West Texas hammer swinger. | Introductions Come First, Right? | Forum

First I have to say that I'm not from West Texas. This is just where I ended up. 

as it turned out I more or less ran the ag shop in high school. Didn't realise it then, just sorta happened. 

all I knew was I wanted to be a welder after high school. Well I got that and more.   

graduated hs in a glorious little mountain valley town called Yreka. 

Two days a week an old timer blacksmith came to the shop to teach smithing to anyone that wanted to learn. I learned whatever I could. My dad at the time told me it's foolish, cause I'll never make a carrier out of it and to stay with welding. 

Dad and I didn't always see things eye to eye. I joined the Navy at 17 and left to be a guess what? Navy welder.

Few years later, school don't have shop classes anymore. Old timer blacksmith wanted and needed to teach. My old man became an apprentice, eventually. 

I discharged navy after my time was up. Worked dunno how many whatever jobs and used my gi bill for college. Got a good fit building shopping malls and that was that.

Thing that made me come here to you guys, and hopefully understand.

Called home from Atlanta or wherever it was I was building shopping mall,  mom told me Al had died. All the smiths for, I dunno how far away,  went to the funeral. Bobby, my old man was a poll bearer. He wouldn't attend a funeral prior to this.

I have a friend, got a pretty fair anvil. Built his own forge and it's not to bad. I'll give him all the lessons I have to teach, but I think he deserves a better mentor.

Wow, way to much info. Thanks for being here and hopefully I can learn some.