Hi everyone,

I've been reading the forum for a while, so...

I'm not setting out to make a sword right off the bat (a drawknife was hard enough for now).  I'm also not going to ruin an anvil welding on it or milling it, and I know to do the research FIRST, at least read the stickies (a number of which I've already read).  I must say thank you for all that I have already learned from reading this site.  Oh yes, by the way, I do happen to like a good pun.

E. A. Beachy

Who are you and what have you done to our newbie!   Check out back for his pod...

(and welcome; please give thought to putting a very general location in your profile as many smithing questions have a location component to them: like "you can buy it for 20 cents a pound 6 miles north of my shop at the scrapyard"; or even "stop by Saturday and I'll work you welding up your first billet".  Makes a big difference if you are in the same country not to mention the same end of a state....)

I'm trying to figure out how to do just that.

Thank you.

A little more about me; I have a forge, a trenton anvil (approximately 170 lbs), a box of tools, 4 in. post vise, and a bunch of other stuff.  We got the stuff as one lot from a guy who couldn't really do it any more.  I loved the the forge time i get, but haven't had as much time recently as I'd like, being a  junior in high school (we homeschool) .

Welcome aboard beech. Don't forget we like pictures. 

Start planning to go to Quad-State next year! You are a lot closer than I am!  (also the Indiana Blacksmithing Association, http://www.indianablacksmithing.org )

i'm in the same boat as you, beech. can we have some pics of your set up?

I was really excited when I learned ( on the forum) that IBA has started a new group in Parke county (which) is closer than the one in Vigo county...

And yes, I know we like pictures ... felt that firsthand already sometimes reading other threads.

You are probably the youngest member here ... at a guess.

5 out of my 9 grandkids homeschool. Great way to keep the family together.

Have you tried to make a leaf? 

What happened to the 11 year old who used to show up from time to time?

No leaves yet. Lets see I made a dagger from a file ( which broke after I quenched as I was trying to make it so I could see colors when I tempered it, I hadn't read much yet then or wasn't thinking...).  I made a drawknife which I still need to sharpen and hope that I got it softened enough not to break, and I've made various other things.  Course I learned from even (maybe especially) from the ones that didn't turn out well.  The picture has some of the stuff in it when I first set it up, the set-up is different now, its now in that pavilion, with the forge and anvil away from the wood.  When in use I have a bucket of water there as an added fire precaution to sweeping the floor and position of the tools.  Also, I got the blower (Canedy Otto) back running so I'm not using the hair dryer anymore.  I use ear muffs and eye-glasses when I'm actually forging.

Pretty sure I'm not the youngest, I'm sixteen and I think that littleblacksmith is younger.

E Beachy

Nice setup of equipment. Keep on reading and learning and taking that to the forge. Look forward to seeing what you make. 

I'm guessing that's not your fuel supply in the background....

i get the glasses, but why earmuffs? it's not like you're using a power hammer or a gas forge, and trenton's don't even ring that loud in comparison to some.

Hearing damage is cumulative; good on beech for being careful about it now. I wish I'd taken better care of my own hearing when I was his age.

FWIW, my son wears ear defenders whenever he's working with anything loud, not just because of the potential for damage, but also because his autism makes him susceptible to sensory overload. 

got it.

Better safe than sorry type thought process, it doesn't hurt anything, and I'd prefer to keep my hearing.

20 minutes ago, beech said:

Better safe than sorry type thought process, it doesn't hurt anything, and I'd prefer to keep my hearing.

Sorry, say again?

 Hey little Hoosier Buddy.......good to meet ya. You were right, the Parke Co. group is a good one. John Bennett is the leader of that group. He just did a demo at our IBA meeting on Saturday the 10th near Stilesville. If you do YouTube, he has some pretty good vids up for beginners and skilled alike. (And to toot my own horn, he even mentions me in one of em") I don't belong to that group, because RSMA meetings are also the first Saturday of the month. But I have visited a couple of times when I could.

 Let me know if I can help you in any way, or you have any questions.           Life is good                    Dave 

No, that's not the fuel haha.  I'm looking forward to going to the Parke County meetings.