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I Forge Iron

I'm so new ...


KHuff

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I'm so new my order from Amazon hasn't arrived yet.  I gave in and decided to get started.  I have always been fascinated watching a blacksmith work.  Our kids are out of college and I now have time to pursue some hobbies.  I didn't want to spend a lot of money yet so I bought some cheap items from Amazon.  I figure I will either store them in my garage for years and let my wife scrap them when I die or I will give them away to someone who might be interested when I upgrade.  Either way I will have started a journey.  Looking forward to learning.  Saying hello from central Illinois.

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Welcome aboard... We won't remember your location once leaving this post, hence the suggestion to edit your profile to show it. There is a thread up in the blue banner Read This First that's full of good tips on navigating and getting the best out of the forum. Some may help in flying under the moderators radar.:)

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Wile E. has only caught RR twice.  But he doesn't give up.

I am wanting to make little things with my grandchildren mostly.  I have a list on my whiteboard.  1. Make tongs.  2. Charcoal spreader.  3. Kayak hooks.  4. Hinges for wood boxes I make.  5. Plant stands for my wife.  I am not looking to sell anything or make anything large. 

Picard 0004930-400 1.653 lb Blacksmiths' pin-tong

Blacksmiths Single Burner Propane Forge with Stand

Grizzly Industrial G8147-55 lb. Anvil (Shaped Object)

I will check out the IVBA.  Thank you.

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Tongs are not a beginners project; shoot I wasn't happy with the pair I just did and I've been smithing 39+ years!

ASO is right---"these brawny cast iron anvils"---pure caveat emptor!   (And only selling for about 7 *times* what I can buy a chunk of steel at the scrapyard for that would make a much better anvil!  Remember that "london pattern anvil" has only been around for about 300 years where a big chunk of metal anvil has been in constant use for around 3000 years.  Please review the "improvised anvil" thread and think about using something for the rest of your life rather that a anvil shaped boat anchor.

 

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I know what you mean about the ASO and I do not disagree.  My 11 year old granddaughter would be disappointed if she didn't get to use the London style however.  I don't expect this to be good or to last.  I hope to use it to make a couple of grandkids interested and give them some memories of time with their granddad.  I think this one will do everything I want it to. 

I will check out the improvised anvils.  They might enjoy using the "real" anvil while I have to beat on a hunk of steel.  :)

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Uh huh. Then let them hit a REAL anvil and discover what a joy it is to have steel move easily under their hammer. Kids are never too young to learn quality skills. Not saying you're wrong about them wanting to use an anvil shaped anvil thingy I sure did. Dad wouldn't let me have one though so I had to make do with whatever was at hand. 

Good Grand Dad memories are worth a LOT though. Tell them Frosty says the world needs more lady smiths. 

Frosty The Lucky.

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On Teaching:

My wife has now been teaching spinning for over 50 years and I've got to hear her rant about other teachers who give their students low grade fiber to learn to spin on.  The low grade stuff is *cheap* but it is much harder to spin and get a decent product and so discourages many a student till they quit. Then they run into my wife who selects fibers that are easy and fun to spin for beginning students (and can bring them to spinning some of the really hard fibers to spin as they advance. "Trash fibers"---she just throws away; life's too short!)

So my teaching projects for new smithing students are simple ones that are *very* hard to mess up totally.  Fairly short ones to start as few have the muscles trained for smithing to start. They are also useful items allowing their makers to see what they have done and knowing that they can last for centuries. I have forged on a cast iron anvil. I had rather forge on a rock!

(Now there was one Thanksgiving when I was teaching my Sons-in-Law to forge and brought some miniature anvils, 2 and 4 oz ballpeens and no lead solder for the young grandkids to "play with". on the other side of the patio...)

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I understand and agree with what everyone is saying about getting a good anvil.  Working with the proper tools makes learning easier.  I play guitar and know this.  A good guitar is much easier to learn on than a cheap one.  But if the guitar looks like a cigar box and doesn't look like what a child thinks it should, they do not want to even pick it up.  So they learn nothing and do not get to spend time with their "teacher".  So what is better?  Is it better for them to pick up a hammer, bang away for a little while on an ASO, then when they are really interested in learning start them on something better or have them not pick up a hammer at all because they do not want to hit a flat metal object that is boring?

It comes down to a simple question.  Do I try to get their attention and try something new with their grandfather or do I get something that will work better for me and they sit inside and play video games?

Please stop preaching to the choir about the importance of good equipment.  You only needed to say it the first time.  I liked the original post that also gave me more information on making my own anvil.  I signed up for this site to get help with what I want to do, to learn about the safety necessary, to get ideas on simple projects and to talk to knowledgeable people about something I am interested in.  With the encouragement I have received so far from some experts I realize I made a mistake.  Thank you for helping me realize this so quickly in my journey so I do not waste more time or waste more energy being frustrated and irritated.  I think I could have learned some valuable lessons and learned a great deal from you if I hadn't introduced myself or said anything at all.  Hopefully IVBA will be better.  Please look at this and think about it.  Your opinion is correct but your delivery is not.  Hopefully you will not run off the next person.

Did your grandkids enjoy playing with the miniature anvils and solder?  I honestly and truly hope that it is a great memory for them and they smile when they think about it for the rest of their lives.  At the end of the day that is the most important thing we can do for them.

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Whoa, there, KHuff.  Don't know what triggered your response, but not a post in this thread was meant to make you feel as if you wasted your time coming here.  Good group of Blacksmiths here with a whole lot of experience and more than willing to share it with new people.  No need to take offense at anything posted so far.  So don't pick up your marbles and leave.  You'll learn a whole lot here if you are willing to listen to those with actual experience.  Your local organization will also be helpful and you'll probably find a lot of it's members are active here on the forum.

Send me a PM if you want to talk about it privately.

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