Nobody Special Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 So, I planned to forge every night this week, get working on Christmas stuff, and every night something came up. Sick kid, broke ignition lock in the truck, and so on and so on and so on. So today, I got off early, and thought Aha!!! At last! Called my wife. She was cool with it after minimal honey-do type stuff. And.......so many dry leaves under my outdoor forge and all over the place, including nearby woodpile, thought I simply must at least rake up the ones near the forge so as not to burn the house or shed down. And then, well, can't leave em piled up, or they'll get wet tommorow and not burn properly. So let's burn em. Well crud, gotta clean up the burn pit, and clear a leaf free zone around it before lighting it. And then the handle on the rake broke, so gotta shave down a painting roller handle, and......So, eventually, find myself at 7:00 standing around in the rain that apparantly came in a day early, staring at a huge leaf fire and going to get a cloth to cover up my now soaked anvil. Sigh....... So, I thought, this'd make a great forum. What's funny/crazy excuse has life served you up lately? Watching the weather in the wee hours of the morning tonight..... NBS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan C Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 Had truck problems myself and since the 55 Chevy is my daily driver it's the priority so I can go to work. She's been back on the road for 4 months after having been garaged for 16 years so still working bugs out. That and work n family don't cooperate either. Good luck this weekend, hope you get some hammer time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironsmith Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 went back to Tech for another associates degree. man homework gets in the way of the fun ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Smith Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 I haven't been able to forge since summer cause of work and my school schedule getting my masters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 Going to visit my wife; working a 14 hour day, spending too much time on the computer...the usual Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 The only way I get any forge time is to make it part of my work: as a welding instructor, I volunteered to be the blacksmith club's Faculty Adviser. :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Coke Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 Greetings John, Take some time for yourself at the forge. I do I am not getting any younger. I got it figured out now.. Let see , a teacher , a volunteer, an active participator in a form to help others.. Your not so grumpy. Plus you even correct my spelling.. "Wilkinson" Keep up what your doing and smell the roses when you can. Forge on and make beautiful things Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 Believe me, the persona that you see displayed here is just Dr. Jekyll. Trollworks Forge is staffed by the Terrible Troll, who existed before there was an internet. Where I live now, I have no forge, shed, carport or garage. Lighting a forge in the back yard here in the People's Republic of Mecklenburg County resulted in a visit from the Fire Department, sirens blazing, and a Cease & Desist Order on record. Even though they said that everything was safe and in order, fires are only permitted for cooking, and you can not operate a business in a residential district. My 'smithy' now resides in a Job Box at school, or stored in a cargo container at my farm, several counties away. So I get my blacksmith fix when and where I can, and save up to move to the country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksnagel Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 Work, wife's illness, sitting in the deer stand thinking, "Why aren't I in the smithy?" . I usually manage to get 1-2 days in a week at about 5-6 hours a shot but I need to make some charcoal and the dog wants to go walk around the farm and yada, yada, yada. I still get time at the forge but not like I'd like. Mark <>< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Special Posted November 24, 2013 Author Share Posted November 24, 2013 Update, I got bit by a dog during the 5k my unit was running this morning and all four kids now down with the flu.....sigh.....at least I had the flu shot this year at work. Hopefully I didn't give the dog rabies or some such.... :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazeyladyfarms Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 ok here's my story the wife has had 4 ditioticolus stents in the hospital those year and at work we are working weekends till last month . I got my forge done and my simitty done but a tree from the neibors fell on my shop colasping the roof on one side now I have it supported with jacks but the neibors won't me on his side to trim rest of tree down and won't help with the cost of repair becouse he says the tree is in the fence roll then the fence to the north got broken down and now has to be cleaned and repaired before Christmas so my donkies can graze that pasture so that a job in it self then the grandson got bit by a dog and a quick trip to Norman to check on him which he's a tough kid but will have some good story scars later . but this weekend the wife and went flea market jumping and found a nice hammer for 2.00 and a great time looking but I get 2 weeks off at the end of the year maybe the time will be there then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davor Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 I'm still learning so I am eager to hammer down some projects. But I only have time over the weekend, and I have the flu, and the week before that I had a terrible migraine for two days, and the week before that we were processing met from the pig butchering (I don’t know the correct term for it in English). Aaaaa there’s always next week. :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 butchering a pig is how my mother always said it talking about her childhood on the farm in Oklahoma. I got to spend an entire day at the forge yesterday---teaching some new people their first smithing lesson! A couple he is getting ready to retire from the service with 22 years and his wife home schools their kids. Good people, good students, wish they were going to be around here longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 My excuse: I was bring my anvil and tools home from work this weekend to take to the farm for the winter break. My engine is running rough, check engine light comes on. So I stop by my mechanic, and he says the intake gaskets are toast. $$$ :( I get to leave everything over the weekend. No way to unload a packed Expedition into SWMBO's Mini Cooper. <_< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notownkid Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Everything sounds normal to me! Before I can get started doing "A" 13 more things pop up that have to be done first by the time I get to #10 I've run out of time, energy and disposition. At the end of the day I have 3 things left to do already before I can think about getting back to "A" and generally by then I forgot what 'A" was to begin with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I like this site because of these kind of topics: I have the same problems thinking I'm the only one being frustrated by them. Then while reading IFI, suddenly - like sunlight across the stormclouds - it enlightens me: I'm not alone with my problems. And this fact itself releases the stress quite a lot. We had a deal with my wife some months ago that I have my workshop time twice a week, each about 3-3,5 hours. If I recollect it right it happened only once. I do manage to have time spent by the forge sometimes but planning it in advance is an empty hope. I have a tutor blacksmith in the next village who I couldn't visit since August because of this system. I can't call him to ask is he going to work on the next day because I have no idea about next day. Of course there are the very basic obstacles in the way. Our 2,5 y old little rascal is either sick or gives a hardtime to his mother who carries our second baby. There is always infinite list of tasks around and outside the house. And when our coast is accidentally clear there are always various family members to pop up having nice plans or tasks for our freetime. But boohoo... I've got a perspective now, thanks to guys! I wish you to have all the time you want to spend with forging or all the patience to bear the absence of the glowing iron. Gergely (Sorry about the language, what I was trying to mean was beyond my english skills.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 your English is very good Gergely, better than most Americans and it is meant to be the language they use ;) I WILL be using the forge tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Family First is a good thing and many of us have been there, done that, and have the kids and grandkids to show for it. Once I had young children, an old house always needing repair, a more than full time job---sometimes 60 hours a week *and* they wanted me to get another college degree outside of working hours---10 years of limited time at the forge. I used to volunteer to do demonstrations as that would get me a full day at the forge. Those days pass; just try to keep your hand in and remember it is possible to have quite young children trained to be safe around a forge...When we had a recent thanksgiving with 3 of my grandkids I gave them all miniature anvils made from trolley rail and some no lead heavy solder and 4oz (apx 100 gm) ballpeen hammers and had them "working" away from the forge but in eyesight while their Daddies played at my forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Thank you for the solace. I really need the patience when I'm only an imaginery blacksmith. "Fortunately" I may loose my job in Juny... hehe. I'm very excited about having my son in the workshop. I hope he will want to join me there. He was only two, when came to the shop, got a little hammer in his hand and all of the sudden I just heared the anvil ringing. Promising... I made him a wooden hammer after that for indoor practice. Greetings Gergely (Thank you Iron Dwarf, if others can roughly understand what I mean by my words, I'm happy.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Finally, after two weeks of pause got my 3 hours free. (It did not come free, but whatever... ;) ) Result: '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>> this is not a gate hook but a short poker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 I'm very excited about having my son in the workshop. I hope he will want to join me there. He was only two, when came to the shop, got a little hammer in his hand and all of the sudden I just heared the anvil ringing. Promising... I made him a wooden hammer after that for indoor practice. Get some modeling clay for use with that wooden hammer. It will teach him hammer control and let him actually make some things. Roll it out to the proper thickness with a rolling pin or other object, then cut it to the width you need to duplicate the actual size of the steel stock. He can then twist, bend, etc just like real metal. It can be reused over and over and is a great learning tool for both father and son. (grin) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Hey Glenn and thank you, gonna try it - if I'm not in the forge still can learn something. And I'm sure he'll like it, too. Greetings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggwelder Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 i seem to be renovating every house i buy on every posting. leaves almost no time, but i do sneak in a day or two when everybody else is at work or school and i`m supposed to be making cabinet doors or installing the new microwave (warranty expired before installation )or what ever. when it warms up, i`ll get more evenings out there, cause TV watching is not my forte. Gergely, your english is fine, better than my hungarian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Gergely, your english is fine, better than my hungarian. Hehe. Maybe I should teach you if you feel the need for it :lol: G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggwelder Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 i spent a weekend in Budapest in 1997. stayed at the international hotel, had beers at Rieleys pub, went to another place called captain jacks, have a few photos somewhere. I was with SFOR in the former Yugoslavia. took a weekend off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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