Why not steam or coal power?

[loghousenut]

AHAaa, I sucked you in with a cute tag line...

I just got back from the best Father's Day ever! My Son, Jake, volunteered to run the Blacksmithing demonstration at the 26th annual "Pottsville Steam and Antique Tractor Show". It's one of the biggest local gettogehters that we have each year here in Southern Oregon, and it is one of those events where old and young folks show everyone else how it used to be done back before most of us were born. It's the kind of a weekend show where you can still see a 5 year old girl sitting on a 60 year old man's lap and steering a 70 year old tractor in the parade.

Well, my 19 year old and I loaded up a couple of anvils and too many hammers and spent Fathers Day weekend in the Blacksmith shop showing off a few of his many talents. Few pleasures are sweeter than watching a kid, who's getting straight A's in college calculus, physics, and computer courses, show young kids and old men how to heat iron and bang it into something useful.

He really likes turning railroad spikes into knives and junk iron into roses, but he does branding irons and makes tools too. Too keep this thread on topic, let me remind you that my Son and his Father are making my Wife a log home. He and I will forge the door hinges and handles and are considering making nails to hold down the tongue and groove flooring.

I wish his Grandfather coulda been there.

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/loghousenut/Wow/JakePotsvilleBlacksmith2011001.jpg

It was hard getting a photo that didn't have 20 lookyloos in the foreground.

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/loghousenut/Wow/JakePotsvilleBlacksmith2011004.jpg

A few of his wares.

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/loghousenut/Wow/JakePotsvilleBlacksmith2011009.jpg

He even let a couple of local kids step into the booth and make a knife that they'll always remember.

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/loghousenut/Wow/JakePotsvilleBlacksmith2011012.jpg

[Tom Featherstone]

Ron,

Awesome!!! What a wonderfull Gift you have given. Is Jake taking order's for hinge's?

Tom

[loghousenut]

Ron,

Awesome!!! What a wonderfull Gift you have given. Is Jake taking order's for hinge's?

Tom


Tom,

A 19-year old kid spent Father's Day weekend entertaining the crowd, teaching, and selling iron that he forced into shapes that other people appreciated. When he wasn't beating on the anvil he was bantering with the crowd and patiently answering the 7 questions that everyone in the world wants to ask the Blacksmith. I was there to help and watch him do his magic for most of 25 hours. It was a Gift, and priceless, but I was on the receiving end.

As for taking orders for hinges... Neither Jake or I have ever made a hinge. I think we oughta make a mess out of our house before we start messing up yours.

[Tom Featherstone]

Ron,

Gee, I thought that was the point here, to make All my mistakes on everyone else's house first. Ha!

Thanks for sharing again Ron, it brings great joy to my heart that there's Hope for the future generation's. Jake is the kind of kid people should be talking about instead of all the crud that is at no end in our "media world". He has learned at such a young age, that giving , is far better than recieving, and what you do recieve in return, is priceless.

LogNut2
Tom

[rreidnauer]

Cool. Looks like I'm not the only one planning on making one's own hinges. (I can't find anything that meets what I want so . . . .) A few of those knives are really gorgeous.

I too was to an "olden times" show this weekend, though mostly turn of the (last) century farm and industrial engines. (I'll post some youtube vids tonight, under rreidnauer) To keep on the LHBA track, I did manage to score an 8 and 10 lb sledge hammer in the flea market area!

[Zetmandu]

LNH,
Congrats on having a really great kid there. Ill agree sure beats sitting in front of the xbox all day and night

[hemlock77]

That's awesome!! What are the chances of detailed pics of his fire and air setup? I have been tossing the idea around of using an old metal wash sink and routing air through drain of the sink.

[blane]

Is it not an awesome thing this day and age to have children who are being deliberate with their lives enough to invest in others. Your son kind of shoots down the theory about those unsocialized homeschooler's I think. I am so glad you have been blessed with such an awesome young man as a son.

I have one myself that has been such a gift to me.

[loghousenut]

That's awesome!! What are the chances of detailed pics of his fire and air setup? I have been tossing the idea around of using an old metal wash sink and routing air through drain of the sink.

Stu, Sorry but the event owns the building and the forge in the photos. Don't have a better photo but it was just an old hand crank blower hooked to a 3'x3' forge.

Your stainless sink/forge idea could work but it'd be kinda deep. Actually setting up a forge can be pretty easy and cheap in this day of youtube ideas. Until a month ago my old handmade coal forge used a yardsale hair dryer for a blower. For the past several years we have mostly used a small propane forge that we threw together for $20 or so. The coolest part of it for us is that we contained it all in an old bar-bq so when the fire is out we can drop the lid leave it out in the weather. Propane is easy, cheap, quick, and less noticeable to the neighbors in the middle of fire season than coal would be.

Whatever you do, get those anklebiters of yours hammering on some red hot iron! Few things bolster a kid's confidence like making something semi-useful out of iron when their are so many adults who've never done it. Heck, Ive seen the photos of how your kids have worked on the house... I think I'm preaching to the choir.

One of our most cherished possessions is the spoon that Jake hammered out of a triangle piece of scrap iron when he was seven. He ate with it for the longest time. Thanks to all of you for the kind comments. There are so many places out there that are filled with people who just don't seem to understand. They must have a different driving force that keeps them going.

[Ellsworth]

That's awesome!! What are the chances of detailed pics of his fire and air setup? I have been tossing the idea around of using an old metal wash sink and routing air through drain of the sink.

For an additional resource I recall a couple of threads at the www.frugalsquirrels.com forums that showed different homemade forges (with pictures and descriptions).

You might also keep an eye on craigslists. I occasionally see functional, antique rivet or farrier forges go for dirt cheap (sub $50). Here's a random image form google (http://www.forgemagic.com/bsgallery/bsphoto1077.jpg) that shows the kind of forge I'm talking about.

I posted the last one I saw (http://community.loghomebuilders.org/showthread.php?8857-CL-ad-Peavey-%28-20%29-and-Cant-Hook-%28-15%29-in-Coupville-WA&highlight=forge) here on the forum, they were asking $30. Set your RSS feed and hope for the best!

[hemlock77]

Thanks LHN/E, this input should point me in the right direction. Yeah my boy actually inspired me a bit on this idea. We have all this scrap rebar kicking around just taunting us. I hate waste and the kid is pretty good at re-purposing stuff. We even came up with the idea of using a disassembled non rebuild-able sbc engine block as a makeshift anvil, at least until I come across the real deal. Just think of all the shapes you can make hammering on that sucker. Then when we are done we can fill the cylinders with dirt, throw some seeds on top, instant "gear head herb garden";)
Stu