NC Newbee

[BobbyW.]

Hello all. My name is Bobby, and I have been blacksmithing for only a few months. I took a beginners class at a local primitive skills gathering and caught the bug. Blacksmithing is something that I have always been interested in, and, as it turns out, is in my blood. I have traced my lineage back to Denmark on my mothers side, and come from a long line of blacksmiths. Unfortunately, my Great-Great Grandfather was the last in the line, and having no-one to learn from has had its own challenges along the way. Right now I am using a brake drum forge that my sons and I built, along with a mild steel block for an anvil. I work full time as a carpenter and don't have near the time that I would like to focus on blacksmithing. After all, a man has to make a living. However, being the internet age, sites such as this along with You-Tube have been invaluable. I would like to say thank you to all of the experienced Smiths who take the time to steer us beginners in the right direction. Any and all advice is welcome.

[Tubalcain2]

welcome aboard. we are glad to have you on. if you have any questions, no matter how silly you think they are, don't hesitate to ask them. take a sunday afternoon and a plate of cookies and explore the site. you would be surprised at  how many of your Q's have already been A'd so to speak.

[BobbyW.]

Thanks for the welcome, and yes just by exploring the site, many questions have been answered. Im sure there will be many more questions and look forward to the feedback.

[ThomasPowers]

One of the good ways to get a jump start is to attend meetings of a local ABANA affiliate if one is close to you and remember when looking what state you reside in doesn't matter so if one over the line is closer or better for you; no problem!  Learning hands on is much faster and better than trying to learn over the net.