Ironfest

wroughtn_harv · May 16, 2003

The end of the month, 30, 31, and the first of June will be Ironfest in Grapevine, Texas.

Bird you'd better show up. I would tell you that I'd be easy to identify, nice looking portly guy with a beard, but about half the guys there will fit that description if it's anything like two years ago.

http://www.ironfest.org

There will be some great smiths there. The folks are wonderful. Grapevine is a town that appreciates visitors. And there is the Tarantula Train to Ft Worth if you get bored.

Iris will be there helping out with the moving of heavy things. Lucy will be supplying tools and other neat stuff the demonstrators couldn't or wouldn't bring of their own. I will be in hog heaven.

If you're thinking about buying a late model used pickemup or SUV it'd probably be worth flying into DFW and getting to see a great event and drive home in your new vehicle. The other day there was an article in the paper about dealers here shipping their late model trucks and SUV's to other locales because they go for a thousand to fifteen hundred dollars more there at wholesale auction.

And if you look at the web site you will see one of the blacksmith artists demonstration is a woman. Sorta neat when you consider that weekend a lady from the LPGA will be giving the boys a run for their money in the Byron Nelson.

Bird · May 16, 2003

Harv, I'd never heard of that; just printed out the site map, sounds like fun, maybe I'll be able to get there for part of it.

centex · May 17, 2003

Harv, what's the likelihood of finding used equipment, e.g., Hossfeld bender, for sale at this event?

wroughtn_harv · May 17, 2003

I'd say the chances are not too good. Not that there won't be some great new and used tools there for sale. Just that a Hossfield is one of those tools that only people in the know search out and buy. And sadly they don't ever let one go. Except for stupid me, I've had three, sold two, dumb, dumb, dumb.........

BTW there was a hydraulic Hossfield like mine in the Dallas Morning News for a couple of weeks ago. All my papers have been recycled supposedly, they were put in the recycler, gawd knows what happened after that. But if you can find a copy of about two to three weeks ago, classifieds, tools and shop equipment, you might find it still available.

Good luck.

I wouldn't advise someone like you visiting Ironfest. You'd fast become someone like me. Texas is big. But I'm not sure if it's big enough for two of us. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

You would love this show. There are books available that are not out there anywhere else. The main suppliers for blacksmith--artists and regular blacksmith are all represented. And then there's the characters, gawd what characters. They're the inspiration for my "character, some folks have it, and some folks are it."

If you come I'll be the best looking short round guy with a beard with a red t shirt talking too much. So bring your wife, I would hate to see you walk up and start talking to a short round guy in a red t shirt that was almost the best looking just because you don't have the kind of taste your wife has.

centex · May 18, 2003

I may show up if I can figure out how to do it without my wife knowing where I went. She, the poor misguided soul, thinks I already have too many projects underway. She is right of course but I would never admit it to her.

This sounds like just the kind of event I have been looking for. I used to go to the Pate Swap Meet every year to look for parts for my 1934 International PU. Of course I never found anything for it but I did acquire a lot of neat tools many of which I have never used.

I guess I will have to try and build a Hossfeld bender as I can't afford to buy a new one or at least the tooling for one.

centex · May 23, 2003

Harv, I thought I would let you know that I have bought all the steel to build a copy of a Hossfeld bender per plans that I found on the web. I have invested $113 and should end up with a pretty close copy of the basic $850 bender. I looked for one of these things for a long time and could never find one for sale. Sure enough when I got back from the metal dealer I found two for sale. I wish I had bought one back in the early 80's when Williams Lobuck Tools first started selling them. They were sending me catalogs back then and I still remember getting the first mailer about the Hossfeld bender. I thought it was over priced and that I would never need one. I was right on both counts but I want one now and that overrides need.

wroughtn_harv · May 24, 2003

Morning Don,

My hossfield is like my forge. It my sit idle for a bit while I'm tied up on other projects, but by gawd when I need it nothing beats it.

Once you get one you'll wonder how you lived without it.