Chris C Posted August 24, 2019 Author Share Posted August 24, 2019 Hang in there. Tough road ahead. Kids, ya just hafta love 'em and support 'em and let 'em know you are always there. I've seen a ton of kids who were headed for serious troubled lives ahead turn them around and become wonderful and meaningful citizens. Takes love, support and time. I'll keep all of your family in my prayers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 24, 2019 Share Posted August 24, 2019 You and yours are in my prayers Jason. I wish I had some useful advice to offer, best I can do is speak to higher in your favor. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasent Posted August 27, 2019 Share Posted August 27, 2019 Thank you all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted August 27, 2019 Share Posted August 27, 2019 Dear Jasent, I post this just to let you know that troubled teens sometimes do grow out of it. My son was depressed and apathetic as a teen. It didn't help that his mother with whom he was very close was diagnosed with terminal cancer when he was 16. He was my assistant care giver during the 6 years she fought it. He was treated by a psychiatrist and was on anti-depressants and just drifted. He graduated from the local community college but when he went away to a 4 year university he did not have focus or motivation and dropped out several times. He finally found an interest that engaged him and is at the University of North Dakota majoring in Aviation and will be a commercial pilot when he graduates. He is doing very well and has made the Dean's List. This has been a great relief to me and is a great weight off my heart. I no longer have the fear of him being 35 years old, living in my basement, and playing video games. So, sometimes these stories have happy endings. Hang in there and do your best. Sometimes you have to present them with 2 uncomfortable choices, e.g. get a job and pay rent or move out. When you love someone it is hard not to let yourself be an enabler and part of the problem. It is not easy but a lot of us have been there. You may need counseling yourself to keep on an even keel. Good luck and you are in our prayers. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn II Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 I'm very surprised that no one has mentioned TPAAAT in this thread. Chris, it stands for Thomas Powers Applied Anvil Acquisition Technique, and I know first hand that it works. There are threads on IFI to check out for more details, but one of bases of this tried and true technique is to tell everyone you come into contact with that you are blacksmithing and on the prowl for a good anvil. Many times I would hear from someone, "oh yeah my uncle has an anvil in the back of his shed..." Best reply "Could you ask him if he would be willing to part with it?" The tough part is sometimes you gotta stay on them until the ask said uncle. Often it is a dry lead, or unsavory condition like you discovered about the one you went to look at. Ultimately, it takes time and persistence. Soon, you'll have an army of people helping you find an anvil, like casting a 100 foot net into the river instead of a butterfly net with a short handle. As every one else has said, keep practicing so when you are finally able to set the hook on a "perfect for you" anvil, you are able to put it to the best use. I like the coffee can piggy bank idea. Another great way to grow that fund is to sell some trinkets. Get on FB and CL to sell some S-Hooks, leaf key chains, etc. Get in good with the guy that owns the liquor store. Ask if you could sell some bottle openers and cork screws on his counter? Next thing you know, someone knows a guy that knows a guy that knows a guy that has "at least a 100# anvil" he'd be willing to part with for $175, and you my good sir happen to have that and a few dollars extra to buy a couple hammers from him too. (It turned out to be a 235# Hay Budden on the bathroom scale.) George, I'm about an hour from UND if you ever make it to visit him and want to hammer together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted September 6, 2019 Author Share Posted September 6, 2019 That's probably because it's been mentioned so many times in my other threads about my dismal search for an anvil. I've been using TPAAAT for a long time. Gettin' to the point I'm even mentioning it to cashiers at Walmart!!! Fully aware of the acronym and the process. Just haven't had any luck to speak of. That's okay, I've got a 50# Vulcan and a good RR track "anvil". I'm okay. What I need is to get my forge finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 Save your pennies. i think your just waiting till I open the shop and start liquidating all the extra stuff I have. 16 Anvils and counting. At this point I think I will only keep 7 of them. Few more months.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 Everyone does mean Everyone! I've met a lot of people who "just ask folks who might have an anvil" Then I mention the 92 year old lady at church that had a nice one! Or the young guy selling used greasy car parts at the fleamarket---his uncle had a 469# Fisher and sold it to me for US$350 in mint condition... Also asking folks trying to sell anvils and make money from it is the *expensive* way to do it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted September 6, 2019 Author Share Posted September 6, 2019 You're exactly right, Jennifer. I've got the money set aside that I'm willing to spend. Just can't find an anvil that's not 50-75% more than I'm willing to spend. Also, I don't want to add shipping, so it'll have to be a purchase fairly close to home. Ya see, I'm just too durned picky! Yup, Thomas, I guess the gal at the cash register in Walmart qualifies as "everyone". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 Some darn good ones too; I’ve seen them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 7, 2019 Share Posted September 7, 2019 3 hours ago, Chris The Curious said: the gal at the cash register in Walmart qualifies as "everyone". How about the people waiting in line with you? Here's one you haven't tried. Make friends with the Walmart greeter, buy him/er a cup of coffee / soda and stand there talking to folk walking into and leaving WallyWorld. Heck, get a part time job as a Greeter. Don't forget the dollar store cashier. Let him/er know you're looking for smithing tools and willing to part with some money for a good one. H/SHE knows who's who and folk buying at the dollar store can usually use a little extra money. Pawn and 2nd hand shops aren't such good places, the owners are there to maximize their profits. Worse, you don't want to encourage someone to steal from anybody let alone another smith. It was long before I'd even heard of Thomas but the TPAAAT is how I found my Soderfors in smithing tool dry Alaska. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted September 7, 2019 Share Posted September 7, 2019 45 minutes ago, Frosty said: Here's one you haven't tried. Make friends with the Walmart greeter, buy him/er a cup of coffee / soda and stand there talking to folk walking into and leaving WallyWorld. Funny you should mention that. It's one of the first things I did in my search for an anvil. I've found three through Art the greeter but the owners think old equate to more valuable or one might one day want to use it. I talked to the cashiers at all the little stores and gas stations too. I promised a finders fee to the person who puts me in contact with the person who sells me my anvil. They let me put a wanted to buy flyer on their bulletin board too. I'm sure it'll eventually pay off. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted September 11, 2019 Author Share Posted September 11, 2019 I talk to most everyone I meet. Almost the first thing I say to them is "Do you know anyone who has an anvil?" Did that this morning with an old 94 year old volunteer at the YMCA. She just beamed and said both her father and grandfather were blacksmiths and she used to have their anvil in the barn................................but her grandson needed a heavy weight to tie down a horse in the middle of the pasture. When he came back to get the horse, it was roaming around eating grass but there was no anvil in sight. Still tryin', Thomas, still tryin'. I've asked the Walmart greeters so many times the first thing they say to me when I walk in is "Nope". Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les L Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 Chris, I'll drop you a bone on where one used to be sitting, I haven't been there in a while, but knowing the gentleman who owns the place I'd bet it's still there against the wall where I used to sit on it. I was hoping I'd be able to pass by to check on it, but don't think I'll be able to make it. There is an S turn on Hwy 65, with a Quonset hut on the south side of the road half way through the S. No guarantees, but I think it's worth doing your research and taking a ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted September 12, 2019 Author Share Posted September 12, 2019 Er, uh......................Highway 65 is kind of a long road, Les................could you be a little more specific? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les L Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 Look on a map, there’s only 4 S turns, google map shows details Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted September 12, 2019 Author Share Posted September 12, 2019 Are you willing to even share what State you are talking about, or is it a secret? Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 Would that be a state secret, or a secret state? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted September 12, 2019 Author Share Posted September 12, 2019 The latter. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les L Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 Sorry, I thought you would realize it was in Oklahoma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dax Hewitt Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 This topic makes me feel very blessed to randomly happen across a perfectly good London pattern anvil that I estimate would be about 200 lbs or so that cost me nothing at all. Found an 18"/18"/4" swage block buried in the mud at an abandoned quarry too. Sorry Chris, take heart that they are out there though. Ps the model is my mate Jack and not me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted September 12, 2019 Author Share Posted September 12, 2019 Nice find, Dax. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 Dax that is a little more than 200lbs. How wide is the face 5"+. Nice anvil and congrats on finding the swage block. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 Great finds Dax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dax Hewitt Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 About 5 inch yes. 200 lbs is a guess based on I used to be able to lift it but only just off the floor. Once my elbow is working correctly again I'm going to clean it up with a wire brush and oil it. I would weigh it but my forge is in a storage container that sits on top of a storage container so it would be a lot of work to get it down and on to a scale. Not recent finds by the way, it would be between 25 and 30 years ago. I will tell the full story when I post them cleaned up in the show your anvil thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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