Women go about the house collecting dust.  What to they then do with what they collected ?

In the shop it is many times grinding abrasives, metal dust from the grinding, general powered dirt, and other particles including smoke and ash that settles out of the air.  Dispose of it properly and then go collect more.

Staying out of trouble is easier then trying to get out of trouble.~ Glenn

‘if you keep a thing for 20 years, you’ll find a use for it’. ~ MacLeod's father

The magic moment of discovery was and remains yours. ~ Mikey98118

"I try and I made it" William Kamkwanda (movie "the boy who harnessed the wind") 

It may not be a blacksmith quote but fits in this craft. If you start with a positive mind set you can accomplish a lot. 

This kid cobbled together a windmill from garbage and saved his village during a massive drought. 

"I'd rather ask the stupid questions than do something stupid without asking." -- karcher.dc

I was looking through the California Digital Newspaper Collection and found this gem in an article from the Grass Valley Morning Union of June 22nd, 1888 when I did a search for "blacksmith".

Yeah, silly wives always wanting to buy new stuff, that'll show her! 

Frosty The Lucky.

Hahaha, she probably knew it would cost more, but she "was wise in her generation, and made no protest" to her husband "of extrordinary meanness". I think the moral of this story is that it pays to know your customer, sometimes 5-10x more.

This story makes me wonder how difficult it was to punch an eye in a needle. I'd imagine all the heat would be gone the moment the needle left the forge

Fine work like needles were often done with an alcohol lamp and blow pipe right at the anvil. On a couple occasions I've positioned an oxy  xfuel torch over my anvil so the flame is parallel with the face an inch or two above it. My oxy propane torch has a thumb valve so it's easy to turn it on and off, without needing adjustment. A foot valve would be perfect, maybe one day eh?

You can literally punch through the flame though that's kind of hard on punches. 

Folk making needles were pros and I'm sure could knock them out quickly. Unlike Me, I'd just buy one. 

Frosty The Lucky. 

Diderot's encyclopedia has a plate on needle making IIRC, (or was it pins?).  As I recall it was mentioned as a step to modern factory systems as each person did a specific task and then passed them on to the next person for their task.

I once has a foot activated bellows that was used by jewelers with an alcohol lamp and blowpipe for silver soldering---longer "breath".

I don't know, I used to have a pretty good blacksmith and other metal work library till it was liberated. What I recall is an illustration of a forging station like the nail maker's in the Colonial Williamsburg shop but needle scale. The anvil was hardly a sq. inch and the punch was held in a guide. The blow pipe was mounted almost touching. 

The whole set up was on a single board. 

Frosty The Lucky.

Here's a condensed version from the Reference Material section. I found an online copy of Diderot's Encyclopedia and took a screenshot of the needle making plate. It looks like they punched the eyes cold.

I watched a farrier a couple yrs. ago at a NE Blacksmith event make a shoe from bar stock and he only put 7 holes in it  and as he mainly makes each shoe he places the holes where the horse needs them instead of where the factory makes them.  Notownkid from the IFI archives

Take your licks, learn from them, and continue to make great things!  ~ Old Crew

 “Money is like manure; it's not worth a thing unless it's spread around encouraging young things to grow.” Thornton Wilder  via Thomas Powers

If the tool will pay for its self in a reasonable time, invest in the tool.  It will make life easier, pay for itself, and then make you money.  Keep in mind that you have to feed that beast and keep it running.

If you have to ask how much that costs, then you can not afford it.

That's how we ran the family business, Glenn.  Dad's attitude was I'll buy it if the order will pay for it!  From then on, the tool is "free" to make us money.  Worked for him........not so much for my brother and me.  Oh well, Dad was the "King", we were just the "naves". 

"Anger is the anvil upon which resolve is forged.", Pastor Ray Bentley.

Build the hottest burner/forge combination you can--then turn it down to a sane and safe heat!!!   Mikey98118 

If they are not paying rent, do not let them occupy space in your head.  Glenn

If it doesn't stick stop hitting it..  it isn't going to get any better. ~ jlpservicesinc

Necessity is the Mother of invention, sure, but low currency is the father, lack of time is the uncle, and there are also brothers and sisters and cousins. They all live at my house. Philip-SC

This may have been posted before but merits repeating.

1000 hours forging on a $100 anvil will make you a better smith than 100 hours forging on a $1000 anvil. ~ ThomasPowers

I learned, that knowledge, like gold, is where you find it. ~ Mikey98118