[TheForge] The heartbreak of prices in the PNW

[Jerry Frost]

> Well, yesterday afternoon I pop inot downtown Vancouver to get some
> gas.  As I'm  leaving I pass by one of the junk shops.  Lo and behold
> what do I see parked outside but a portable pan forge.  So I stop and
> have a look.  It was much like a Champion rivet forge only made by
> Lancaster.  The blower was in perfect operating condition, but damn if
> they didn't want all of $250 for the getup.  I picked one out of the
> garbage heap at the dump in Bridgeton NJ about 12 years ago, so this
> price surprised me.  Smithing tools in these parts be painful expensive
> compared to other places.
>
> Anyhow, if anyone's interested I just thought I'd let you know it's
> there.
>
> -Andy


Last rivet forge I heard about around here had an asking price of $650. He
was undetered when I told him I could buy one outside and have it shiped for
less than half and if I built one maybe $100 total. Wouldn't be a hand crank
but what the hey.

In the "build it yourself" vein, the blower is the big bite. I was in Sam's
Club yesterday and they had one of those kid's inflatable jumping thingies
for sale for $195. It's inflated by a rather nice looking cast aluminum
blower about 12" in diameter with a 1/3 hp, 120v motor.

I was tempted, even though I already have several blowers, not having spare
cash disuaded me though it would've been kind of fun trying to figure out
something to do with an inflatable castle.

Frosty
------------------------
If it ain't forged
it ain't real.
Wrought iron is.
The FrostWorks

Meadow Lakes, AK.