bayoucowboy18 Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Hello All My name is George Schmitt. I came up earlier this summer to work on helicopters and like many fools before I fell in love with the place and moved. Today I met Mark from Alaska Forge and he led me to here. I'm looking to work myself into being a smith again and the first step to that is meeting some of the local smiths. I'm not set for much but I do have my anvil, a few tongs and some hammers. I guess from that point many things can be built. Had I known about the rarity of supplies up here I would have tossed my junk and filled the truck with Anvils and leg vises. Anyhow Just wanted to say hello and hope I meet some of you soon. Thanks George Schmitt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Welcome to IFI. We are a great community of people who are eager to offer tips, idea, suggestions, and occasionally criticism. We love to see photos of both tools and projects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Welcome to Alaska! Our next meeting is coming up soon, it is at Pats place in Palmer. So a short drive for you. I don't think there is room to land a helicopter though... Look forward to meeting you. - Tristan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Welcome aboard George, glad to have you, NEIGHBOR! Where in Wasilla are you? I'm just up the Parks on Vine Rd. My shop isn't heated so ambient temp is an issue but I'm always happy to light a fire and hit things with hammers. Deb, my wife, is recovering from surgery right now, I have to stay available for her so it'll probably be week before I can spend time in the shop. Regardless we can get together to talk, draw pictures, drink coffee, pet dogs, etc. Tristan is wrong on one point though, you can land a helicopter within easy walking distance of Pat's. Well, okay not on his property but he's surrounded on 3 sides by farm fields and nothing is growing so the farmers probably won't mind. I'll PM you with contact info. Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayoucowboy18 Posted December 14, 2014 Author Share Posted December 14, 2014 Frosty I'm off of Schrock rd up in Tanania I believe they call it. This is really cool. I just moved from Bend Oregon and it seems there are more blacksmiths here in the Wasilla area than there. I told my wife that I put myself out to the local farriers and she said "Xxxxx the yard is going to fill with steel again isn't it?" Apparently we have to live here for at least three years (been a bit of a gypsy since leaving the Army) before I can build my shop. That's okay it'll give time to build my tooling up. I work a lot so I won't be able to attend everything, especially in the summer. Other than that you'll see me around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Cool, you're almost straight up the hill from us, maybe 5 miles or so. Another of our guys isn't far from you, a little to the East. I understand work, most Alaskans do. We'll get together when we can. Same O' same O'. Does your better half have hobbies? Deb likes dog sports and spinning but is usually up for a new diversion. Once she recovers we'll see what we have in common on the home front. Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Yeah, I didn't want to impose on the neighbor for a landing pad. I think Wasilla has more smiths than anchorage actually. If that is not true they are a quiet bunch. More of the group meetings are held out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeddly Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Welcome to Alaska! When I came up in 1994, I soon learned that I would never leave here as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayoucowboy18 Posted December 14, 2014 Author Share Posted December 14, 2014 No way on the heli-noise machine. I'm attached to these things with a chain all week. Don't want to think about them when it's smithy time. Makes sense about blacksmiths here. People here seem to be more apt to build things and create than where I just moved from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Once you get a look at shipping you'll understand why we're more apt to make things ourselves than folk in the lower 48. Okay, no helo rides. <sigh> We can meet up and ride together, you Sean and I will fit in the pickup and it's a pretty short ride. Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rthibeau Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 hey cowboy.........can you really see Russia from there???? .. ;) :ph34r: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 hey cowboy.........can you really see Russia from there???? .. ;) :ph34r: No but he CAN see, even talk to Russians. There is a large Russian Orthodox community in his area. Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Is that when he's not rushin here or rushin there? :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayoucowboy18 Posted December 16, 2014 Author Share Posted December 16, 2014 Dammit I had a wonderful snarky response for that rthibeau but I stepped away for a day and missed the opportunity to be a smart ass. Oh well maybe later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Dammit I had a wonderful snarky response for that rthibeau but I stepped away for a day and missed the opportunity to be a smart ass. Oh well maybe later. George: You need to go easy on the language, it's a family site, there are a lot of children reading. It's a non traditional blacksmith thing. However, snappy repartee and clever japes are always welcome and appreciated, by some of us anyway. Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Is that when he's not rushin here or rushin there? :) Oh come on Ian, that's so obvious I wouldn't touch it with a 10' (3m) Pole. Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayoucowboy18 Posted December 16, 2014 Author Share Posted December 16, 2014 No problem Frosty, too many years of Army and Aviation have left me with a sharp tongue and a foul mouth. On another note I saw the Trenton for $450 (That's $7.50 a pound!!) and a post vise for $600 on Alaska's list. I'm highly regretting not buying some things before I came up here. Had I filled the bed of my truck with iron and steel instead of household junk I could have paid for the trip thrice over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 I always dreamt of buying a truck, filling it full of anvils and driving it up. Can you imagine the look on the border guards faces? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 I always dreamt of buying a truck, filling it full of anvils and driving it up. Can you imagine the look on the border guards faces? I've thought of the same thing but only brought the Trenton up that way. A pickup load of smithing tools would probably be alright but much more and the Canadian Gvt. wants their cut. Carrying goods through Canada for sale in AK. is a taxable enterprise. You want to be careful of the looks on the border guards faces, they don't have to reload your rig if they unload it for inspection. Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frozenforge Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 If you go during the winter you can pass off the anvils, swage blocks, post vises and all the other goodies (that would be an excellent road trip) as "extra weight for traction"! Of course that might be just a little too weird and attract extra scrutiny from the border guards. My experience has been that the customs at the U.S border are more likely to have issues. The last time I drove up the Canadian customs didn't even notice that I forgot to sign my passport, U.S. border did! Neither side seemed concerned at all that I was driving a car that wasn't mine with Montana plates. Welcome to Alaska George! I first came to Alaska when my grandpa was stationed at Elmendorf in the late 60s. Moved here in 84 and no desire to move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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