After much discussion about where we could set TBear up to practice this fine art - without burning the barn down or setting the woods on fire - Whit finally decided to build him his own shelter/workshop out behind the barn. They created it from wood and PVC piping then put plastic over it. Unfortunately, the workshop is also located in the steers'/rams' field. Charles, who is now in the freezer, proceeded to tear the plastic off the shelter scratching his head against it. So poor TBear had to wait until the snow melted in order to staple more plastic up and finish it. Finally - FINALLY - the snow melted enough by the time the maple sugaring was done and the project could move forward. (The boy has been so patient, bless him!)
That's the other Charles in the background. He's not as dimwitted as the last one and doesn't seem to bother TBear's workshop.
Getting the plastic stapled back on again.
Then Whit brought a log he'd saved for TBear's anvil to sit on.
The floor of the workshop is gravel, most of which Whit brought in with the loader; however, Sunny is helping to bring more gravel in with his little red wagon. Um, can somebody open the gate?
That sure would be a lot of gravel to fill in by hand, huh.
A few days later, after Easter, Whit got a door made for him...just in time to protect him from the rain.
So, here's his forge....
and his anvil...
and his cool antique tongs, holding his first attempt at bending metal.
Fortunately this is our school vacation week, because I haven't been able to get him back in the house since the first bag of charcoal came home. Unfortunately, he's gone through a lot of charcoal already. Whit found him some coal today, but I guess the next lesson is in how to get the coal burning. Apparently it's tougher than he thought. (I heard reference made to a blow torch today...)
Notice the legs under the forge. TBear got a lesson in welding and welded the legs on himself. The bellows for the fire is actually a small shop vac on reverse, blowing the air through a pipe to the bottom of his fire. (These guys seem like pretty clever beans to me.) My only issue is that I'm pretty sure I heard the electric meter whizzing 'round when he spent the whole day working out there. I can't seem to find a foot pump anywhere.
Of course we all had to go out and inspect TBear's workshop when it was done. : )
Oh yeah... Nobody thought about the quenching bucket until TBear used the boys' trough. Whit took care of that next.
There's a lot of happy, hands-on learning happening around here this week. Another neat thing happened in March. Thayer and a few other home schooled friends had a fiddle gig to do on St. Patrick's day at an assisted living facility. The director asked each of the four kids what their interests and ambitions were to introduce them, so TBear mentioned his blacksmithing. It turns out that one of the residents is not only a retired blacksmith, but was the treasurer of the local blacksmith society. He talked to TBear afterwards and sent him a newsletter. Then he called a friend who actually lives near us, and who is still working as a blacksmith, and that friend has offered to have TBear come watch and learn from him. TBear has been practicing and reading so he has good questions ready for when he calls this very generous gentleman.
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