Senpai Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Greetings all and thank you for allowing me to join this forum. I've already experienced a wealth of talent and ideas from folks willing to share their knowledge. This is an occupation that has no bounds and nobody has all the answers and strength in numbers is the word. Back in the dark ages I started out as a floor sweeper in a machine shop in Silicon Valley - worked my way up to journeyman and then toolmaker. Was lucky enough to have made parts for the lunar landers as well as the space shuttles for NASA (pretty cool) - in a fit of patriotism (Reagan years) and perhaps a loss of sensibilities I joined the Navy and saw the world 400 feet below the surface of the water and from a periscope. After a stint in Naval nuclear power I wandered away from my craft and ventured into more modern fields such as IT. As I have aged I realize that I have like the prodigal son, reached a point where I am able more and more to enjoy my earlier talents in fabrication, machining and yes, smithing - I became entranced with blacksmithing some years earlier and have focused on it for some years; modeling my shop after the one my great grandfather used as a pioneer in the old west. Very fulfilling even on a bad day. I'm really not anything exceptional at all but have a passion that I enjoy sharing and doing. Seeing more and more that the 'crafts' are losing talent by attrition I have decided to begin an organization that will encourage all those folks not unlike myself who have no aptitude for college and such to start a passion/career in the crafts. There are no real apprenticeships anymore but a hybrid model exists that can be facilitated by the use of the Renaissance method of using the 'Bodega' - it has become my business model and little by little I am hoping if nothing else to leave a few people with something that they can rely on for the rest of their lives. I'm working towards my goal and looking for a few good Senpai's to mentor young people and helping folks start businesses. - hopefully I didn't lull you to sleep - enjoy your passion - Senpai. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 Welcome aboard Senpai, glad to have you. While I've heard the word Bodega I haven't heard it often enough to have a handle on it by context. So I exercised my Yahoo-fu and if you knew me a you'd know how much restraint I'm using by not going straight to the market with the funnin. Fun over I saw a few implications of business models but not enough to have a handle on how it works even in a small way. Metal content though I have a handle on. What are you wanting to make? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senpai Posted July 28, 2016 Author Share Posted July 28, 2016 Good morning Frosty - Thank you for the welcome. It is really nice to have such a good like minded group to talk with. About the business - it's one of those life goals things. Have to admit it's not the usual content that folks go on about but it's pretty exciting to me - The idea was to create a low cost, easy to manage method for young folks to start and manage their craft. At least in my area, anyone that doesn't go to college goes to McDonalds - and then some of the folks that go to college still go to McDonalds. Enough of that - With respect to burning metal and beating on it with a hammer, I'm self taught so I pick one thing at a time and incorporate that into what I do - I try to improve on it as I use it. This week's efforts are focused on scrollwork and the various methods of attaching it to other stuff. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 Howdy, glad to have you hear! if youre evere down my way, feel free to give me a holler and maybe you can come over and we can beat some hot steel. 19 hours ago, Senpai said: modeling my shop after the one my great grandfather used as a pioneer in the old west. got any pictures? would love to see it! Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senpai Posted July 28, 2016 Author Share Posted July 28, 2016 Whoa! College Station! no kidding? My kid is up there soaking up all my money with tuition and whatever it is that kids do today. This just made my day. Definitely need to get up there and hang out. I'm not real big - but I'm having a great time I included a photo of my new (and most prized) anvil plus a really, really overdone dog food dish destined for someone's greyhound. My smithy is non-electric all hand crank and hand hammer - Keeps an old guy fit and with the coal fumes and whatnot at the peak of health! I do have a couple of welders, grinders and all that stuff - I also do fab work for folks who like those big ol' farm bumpers on their trucks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 Sounds like some of the "maker spaces" folks are creating all over. I've got a couple of friends involved in the Idea Foundry in Columbus OH. I also teach a basic intro to blacksmithing as an adjunct class to the Fine Arts Metals program at NM Tech's Community College; it's just a "get your feet wet" class and the Fine Arts Instructor handles all the paperwork for a visiting instructor type deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senpai Posted July 28, 2016 Author Share Posted July 28, 2016 Exactly! - A friend of mine calls it a business incubator - We'll provide capital, space, services and mentoring (senpai's) and they can get started up with less overhead as well as provide a hybrid apprenticeship program for kids out of high school I've added a not for profit branch to the business model that provides capital and services for veterans as well as coordinating folks with special needs with jobs and tasks to do depending upon their abilities. I'll keep my shop around and make it part of the process as I think in it's infancy I'm going to need to beat on something every once in a while Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 wow nice anvil! did you buy it new? that's one pretty penny. whats the weight on it, 300? 275? yeah, the only electricity in my shop is for my nearly 100 year old champion electric blower, though I use grinders and sanders, everything is with a hand hammer. Nice dog dish! Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senpai Posted July 28, 2016 Author Share Posted July 28, 2016 It's a brand new Ernst Refflinghaus 275 pounder - yeah it did - unable to find an old one, I researched and researched until I came up with this one - It's an amazingly well crafted tool - I never regretted ever buying a good tool - this one as well My blower is hand crank - it has taught me a lot about things such as heat and fuel conservation - lot of work but a good buy nonetheless I too have the usual hand tools and a pedestal grinder as well - I don't use them as much except when I have a big welding job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 yeah, I did a few knifes and decided that I'm not going to do much more, too much grinding, I prefer to forge to finish, which I did but theirs still more grinding, compared to the more decorative side of blacksmithing, and even the tool making side of blacksmithing where theirs not as much. Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senpai Posted July 28, 2016 Author Share Posted July 28, 2016 I concur - the hours spent eating grinding dust are many and the return on investment not so good. I too like the more simple smithing - heating up metal and beating on it til it looks pretty and is functional - very satisfying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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