Matthew S. Posted May 12, 2021 Share Posted May 12, 2021 Hello all! I've been coming here for a while to get information, and I figured that I should make an account and introduce myself. My name is Matthew, I am 19 and I live in Roslyn, Washington. I have been playing around with metalwork and tools for a long time, but I only really got serious about blacksmithing recently when I decided to finally build a proper forge. I originally was inspired by my older brother, who makes some pretty incredible knives and things. However, I have found that kind of finishing work to be a bit tedious, so now my interests have shifted towards making tools, hardware, and maybe even some decorative stuff. In any case, one thing is for sure; I still have a lot to learn. I am looking forward to getting to know everyone here and expanding my knowledge. This website is pretty incredible, it truly contains a vast amount of knowledge! Thanks everyone! Matthew S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted May 12, 2021 Share Posted May 12, 2021 Welcome aboard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darla Sather Posted May 12, 2021 Share Posted May 12, 2021 There is a master artist, blacksmith here in Corvallis, MT named Glenn Gilmore. He has Blacksmithing coupled with art completely figured out. All the machinery, forges, tools and experience. He travels with his gates, trellises, hardware, yada, far and wide. He does all the work himself with the assistance of one shop hand. I am in the Design industry and was talking with Glenn today and he was talking about retiring. I was appalled. He has no apprentice or anyone to leave his artistic skill to. I suggested that he find an apprentice, fast, who has the artistic mind and some skillset to jump in and work with him and buy him out. Some people are great at their jobs but don't have the business heads necessary to realize the value of the value of their companys. If anyone is interested in talking to Glenn, call him in Montana. 406 961-1861. He is one of the nicest people I have ever worked with. Pass this info around and tell Glenn that Darla sent you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted May 12, 2021 Share Posted May 12, 2021 Welcome aboard, Matthew. We're glad to have you. You'll find a very wide variety of folk here ranging in age from early teens to 70s and, in experience from green as grass newbies to experts and some of us have been hitting hot iron for over 40 years. Whether you make this a career or a life long hobby you can find the craft very rewarding. You have joined a bunch of peers, friends, aunts, uncles, and grandparents who care about your progress and how you are doing. IFI is rather different than any other internet group that I have been exposed to. Just follow the moderator's rules, be nice, and stay away from politics and religion (kind of like a family gathering). "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 12, 2021 Share Posted May 12, 2021 Welcome aboard Matthew, glad to have you! Is Roslyn's cafe still operating? I used to pass through on vacation back when. Even talked to a couple guys on the Northern Exposure production crew over lunch at Roslyn's once. For all the "Hollywood" standard wrongness, the show actually captured a lot of Alaskan weirdness pretty well. Whatever you decide to make at the anvil, we'll help. New addicts are to be cherished and nurtured. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 Good Morning Matthew, There are a few members of the North West Blacksmith Association (NWBA) blacksmith.org in your area. Cle Elem & Ellensburg. Easier to have a helping hand than make all your own miss-Steaks. Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 Welcome from the Ozark mountains. I agree with swedefiddle about hooking up with the NWBA and try to find a mentor in your area. I was fortunate to find a Master Blacksmith who was in his 80s and still working in his shop 6 days a week who showed me a lot of the basics prior to his passing away. If I had tried to learn all of that on my own, it would have taken me a long time with many mistakes in the process. One thing he taught me was "it's not a mistake if it can be fixed". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 Good Morning, When I was building and working on Race Cars, I learned the hard way. When I was doing an all-nighter and I made an "oops", do not try to fix the "oops". Go to bed and get some sleep, you will have a better chance of repairing the "oops" when you are not bone tired, tomorrow morning. Miss Steaks are just unintended consequences. Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew S. Posted May 15, 2021 Author Share Posted May 15, 2021 Thank you all for the kind welcome! I will definitely look into the NWBA. In my very limited experience, it is much easier to learn with help rather than to go into something alone. Frosty: Yes, the Roslyn Cafe is still operating, I haven't actually been in for a long time though. My mother actually worked as a waitress there for a little while when I was younger. That is pretty cool that you've passed through here before! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 15, 2021 Share Posted May 15, 2021 Cool, maybe I'll be able to talk the wife into stopping in if we're passing close. I'd missed season 1 of Northern Exposure before I caught an episode at a friends place and was hooked. It turned out the highway I usually took between relatives places on the coast and eastern Washington went right past Roslyn so I stopped in and had lunch and coffee at Roslyn's Cafe. That must've been 90-91 and it became a regular stop if I was heading that direction. It was a hoot, I was talking to the waitress at the counter and mentioned I was from Alaska and she gives a shout out ALA Flo. "Hey, (forgotten name here) this guy's from Alaska!" We sat and talked about the show and Alaska for a while. The one issue I noticed change in the show was the attitude about vehicles. A Willy's overland started making a regular appearance and the rich guy started driving a pimped, hot rod, short bed, 4x4 pickup truck instead of a Cadillac and suddenly there were more 4x4s than 2xs. Just like small town Alaska. I was kind of bummed they were never shooting when I stopped, it would've been cool to be an extra. ARGHH, now I'm going to have to find "Northern Exposure" on one of the live streaming channels and binge watch. Curse you Matthew! Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted May 15, 2021 Share Posted May 15, 2021 On 5/12/2021 at 1:58 PM, Matthew S. said: However, I have found that kind of finishing work to be a bit tedious, so now my interests have shifted towards making tools, hardware, and maybe even some decorative stuff. Those are my feelings exactly. I'm sure many other folks have started the same way. Welcome aboard, be safe, and remember it's supposed to be fun. 7 hours ago, Frosty said: ARGHH, now I'm going to have to find "Northern Exposure" on one of the live streaming channels and binge watch That's one of the few shows I actually watched back then. I liked the X Files too and the David Lynch series that my defective noggin can't think of the name of right this second. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stash Posted May 15, 2021 Share Posted May 15, 2021 Pnut- you thinking of Twin Peaks? Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 15, 2021 Share Posted May 15, 2021 I don't think Twin Peaks was a David Lynch series. Ah the days of Laura Palmer and the Log Lady. <sigh> Evidently we aren't signed up to a streaming channel with Northern Exposure on it. Now I'm bummed. Oh well, the sun's shining and it's almost 60f. I'm not bummed now. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted May 16, 2021 Share Posted May 16, 2021 Check YouTube there are a lot of old shows there. I just checked and all the listings are short clips...rats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 16, 2021 Share Posted May 16, 2021 Yeah, RATS! Though I think you can download Willard in Youtube, maybe not it wasn't my kind of movie. <shudder> Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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