When you're trying to fix an outdated motorcycle and realize that a certain specialized tool is something they don't make anymore.

When you need a certain replacement part for said motorcycle and the only one you can find costs more than the bike is worth.

I was recently married. Everything was going well until I realized the day before the wedding that we had not discussed rings. Some quick cuts on 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch pipe, little heat, filing, and polishing left us with to beautiful "brush finish" wedding rings. I am sure she will think them to be white gold until she gets near a magnet or goes through an airport.

We went with silver rings when we married---poor we was. I replaced hers in gold later; but mine is still silver as I tend to wear them out; I'm on ring #4 right now with the first three saved in my wife's "precious items box". It's the people that matter not the rings.

Married 27 years come August

Now as to how being a smith helps: well when I get to do a lot of manual work my fingers bulk up and the rings can get too tight. So I go out to the forge and place it on a polished tapered punch and plannish it with a very small polished ballpeen---2-4 oz generally, till it gets large enough to fit. As we choose ones where doing so doesn't mess up the pattern I can re-size at will!

I haven't been to the forums in awhile and it is awesome to see you guys take this thread and run with it.

Recently my dad was working on his downriggers (mini-crane like devices that hold a heavy weight to troll fishing lines DEEP behind a boat) Anyway, the mounting bracket on one was all sorts of trashed, and he was about to shell out $200 for a new one when I looked at it, took a couple measurements then told him "follow me" After an hour or so in the shop, he had 2 new mounting brackets built even sturdier than the originals.

I love being a blacksmith.

It is good to be a blacksmith when,,,

YOU LIVE IN ALABAMA!!!!

It is good to be a blacksmith when an hurricane blows high winds all the way to Indiana and you are in the shop. As you look out the door and see trees blowing by that several thousand # powerhammer is reassuring. That is once you are on the downwind side:)

It is good to be a blacksmith when an ice storm drops a tree on your outside wood burner, being run off a generator since the power is already out. After an hour with a chainsaw in a blizzard to clear the tree, a broken 2" bronze street ell is found to be cracked, and some oddball relays fried by the hot water. Being a blacksmith, the ell is removed, brazed up, and some relays found in the stash and heat is back on a few hours later. The power was out for a week, so the house would have frozen and we would have been up a creek without that brazed ell and relays.