jumbojak Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Hello everyone, on the internet I'm know as jumbojak, JJ, and occasionally as Mick. The last one is what folks tend to call me in real life but, due to the ease of managing accounts across multiple forums with a single handle I tend to go by jumbojak on the web. That one has been with me for a while now.I'm new to blacksmithing, having just fired my forge up for the first time today, though I would like to reach a point where I can make hand tools and simple decorative iron work. That level will be a long time in the making so I plan to give it all I have and sort of... fail my way to success, if you know what I mean.With a little luck I hope to find something suitable to use as an anvil within the next week so I can start practicing in earnest. Tools are fairly limited right now but that's okay. I plan on using my car as my "work truck" for the time being and have all my equipment as portable as possible. Fortunately, I drive a Buick and the boot is big enough to comfortably carry the forge, a largish toolbox, charcoal in ample quantities, various long handled instruments, a vise and stand (still working on restoration of the vise at the moment), a large bovine animal, and enough gravel to resurface a driveway. Okay, the last few were a joke but I look in that trunk and see nothing but space. My colliery goes in the back seat.Well, I think that about covers everything. For those interested I'm from the Tidewater region of Virginia and have lived here all my life. My girlfriend is English - just in case you were wondering about my use of the word "boot" in relation to the car - so if I fall into British spelling don't think I'm some kind of troll attempting to play both sides of the pond. I may at times talk about labour but you will never hear me utter the word aluminium!Cheers,MickP.S. I also have a rather odd fascination with hand files. No idea where it comes from, but I absolutely love them. Especially old files needing TLC and a good sharpening. We all have our quirks, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 welcome jumbojak you come to the right place, there's a lot of good information and advise here.The boot don`t worry me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Welcome aboard Mick, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you'll be surprised how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance. Just telling us where you are in one post isn't going to last till your next one.Fail your way to success is exactly how it's done. Blacksmithing is about failure analysis. Every blow of the hammer twist of a wrench bend punch, every single one has something to tell you and mistakes are text books. Sure it might not have done what you expected or wanted but that' what it did and may be the perfect thing to do down the road. Notes are your friend, pics help a lot tool.A little search of the site or Google for the TPAAAT will give you directions for finding all kinds of desirable stuff even if Anvil is part of the anagram. It's amazingly effective. You got it though, till you find better anything hard and heavy enough you use to forge on is an anvil.We like pics projects, tools, equipment shop, landscapes, pets, most anything you'd let your preschooler look at. Heck, we LOVE pics.Like puns? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickOHH Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Like puns? Frosty The Lucky.haha, uh oh here we go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumbojak Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 welcome jumbojak you come to the right place, there's a lot of good information and advise here.The boot don`t worry me It worries me at times though. the other day I asked for "crisps" with a sandwich and the guy across the counter had no idea what I was talking about. Thanks for the welcome stan. Welcome aboard Mick, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you'll be surprised how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance. Just telling us where you are in one post isn't going to last till your next one.Fail your way to success is exactly how it's done. Blacksmithing is about failure analysis. Every blow of the hammer twist of a wrench bend punch, every single one has something to tell you and mistakes are text books. Sure it might not have done what you expected or wanted but that' what it did and may be the perfect thing to do down the road. Notes are your friend, pics help a lot tool.A little search of the site or Google for the TPAAAT will give you directions for finding all kinds of desirable stuff even if Anvil is part of the anagram. It's amazingly effective. You got it though, till you find better anything hard and heavy enough you use to forge on is an anvil.We like pics projects, tools, equipment shop, landscapes, pets, most anything you'd let your preschooler look at. Heck, we LOVE pics.Like puns? Frosty The Lucky.By header do you mean the thread title or something in my profile? I'm on mobile and can't seem to find any way to even edit my posts, much less the title of the thread. Oh well, new forum, new way of doing things. As to people living within spitting distance I found the section for the Tidewater group on here. I suspect that the post vise I've been looking at on Craigslist is listed by one of their members. The locations match up, but I'm no Bruce Wayne... As to an anvil, I plan on heading to a scrapyard next Monday with my brother. He has an actual work truck so we should be able to find a suitable chunk a steel for general hammering purposes. He has a sawmill and I think he gets a kick out of one of us sawing lumber while the other hammers metal. Heck of a nice guy that brother of mine.What's this TPAAAT you speak of? I'll drop it in the search box later but am on the ferry headed to work now, furiously attempting to reply to all the kind folks who welcomed me here. Oh well, I'm sure I'll find out in due time.Not much in the way of pics at the moment though I may be able to put something up about my file sharpening kit and methodology. I use the quick method (muriatic acid) and if nobody has anything on here regarding proper safety precautions when using that method it'd probably be useful to have. I've seen a lot of recommendations online for using that stuff and very little GOOD information on how to use it safely!Also, puns are fine by me. Just so long at they're really, REALLY punny. Bet you never heard that one before.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumbojak Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 haha, uh oh here we go Just getting started NickOHH. Just getting started...I really tried to come up with a pun for that one. No dice this time though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickOHH Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Oh I'm sure there will be plenty of puns on the way ! Just let frosty shake off the icicles and he will chime in with some good(or is it bad ?) puns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Welcome, depending on how far you wish to drive, some guilds that may be within driving distance include:- Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland http://www.bgcmonline.org/I highly recommend taking a course or two at the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland, you can find further information about beginner and intermediate courses on their website.- Central Virginia Blacksmith Guild http://cvbg.org/- Blacksmith Guild of the Potomac http://www.bgop.org/- Mid-Atlantic Smiths Association http://www.masasmiths.org/- Tidewater Blacksmith Guild http://tidewaterblac....com/index.html- Chesapeake Forge Guild meets at the Kinder Farm Park in Millersville http://www.chesapeakeforge.org/- Philadelphia Blacksmiths Guild https://sites.google.com/site/stuarttheblacksmith/home/hammertymephilly-the-philadelpia-blacksmiths-guild- New Jersey Blacksmith Association: ? /- Pennsylvania Artist Blacksmith Guild: http://www.pabasite.org/-For a more complete list visit: http://www.abana-chapter.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumbojak Posted October 8, 2015 Author Share Posted October 8, 2015 Thank you for the info David. I'll be sure to have a look! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 What's this TPAAAT you speak of? http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/3602-thomas-powers-applied-anvil-acquisition-technique/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Bad pun? I guess if a person didn't get it maybe even then puns are the highest form of humor. The more dirty socks thrown the better it was. Still in this age of enlightenment there are folk who who don't play with words. I guess they just don't know how much pun it is.The header I speak of is accessed in your profile. You can post an Avatar pic and list your location. I have as much smart in my phone turned off as I can so I can't help there.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickOHH Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Bad pun? I guess if a person didn't get it maybe even then puns are the highest form of humor. The more dirty socks thrown the better it was. Still in this age of enlightenment there are folk who who don't play with words. I guess they just don't know how much pun it is.The header I speak of is accessed in your profile. You can post an Avatar pic and list your location. I have as much smart in my phone turned off as I can so I can't help there.Frosty The Lucky.Some people just don't appreciate a good joke anymore, going to the way side like the theater. I actually did a Theatrical preformance about puns, it was a play on words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 There must be a lot of Xanth fans here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumbojak Posted October 8, 2015 Author Share Posted October 8, 2015 I'll be putting the Thomas Powers technique to work shortly. This morning I asked the guy who runs my local breakfast biscuit stop if I could put a notice on the board by his door that I was looking for an anvil. He asked me what an anvil was! Of course, I explained it to him - guess he never watched many cartoons growing up - and I could see the wheels turning in his head like he'd seen one around but wasn't sure where it was. Time will tell.This is a pretty rural area on the east coast so I know there are a few around. Guess iit's just a matter of getting the word out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 You never know where those leads may come from. My 2nd anvil came courtesy of a connection I made with a neighbor of a customer of mine. His buddy did scrap and had an anvil. I mentioned I was looking to my chiropractor later and he pointed me towards this old farmer down the road who rand a small landscape supply who had 2 in a back barn he was looking to sell. My big anvil came courtesy of the guy who shared my machine at the tech school night program on machining. Turns out he had it in his garage left over from when they sold his fathers machine shop years ago... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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