On the morning of March 11, Kenny and Kathy Carroll welcomed 11 Boy Scouts from West Linn’s BSA Troop 13 to their blacksmithing forge on Oswalt Road in Colton.
Kenny explained to the Scout troop that "Grumpy's Forge" opens weekly to a community of blacksmith hobbyists who get together to work on individual projects and collaborate on others.
“They use tools that they've actually made themselves,” he told the Scouts. "We use tools to make tools that we use to make more tools.”
Kenny Carroll and seasoned forgers, Matt Brookshire, Kent Carroll, Steve Conn, JaiCie Green, Shannon Reed, Scott Simons and Scott Wheeler instructed the Scouts in blacksmithing techniques. The forging team demonstrated how to safely use the appropriate tools and guided the Scouts through the process of heating and shaping scraps of metal into useful and decorative hooks.
"It was tons of fun. Someday I want to get my own forge," 16-year-old Steven Walker said.
Assistant Scout Master Wally Walker said that he had run into Carroll and they got to talking and he learned Carroll had a blacksmithing forge.
“I thought it would be a fun activity for our Scouts, and it was,” Walker said. “In three hours, each Scout made a decorative hook with twists, curled end and an eye hole for hanging.”
The forging group enjoyed a lunch prepared by Kathy Carroll and Green. After the meal, Kenny Carroll showed the Scouts his tomahawk throwing area and they had a chance to get in some throwing competitions.
The group then assembled for a cannon firing demonstration. The cannon, hand forged by Reese Whitaker of Washington, was used in civil war reenactments. The Scouts learned some of the history of civil war cannons during the exhibition.
Walker said he heard one of the Scouts say, “This is a lot ‘funner’ than sitting at home playing video games."
For their efforts, the Scouts will be receiving their “blacksmithing” merit badge.
