JoshIsom Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 Hi everybody, I've visited this forum countless times over the past two years. I'm long overdue for signing up, introducing myself, and thanking the iforgeiron community for quite of a lot of advice you've given me which I appreciate. I've tried far too many professions over the past few decades, and I am finally starting to figure out what I want to be when I grow up (I'm in my 40s). My dream is to someday have my own shop, and make things. In the meantime, I still need to put food on the table, so I currently work in the IT field, taking care of the technology needs for 3 separate elementary schools. Before working in IT, I've worked far too many construction jobs, I've, been a bank teller. I've worked in corrections as a booking officer. I've worked for a company designing and building climbing walls and ninja warrior courses. I've been through schooling for an IT degree, and then more schooling for a Masters in 3d modeling, and I've taught as a part time college professor. I've been part of musical theater, both on the stage, and behind the scenes building sets. So I've gained what experience I have to make and build things from all of the above. I've pasted a link below to a recent project I was working on in my garage, that went somewhere I had never expected it to go. https://kutv.com/news/entertainment/artist-channels-the-hulk-to-combat-depression I've got 4 kids, and one of my sons struggles with some depression and anxiety. He has shown interest in blacksmithing, which is the reason I've visited these forums so often. It has always been an interest for me too. I am looking for a healthy, creative outlet for my son rather than what he is currently doing (video games.) Hopefully I can get him interested in hammering hot metal to work through the things he struggles with, and make some cool knives and swords along the way. I'm working on building a small forge in my garage at the moment. Our starter anvil is a big chunk of a forklift fork, which seems to work great for the time being. Anyways, I'm happy to finally be a member here, and to keep learning from you guys. -Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 Dear Josh, Welcome aboard. I'm sure that you have noted that we have an extremely eclectic, if somewhat eccentric, worldwide group represented here. We all had our own paths to the craft and are at various levels of expertise. We also have very broad real world backgrounds and interests. Interestingly, IT seems to be more heavily represented than in the general population. I hear you about not being sure about your own career path or knowing what to do when you "grow up." I'm still in that state in my 70s. This geology, law, and military stuff is just something to put food on the table until I "grow up." I wish that I had more decades ahead of me so that i could try and experience more careers. If you don't mind saying, where in Southern Utah? I have a cousin who just retired to the St. George area. You may want to look up and join the Great Basin Blacksmith Guild. Working with other people brings you along in the craft much faster than doing it by yourself will. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 Welcome from the Ozark mountains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshIsom Posted January 24, 2021 Author Share Posted January 24, 2021 Hi George! Thank you for welcoming me here. I will definitely look into the Great Basin Blacksmith Guild, and the tip is greatly appreciated. I've begun looking for some resources in the area for beginners. Yep, you guessed it. I live in St. George. Grew up in Vegas, married a Utah girl who doesn't want to leave. :-) 5 minutes ago, Irondragon ForgeClay Works said: Welcome from the Ozark mountains. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 My Daughter moved to Utah with her husband; now his job has him, her and the four sons in Okinawa! Blacksmithing can make for some great occupational therapy as long as you don't try to jump in the deep ends and only try projects you *will* fail. Start with the ones you will succeed with and move up as your skills grow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshIsom Posted January 24, 2021 Author Share Posted January 24, 2021 That has often been one of my biggest problems. Biting off more than I can chew with various projects. So I'm trying to take baby steps with learning blacksmithing. So far, I've failed to make two sets of tongs. I got so frustrated on my second go that I almost cut out the metal shapes for some bolt jaw tongs, and welded some together. But it felt like I'd be cheating if I did. So I'm determined to keep trying until I successfully forge a useable set of tongs. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 Tongs are NOT a starter project---as you probably have realized by now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshIsom Posted January 24, 2021 Author Share Posted January 24, 2021 Absolutely. I'm giving myself a few weeks before trying tongs again. In the meantime, I have been straightening cut off pieces of a coil spring a mechanic shop gave me a few weeks ago, and making some basic chisels. I'm trying to get a feel for how the metal moves under heat, vs the mild steel I've worked with thus far, from home depot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 Remember to preheat the anvil and tools if working HC steel in a cold environment. I skipped that today; of course I was forging in a T shirt and jeans... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshIsom Posted January 24, 2021 Author Share Posted January 24, 2021 That's something I need to be more diligent in doing. It's starting to get into the upper 30s at night here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 There is no cheating if it gets the job done. Think of welders as just a hot melt glue gun for metal. Go to the places that use and throw away metal. Run the alleys, and look into dumpsters. The metal is out there waiting to go home with you. Locate a steel yard that sells steel, or a junk yard that sells steel to their customers. BP001 Easy to make tongs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 If you haven't already watched it here's a video that I think everyone should watch when starting out. Learn these eight techniques and you will have the basic skills to forge almost any project. Welcome aboard, good luck, be safe, and remember it's supposed to be fun. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshIsom Posted January 26, 2021 Author Share Posted January 26, 2021 On 1/24/2021 at 2:09 AM, Glenn said: There is no cheating if it gets the job done. Think of welders as just a hot melt glue gun for metal. Go to the places that use and throw away metal. Run the alleys, and look into dumpsters. The metal is out there waiting to go home with you. Locate a steel yard that sells steel, or a junk yard that sells steel to their customers. BP001 Easy to make tongs I like that. :-) Hot melt it is. I've made my rounds to several auto mechanic shops in the area. Several were gracious enough to give us some coil springs of various sizes, and a full set of leaf springs they pulled out of the dumpster for me. And they told me I am welcome to come around and check for more of the above every few weeks if I'd like. My son said he wants to "get good enough at knife-making so that he can make each of them a Bowie knife in return, as a thank you." The leaf springs are pretty thick. Look like they came off a pickup truck. I'm currently out of town, or I would measure what "thick" is. They will take some hammering to thin them down for sure. But it'll be good practice to teach us what kind of thick is too thick, and what is manageable. Thanks for the link! I think we will try some of those when I get back home. On 1/24/2021 at 4:59 AM, pnut said: If you haven't already watched it here's a video that I think everyone should watch when starting out. Learn these eight techniques and you will have the basic skills to forge almost any project. Welcome aboard, good luck, be safe, and remember it's supposed to be fun. Pnut Thanks! This is perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 Get started by cutting a good coil spring down a diameter and get a dozen+ pieces like "(". This will get you a bunch to practice working that alloy on and you can practice heat treating as well and see how changing things affects the grain structure. Working down large stock slows down the learning curve when you are getting started! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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