Soldierz Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 Hey all im just getting started into smithing. im building my own forge and still working on finding an anvil. i mainly would like to make blades but im thinking of dabling into everything a little bit. never done it before and would appreciate any bits of advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmccustomknives Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 Welcome aboard. There's an abundance of info in here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
781 Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 welcome to the group Should be some smiths in Kansas depending on where you live Check out the OK group saltfork blacksmiths if yo are in the south or the Prairie blacksmith group from NE or BAM in MO. BAM has a big conference coming up in May some tailgating with some tools for sale BAM has more tailgating than some conferences but few compaired to SOFA which is something to it self Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matto Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 you are more than welcome to come up to any prairie blacksmiths event. if you are close to north central ks. we will be at the thayer co. fair for 3 days in august. if you are close to stockton or phillipsburg ks. you can come up to kearney ne for our hammer-ins or if you are on the north easteren part of the state we have a lot of hammer-ins around beatrice lincoln and nebraska city. welcome matt o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soldierz Posted April 7, 2013 Author Share Posted April 7, 2013 im south central. just straight south of wichitah right on the ok border pretty much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
son_of_bluegrass Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 There is a group in the Wichita area (they have a shop in Haysville, meetings are the first saturday of the month. But not always at the Haysville shop.), the Central States Metal Artisans. These days you have to email and ask where the next meeting is if you aren't already a member. They have a website at http://gpba.abana-chapter.com/ . I'm no longer a member or I'd just tell you where the next few meetings are. ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soldierz Posted April 7, 2013 Author Share Posted April 7, 2013 i looked at their group and then i looked at the oklahoma one and the oklahoma one seems to be more.... "groupish" the one in wichita looked like they didnt do much. could be just the poor looking website though lol. ill check with them and see what they are like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
son_of_bluegrass Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 One of the things about the wichita group is that unless you are a dues paying member you haven't got a clue what is going on or where. They do some sort of conference or bring someone in for a demo in the spring (saltfork puts something on in the fall). There is an open shop on monday evenings for paying members (a couple dollars for fuel usage is asked). Sometimes classes of one form or another. A couple years ago there was a gas forge build. Bulk purchase of coal that is available for sale to members. Since saltfork has regional meetings around the state, the wichita group tends to concentrate on the wichita area. A number of the wichita members are also members of saltfork and I know a few members of saltfork that are members of the wichita group. Like I said, I'm no longer a member so I can't give details of what is going on in the group these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soldierz Posted April 9, 2013 Author Share Posted April 9, 2013 ok. what if i just show up to one of there monday meetings to meet them. their website isnt working at all so i cant email any of them. i thought about hitting up there shop in haysville this friday but would it be better to just go there money evening? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
son_of_bluegrass Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 The shop in haysville isn't a business. At one time it was the local blacksmith business but there isn't much call for blacksmiths today. When the building was taken out by a tornado some years ago, the city (by this time this building and a couple others were owned by the city as a "historical park") wanted to just convert the whole area to a park but the insurance was for rebuilding only meaning if they didn't rebuilt they would not have gotten the insurance. So the building was rebuilt as a "recreation" of the original shop. There is some sort of agreement with the city and club allowing the club to use the shop as a blacksmith shop. All of this boils down to the shop is only open when something is going on. Monday evenings (I think starting at 6, might be 7) the shop is open, it is also open for meetings that happen there and for some other events throughout the year. The may meeting corresponds with the BAM conference so the meeting then is usually not much as a number of the members travel to that. June is frequently at a member's shop in haysville. July varies. August is always at Goessel Threshing days (Gossel, KS). For this time of year, the best option, if you can't get ahold of someone through the website to find out where the next meeting will be, is to show up on monday evening. There will be at least one board member there. Sometimes, a member or two will demo at the Great Plains Renaissance Festival. This is the third weekend in April. I'll be there with a renaissance fencing group (The Blackhearts, if you're interested) but not likely blacksmithing. And there are a couple of other folks I know will be there for something who are members of the blacksmithing club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soldierz Posted April 17, 2013 Author Share Posted April 17, 2013 well i went to meeting and had a good time. will be going next week as well and hoping to learn alot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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