Greetings from quiet Carroll County

[BorisTheSpider]

Hey folks,

 

It has recently occurred to me that I've been hanging about, reading up on everything I can, asking questions, and stirring up trouble, without ever introducing myself here first. The VERY first thing I should mention is that I have trouble typing a short post.

 

So here I am. I'm still a little weird about giving out my real name on the open internet (more habit than anything these days I suppose), but even some of my closest friends call me Boris so that works.

 

For the past couple of years, I have been living in Carroll County, Ohio. It's a series of small towns now beginning to burgeon thanks to the newest oil rush. It's quiet, peaceful, and in almost every other way, perfect. Except for the weather. I still hate Ohio winters.

 

Anyhow, I've been "trying" to get into smithing for a long time now - about a decade and a half, give or take a few years. I put "trying" in quotes because sometimes I was actively trying, while other times I was just reading bunch, or not even that. After all that time, I have learned something: I know nothing.

 

I've finally stumbled my way into a position in life where getting started not only seems easy, but destined. I know that sounds cheesy, but really, everything seems to be falling into place. Yes, I have put out a good bit of hard work the last couple years to make this happen. I'm still somewhat surprised to actually see it come to fruition.

 

So where am I, right this minute?

 

I am somewhat regularly attending a weekly open forge night with WRABA. It's quite a drive, and I intend to try out another group sometime as well (PAABA) but I'm happy to get some time at the forge. I have made a few contacts who are more local, but they are currently too busy with other stuff to be much help to me. That will probably change in the coming weeks.

 

I am working on getting my forge built. I'm building a gasser, and the plans are somewhat less than concrete right now. I have a pretty good idea where I'm going with it, and still taking input from a bunch of people more knowledgeable than I. That should be done relatively soon, hopefully in just a couple weeks.

 

I have been beating steel at home, on an 83 lb., 2" thick steel disk set on a stump. It works to a degree but it's far from ideal. So I've been on the lookout. A couple days ago, I expanded what I consider my "local area" and yesterday drove about 2.5 hours to pick up an anvil for $50. It has a broken heel, but a pretty flat face. I have yet to clean it up - it has a layer of paint on it. Pretty stoked about the deal overall. Even grabbed some other stuff from the seller since I was out that way. A few ball piens, some wrenches, some files, and random things - either tools or stock mostly.

 

I've made a small handful of things - letter opener-type things, S-hooks, etc. Working on my tapers, squaring a round, rounding a square, twisting, and other basic type stuff. Also working on using power tools like grinders to greater effect. I think my next project will be a set of tongs. They may necessarily be pretty rough, but you gotta have tools to make tools.

 

Speaking of tools - I'm still looking for a few more things. I'll need a better anvil stand, a table or few to work on, a post vise or two, and as many hammers as I can find. I'm keeping my eyes open and if recent history is any indicator, I'll have a full shop before too long.

 

If you've read this far, I think you deserve a medal.

 

I've found a ton of help on this site and many others, as well as personalized help from a few smiths here and there. I appreciate it all and hope to be able to contribute as much before too long.

 

So, to everyone out there, I want to send out a sincere THANK YOU!

[Chuck in Ms]

Can I get my medal in 3/4 inch copper? :b It sounds like you are resilient in your quest. I look forward to seeing some early projects from you soon.

[BorisTheSpider]

I tend to slack on taking pictures of anything. I'll try to rectify that. Been meaning to make a light box for my wife anyhow. Could be some good practice using one for my own "junk."

[Chuck in Ms]

A "light box" like wooden with some iron decor, or completely made of sheet steel? I see great potential either way.

They used to call it "ironing out" when they mixed the two mediums. Here's an idea make one of each and let your bride pick which one you get to keep ;)

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard Boris, glad to make your intro.

 

Oh boy a long winded character eh? I just don't know what we'll do with ANOTHER long winded guy. Sure the guys put up with me but competition can do interesting things.

 

If you really want a break from Ohio winters Land is pretty reasonable here right now and Alaskan Winters in the Mat-Su Valley are much nicer than the mid-west. I married a UPer and she was amazed at how easy AK winters were to put up with.

 

Have you settled on a gasser design, size, etc. I do naturally aspirated gassers so let me know if you have questions. I'm sure pics of the one I'm running right now are somewhere on IFI but I lost track of them.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

[BorisTheSpider]

Welcome aboard Boris, glad to make your intro.

 

Oh boy a long winded character eh? I just don't know what we'll do with ANOTHER long winded guy. Sure the guys put up with me but competition can do interesting things.

 

If you really want a break from Ohio winters Land is pretty reasonable here right now and Alaskan Winters in the Mat-Su Valley are much nicer than the mid-west. I married a UPer and she was amazed at how easy AK winters were to put up with.

 

Have you settled on a gasser design, size, etc. I do naturally aspirated gassers so let me know if you have questions. I'm sure pics of the one I'm running right now are somewhere on IFI but I lost track of them.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

 

Yeah, I seriously doubt the DW would be interested in moving so far from family. It is interesting to hear that Alaskan winters are milder than those here. However, it is not so surprising. I've often said that the winters here are every bit as harsh as any part of the country, and the summers can be as well. After moving as far South as possible for a while, I stand by the latter.

 

For the forge, the design was originally going to be a direct copy of the simple gas forge Larry Zoeller shows on his site - a single-burner 5-gallon bucket with minimal modification. I started there, spoke to a bunch of people a lot more experienced than I, and changed things up a bit. I'm adding a door on front and back (probably with a NC Tool cast iron sleeve on each), reducing the ID slightly, and running a purchased burner (from Jay Hayes). Ultimately, I'll be dealing with enough variables because of the body design that I don't want to deal with troubleshooting any number of possible problems with building my own burner. Still have a tiny bit of work to do, figuring out how to handle sharp edges (think I got that), legs (maybe some bent galvanized pipe - will it get too hot?), and how to make hinges that work on a round body.

 

I don't have a welder, but I may be able to get a little work done by a friend if I have to. I'm trying to stick to more basic tools, though, like the angle grinder and drill. It sounds (and on paper appears) a little complex, but it's actually pretty simple as long as everything is planned out well beforehand. Cost is a primary motivator but so is just making it happen with what I have available.

 

I do have one question. I don't yet have a propane tank. I live in an area where getting one refilled isn't much of a problem, but what should I buy? One or two 20#s (maybe include a tank manifold?), a 100#, or something in between? I want to be able to upgrade later, to a bigger setup without worrying about freezing issues. On the other hand, even though it's not impossible, getting a 100# tank refilled is considerably more difficult than any number of 20#s. I also don't want to blow the rest of my "startup" budget on a single item.

 

Hrm, thinking about it more, in my less-than-secure "shop," I'd rather a full 20# tank disappear than a half-empty 100#er. I suppose a lot of the propane "exchangers" are open a bit later than anyone who would refill a bigger tank. I think I know which direction I'm going to end up here. I suppose then, the question is, with a single-burner setup, would a two-tank manifold setup be a worthwhile gain over a single 20# tank?