchorage, not the place for a goat farm though I did do some forging and other iron work in my "yard." We bought 30 acres of birch and spruce forest in the Matanuska valley some 50 miles north of Anch and built a house and barn.

Three years ago land prices seemed good so we sold 15 acres. We paid off everything but the mortgage and had enough left over for me to start building. I lucked out and bought a 30' x 40' red iron steel building JUST before steel prices went through the roof.

I've been putting it up ever since. I would've had it closed in before the snow flew this fall except I took a fall off a trailer at work and shattered my left arm. The shop is sitting there roofless till next spring.

Could've been worse of course, I'm right handed. Deb says if I'd fallen on my head I wouldn't have missed any work.

Frosty

[ladysmith]

Hi Frosty,

I've read your posts from the "Sandbox" for a couple of years, so I feel as if I know you. (I very rarely post there.)

This is a great place to hang out. Hope you get a chance to wander into the blueprint demo on Tuesdays.

Pam

[Bobb]

Hello Frosty
Good evening from the mid west. Where the St.Louis Cardinals have won the World Series. Good to hear from the North. And for myself good to be back home.

Bobb

[Alan DuBoff]

Well Alan, I guess you can add me to the list of galoots you know in Alaska.

Certainly, Alaska is some mighty fine country, it's just a tad cold for me in the looooonnnnnnng winter. I had to snag a couple pair of socks from my son recentely to wear with the boots I got for smithing...(I rarely wear socks and didn't have any white cotton ones). Sometimes it's good to have a son with close to the same shoe size...(I hope he doesn't steal my boots! ).

I've been to Phil's site and that's all I know about Jake the Russian. It doesn't look like Phil's updated his site in a year. I hope he's just been too busy forging things to get around to it.

I think Jake makes most of the holdfasts these days, and like you I have never met or talked with him online, but Phil mentions him and I recentely saw a pic of his new camp and forge on Phil's blog.

I've been putting it up ever since. I would've had it closed in before the snow flew this fall except I took a fall off a trailer at work and shattered my left arm. The shop is sitting there roofless till next spring.

OUCH! I hurt my ankle a while ago moving some heavy machinery...so I sympathize with you. Mine could have been worse also, but it taught me some lessons.;-)

Anyone that's met Phil is welcome here, not that some loud cantakerous obnoxious person like myself is welcome, but you certainly are!:p

[Sam Salvati]

Hey, welcome Frosty! Smithing in Alaska huh? COOL! How ironic, a name like Jerry Frost in Alaska, but I bet you hear that all the time. Good to have you, do you have any pictures of stuff you have made?