Hello all! Just ran across this site and it looks like it's full of great information. I started reading the discussions and knew this is the place I need to be! Any questions i need an answer to or if I'm looking for advice, this will be my go to site. I have no doubt in the experience and talent that the members are blessed with will not point me in the wrong direction. Thank you..  Ben

Welcome aboard Ben. 

Being fairly new to this forum myself, I can offer you some advice:  Before you ask a question, make sure you search all the past threads first.  Often the question you have has been asked and answered before - sometimes several times.  It's not that folks here won't answer it again, but you can save yourself time by reading, reading, and reading.  The other thing would be to listen to the voices of experience here.  They freely share decades and in some cases a lifetime of blacksmithing experience.  This is to the benefit of all of us.  You might not agree with what they are telling you to do, but try it and report back.  When you do that it shows you are willing to listen, learn and try.  This can go a long way.  The last piece of advice would be not to take things personally.  All of us, me included, have in the past and it's just not productive.  Some people's advice is rather gruff.  Just let it roll right off you and don't consider it a personal attack.  What I've learned from this forum has put me light years ahead in this craft and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way.

Welcome, and enjoy.

 

I used to go camping in the pine barrens; my scoutmasters were Tom and Jim Brown.   Unless you mean the Baliwick of Jersey in the UK, world wide forum here...