Watch out boyz, here she comes!!!

NickWheeler

NickWheeler

Joined
Dec 3, 1999
Messages
9,437
Okay, not really. ;) We have zero plans to become a husband/wife bladesmithing team... But if ever there was any doubt that I FINALLY found the girl that is truly supportive of me being a knife maker, this post should wash it clean away.

The fact she is so incredibly supportive, that she was willing to try this stuff out, means the world to me!!!

She packs quite a punch, be careful! ;) :D
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First she learned how to surface grind--- I was running around in a T-shirt and she was prepared for a blizzard. ;)

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Then she learned how to run the angle grinders. It's hard to see, but she had hearing protection, goggles, and gloves on.
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We had her learning... might as well learn how to use the press and do some forge welding. Here she's working on her 120 layer billet! :) :D
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Here she's forging it round, in preparation for twisting it.
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My XL gloves on her XS hands were pretty awkward, but she managed, she's a trooper!
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Getting her twist on... ;) :D She's focused!
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T-----W------I-------S--------T................... :)
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She'll probably kill me for this :eek: because she was just hamming it up, but I think it's adorable :) ;) :D
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We haven't decided yet what she's going to make out of it.... but it sure was a lot of fun having her work with me in the shop like this!!! :thumbup: :cool: :)

As quick a learner as she is, and as naturally as she took to ALL of these steps, it's probably a good thing she has a great job because I think she's be a lot better than me in no time.
 
AWESOME!! Nothing like working with the one you love!

Looks like Angie and I are on the same page, just made my first twisted billet this week also, looking forward to meeting her someday. There are so many directions you can take metalwork besides blades too.

You're right the last pic is adorable but yeah...she'll probably kill you for it, you might want to have some chocolates behind your back for penance...just sayin':p

-Haley
 
Right on. Good for you, Nick. I've got my fiance' turning some bowls on the woodlathe, but don't know how close I want her getting to my knives... (I see what you're saying) it could be a problem if she gets better than me.
-M
 
It's really great that she's gettin' into it....BUT...Please get her to cover her head
when forging or grinding........"fired up" should just be a figure of speech...!!!
 
Thats very cool I bet she makes a knife someday I look forward to seeing it.
 
Sounds fun Nick :D
Let's see how's the knife come out later ;)
I'm just not good to understand ladies especially when come to knife :D

mohd
 
Outstanding and Congratulations!

It'll be interesting to see if she influences your work?
 
Thanks everyone :)

Haley, you know so very well how much fun working in the shop with the one you love is! :) Of course the huge difference here is that you and Adam will for sure be a husband and wife Mastersmith team in a few years!!! :) One of the really cool things about this (to me) is that Angi really never had any interest in learning how to use tools like this until we got together. You are sooo right about there being a million possibilities with metal work... I can easily see her getting into things like steel picture frames. I know she would like me to make her a damascus butterfly (some idiot that looks just like me suggested the possibility some time ago ;) :o :D )

Just to be clear here folks, I wasn't posting this as a "hey look at my girlfriend!" type of thing. It is a 100% "Hey look, I found somebody that is so incredibly supportive of me that she was willing to get right in front of a 2300F forge, throw sparks in every direction with angle grinders, and get way out of her comfort zone by squishing hot steel with the hydraulic press just to try and understand better what I do out there!"

A good many collectors that hang out here have told me that the only way I'd ever succeed as a knife maker was to find a good woman.... And I found a GREAT ONE!!!!! :)

Russ! You are exactly right my friend! Right after I took the angle grinding pics I made her wear my hat because I realized she was going to get sparks in her hair. She had a respirator on too, but I took the pics without her wearing it so she wouldn't kill me. ;) :D

Thanks everybody :)
 
Very cool Nick!
...but watch out! It starts out really fun, then before you know it, she cooks up all your steel, and high-grades your handle stash! Pretty soon she want's her own "Barbie bench"!

Adam-
 
NickWheeler said:
"Hey look, I found somebody that is so incredibly supportive of me that she was willing to get right in front of a 2300F forge, throw sparks in every direction with angle grinders, and get way out of her comfort zone by squishing hot steel with the hydraulic press just to try and understand better what I do out there!"

A good many collectors that hang out here have told me that the only way I'd ever succeed as a knife maker was to find a good woman.... And I found a GREAT ONE!!!!! :)
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Nick, I'm super happy for the both of you. Said it before, and I'll say it again!:)

ps. I like your new sig. Liked the old one better, but how could you go wrong with anything from BC/SK?
 
DesRosiers said:
Very cool Nick!
...but watch out! It starts out really fun, then before you know it, she cooks up all your steel, and high-grades your handle stash! Pretty soon she want's her own "Barbie bench"!

Adam-
Click to expand...

Alright...who used who's ivory stash ahem! :rolleyes: I notice someone also uses my special 'booster box' to grind their twists clean:p

So maybe I did delve a little deep into the ironwood pile:o

All's fair in love and war right ?! :D

-Haley
 
DesRosiers said:
Very cool Nick!
...but watch out! It starts out really fun, then before you know it, she cooks up all your steel, and high-grades your handle stash! Pretty soon she want's her own "Barbie bench"!

Adam-
Click to expand...

DesRosiers said:
Alright...who used who's ivory stash ahem! :rolleyes: I notice someone also uses my special 'booster box' to grind their twists clean:p

So maybe I did delve a little deep into the ironwood pile:o

All's fair in love and war right ?! :D

-Haley
Click to expand...

Haha! Now that's funny :D
 
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