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I Forge Iron

On the road again


Crazy Ivan

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I haven't been down to Gainsville in years. When I went down I was more interested in cave diving than anything else. Have a name of who the smith was? I've got a buddy who retired down to Crystal river who keeps bugging me every winter to come down and go diving with him in the Gainsville area. I might keep that shop in mind if I ever manage to make the time to get back down that way.

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I haven't been down to Gainsville in years. When I went down I was more interested in cave diving than anything else. Have a name of who the smith was? I've got a buddy who retired down to Crystal river who keeps bugging me every winter to come down and go diving with him in the Gainsville area. I might keep that shop in mind if I ever manage to make the time to get back down that way.

 

I just checked with her to make sure it was okay to put her name on her and she said it is fine. Leslie Tharp is the smith I have been working with in Gainesville. We also went for a canoe trip up and down a river about 20 miles north of her shop...I wonder if it is the same river you mentioned. There were a lot of springs along the route so I'm sure there must be a few underwater carverns somewhere along it. Small world huh?

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Here are a couple pictures Leslie took (if you look past the tattoos on my face, you will notice how happy I am to be forging!). I will try to get one of the both of us posted after we meet up tomorrow too. post-47777-0-62367300-1414280845_thumb.j

Here is a hot cut hardy made from a large bolt from a scrap yard. Incomplete in the picture.post-47777-0-60488600-1414280953_thumb.j

And me demonstrating a drop tong weld on matched scarfs with no flux. I missed the first three welds but the 4th try was the ticket. Funny how that only seems to happen when there are people or cameras involved LOL.post-47777-0-19343600-1414281044_thumb.j

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Alright, I've become convinced I need to spend more time on this website after seeing how useful this traveling thread as been to Ivan.

 

He managed to track me down after spotting one of my flyers here in town. I've been toying around with steel since 07 and have been building up a shop since 2010. My background is in art and I make a lot of sculptural pieces, public art projects, do some production forging, and also teach beginner/ project based workshops out of my shop. With all that said, my traditional tooling and joinery knowledge is pretty limited and Crazy Ivan has spent the last week with me at the shop helping me tool up. He's a walking encyclapedia on this stuff and a total blast to have around. We've been cranking out tongs, hardie tools, rehandling and cleaning up hammers, practicing forge welding techniques and experimenting with scrap yard steel and even a bit of wrought I had laying around. So much fun! I'll be sad to see him go, but I hope more of you out there will have the chance to invite him into your shops. He's definitely a cool guy and a very talented smith.

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Jim, that is an incredible offer and I will be sure to make it a point to visit your shop on my way back from Alaska. I can't say when that may be but I would bet on some time during the late spring/ late summer (quite a large window, I know).

 

As for an update on where I am, I just got to Gainesville, FL to see some friends. Something caught my eye in the window of a Bookstore here and it was an ad for someone who is giving classes somewhere in the area. Does anyone know who this may be? I will email the person, but if they are on here it may be easier for me to ask to drop by their shop for a visit with some common ground (this forum). So far this trip has been great and I really enjoyed meeting DSW at the PABA meet in PA. Hoping to meet a few more folks on my journey. Next stop once I leave here is Tampa, Orlando and evenetually New Orleans (anywhere inbetween) for my south eastern leg of this trip.

Be sure to take Jim up on his offer.  I guarantee you that you will not want to leave his place.  A wonderful host(including his wife), and a blacksmith's/tool nut/mechanics ultimate playground.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I am in Lake Worth FL now. I had an awesome time working with Leslie and was sad to go. We designed a grille together before i left (last minute and unexpectedly) and i hope you can finish it....and post some pictures! maybe I'll have to drop by again on my way back through and lend a hand again before heading west. It was so great to meet you and i hope you benefitted as much from my visit as I did.

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I had a hard time figuring out how to add photos to this thread, but let's see if I've got this figured out. I wanted to do a massive photo summary of all the things we made when Ivan was at my shop but it may just be too much!

 

We cranked out several tongs and hardie tools, along with loads of slit and drift sets. I got my first taste of sledge working (and loved it) and we refaced and handled a ton of hammers. When we weren't crankin out the tools we were teaching workshops, hosting open shop days, watching videos on fixing up my Little Giant, and of course making cool stuff! I think the exhaustion started to show when we developed the Smithery School of Hard Knox on the chalk board. Tired and goofy we hammered on (paying push-up debts in between heats). I still have something like 450+ to go for all the metal I dropped during an evening of slit and drift forging.

 

Ivan was, to say the very least, an enormous help at my shop and a breathe of fresh air. This guy is smart, easy to get along with, and very resourceful. Thanks for everything and safe travels!

 

-Leslie

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I'm feeling like I'm really missing out. This is turning into an epic trip Ivan.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

 

Well Frosty, I will be heading uip to Anchorage to work/visit my brother come Spring time. Meadow Lakes doesn't look too far from there. I'll drop you a line when I get up there and see whats up! For right now though, I think I'll stay in South Florida for a bit longer. Cant beat 80 degrees and warm ocean water in November!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Quick update:

I got a part itme job working for an artist here in Lake Worth FL welding alumuinum! He also wants me to set up a blacksmith shop in his studio to build tongs and other tools for him. He works with ceramics as well and has all the supplies to build a gas forge. Gonna set up a stump with a 16-20 LB sledge as an anvil and make a cutoff tool to mount in the stump. I'll post pics when it it set up. *(show you newbies how cheap you can get yourself set up for). I'll also post a rough cost to get it set up and what I make for tooling for his shop.

On a down note, my girlfriend back in Boston has torn liaments in her ankle and needs me to come back for a few weeks to take care of her while she recovers from an upcoming surgery. Luckily though, I will still have a job down here in sunny South Florida when I get back and also have my airfare covered there and back after she is able to take care of herself and my dog again. So in a few days-a week I will be back in Boston. I think it would also be a great opportunity to dusk off my favorite anvil and tooling and put the ol girl back to work! I will hopefully make some things to sell on the road while back at my shop/home. Never a dull moment!

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Ivan,

I'm envious of the freedom you showcase. Good for you to travel and stay with smiths, a great adventure for sure. Thanks for sharing your travels with us.
Peter

 

The freedom I showcase is a direct result of having literally nothing growing up on the streets. In hindsight it was very good to me in that sense. I hold LIVING a life much higher then just existing. I let nothing get in my way of an adventure and regard material possesions as just that...its nothing that comes with me when I leave this world so why let them hold me down while I'm here!? Many folks have too much vested (in people or property) to be in the situation I am now and I respect that, but encourage those who don't to enjoy life the best way they see fit the best way they know how to. If all goes right, by the time I die, I will have forgotten more stories then many folks could remember. Similar as how many folks on this forum have forgotten more tricks n tips in the shop then I could ever hope to remember. As a side note, since you are in Maine, have I seen/met you at any New England Blacksmiths meets? I am the oddest looking one there with face tattoos and as of a few days ago, dreadlocks. LOL.

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Ivan,

I support the NEBA, but my job keeps me offshore or overseas a lot of the time. A travel plan dictated by employment as opposed to choice. I have visited smiths in Japan, Okinawa and the PI and marveled at their efforts and product. The experience has been one I cherish because, " good ideas are truly where you find them" . A concept you obviously embrace.

As to odd, I not always distracted by the obvious, it's the latent talent that I seek. The method to the madness if you will, the talent and resousefullness of a smith can be seen in his work and may actually be belied by the look of the individual. Not many of us are studio material although my tats are mostly scars as opposed to art work.

All the best in your travels my friend. Stay in touch with us.

Peter

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Tell her I hope she gets better soon. Nice you can get back to help her out and aren't stranded while she has to make do.

While I may not let most things get in my way, the people I care about come first no matter where I am. She is definitely one tough cookie and does not need me around to do anything in her day to day, but when she asks, I know it is important. Plus, It will sure be nice to see her (and my dog) again.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Met up with another smith today from FABA in South Florida. We had a bunch of fun, and of course...I made more tools LOL. Had to dust off the cob webs a bit (it's been about a month and a half-2 months since I've forged) starting off with a pair of bolt head tongs which IMO left alot to be desired asthetically but functiond perfectly well none the less. Also started a matched set of (Mark Aspery styled) slot and drift sets. I got invited back next weekend to do some more forging too. That will be my last weekend in the South Florida area before I have to head back up north to look after my girlfriend after her surgery for a couple weeks. February I will be making my way south again, and then west to California and the Pacific North West. All these twists and turns in my journey sure keep things interesting for me! I'm also exited to be back at my own shop for a couple weeks in between "honey-do s". None of that matches how exited I will be to see my dog again though! My head is spinning with how awesome everything has been so far in my trip and there is no end in sight! Going where it feels right and meeting other fellow smiths on the way is really shaping up to be a memory I will never forget. I hope to run into more of you folks in my travels. It's been a blessing thus far!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well I'm back in Boston for about another 2 weeks before I venture off again. The girlfriend is in surgery right now and should be out within a half hour or so. My dog Applesauce (Staffordshire Bull Terrier) leaped from across the room into my arms and wouldn't leave me alone for hours upon my initial arrival. Got my shop set back up and set up some work while I'm back in between taking care of my girlfriend during her recovery. Things are going pretty darn well but my feet are already itchin! On my first full day when I get back to south Florida I agreed to help a smith make 3 hammers in one day, then later on that week I will be setting out for California making my way across the southern coast. Busy busy busy! I haven't had so much to look forward to in my life since I can remember and its doing wonders for my mental stability and fairly damaging to my financial stability...funny how that seems to happen... :D

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Hey! you didn't mention you would be in Southern California before!  Hit me up if you are going to be in the Santa Barbara or Ventura areas and I would be happy to take you to dinner somewhere :)

 

Prayers for your girlfriend for a speedy recovery and safe travels to you on this epic adventure!

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Actually Chinobi, Santa Barbara is exactly where I will be in mid-late February! I'll be sure to PM you when I have a better time frame in mind.

As to the girlfriends surgery, she is doing well and the pain is getting less and less each day. Still another few weeks before she goes to PT and months before she can walk normally, but all went well. We both thank you for the well wishes.

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small world ;) where are you going to be (roughly) in town?  Visiting anyone/thing in particular?  is there some local smith up there that has eluded me?

 

Happy to hear that things are on track for recovery, she is fortunate to have someone like you who is willing to drop everything and come back to watch over her when she is in need :)

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I'm very glad to be back in my own shop and have been busier then ever with work since I got back. Knives, forges, hammers, necklaces, a lantern is on the list and likely some extra pairs of tongs. Heres a few pics of the hammer I directed while a member on here struck. The hammer is for him made from a pin (from an excavator bucket?) which I have a feeling is somewhere along the lines of 1045 or so. I forged and HTed as such and it went fine. The idea was to make it similar to a HOFI style hammer but with more lines and flash. I don't have an appropriate scale but it feels around 2-2 1/2 LBS. It was slightly rushed but came out nicely as far as the feel of it for sure. Plus I am not fully tooled up for hammer making so some of the aesthetics were lacking IMO. Nonetheless.... 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well my nomadic friend, it's a shame you need to leave Boston again, but it was great having you back in the area if only for a few weeks.  I'm grateful I got to forge a bit more with ya, and now having a proper hammer gives me more incentive to keep building my skills up.  Travel safe, and enjoy life!

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