Hello Everyone 

I have no blacksmithing experience, but I have always been impressed by the art and skill of those that manipulate a lump of metal into something of purpose and beauty.

My aim is to become a full time blacksmith and I appreciate the insights and advice that you have given on these forums and hope that with your kind help I can make a success of it.

Best

Ben

 

Hi Ben, Welcome to the site, You may benefit by a visit to one of our members days we hold at Westpoint near to Junction 30 services at Exeter on the M%, we have one this Saturday if you fancy coming along and see what we have to offer and how we can help you. 

If you scroll down to the Groups Forum and check out the BMASW at Westpoint section, you can see some of the things we get up to

Look forward to seeing your progress and enjoy doing it.

I'm new and from Oxfordshire, so not so far away! Welcome to IFI!

Welcome aboard Ben, glad to have you. I'd invite you to our next meeting but we have that big darned ocean and this continent between us. Still, if you make it over this way give a shout I'd be more than happy to light a fire.

Frosty The Lucky.

Thanks for the warm welcome gents!

John, thank you for the invitation, I have already had a good read of the informative BMASW group posts and had a look at your website and will call you today about attending tomorrow, again thank you

Theif, thank you for the welcome and congrats on your anvil, I need to get a ball bearing and start the Thomas Powers ask about technique (btw if you start to find anvils coming out of your ears now that you have one, please pm me if there are any spare).

and

Frosty last but by no means least  thank you for your kind invitation (xxxx that pond and the 4000 mile cross country stretch!) and for sharing your experience and insights, very helpful.

next weekend if you go a little south west to the wilderness gathering you can meet several from here, at least Dave Budd demoing a ground forge and me and my minion trading there plus many more.

im in Northants but will soon be demoing at stratford on avon racecourse.

say hello if you get to one of these events

Thanks Iron Dwarf, 

its only about an hour away so sounds good, I looked for your name in the traders section on their website, saw Dave listed but not Iron Dwarf, do you have another trading name?

cheers

Ben

We're closer if you go over the pole you know.

Frosty The Lucky.

yup, David Hodges, in the craft field, pitch 6 though they may have my address down as my name ( glendon Forge )

selling forges and tools amongst other stuff, Dave Budd will not be far away

 

11 minutes ago, Frosty said:

We're closer if you go over the pole you know.

Frosty The Lucky.

even closer if you tunnel straight there

Cheers, all things being equal I hope to see you there...

And Frosty to sledge or to dig, hmmm

I could always tie my American Bulldog to my daughters plastic sled, flask of coffee and a bacon sandwich.... you never know

 

welcome   

 

As Dave says, I'll be at the Gathering. I'm normally in the main field next to Endicotts Army Surplus. There are likely others smiths there too. In the past Dean Agate (meadow forge), John Arthur, Andy Kirkham and at least one other who's name eludes me now. It used to be just me, but now every other stall seems to be a smith! 

22 hours ago, Ben Bell said:

Cheers, all things being equal I hope to see you there...

And Frosty to sledge or to dig, hmmm

I could always tie my American Bulldog to my daughters plastic sled, flask of coffee and a bacon sandwich.... you never know

 

I was thinking you'd catch a flight, silly of me. Were I to make the choice I'd tunnel a bull dog doesn't have enough fur to pull you over the pole, I'm thinking he'd turn around at the snow line and stop being friendly if you insisted. You're right though I never know. I'm used to that though. 

Frosty The Lucky.

1 hour ago, Frosty said:

I was thinking you'd catch a flight, silly of me. Were I to make the choice I'd tunnel a bull dog doesn't have enough fur to pull you over the pole, I'm thinking he'd turn around at the snow line and stop being friendly if you insisted. You're right though I never know. I'm used to that though. 

Frosty The Lucky.

If I put the bacon butty like "a carrot on a stick" she will keep going come what may...  

and thanks for the hello Dave, 

and hope to say hello in person on Saturday 

Sounds good, give me a call when you hit the North slope I'll meet you in Fairbanks say hi to your dog and give you a ride the rest of the way.

Frosty The Lucky.

I can recommend Dave's dwarf forge if you see him at the gathering or stratford. Very simple to set up and works great (when you don't put damp coke in it, silly me -.-).

 

hi T_O_N

yes will be at both events as well as 'pig and applestock' in just over a week, will be demoing at both stratford and P & A but just selling at wilderness athering