Blacksmithing; Part Hobby/Part Job
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I'm employed as a blacksmith. State owned Historical Site. I work there, operating the blacksmith shop and teaching the blacksmith course. It's also a bit of a hobby to me, for that matter. Collector of vintage blacksmith tools. I restore vintage tools like hammers and associated tooling but more so blacksmith COAL forges and their hand operated gear blowers.
When not conducting class, I make my own tools, and items for the historic site/village.
When not conducting class, I make my own tools, and items for the historic site/village.
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- Member
- Posts: 276
- Joined: Sun. Jan. 07, 2024 7:09 pm
- Stoker Coal Boiler: No
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Yes
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: No
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: No
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: No
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: No
- Baseburners & Antiques: Yes
- Coal Size/Type: Nut
- Other Heating: Wood
I'm currently traveling through ohio, teaching classes and working at a number of events at historical village locations.
- Sunny Boy
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Thanks for posting that. It's great to be passing on such traditional skills.
I used to volunteer as a costumed interpreter at Old Bethpage Village back in the 1970's teaching about 1800's fishing on Long Island and doing fishnet making demonstrations. I always enjoyed that. I often spent my break time in the Blacksmith shop learning from a German Blacksmith.
Thanks to many talented teachers there who were doing what you are doing, it really kick-started my love of history and lead to a 50 year career involving historic items.
Paul
I used to volunteer as a costumed interpreter at Old Bethpage Village back in the 1970's teaching about 1800's fishing on Long Island and doing fishnet making demonstrations. I always enjoyed that. I often spent my break time in the Blacksmith shop learning from a German Blacksmith.
Thanks to many talented teachers there who were doing what you are doing, it really kick-started my love of history and lead to a 50 year career involving historic items.
Paul
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- Member
- Posts: 276
- Joined: Sun. Jan. 07, 2024 7:09 pm
- Stoker Coal Boiler: No
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Yes
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: No
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: No
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: No
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: No
- Baseburners & Antiques: Yes
- Coal Size/Type: Nut
- Other Heating: Wood
Absolutely
....thats so cool!
I do, in many cases, wearing a historical outfit in most of the village shops where I work at. I believe they refer to that as interpretation. Typically not during the instructional lessons however.
I do, in many cases, wearing a historical outfit in most of the village shops where I work at. I believe they refer to that as interpretation. Typically not during the instructional lessons however.
- warminmn
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Im looking forward to the posts on this topic. When real young in the 1960's I spent a lot of time in a really old blacksmith shop while he fixed or made things for my Dad. He had a coal stoker in it for heat but there were gaps between so many boards in the walls it was impossible to heat
When he died in probably about 1970 it left one other old timer who worked into the 1980s. Great big shed with a fuel barrel converted wood heater in it he could throw a stump into. There are still people doing it here but that was it for the old timers. It really is skilled labor. It seems like they mostly moved over to steam engine shows now in my location.

When he died in probably about 1970 it left one other old timer who worked into the 1980s. Great big shed with a fuel barrel converted wood heater in it he could throw a stump into. There are still people doing it here but that was it for the old timers. It really is skilled labor. It seems like they mostly moved over to steam engine shows now in my location.
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- Posts: 276
- Joined: Sun. Jan. 07, 2024 7:09 pm
- Stoker Coal Boiler: No
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Yes
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: No
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: No
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: No
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: No
- Baseburners & Antiques: Yes
- Coal Size/Type: Nut
- Other Heating: Wood
There are a few county fairs in the area with a blacksmith shop on site, in their history/heritage area. Some conduct it as a "club" . Join up and use their shop for the price of membership. I have, in fact seen some travelers who do indeed set up "shop" during a re-enactment event or as you described, at steam engine show, etc.
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for sharing!
- Sunny Boy
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- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Anthracite Industrial, domestic hot water heater
- Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood range 208, # 6 base heater, 2 Modern Oak 118.
- Coal Size/Type: Nuts !
- Other Heating: Oil &electric plenum furnace
Morty Sturdavant, a Blacksmith north of here in Deansboro, NY used to travel to Civil War reenactments to be the Blacksmith. He also went to local schools to give demonstrations. He made all the box and tailgate hardware for a 1927 Steward Express truck body that I built.Greenleaf wrote: ↑Sun. Jan. 21, 2024 10:02 pm There are a few county fairs in the area with a blacksmith shop on site, in their history/heritage area. Some conduct it as a "club" . Join up and use their shop for the price of membership. I have, in fact seen some travelers who do indeed set up "shop" during a re-enactment event or as you described, at steam engine show, etc.
Thank you for sharing!
Paul
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- Richard S.
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- Sunny Boy
- Member
- Posts: 26752
- Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 1:40 pm
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Anthracite Industrial, domestic hot water heater
- Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood range 208, # 6 base heater, 2 Modern Oak 118.
- Coal Size/Type: Nuts !
- Other Heating: Oil &electric plenum furnace
No, that's all cotton. My disco outfit is all polyester. Lights up the disco ball when the static sparks fly while dancing.Richard S. wrote: ↑Mon. Jan. 22, 2024 2:14 am Who are you trying to kid, that's your disco outfit. <cue Staying Alivvvvvvvvvvvvvve>

Paul