AndyEklund Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 Hi everybody. I'm interested in smithing I live in the Anchorage, Alaska area. I'm wondering if there is anyone in the area that would mind showing me their shop and let me shadow them around a bit. The internet isn't very helpful finding any classes in my area. Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 Welcome aboard Andy, glad to have you. I hate to tell you this but we rounded up all the blacksmiths and don't let them out in public, let alone allow them to associate with impressionable young men. Just joshing you. Over the last few years the Association of Alaskan Blacksmiths has really started growing. We meet twice a month, usually in Palmer. The next meeting is January 18th. at Arctic Fires Bronze on Farm Loop road, Palmer. There are a number of members in Anchorage, a couple teach though I don't think they hold regular classes. If you lived in the Valley I'd invite you to my place so long as it's not too cold. I'll PM some contact info so you can get hooked up, probably catch a ride to the meeting too if that's an issue. NUTS I forgot to ask. Are you a member of THE Eklund family? Not that it really matters, I'm just curious. Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyGoatLady Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 Welcome Andy. I hope you can get hooked up somewhere. In the meantime, dig in and study up here. There's no end to the collective knowledge you'll find Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyEklund Posted December 9, 2019 Author Share Posted December 9, 2019 Thanks Frosty! I'm actually closer to the valley than Anchorage. I'm in Peter's Creek. I'll see if I'm in town for the meet on the 18th. I've been doing shift work up in Clear. I'd love to meet up sometime, I dont mind the drive. As you know to do much up here you have to get used to travel! No relation to THE Eklund family. I've been asked that a few times before and would like to find out what they did. I got stationed up here in 2005 and never left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 Welcome aboard... just have to keep an eye on Frosty though, he loves a good pun and to josh every chance he gets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 Peter's Creek is IN Anchorage. Well, the greater Anchorage area limits anyway. I live on the far side of Wasilla so mileage is probably a wash. We have a couple few members in your general vicinity. I don't know if they're much beyond beginners but it's always good to get together with others and winkle things out. We're less than 45 mins. drive time apart traffic allowing, I'm sure we'll meet up. Maybe Keith will organize another camping trip "Hammering on the River" hammer in at the Matanuska River camp ground. There is a maybe darned good anvil mentioned on the FB page, for sale in Anchorage. I don't think anybody's taken a firsthand look or done a rebound test on it but if it passes the rebound test it looks to be a nice anvil. Don't bother with the cast ones, they look like Chinese cast iron junk. I could be wrong but I don't have a reason to drive to Anchorage. It's been a long time since I was in Clear, we drilled the bridge and culvert locations when they rebuilt the road. What's the population now? Last time I was there it was summer so there must've been a couple/few hundred folks. Who do you work for? If it's not classified or you don't want to tell the world, I'm just curiosity, not important. You don't hear the Eklund name much anymore but there used to be commercials on radio and TV for IIRC, the law firm, real estate, furniture or appliances, and other things. I think the local family has been here since the colony days and is or was embedded almost everywhere. Like the: CARR, Sadlers, Johnson, etc. families. And yeah, I LOVE a good straight line and puns are always fun. Players are always welcome. Gotta go, wind is blowing stuff around and I have to make a dump run. <sigh> Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 Frosty; I thought you had indoor plumbing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retired farmer Posted January 24, 2020 Share Posted January 24, 2020 Hi Frosty& Andy . Not wanting to steal thread . I’m relatively new to blacksmithing also . Been doing knives via material removal for about 5yrs . Still in work force but not for long , YES .Still getting things together or building tooling regarding BS ( blacksmith). Anyway we have been planning a trip to Alaska for yrs. Not a short trip, most of summer . 2020 is the yr . Would enjoy meeting you & or your Ak blacksmith counter parts . Hoping to visite the Matanuska Valley Sportsmen club when in Palmer . We have a very new born blacksmith guild here in Manitoba , born last fall . Hoping it will grow . Probably many members here at iforgeiron . The information in this forum is over whelming , a person would need months to cover part of it . By training a diesel tech , a farmer at heart. Love kritters large & small , as long as they don’t want to eat me . Lived in the city ( Edmonton) for 2 yrs . Swore i’d never live in town again . Been country fid ever since. Been I Stonewall area ( just north of Winnipeg , Manitoba ) for most of my life. Finding carbon steel is very challenging in the area . Take home lots of old bearing races & used Cat bolts from work . Find some good steel in scrap yards . My local scrap yard is very helpful & in all honesty ,very patient with me . Sorry starting to ramble . Keep on hammering . Regards Doug Stamler aka Retired Farmer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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