Phil Dwyer Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Mikey's (my 6 year old's) first hot blacksmithing project. (He has been practicing with copper cold for some time.) He loves to declare, "got a good heat this time Dad." In fact, after burning himself, when I told him to put the tools down so we could take a break and fix him up, his exact words were, "one last time hammering Dad, I got a monster heat this time!" I got him one of those little HF 15 pound anvils. He's got his own safety glasses and a pair of small tongs. Still got to make him an appropriately sized hammer though. He has trouble holding the tongs (takes after his Dad I guess) so I helped with that somewhat once we hot cut his hook off the rod. That's him on my shoulders a few years ago. (Boy time flies by in a wink. It seems like just the other day, I was 20 pounds lighter and my boy was just a little blob in diapers!) I just love that little guy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger1875 Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Congratulations!!! I wish I could say that may first hook looked something like this, I was about twenty years older and the hook was nothing to show!!! Keep your son in the track, this is some awesome talent here... !!! For holding the pliers is no other help as training, for the pressure you have to come up with, to hold the material, bend a c-clamp in a size it will fit and hold the ends of the pliers together. This way your son only has to hold the pliers and not squeezing them together, too. Badger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markb Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Nice hook for any age. The value of your activities can't be overstated. Great hook Mikey. Hit it while it's HOT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Shepard Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 That is a great hook. Very good job on the tapers! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete46 Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 When's He Giving The Demo? Good Job Mikey!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welder19 Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 That's awsome!!! Hopefully he sticks with it as he gets older, that's the way that young master smiths are made. welder19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dallas de Marr Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 If only I had someone to teach me when I was that young... keep it up, Mikey! Good show, we hope to see more from you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zsartell Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 That is great. That is one heck of a hook for a youngster like that. I can't wait to have kids so I can show them things like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Excellent job Mikey! Tell Dad you need a monster anvil to go with your monster heats. It's times like this with My Dad I remember best. Good on ya Phil. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrynjr Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 that's a great hook! much better than my first, 2nd, 20th............. keep up the monster heats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerkid Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 LOoks good ! Tell him to keep up the good work! I wished I had gotten to start younger but didn`t ! I guess starting at 13 ain`t that bad LOL:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Covington Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Phil, You can be proud. I know a lot of grown men that claim to know what their doing that can't do that good. Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donnie Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Beautiful job, Mikey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnr Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 That ROCKS!!!! Great job there! Finnr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Dwyer Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 Thanks for all the kind words everyone. Mikey took his hook to school today to show his kindergarten teacher. I told his teacher it may be destined to becoming a family heirloom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markb Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Have him start signing his work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 May want to have him start a journal about his blacksmithing projects. Sketch each finished piece and how it was made. If he is ever ask to make another one, he will know how. More importantly that journal will be priceless in 20 years. (grin) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger1875 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I take up Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Dwyer Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 Well he can wield a hammer, but he can't draw yet. I've been admonished for not getting some photos of him at work. Guess I better strap the bloody camera on my hip next to the leatherman and phone. This could get awkward. I might start taking pictures of my ear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 You just need to get the project, the anvil and the kid all together in one place and shoot a "completed project". A little soot on the hands and face and no one will ever be able to tell the difference. (grin) Second time at the anvil you can get the action photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Glenn's right Phil. A photo journal and sketchbook will make him the Mac Daddy of show and tell. And just think of the stories he can tell his kids. Then again as Grandpaw you can start them out with a journal and monster heats of their own. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ornametalsmith Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 that's great.....and you can almost Feel the lil buggers enthusiasm. Sounds like some wonderful Kodak moments, both stills and video. His first hook should no doubt end up a family heirloom. His square taper looks better than some I've seen my beginner's do. I think he's a natural......it's obvious he's been paying close attention and wants to be "just like his Dad" when he grows up. Look forward to following Mikey's progress.....tell him...HIS FAN CLUB awaits. congrats, MIKEY. happy hammering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Dwyer Posted March 5, 2008 Author Share Posted March 5, 2008 You bet he's a natural. So we get to the smithy and I hand him a length of 3/8" round rod. What's the first thing he says? "Dad where are some safety glasses?" I kid you not. After he gets them then he says, "Okay dad, I make it square first, then eight sides then round right?" Wow, where did that come from? Well, one of his favorite videos is Randy McDanial's on blacksmithing. He remembered it from that and from hearing me say it too. So away he starts wailing. He sees right away when the metal has cooled too much. He puts it back in the fire just right (not shoved down in deep). He takes it out and checks it from time to time so as not to burn it. He turns it back and forth 90 degrees while hammering. He works the tip with a little encouragement to hit down near the end. He knows to watch it more closely in the fire when its thinned out so much. He asks for help making the curly-queue at the end of the hook. I hold the bar from one side of the anvil, he hits it from the other side. He hits the little tip just hanging over the edge ever so delicately as I feed it toward him. Again he asks me to hold the rod while he shapes it on the horn. He has me hold the hot cut and rod while he strikes the hot cut. He does several heats and squaring taper hammer sessions, but after dropping the hook a couple of times, tells me his hand is tired trying to hold it in the tongs, would I mind. So he's the striker and I'm the tong and fire man. He gets the nail point just beautifully tapered and bent pretty square, but asks me to square it a little neater. So there you have it. I'm not sure which one of us had the most fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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