Hello from North central Missouri

[Stubbysteve]

My name's Steve, and I have no legs. That's why I call my self stubby. I just recently, as in last 4-6 weeks, got interested in blacksmithing. I like a challenge,  I work on anything with a gas engine. I have built motorcycles and currently have 2 homemade trikes. I am open to any and all advice and structural criticism. And don't worry about short jokes, tell them because I just might learn some new ones.....lol thanks for having me aboard.

[SLAG]

Stubby,

Welcome to the group. 

There are other members, here, that have no legs or are paraplegic.

Check out some of the threads that cover this subject.

A tip. The search function on this site is not good. So  use your favorite search engine with a selected search phrase and also iforgeiron in the search string.

SLAG.

Also, check out "Read this First" thread.

[Stubbysteve]

Yep I also can't see pictures for some reason. I always try to read before asking a ton of questions. Edit. Sorry read the wrong post, now I know why I can't see some pictures. Thanks

And I really do mean don't hold back on the short jokes. I know some people think it's rude or what ever but I'm not that person. 

I do have a few questions, but again I will look first. Thanks.

[ThomasPowers]

The early pictures on this forum were lost due to the great forum switchover and nobody can see them.  The most recent ones should be visible---not knowing how you are accessing these forums makes it hard to make suggestions.  I see them on Chrome running both on Windows 10 and on Kubuntu Plasma. (laptop and desktop)

[Stubbysteve]

Yeah it's the older ones I can't see is all.

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard Steve, glad to have you. We've worked with folks with not so functional parts, I'm a  serious TBI survivor  with issues of my own.  We'll get you up and  going in no time.

You WANT short'O leg jokes, something you haven't heard?  So you wanna be stumped eh?

 Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

Since I've been in the SCA 40 years this fall:  can I be Renn if he gets to be Stumpy?

As an insulin dependent diabetic I've lived with the possibility that I will be an amputee some day and every once in a while will forge sitting down to reassure myself it can be done.

So far my worst side effect was passing out 4 times one year and ending up with two concussions a month apart.

Let us know when you can use some brainstorming!

[Frosty]

You want to be Renn? Faire's fair I guess. What do you say Stumpy, bounce on over and tell us what you think.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Stubbysteve]

I'm game for anything.....lol

But seriously I was 5ft 9in tall now I'm 3 ft 9in tall. I lost two foot by losing  two feet. Again all seriousness. 

When my child was 3 years old she was taller than me.

And it wouldn't do anyone to get short with me cause I am shorter.

That and I love it when you go to a carnival and you see the signs where you have to be so tall to ride, I mess with the person running the ride and ask if I can ride and they scratch their heads and say they have to ask a manager....lol

I'm full of 'em. 

[Daswulf]

Welcome aboard Stubby.

Any idea what fuel you plan to use? What you are looking to spend? ( could be $0.-whatever) build a forge/ buy a forge, learn about anvils or improvised anvils, it's all here. 

Don't forget pictures. We love pictures. Anything you wouldn't have to explain to a 3 yo. Since it's a G rated site. Plus any progress can help others. 

It's harder being tall... Closer to all the things that make the head hurt. 

 

 

[Charles R. Stevens]

So let’s get some idea of how you deal with your amputations. Chair, prosthetics or walk on the “stumps”? We have covered chairs before, prosthetics should be no problem and just being short means no real need for an anvil stand or raising the forge as your knuckles drag the ground anyway. As you already figured out, no such thing as “can’t” only “how”. 

[Stubbysteve]

1 hour ago, Charles R. Stevens said:

 As you already figured out, no such thing as “can’t” only “how”. 

And that there is how I live my life. I have some what I call "BS" prosthetic, $30,000 pos. I just use my manual wheelchair and my monkey arms on my butt....lol

As for anvil stand I have a stump, just perfect height. And my forge is good height as well.

Daswulf, it might be hard to be tall, but being short has advantages as well. Besides how is the weather up there?

Also for what it's worth, I don't let nothing stop me from doing anything. I still climb 14-16 foot deer stands every year to go deer hunting. I ride 4 wheelers, 3 wheelers, etc. The only thing I can't do is get up off my butt and walk across the floor.

Also I have a few pictures of the forge in the "show me your forge" section under solid fuel forges.

I will be starting with wood coal. Trying to be all self efficient. 

[ThomasPowers]

Do you mean charcoal or lignite or?

[Frosty]

I have an online friend who kept getting in trouble with his docs for forging his own arm braces. He has lots of elbow damage from an accident and he thinks the his doctors are just ticked because his are better than the ones they get a kick back for selling. Think about it, we have: steam engine guys, bronze casters, mechanical engineers, mechanics of all kinds and blacksmiths concentrated right here. We could have you fixed up with something steam punk and not POS.

Your Whirlwind is a bottom blast forge and charcoal doesn't perform so well in a bottom blast. Take a look at Charles' JABOD they're easy, cheap and effective. I may not have used a JABOD but I've burned charcoal in a side blast  and bottom blast more than once, I'll take side blast for charcoal by choice. 

Arranging your tools and equipment will be more important seeing as you aren't as mobile but It's just detail really. We all take a while to learn how we like or need our stuff organized and I'll bet you have  more practice than most already.

You are going to soooooo fit right in here Steve. 

Frosty The Lucky.