Hey there, I'm brand new to blacksmithing but gosh darn is it fun! I live in New Braunfels Texas and Smith just for fun when I'm not working overtime. In real life I'm and electician with local 520 for any brothers out there. I have 2 young kids and a great wife that somehow understands that at the end of a long day of running pipe at work I love to come home and hammer hot metal.

    I've been lurking in this site for a couple of months, learning and buy tools and building the things I need to get started. I do not have a shop, I have a tool bag with a few  basic tools, a stand, a homemade mailbox forge  and cheap anvil. I didn't want to sink 100s into something I might not like but I will upgrade in a few years if I keep at it. Right now I store everything inside because of the neighborhood I live in and when I have time set up in my driveway and try to stay out of the wind and the sun. It's working out well so far and my neighbors haven't cursed me yet. 

   I would really like to find someone in my area to shoot the stuff, share a 6 pack and help out. Newbie or veteran doesn't matter, I will also help out around the forge and anvil, swing a hammer and maybe trade some electrical work for tips or tools. I know balconies forge is I my area but don't really want to pay money just yet to enter a group and the next meet is months away, but if I continue with this I most definitely will join. 

   Anyways thats a little about me, I'm going to try to stay active on this site and learn as much as I can. 

   

Welcome to the addiction, lol

Every smithing group I've been a member of lets new folk attend for free a couple of times to set the hook let folks see if they want to join.

see if you have any local facebook pages for smithing, that's how I found my local group.

Houston area blacksmiths may be a bit of a drive as your located on I-35 between Austin and San Antonio. 

Have you looked at Balcones Forge Central Texas Blacksmithing group?  Or the metalworking at Austin Community College ? Or Poineer Farms?

There were several hits in the San Antonio area.

 

I used to carpool to SOFA meetings as they were about a 2 hour drive (each way).  Saved money and was a lot more fun...

Thank you all for such fast replies, I had no idea this site was this active! 

17 minutes ago, Glenn said:

Houston area blacksmiths may be a bit of a drive as your located on I-35 between Austin and San Antonio. 

Have you looked at Balcones Forge Central Texas Blacksmithing group?  Or the metalworking at Austin Community College ? Or Poineer Farms?

There were several hits in the San Antonio area.

 

I have looked into all three. I plan on attending pioneer farms classes when time and money permits, and I don't really have the time for Austin community college, I'm already is school for electrical and that takes up 2 nights a week and a whole weekend every month on top of all the overtime I already work. If I ever get serious and want to turn this into more than a hobby then I will look more into it. As far as balconies goes I will be going to the next meeting if I'm not working and I might join if it seems worth it. But like I said this is just a hobby so I cant justify spending too much time or money on this endeavor just yet. 

Welcome to IFI.

My friend in San Antonio gets up to New Braunfels for car shows - he is big into Triumph Spitfires.

Start with the basics and keep an eye out for any local help.

Welcome aboard Cade-o, glad to have you. If you think of learning the basics of smithing like learning to be a sparky you'll pick it up more easily and thoroughly. Step by step, the fancy stuff is just a bunch of basic processes joined in the right order. No matter how long you do this you'll be doing the basics.

Most important, have fun. For all the dirt, sweat, bruises, burns, aching muscles, etc. it's worth it for it's soul deep satisfaction. Your missus understands needing a way to decompress, kids are an unending job.

You've been hanging here long enough to know we LOVE pics and what's not allowed. Yes? 

Frosty The Lucky. 

5 hours ago, Frosty said:

 

You've been hanging here long enough to know we LOVE pics and what's not allowed. Yes? 

Frosty The Lucky. 

I know we love pics but do you mean the rules as what's allowed? Did I break a rule somewhere?

Just made these today playing around again. Its amazing how much you learn from failur, the bottle opener actually worked this time lol! Tomorrow I have a game plan on working on some basics and not really trying to "make" anything. 

Nope, not yet.  

Snaky looking things you made there.

Frosty The Lucky.