hot iron news · 2018-09-06 · hot iron news page 2 2018-3 northwest blacksmith association “to...

Hot Iron News 2018-3

THE VOICE OF THE NORTHWEST BLACKSMITH ASSOCIATION

Third Quarter 2018

Hot Iron News NWBA

www.blacksmith.org


Northwest Blacksmith Association“To promote and preserve the Art and Craft of Blacksmithing while building friendship and good will.”

Page 2 2018 3

The NWBA logo, with the hammer poised above the anvil and the accompanying NWBA acronym, is a Service Mark of the Northwest Blacksmith

Association, and is reserved solely for the use of the NWBA, except that anyone may use it to advertise or promote the events, publications, or mission of the

NWBA, which is Education in Blacksmithing and Related Metal crafts.

Board of DirectorsPresidentLee CordochoreaPO Box 3940Hillsboro, OR 97123503-887-1697 [email protected]

Vice PresidentKellen Bateham62200 Deer Trail Rd Bend, OR 97701541-550-6370 [email protected]

SecretaryPeggy Gudgell2819 NW 68th St.Seattle WA 98117206-782-2965 [email protected]

TreasurerJames von Mosch858 Snowden Rd.White Salmon, WA 98672509-493-2246 [email protected]

DirectorJeff Cawley3421 SW Kelly AvePortland, OR 97239971-221-2408 jeff [email protected]

DirectorSilas Maddox330 Metcalf StSedro Woolley, WA 982984 [email protected]

DirectorSteve McGrew9715 W. Sunset HwySpokane WA 99224 509-456-8321 [email protected]

DirectorJohn Paul1006 NW Bond StreetBend, Oregon 97703541-318-5645 [email protected]

DirectorPaul Thorne13751 Daybreak LnAnacortes, WA 98221360-293-8257 [email protected]

Director David Tuthill1415 NW 49th StSeattle, WA 98107206-229-6008 [email protected]

Want to be sure to keep up to date?Sign-up to receive email announcements monthly so you don't

have to miss another event!http://blacksmith.org/sign-up-email-announcements/

NWBA CommitteesFinance & Budget Committee: James von Mosch (Chair), Darryl Nelson

• Assets & Inventories Subcommittee: John Paul (Chair), Entire Board• Auctions Subcommittee: Peggy Gudgell (Chair), Jim von Mosch, John

Paul• Audit Subcommittee: Entire Board• Donations 501(c)3 Subcommittee: Jeff Cawley (Chair), Jim von Mosch• Insurance Subcommittee: Peggy Gudgell (Chair), Silas Maddox

Member Services Committee: Jeff Cawley (Chair), Lee Cordochorea• Archives Subcommittee: Andrea Lisch and Jack Slack (Chair), Jeff

Wilson, Darryl Nelson• Grants, Education & Workshops Subcommittee: Steve McGrew

(Chair), Paul Thorne• Library Subcommittee: Lee Cordochorea, Dave Neely• Board Training Subcommittee: Paul Thorne (chair), Lee Cordochorea

Communications Committee: Jeff Cawley(Chair), Amy Mook• Hot Iron News & Website Editor: Amy Mook• Manuals Subcommittee: Lee Cordochorea (Chair), Steve McGrew

Events & Programs Committee: Kellen Bateham (Chair), Peggy Gudgell, Darryl Nelson, Hunter Dahlberg

• Audio Visual Subcommittee: Mark Manley, Kellen Bateham, Lee• Cordochorea• Spring Conference Subcommittee: Peggy Gudgell (Chair), Kellen

Bateham, Lee Cordochorea, Hunter Dahlberg• Swaptoberfest Subcommittee: David Tuthill (Chair), Silas Maddox • Safety Subcommittee: Paul Thorne (Chair), John Paul, David Tuthill• Mentoring Center Subcommittee: Silas Maddox (Chair), Lee

CordochoreaNominations & Elections Committee: Jim Garrett (Chair), Amy Mook, Lee Cordochorea

Quick Reference for NWBA MembersSubmit articles, photos, how-to’s to HIN: [email protected] Website: www.blacksmith.orgFor NWBA correspondence or membership, or to change your address (must be in writing) send to:Northwest Blacksmith Association4742 42nd Ave SW #185Seattle WA 98116Annual dues 2017: $60 (foreign, $70)Dues include quarterly subscription to Hot Iron News.Dues may also be paid online at http://blacksmith.org/membership-payment-gateway/

Hot Iron News 2018-3H t I N

The Hot Iron News is the offi cial publication of the Northwest Blacksmith Association. Submission of articles , photos and other relevant materials is encouraged. All materials contained herein are copyrighted. Other ABANA affi liates, blacksmith associations

and nonprofi t educational metals-oriented groups have permission to reprint materials in the Hot Iron News as long as credit is given to the authors, the magazine, and the NWBA. The Northwest Blacksmith Association and this publication point out that

blacksmithing is inherently a dangerous activity. At NWBA conferences, you are responsible for yourself and your visitor for using eye, ear, respiratory, and other protection as required. You are also responsible for using safe work methods. The NWBA, its

offi cers, demonstrators, writers and members specifi cally disclaim responsibility or liability for any damages, injuries, or destruction of property as a result of the use of any information published in the Hot Iron News or demonstrated at conferences or meetings.

By requesting or renewing membership, you are stating that you agree with this release.

ON THE COVER WHAT'S INSIDE

NWBA Board MeetingOctober 25, 2018 5:00pm-7pm

NWBA Mentoring Center, Longview, WA All current NWBA members welcome.

FRONT COVER: Gary Eagle's completed layered image sculpture from Blacksmith Week 2018. See

page 32 for more on Gary's demo.

2 NWBA Board and Committee Information 4 President's Message 5 Treasurer's Report, Editor's Letter6 SWAPTOBERFEST II7 NWBA at Cowlitz County Fair8 Alair Wells: Tooling Up12 ABANA Conference13 ABANA Conference Gallery14-24 ABANA 2018 Demonstrators:

Susan Hutchinson,Michael Dillon, Patrick Quinn, John Medwedeff , Andrew Kyte, Zach Noble, Chris Shea, Pavel Tasovský, Patient Order of Meticulous Smiths, Teaching Tent

25 Colonial Williamsburg27 Blacksmith Week - Heather McLarty32 Blacksmith Week - Gary Eagle35 The Blacksmith's Project Book - review36 40 Years Fire and Form / Frank Turley update37 Remembering Larry Langdon38 About Hosting Hammer-Ins40 Blacksmithing Schools and Blacksmithing Calendar of Events41 NWBA Membershp registration form42 Ads43 Ads and Classifi ed ads


I want to welcome and thank our new Mentoring Center Coordinators, Clayton Tupper and Andrew German. I’m confi dent they’ll do a better job than I have!

We are continuing to search for hosts for traveling exhibits from the NWBA Archives. “A Blacksmith’s Garden” has been a success, fi rst at the Library in White Salmon, then Stevenson. It should be coming ‘round to the Longview Public Library eventually. Initial contact is also being made with the Bellevue Art Museum and the Art Center East in LaGrande regarding public display of larger items. Our Archives are the fi nest in the nation, and it suits the NWBA Mission Statement to get them in front of public eyes.

Hammer-Ins would also serve that Mission Statement. We want to promote Hammer-Ins throughout the region. If there is a hammer-in being planned by you or someone you know, please bring it to the attention of Amy Mook. ([email protected])

Speaking of Amy Mook, let’s wish her congratulations on receiving ABANA’s Joe Humble Newsletter Editor of the Year Award! We’ve known all along she’s a spectacular editor; the rest of the world is now learning about that too.

Swaptoberfest is October 26 through 28, the weekend before Halloween. (Save the date!) This will be the last chance for nominations for candidates for the board of directors. You know who would make a good director, so help us twist

their arm! In the meantime, get working on that mask for the Masquerade Metallique contest! Be ready for a pig roast! (Plenty vegetarian choices, too!) Registration should be open by Noon on Friday, and the events begin at 5pm. Look forward to forging contests in the evenings!

“40 Years of Fire and Form” is the theme for our 40th Anniversary Extravaganza, May 10 - 12 of 2019. (Save the date!) Come prepared to reminisce and to look forward into the years to come. Also, many of you may get a phone call between now and then asking for an interview. We’ll be sharing stories about each other, you see...

Plans are also well underway for the Western States Conference in the Village of Government Camp. This will be a joint venture between the California Blacksmith Association, Summit Arts Center (formerly CCAC) and the NWBA. We’ll take over the village August 8 through 10 of 2019. (Save the date!) I’ve also heard rumors of wars… Blacksmith Wars, that is.

Stay Inspired! -Lee Cordochorea (You pronounce that just like it’s spelled.)

A Word From What's-His-NameHello, Everyone! The NWBA has desperate need of someone who can fulfi ll the duties of treasurer. Our current treasurer, Jim von Mosh, has done a fi ne job. He has streamlined the job nicely, making it easier and more accurate. He’s even created a “pass-down” manual to greatly assist the next treasurer. Jim’s health won’t let him continue this fi ne work, however. If you know someone who can take on this task, please do let us know. Contact information for our board of directors is, as always, listed online at http://blacksmith.org/board-directors/ or inside the front cover of this Hot Iron News.


IncomeGeneral IncomeRefunds received 15.64Membership Dues 720.00Donations 70.50General Income - Other 360.00

Total General Income 1166.14

Mentoring Center IncomeEvent Fees 640.00Merchandise Sales 138.00

Total MC Income 778.00

Conference IncomeRegistration Fees 12,120.00Banquet tickets 2,625.00Camping fees 1,889.00Merchandise sales 1976.97Auction sales 11,735.00

Total Conference Income 30,345.97

Total Income 32,290.11

Gross Profi t 32,290.11

ExpenseGeneral ExpensesRefund 75.00General Merchandise 217.50Merchant fees 757.56PayPal fees 264.74Board Meeting Expenses 374.12Communications Director 4624.28Donations, Scholarships, Grants 2,700.00Internet fees 80.00Legal and Accounting 95.00Licenses and Permits 10.00PO Box rental 300.00Total General Expenses 9498.20

Mentoring Center ExpensesDemonstrator fees 3,160.00Supplies 265.25Total MCenter Expenses 3,425.25

Conference ExpensesEquipment rental 178.03Materials and supplies 719.83Hospitality 309.73Refunds 225.00Camping fees 1,815.00Conference site expenses 8,322.56Demonstrator fees 3,600.00Demonstrator travel and lodging 1,684.68Merchandise expenses 2,029.12Total Conference Expenses 18,883.95Total Expense 31,807.40Net Ordinary Income 482.71Net Income 482.71

Treasurer’s Report NWBA Treasurer Jim von Mosch

Second Quarter 2018 Financial Report

A Note from the Editor Amy Mook

Hello NWBA members, The days are noticeably shorter, the smoke is clearing from the air, and schools everywhere are abuzz. Before the memories of summer fun slip away I tried to capture a few highlights in these pages. NWBA activities were varied, some demos and open forge events, and some maintenance and fair exhibit days. Summit Arts Center, in Government Camp, OR off ered an impressive series of classes and their annual Blacksmith Week, and some of that is reported on here. ABANA had their biennial conference. NWBA is an affi liate of Artist Blacksmith Association of North America (ABANA), and I had the opportunity to go to ABANA Conference 2018. I dedicated a lot of space in this issue to a small slice of what was off ered there. I was humbled and honored to receive the Joe Humble Award, an ABANA award for editor. I believe that a big part of my ability to deliver an excellent quarterly newsletter is the support I receive from the NWBA, the organization and you the members. So, I thank you for your support, and I hope to continue to publish a high quality newsletter for the NWBA.

Amy Mook, Editor [email protected]

My 2018 Joe Humble Award. [FYI: As recipient of the award this year I am

responsible for creating or commissioning the creation of the award for the next Joe

Humble Award winner at ABANA 2020]


S W A P T O B E R F E S T I IFriday October 26 - Sunday, 28, 2018

NWBA Blacksmith Swap Meet & Mini-Conference!!at the Mentoring Center and Fairgrounds, Longview, WA

~ So Much More than a Swap Meet ~• Open forge on Friday and Saturday night! *• Blacksmiths’ Swap Meet – All Day Friday and Saturday! Huge tailgating area! Vending in the tailgating area

is open to anyone. Attendance to swap meet free of charge, and will be open to public buyers. Surcharge for vending booth is $10, except for Orphan Vendors.

• Orphan Vendors’ Booth! Orphan Vendors (folk with less than $65 worth of stuff to sell) may sell in the Orphans’ booth for a 15% service charge. This booth will be staff ed, so Orphans can go play.

• Two demonstrators* – Ryna Cady and Jason Brown. • “Masquerade Metallique” contest! Make a mask out of metal and bring it to this event. Anything from

aluminum foil to pattern-welded stainless is allowed. Masks will be on display and all participants will vote for Crowd Favorites. Prizes will be awarded!

* Mentoring Center activities require NWBA membership. $30 cover charge for full weekend or portion thereof. Cover charge is in addition to vending surcharge. Saturday night pig roast pot-luck is included in the cover charge. .

Jason Brown is an Artist Blacksmith living in the Pacifi c Northwest. He graduated from the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Sante Fe, New Mexico where he was introduced to blacksmithing in their sculpture studio. From there Jason went on to study blacksmithing with Frank Turley and work for such blacksmiths as Ward Brinegar and Tom Joyce. Jason continues to maintain a small blacksmith shop at the Taos Pueblo where his work was the subject of a short documentary, “The Native Blacksmith.” Jason’s current work focuses on forged sculpture, he also teaches blacksmithing at Pratt in Seattle and periodically at IAIA in Sante Fe. His website is www.hammerhandforge.com

DAILY SCHEDULEFRIDAY:People roll in, begin set-up and registration, etc.5:00 – 6:00: Presentation by Ryna Cady- VFD optimization8:00 – ?: Eagle eye competition.

SATURDAY:9:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Ryna Cady demonstration. Wood working tools1:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Jason Brown demonstration- Sculptural Forging part 1.6:00 PM: Pig roast / pot luck. -Note- There will be plenty of vegetarian options!! This is included with registration, and non-registered participants are asked to make a suggested donation of $10.008:00 PM: Team forging competition- Forging 4” X 1” square into a cube. Prizes for best three cubes!! This will lead straight into midnight madness.

SUNDAY:9:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Jason Brown demonstration- Sculptural Forging part 2.12:00 – on: pack up, clean up, etc…

Ryna Cady is a bladesmith specializing in kitchen cutlery and woodworking tools. Originally trained as a physicist, Ryna is a huge metallurgy nerd who enjoys experimenting with heat treatment recipes and building fun shop gadgets (including rewiring her VFD to run multiple motors). Recently Ryna has been trying to bring more history into her work, and has been sourcing reclaimed industrial steel and local hardwoods to tell the story of the Pacifi c Northwest with her knives. She lives in Edmonds, WA with her husband and cat. In her non-metal life, Ryna is a biomedical engineer and runs a non-profi t studying diabetes.


We clean up pretty good.On Saturday, July 21st, a group of hearty and bold folk undertook the annual task of converting our Mentoring Center

in Longview WA: What is normally a working shop with a peanut gallery was transformed into a museum and public demonstration area. After a morning of lively open forge activity, the “unsightly” bits were shoved “behind the curtain.” The good china, or iron in our case, was laid out. After the fact, the lady with the Art degree was brought in to fi ne tune placement of the archive pieces.

During the fair, the public LOVED what they saw! Folk marveled at our Ironwork Archives, stuff ed donations in the jar, and some even walked away with prized little gifties which had been made right before their eyes.

Among the demonstrators was an Al Bart Grant recipient: Bhakti Sa. Bhakti was showing the public some of what he had learned from Darryl Nelson at a Summit Arts Center workshop several weeks earlier.

The Setup Crew: David Barnes Jeff CawleyKevin Marley Craig FlynnByron JohnsonDorothy CordochoreaWhats-His-Name

Demonstrating Before the Public:Dan BowyerIke BayBhakti SaCraig FlynnWhats-His-Name

If YOU would like to join in the fun next year, look for the sign-up sheet on the registration desk at the Mentoring Center. My name is already on it; It’s too much fun not to sign up!

NWBA at the Cowlitz County Fair

Bhakti Sa

By Lee Cordochorea


Project & Materials List:• Round & Square Punches: 3/8" RD stock 4.75" tool steel.

• Center Punch: 3/8" round stock, 3 - 3.5 inches tool steel.

• Calipers: 1/8" X1/2" fl at stock, 5", mild steel.

• Ball Punch: 3/8"RD or SQ, 5" mild steel.

• Fuller: 1/2" SQ , 5" mild steel.

• Chisel 5/8" RD, 6-7" tool steel (6150)

• Nail Header: lollypop shape cut from 1/2" tool steel plate. 2.5" round head on a 7' X 1"long shaft. 500 series tool steel, laser cut to shape.

• Nail Rod: 1/4" RD or SQ mild steel

With undergraduate and graduate degrees in fi ne arts, Alair came to metal work through sculpture. Part of the appeal is the making of your own tools. These are the tools she used to make a living, and even if simple they need good technique and heat treating. She provided a lengthy handout with lots of info on heat treating and a Smucker article on nail headers. Google ASM International and Nail Making by Dave Smucker. ASM is a metals centric organization for engineers and scientist. Smucker has written a great deal on tool steels and heat treating. Repurposed materials are a valued source requiring study to determine the best fi nished tool. She has learned from many and freely gives credit where it is due, but she has also done a lot of her own trial and error work to develop a system that works for her. Craft people have systems and you need to learn the whole system before adopting or rejecting any part. Taking the work seriously but not herself she morphed into a combination demo/hands on event that imparted a great deal of information, with everyone learning and having a great time. She was having a great time and that feeling was infectious. Makena, her apprentice, needs to be cloned so every shop has one.

June 23, 2018 Mentoring Center Hands-On Alair Wells and Makena Henriksen: Tooling Up, Tools all of us should have in our shop.

By Hardie Swage, Photos by Dan Bowyer

Above: Alair Wells. Left: Tools made by Alair, shown a short time ago in the NWBA Gallery. Looks like she will

have a lot more to teach us!Regarding the swage

block, Alair said, "I cast this swage

block on the fl y once for a demo I had to do forging roses at

the National Casting Center at Alfred

University. They had an induction furnace they let me use to

make it. A little rough but did the trick. :-)"Photos by Alair Wells


The round and square punches are detailed in the second quarter 2018 Hot Iron News, what makes them diff erent is the diminutive points and their relatively small parent stock. They are meant to be tong held. Made from auto engine "torque to yield" bolts, maybe VW in origin they are tough stock but remain a mystery steel. They are believed to be ASE 429 but this is unverifi ed. Hardened at a non-magnetic "glowing orange" which is higher temperature than simple carbon steel. Unheated motor oil was the quench, the tool dropped into the oil to avoid the fl ash point of the liquid, and stirred around. She has tested diff erent steels in a

variety of oils to get specifi c quench for each one (motor, veggie, hydraulic, Etc). The oil was changed when it became too hot to touch, because of the large batch of tools. Her Mark Aspery quote: "Always use the back side of your tong hand to feel for heat, if burned you can still work."

The hole punch was tempered from the back end until the point was in the straw/bronze range. Alair also said that heat treating was not needed in a tool this light, annealed tool steel is tough enough.

A nail header may seem unusual in a beginners basic tool set, but making nails is a great way to start the education of your hand and eye in the blacksmith's craft. The nail header blanks had their handles drawn out under the power hammer. Many of the hands-on students had never used a power hammer, so this was their intro to power technique.

Nail header blank, headers

with the handles drawn out,

punches ready to for heat treating.Photo by Makena

Henriksen

Byron Johnson at the power hammer drawing out the nail header handles with round faced dies, and steps to

shaping the handle

Tilt hammer to forge a taper.

Introduce material in to the power hammer in small steps.


The round head is dished with a domed fuller (see picture) in a depression in her swage block. The round depression has a hole in the bottom that facilitates the punching a square hole from inside the created depression. To this writer her punched seem more piercing than punching. Although they have a fl at tip, it is quite small. The square hole in the nail header is tapered and driven all the way through before doing just a touch of a back punch to get the edge described by Smucker. A tapered square hole is the goal in this exercise. The punch was introduced to the yellow hot metal carefully, and not just driven in by brute force. Between blows it was removed and dipped into a tin of punch lube from Quick and Dirty Tools. Even though the punch tip took on some color and required a little straightening and dressing, it stood up to the piercing the heavy domed plate very well. Sometimes the withdrawn punch would be cooled in water, even if it was showing beginning color. Once the nail header was completed, participants used them to make nails from 1/4" stock.

Above: Punching tapered square hole in bottom of dish.

Right and below: Makena fl attening and straightening after cupping.

Forming the dish in the nail header, also illustrating why tongs need to

work both ways.

Team work!


Seen but not demonstrated: The scrolling pliers/tongs seem to start as 1/2" round stock, the texturing tool was used for bark and antler like surfaces treatments. The hands-on got in the way of all the tools she proposed to demo, but she held the interest of the class throughout the day. Alair has a lot more tools to demo which is a great reason to get her back. She suggests that a beginners hands-on power hammer workshop would be well received based on the small sample in her class.

The purpose of this workshop was to empower beginning blacksmiths to experiment with making tools, using whatever materials are available to them. Because one may not always be able to confi rm the particular alloy of salvaged steel, its use presents an opportunity to beginning smiths to familiarize themselves with the toolmaking process through trial

and error. Lack of access to expensive tool steels should not stand between a smith and their ability to start tooling up.

Student posting on dry board: carpe friqus fi nem - "seize the cold end" (need to verify the Latin spelling)

For more information about Alair Wells and her blacksmithing classes go to: https://www.tinderheartmetals.com/

For information about Makena Henriksen - Apprentice Blacksmith at Tinder Heart Metals and Design in Seattle WA. go to:

https://www.nettlefi reforge.com/

NWBA members like Alair and Makena make our monthly demonstrations possible! If you have an idea for a demonstration that you would like to present or a demonstration to recommend, please contact Lee Cordochorea [email protected] or Silas Maddox [email protected]

Some fi nished pieces and nails made during the demo by Alair and hands-on participants. Photos by Makena Henriksen

Recommended Resources:• Quick and Dirty Tool Co, tool dip for punching

quickanddirtytools.com/• Fundamentals of heat treating at asminternational.

com (practical heat treating, ch2)• www.piehtoolco.com/product_info/nailheading.htm• YouTube Video: Making nails - Dave Smucker• Blacksmithing for Beginners FaceBook page, fi les• iforgeiron.com Blacksmith web forum• NWBA forums and library, blacksmith.org

THAT is a twisting tool!


The Artist Blacksmith Association of North America puts on a mega conference biennially, this year it was held outside of Richmond, VA at The Meadow Event Park. Mega is hardly a big enough word for what I encountered there. The schedule of events, and the sheer amount of equipment and people power needed to put on the event was staggering. On the schedule were nine ABANA Demonstrators, two Farrier Demonstrators, three American Blade Smith Demonstrators, four Teaching Tent Demonstrator/Teachers, and fi ve demonstrators from Patient Order of Meticulous Metalsmiths (POMM). There were eleven tents, eight or more active at once, three 3-hour sessions on the full days. Also outdoors was a large group of vendors. Inside the main hall, the Farm Bureau Center, in the air conditioned paradise where us Northwesterners could take cover from the heat and humidity, were more vendors, and handcraft arts activities for the whole family. There were daytime and evening lectures in the main hall and in an old mansion that is part of the conference grounds. Non-stop metal arts, knowledge, books, tools, equipment, and a great meeting of the North American clan of blacksmiths. WOW!

As the lone Hot Iron News reporter on a very busy beat, my strategy was to fl it from demo to demo and around the grounds and take in a little of everything, reporting an overview of the activities. Finding some of the demonstrations more photogenic, and at some stops more exciting action was taking place, the coverage is uneven. There were some things I did not even see at all, the knife making tent being one of them...my apologies to the knife making afi cionados.

I am impressed by the passion of the blacksmithing community: learning was going on all day long at every level in every tent- newbie, beginner, advanced, so many old friends and acquaintances reuniting after many years or few, new friendships formed and fans born. In short, ABANA 2018 Conference was superb, a memorable and awakening experience.

As if all that were not enough, the day before the conference ABANA had arranged a special tour of nearby Colonial Williamsburg. In addition to getting to wander about the colonial town on our own, we got a special tour of the ironwork gallery, and the blacksmith and tinsmith shops. ABANA members were treated to an excellent and exclusive blacksmithing demonstration, not open to the general public. It was a special day in a very uniquely preserved and restored colonial village.

These ABANA 2018 pages are to inspire you, to encourage you, to spark your curiosity, and to motivate you to put ABANA 2020 Blacksmith Conference, June 3rd - 6th, at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Saratoga, NY on your calendar!!

Below are the 2018 recipients of ABANA awards. I was honored and humbled to receive the Joe Humble Newsletter Editor of the Year Award, and to stand next to these dedicated and hard working people. "This award (Joe Humble award) was initiated by the ABANA Board of Directors in 1994 to give recognition to the workers who publish the affi liate newsletters. It was named in honor of the fi rst affi liate newsletter editor who published a monthly edition for

over 14 years. Joe was on the ABANA Board, served as president and established the fi rst affi liate. The submissions are by past and present editors and the selection committee is made up of former Humble Award winners and Affi liate Editor volunteers, so the winner is selected by his/her peers. Many of the editors exchange newsletters with other affi liates so they know what all the other editors are publishing." ~from ABANA.org

The Heritage Award Clay Spencer accepting on behalf of the Whitaker and Spencer Forges at the John C. Campbell Folk School

For outstanding service in the area of increasing the public knowledge and awareness of the Blacksmith's

Craft.

The Alex Bealer AwardPresented to Joe Koches (left) and George Dixon

(above).For outstanding Service to the art of Blacksmithing

Scott Kreschmer with Amy Mook Joe Humble Newsletter Editor Award

Presented to Amy Mook editor ofNorthwest Blacksmith Association's

Hot Iron News

By Amy Mook, editorABANA 2018 CONFERENCERichmond, Virginia


ABANA Conference GalleryRichmond, VA June 2018

Shuni Mudraby Lee Sauder

Steel

Hammer Time Hourglassby Joe Gentile

Iron, glass, sand

Wall Flowers by Timothy ChorbadjianSteel and copper

Lock by Timothy MillerWrought iron

Dogwood Flower Mirror by Glenn HorrMild steel, mirror

Serving Forkby Dan Nauman

Mild steel

Perfect Handle Spatula by Robert YoungSteel, apple wood, silver

Breakfast by Adlai SteinDamascus bacon, mild steel eggs

Here is a small sampling of photos from a very large conference gallery. Drawn from a national pool of talented blacksmiths, there were quite a few very fi ne pieces on display. Like NWBA conference galleries, there were pieces from beginning smiths too. A team of photographers took professional photos of every item entered in the gallery before it was put on display. It was a huge job but now they have a very valuable archive of photos of blacksmith art.

It was a Great Exhibit! And, by the way, NWBA conference galleries are every bit as great, so feel encouraged... and go out to the shop and get creative!


Tray with Handle by Douglas ThayerMild steel

Iron Maiden: Forged Fashionby Ellen DurkanSteel, leather

Three of a KindJack in the Pulpitsby Paul Spinhour

Iron

Eight Bar Grill by Bob BrownMild Steel

Fireplace study-buckle

detailby Chris Holt

and John SteelMild steel

Gothic Door Knocker

by Mike LaMarreForged steel


ABANA 2018 DemonstratorsABANA Conference 2018 was overwhelming, so much talent and variety of works, there was more going on at any given time than

could be taken in. The demonstrators featured here are what caught my eye, and the photos I was able to get, timing was everything. Go to the ABANA website and fi nd out more about all the demonstrators who were at the 2018 conference, so many of them are not even mentioned.

https://abana.org/conference/2018-richmond-va/conference-demonstrators/In addition to their demonstrations there were stunning portfolios on display; the cumulative experience of the demonstrators is

staggering. The projects they demonstrated were very broad ranging, from large to small, tools to art. They all had a lot to teach; techniques in design and execution, tool perferences, shop setups, business strategies, demonstration styles and more. The demonstrators had to persevere in the heat and humidity, and they were amazingly strong and energetic considering. KUDOS to the entire group, and to the organizers of the ABANA conference who brought them all together.

Susan HutchinsonSusan’s ABANA Conference demos focused on varying basic and intermediate techniques

to produce unique designs. Most techniques and tooling were geared toward one-person shops. She is an engaging demonstrator, off ering illustrative anecdotes, tips and tricks as she built two sculptures, a garden fl ower and a goat head.

From the conference catalog: "Susan combined a traditional studio art degree (Berea College) with studies at Penland School of Craft (Core program 1989-90), and John C. Campbell Folk School. She spent 20 years as a studio artist and has been a member of the Southern Highlands Craft Guild since 1992. Since then, she has taught and presented at conferences around the country. Her work is for the most part functional, incorporating fl uid lines in space and references from nature."

Example sculpture garden piece similar to the one

demonstrated.3 images above: close-up of

demonstration garden sculpture

Abstract Goat head.


Michael DillonCreating sculpture for public spaces is Michael's passion. As an artist/blacksmith living

and working in North Georgia, he has more than 25 years experience creating both functional and sculptural works of art.

Through careful and intricate engineering, Michael strives to create pieces that are visually uncomplicated and graceful, that engage and inspire wonder within the viewer. Michael's public work is modern, and narrative. Most of the work is forged, using large industrial steam and mechanical hammers. These hammers are the same ones that were used in Americas industrial age. They have been refurbished and re-purposed. Their mark making imparts a sense of history in each piece, speaking to the signifi cance our past has on our future.

The fi rst day of Michael's demo he was showing some of his techniques for forging various architectural features and some fun sculptural forging ideas, some of which are shown below. Find our more, visit his website: dillonforge.com

Patrick QuinnFrom the conference catalog:

"My work is driven by process. I am very interested in the physical properties of metal and how it can be manipulated through the combination of applications such as heat and pressure. I fi nd it important to hand make all aspects of my work, including nuts and bolts that can be found inexpensively at the hardware store.

The sculpture I build is comprised of several pieces and components. Assembling work from handmade elements gives me great satisfaction. I use abstract imagery, with form and line as vehicle for creating and using components such as hardware and hinges. The challenge of making something work and balance with several moving parts is a task that inspires me, and I fi nd small kinetic works a perfect form to express my interest in handmade hardware, and mechanical connections."

Patrick has an amazing portfolio and is an excellent demonstrator, make a point of catching a demonstration of his if you have the opportunity. Find out more, visit his website: www.patrickjquinn.com

Above: Patrick Quinn on the right. Right: Patrick, left with conference

demo sculpture.


John Medwedeff has been creating monumental site-specifi c public sculpture, sculptural fountains, architectural ironwork, and furniture

for over 30 years. The sculptural project of his demonstration was ambitious, to say the least, but his very competent team went to work on the various parts. Working with him at this demonstration was Megan Robin-Abbot, his shop assistant for many years, and Gabe Chaille who joined his team more recently The sculpture they made is lighter than he usually works with, 11 and 12 guage sheet metal, as opposed to 1/4" plate. Here everything was handled and moved manually, in his shop he has an overhead crane.

Hours of doodling designs followed by many more hours of perfecting the designs by redrawing and model making, this project is estimated to have about 50 hours of time into it before the building begins.

ABANA 2018 DemonstratorsJohn Medwedeff

1:12 scale paper model

1:8 scale model

Careful marking of the scale model: Using the model that was curved as desired, Megan marked one side (inside curve) of the scale model at regular intervals. Then she took a straight edged rule to the scale model piece, set it perpendicular to the edge at each mark, adjusting the rule until there was no gaps beneath, it was in complete contact with the surface of the model piece,

and marked where the straight edge rule touched the other edge. These measured marks were scaled up (x 8 for 1:8 model) and the full scale piece was marked correspondingly.

Passing the marked sheet through the roller bars, keeping the marked lines parallel to the rollers as it goes, and adjusting the degree of curvature as it goes by tightening or loosening the roller bars. The pieces had to be run through the rollers along both axis and required the help of some extra hands at times.


Find out more about John Medwedeff at his website:

https://www.johnmedwedeff .com/

and follow him on Facebook John Medwedeff , Gabe Chaille, and Megan Robin-Abbot

1:8 scale forged model

Forged piece to become wrap around

verticle supportsForging large vertical pieces

The amazing fi nished project!


Andrew KyteA practical blacksmith with business acumen, Andrew Kyte shared

architectural design ideas and blacksmithing techniques combining forging and fabrication for aesthetics and effi ciency.

In addition to his informative demonstration at the forge, Andrew also gave a lecture on advanced apprenticeships in US and Europe. He had very good advice for those wanting to pursue an education and experience in the blacksmith arts, and for those who are considering taking on an employee or apprentice.

From Andrew's website: "Grounded in Old World blacksmithing techniques and honed by years of experience under contemporary masters, Kyte Metalwerks of Ann Arbor, Michigan marries an elegant simplicity of design with the highest level of quality craftsmanship. "Find our more, visit his website: kytemetalwerks.com


Zach NobleZach Noble and his powerful team forged a beautiful, sculptural and

functional anchor. The execution of the work included use of every tool available: coal and gas forge, powerhammer and press, saws, and a full complement of hand tools. More than one piece of this puzzle was being forged at any given time, each detail required exacting measurement and form to fi t in its place. The project would not have been possible without the help of his skilled team, one of whom was our own Andy Dohner, a friend and previous shop mate. Noble sees ABANA as a huge resource for young smiths, as it was for him during a crucial point in his career, and his demonstration provided lots of instruction, wisdom and great techniques accessible to the attentive beginner. Zach also had a full set of detailed drawings for each and every part available, and a previously forged piece, to examine as the demo piece was getting built. The completed anchor was like a gigantic piece of jewelry; elegant and fi ne. Cheers for Zach and his team, this was a GREAT demo!

1-4:Anchor arms and fl uke: start with 1 1/2" sq x 5 1/2 to 6" long. Four of these are forged, in mirrored pairs.

1

2 3 4

Above:Forging the shank.Left: Splitting the crown end of the

shank.


Forging the ring:left- initial forging, top-rounding the middle section, below-result, ready for next step.

Chris SheaChris Shea is a meticulous smith,

using exacting simplicity of line and form with immaculate hammer work to create stunning pieces. His demonstration piece featured here does not show off the full talents that one fl ip through his portfolio reveals.

Chris Shea designs and creates furniture and architectural metalwork at his studio in southern Maryland, outside Washington, DC. His work is included in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery and in numerous private collections around the country.

Check out his past and current works on his website - chrisshea.com and on Facebook: Chris Shea Art Furniture and Architectural Metalwork

Find our more, visit his website: http://zacknoble.com/

Above: Slitting the head of the shank.

Below: drifting the slit with a drift that the team forged on

the spot.

Forged from an industrial sized metal rod, it took a while for the piece to get hot enough to swage the keeper.

Zach Noble


Pavel Tasovský Pavel Tasovský and his team created a beautiful and dynamic sculpture, Kinetic

Dancer. He overcame some signifi cant challenges: traveling all the way from the Czech Republic and additional travel diffi culties, a lightweight powerhammer and an intrusive breeze. That did not deter them from completing the sculpture, which fetched the highest bid at the ABANA auction.

There was not a lot of patter as they worked, skillfully building this elegant dancer with quiet ease and calm. Piece by piece she came to life. Her skirt fl oats in layers, one upon another, all pivoting on the point of the hips. The balancing of the pieces requires very precise forging so that they pivot freely. She moves with grace and beauty, and she is much more stunning in person than she is in photographs.

Kinetic Dancer

The graceful dancer's foot taking form.

Pavel and his team: from left, Frank Trousil, a Bay area blacksmith, young Pavel, son of demonstrator, and Pavel

Tasovský.

Pavel Tasovský testing the fi t of Kinetic Dancer's fi rst skirt layer.

Find out more about Pavel at his website: http://www.tasovsky.com/

(use the browser translate feature)


Coff er Chest, 2004 ABANA Conference, Richmond, Kentucky: Tina Chisena, Carl Close, Peter A Renzetti, Tom Latané, Paul Spaulding, Nigel Tudor, Michael McCarthy, Kevin Clancy

POMM - Patient Order of Meticulous SmithsA very interesting and hard working group that has demonstrated

at ABANA conferences for many years and whose conference projects are awaited with great interest. Their projects are donated and sold at the ABANA conference auction, raising signifi cant funds for the support of ABANA. The 2018 project was a decorative gate honoring the tools of various crafts. POMM had their own tent with work stations for each of the smiths. All had their own brand of amazing, and as their name implies, meticulous work. Here I show just a glimpse at their group work from this year and years past.

ABANA 2018 POMM members: Tina Chisena, Peter Renzetti, Tom Latané, Kevin Clancy, Kim Thomas

POMM Padlock, 2010 ABANA Conference Auction.The names of smiths who created this was not available.

Peter Renzetti with ABANA 2018 POMM project: a tribute to the hand crafts, including tools and items of various arts.

Scandinavian Style door with forged hardware. 2012 ABANA, Rapid City South Dakota, Tom Latané, Michael

McCarthy, Tina Chisena, Peter Renzetti


The Teaching TentWith an impressive lineup of teachers (and equipment), the teaching tents were a hive of activity throughout the conference. The

teaching demonstrations were given in a separate tent, with bleachers and one forge. One hands-on teaching tent had 16 coal fi red forging stations and the other was equipped with propane forges. There were adults and kids in the fi re most of every day. The sessions would start out with one of the teachers giving an hour demonstration on a specifi c project, after which that group would go off to work in the forges. Then, another teacher would step in and give a demonstration on another project, then all who wanted to went to work in the forges. Teachers were assisting students and the students were helping one another, it was a lively place fi lled with happy makers.

ABANA 2018 Teachers: Gerald Boggs, Mark Aspery, Gerald Franklin, John McLellan, Bob Menard

Classes off ered, ranging from novice to intermediate levels: Chain making, steak turner, hand tools, fl ux spoon, basic welding tong making, drop tong welds, twist tongs, novice, tomahawk - intermediate, candlestick, punching and drifting and more!

There were competitions in the evening, for all levels, with a demonstration of the project before each start: Novice - Steak turner, Intermediate - fork, Open - welded spatula. chain, tong making.

Some of the teaching tent projects.


Colonial Williamsburg: Special ABANA TourABANA arranged for a special tour of Colonial Williamsburg for conference attendees, and I was lucky to buy the last

ticket available. Included in the package was the round trip hour bus ride, a special tour of the metal work gallery, and a special private demonstration at the blacksmith shop. Williamsburg is an expansive living museum, authentic to the historic period from every building detail down to the villagers' costume and manner. Most impressive was the village employees' depth of knowledge, level of education, and long history of dedicated work in their fi eld of expertise, from tour guides to the master crafts people, and most especially, the blacksmiths of the James Anderson Blacksmith Shop. They work long hard hours in high heat and humidity with passion and purpose, and they do incredible work. These photos and captions are a speck of what there is to see and learn at Colonial Williamsburg, I highly recommend visiting there.

James Anderson Blacksmith Shop

Left and above: Ken Schwarz, Master Smith of the shop with striker Journeyman Aislinn Lewis making a draw blade with a fi le bit cutting edge. They completed the tool in 30 minutes start to fi nish.

A tiny corner of one shelf... neat stuff to look at everywhere!

Ken Schwarz (with name and position unknown) shop blacksmith. They forged this wheeler's ax head from a bar of steel in 45 minutes.


Williamsburg was founded in 1632 as Middle Plantation, a fortifi ed settlement on high ground between the James and York rivers. The city served as the capital of the Colony and Commonwealth of Virginia from 1699 to 1780 and was the center of political events in Virginia leading to the American Revolution. The College of William & Mary, established in 1693, is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and the only one of the nine colonial colleges located in the South; its alumni include three U.S. Presidents as well as many other important fi gures in the nation's early history.

Gunsmith Shop

The gunsmith shop is housed in a very small wooden building with poor ventilation, even with its fully open front and side and back windows, as you can see in these images. Even so, these gunsmiths make beautiful guns with simple tools and no modern conveniences.

Note the gun barrel in progress in the middle and right images above.

The Foundry Above: Melting pewter

in the fi re. Left: Pouring form and sample poured items.

Tinsmith ShopFoundry

Cooperage


Summit Arts Center on Mount Hood Oregon has been busy this summer, off ering a series of small group blacksmithing classes in addition to Blacksmith Week. They hosted Mark Aspery Fundamentals of Blacksmithing-Tooling and Fundamentals of Blacksmithing-Joinery, Collaborative Sculpture With Roberto Giordani, and Gary Eagle Decorative Wall Panel Workshop. Just prior to Blacksmith week a group calling themselves the Society of Inclusive Blacksmiths convened and built a beautiful bench as their fl edgling project. Look for more to come from this group and their expansive vision for the blacksmith community.

Look for much more to come from Summit Arts Center summer 2019, including WESTERN STATES CONFERENCE August 8-10, 2019!

Blacksmith Week 2018 featured the talents of Heather McClarty, Gary Eagle, and Leslie Tharp. There was also the usual tailgating throughout the long weekend, shared meals and catching up with old friends, perfect weather and lots of blacksmithing and shop talk. The group project was making nails, for fi nishing the new wood picnic tables.

Here are some notes and photos from the Heather McClarty and Gary Eagle demonstrations (unfortunately and with apology, there is no coverage of any part of Leslie Tharp's demo).

http://www.cascadiaart.org/

BLACKSMITH WEEK 2018 August 16-19 2018

Notes on Heather McLartey’s High-Relief Repoussé Demo:● Wanted more visual mass without more weight

○ works in a solo shop w/ no heavy equipment○ Teepee

● Began working with angle, tube, and sheet● Steel work-hardens faster than copper & anneals more slowly● Adding 3D greatly reinforces the structure as well as adding

visual interest● “Soft” anvils

○ Allow copper to work harden more slowly○ Allow greater movement

● “Hard” anvils allow greater defi nition at the expense of more rapid work-hardening

● Check for and correct any warping early and often.● If one is wondering whether it is time to anneal, then it is time

to anneal○ Very rare to over-anneal○ Easier & quicker to clean off pitch than to fi x a crack.

● “P.H. Down” is sodium bisulfate & works quite well as a pickle solution when warm.● Ketchup applied thickly & left overnight will pickle. (Acetic acid & citric acid)● Quote of the morning: “I’ve only set my teepee on fi re once.” - Heather M.● The feel of bronze is about halfway between copper and steel. It is “bouncy.”● Bronze, steel, and copper have a much more similar feel over pitch than they do over tooling or air.● Heather has observed bronze to harden slightly if quenched from red in water, but not if quenched from black after

cooling in air.● Check aluminum with a wood stick. If a mark is left on the aluminum by the stick, then it is ready.● ! Copper oxides are toxic!! One should pickle copper right after annealing. ● Work from the amorphous toward the detailed. It is easier to correct and tweak the preform than to correct any

misplaced details.● Drill bits for copper must be quite sharp, or one will forge with the drill bit instead of drilling.

Notes by Lee Cordochorea, Photos by Dan BowyerDemonstrator Heather McLartey

Photo from Highland Park Heritage Trust websitehttp://tiny.cc/3yduxy


● Heather likes to chase towards herself. She can see the tool and its action more clearly.● She prefers a tool to be comfortable in a relaxed hand. Says “I hate round-bodied chasing tools.”● Heather’s tools are sized to her hand.

○ Struck edge just above the index fi nger ■ no need to look there when working■ Her chasing hammer has a very wide face■ Can focus full attention on the working end of tool

○ Bottom of tool allows hand to rest lightly on the work● Because of vibration when working over air, the sides/border will work harden more quickly than they would if

working over a more stiff anvil.● Three warnings that work hardening is approaching critical:

○ Feel - the material moves less○ Shiny surface - looks polished, like jewel facets○ Sound - changes from thump-thump to ting-ting.

● Heather tries to work around the piece evenly in order to work harden the material evenly.● Can work harden in a “cliff ” (steep transition) & then work the soft material against the “cliff .” The pre-hardened

area serves as a tool or anvil against the softer material being worked.● Mark on cold copper with a white charcoal pencil or a blue Sharpie.● When fabricating the makeshift wooden bottom tools, she made one with more rounded edges & one with less

rounded edges.○ She chose to demonstrate with makeshift tools instead of “fancy” tools○ Easily made and easily modifi ed○ They work. What else do you really need?

● After using the liner tool along a line, Heather chases toward the line instead of along it. This creates a strong 3D transition. Also, pushing the material towards the “ledge” will gather material to where material has thinned.

● Use a silicone spatula (kitchen type) to remove hot pitch from the back of work.● Sandbags are nice. None were at hand. Randy Cryderman’s folded up welding leathers worked well. ● Shot Bags have a diff erent reaction than sandbags and are helpful for a lot of things.● It is called “chasing” because the tool motion is smooth & continuous while the hammer chases it. We want to avoid

too much bumpiness in the work - should be more like drawing a line than a bunch of dots.● Heather likes to use pieces of pitch not larger than a walnut. Add them one at a time to avoid air pockets. ● She puts pitch behind only the part being worked on. ● Controlling the temperature of the pitch controls the stiff ness. Pitch can be heated through the sheet being worked.● Can also work over plasticine, but does not stick well. Freeze or refrigerate to harden.● Shot peening or sand blasting from behind will lend work hardening to a fi nished piece.● Can overfi ll void behind work, overfi ll pitch bowl, then meld them.● Look up “uchidashi” ● Q: “When do you switch from a hammer to a chasing tool?” A: “When I think I might screw up with the hammer.”● When chasing material toward the crease, use the largest tool that will fi t in the curve. Begin as far from the crease

as possible & gather the material in.● Heather starts at about a 45 degree angle & works tool to 30 or 25 degrees as the material is gathered.● Strike directly in line with the tool to avoid pain in the thumb. Think of it as working with a tool under the power

hammer, only at an angle.● For the texturing phase work the tool more like a jackhammer & use a harder anvil.● Heather also textures by

○ First, draw on the front, lines and curves○ Then texture across the lines back and forth - width of tool lines up with drawn line or curve○ Motion of the tool is 90 degrees to the line/curve○ Tool is at 90 degrees to the work surface.

● All of Heather’s tools are straight tools. She does not used curved tools.

Notes on Heather McLartey’s High-Relief Repoussé Demo continued...


The Project: Create a landscape type surface while demonstrating various repoussé techniques.

Annealing copper sheet. Heat entire sheet and quench in water.

Heather drilled holes in the tempered sheet with a sharp drill bit.

Striking toward herself, the hammer always hitting the head of the hand tool squarely no matter what angle the tool is held.

These holes were worked from the back side.

Left, seen from the back, Above, seen from the front.

Texturing the bottom surface of a fl at crater: use a small fullering tool, working from the edge to the

center moving around the circle creating concentric circles of texture.

Using a hammer to defi ne the curved ridge. Change to chasing tools when

more accuracy is required.

Add even more defi nition with texture at the juncture of ridge

and fl at surface.

Heather's Tools


1-6: By whatever means necessary: whatever angle, posture, tool and work surface works for the job at hand. At times working directly on the stump, on air with the aid of 2 pieces of wood, and even on the

soft surface of a folded leather apron. 1

2 3

4

56

The work in progressLeft: view of the

front side.Right: view of the

back side. Heather worked from both sides, trying to work the entire piece evenly, roughing in the shapes and then defi ning them across the entire sheet. She did not have to anneal again during the entire process.

Blacksmith Week Demonstrator Heather McLartey


Bonus: Heather on Fold Forming:● Roofi ng copper works. So does 16 gage, but barely● ! Debur fi rst!!● Demonstration material was roughly 2.5” x 6.5”● Anneal ● Fold. Hammering at step of anvil works. Fold all the way in half, not quite tight.● Pick either folded side OR mated side. Draw a 2D taper with peen - as if bevelling a knife, except blows are at 90

degrees to the edge instead of parallel. Let it banana. (Is banana a verb? It is now…) Heather forged from both sides of the crease.

● She observed work hardening indications (sound, shine, & feel) at this point & annealed.● ! Pickle right after annealing if you can!!● Pry open w/ hot-cut to start, then pry with anvil edge.● Fold forming provides instant gratifi cation● Investigate book by Charles Lewton Brain and/or brainpress.com

Find out more about Heather McLarty at her website:

http://www.steelcrazy.biz/

WESTERN STATES CONFERENCE AUGUST 8-10, 2019

GOVERNMENT CAMP, MOUNT HOOD OREGONN


Demonstrator Gary Eagle Notes by Lee Cordochorea, Photos by Dan Bowyer

Notes on Gary Eagle’s Layered Image Demo:● Workpiece for this demo was inspired by WPA workers, particularly the WPA blacksmiths on Mt. Hood.● Gary likes to work in layers.● Took an earlier drawing & drew a larger version - then enlarged further with copier - this became the cutting pattern● Using 1/8” & 3/16” thick material for demo in interests of time, but would prefer ½” &¾”● Must “weight” the components. For example, the hat is of thinner material & the head is thicker. This lends more

visual “weight” to the head even though the hat material is closer to the viewer.● Leave a bit extra material on the lower pieces where the upper pieces will cover them● Layout details cold with soapstone & set them in w/ cold chisels● Don’t need much heat to refi ne details w/ hot chisels. Dull orange or so in the area being worked upon. Just laying

the lines a little deeper…● On next heat, a set tool is used to push the material away from the chisel marks.● Soft lines -vs- sharp lines: Soft = brow ridge & cheeks. Sharp = ear outline or eye crease● Gary uses a single set w/ 2 sharp edges & 2 soft edges. Used at multiple angles. One tool instead of 2 or more.● It’s kind of like making a painting or drawing - put in what needs putting in as you go along…● Bevel edges after detailing.● Dish just a bit.● Do not bevel lines which are to be sharp in contrast. IE shirt v-neck or overall straps● Quote of the afternoon: “If a blacksmith speaks in the forest & no one hears them, did they really say anything?” -

Gary Eagle● Fit the pieces one at a time.● Once everything was ready, a MIG rig was used to permanently attach the pieces, adjusting and shaping as needed.

Gary Eagle. and his drawing enlarged to scale. The drawing may be inspired by WPA art but there is something vaguely familiar about the

character and his pose.

The line drawing is translated into a puzzle-like assembly of layered pieces. Gary came prepared with all the pieces precut and edges ground smooth, a big job. He had determined the order of the layering of the pieces, which material would be used for each piece, and which pieces needed to have extra on its edge where it would be covered by an upper layer.


Simple and beloved tools. All the work that was done on this sculpture was with these simple tools, an anvil and fi re. The tongs in the photo on the left are around

120 years old, unearthed from an old abandoned blacksmith shop in Chesaw Washington, reins worn

smooth and shiny from so many years of use.

Adding the hat and shirt, aligning to the drawing and sketching in

detail lines on the steel.

Closeup of head and hat. Note the shaping for the fi tting of the hat to the head, and the expressiveness of the

facial details.

Gary placed the head piece onto drawing and sketched facial details with soapstone. Working hot, he marked the

line with a chisel and then in steps refi ned the details.


Blacksmith Week Demonstrator Gary Eagle

Fitting layer by layer. Each layer is forged with detailing and shaping as needed to construct the fi nal layered piece. Gary makes this part look easy, a simple line here and there, but it is his artistry and skill that

makes his placement and gesture of line so eff ective.

Below: Layers stacked as for fi nal assembly. Right: Completed

piece, fully assembled and welded, with fi nal

adjustments made. (see front cover)

Above: Detailing the anvil Left: Apron getting forged

to shape.

To follow Gary, keep your ear to the ground... we will too, and if we hear of his whereabouts we will let you

know.


by Summit Arts (Cascadia Center for Arts and Crafts) cascadiaarts.org

Reviewed by Amy MookThe Blacksmith’s Project Book sparks the

imagination, informs and inspires. Written as a resource book for blacksmiths, there is much to be gleaned by makers and artists in any medium, and anyone who is an art or craft afi cionado. Flip through the pages or read front to back, each time you open this book you will fi nd something new. You will meet master blacksmiths from around the world, delve into their individual process and style, and learn new blacksmithing techniques. It may unlock secrets to a process that has been puzzling you, or knock loose a block in your design fl ow.

Antonello Rizzo has chosen each chapter wisely, representing a great variety of design style, smithing techniques and skill level. The 21 chapters include 11 dedicated to sculptural projects of varied complexity, 3 more on hardware, jewelry and blade projects, and 6 illustrating the techniques of damascening, metallic fusion, Swiss patina technique, mokume, chromatic fi nishing and restoration. The projects are intended for blacksmiths of intermediate and advanced skill levels, though an ambitious beginner could fi nd a project to challenge and reward them. Even the most advanced smith will fi nd something new in this wide ranging collection of design and blacksmithing technique.

The book layout is superb for readability and clarity. Each project begins with a concise introduction to the project and artist, followed by a photo essay with instructive text and captions. The direction given in the text and photos leaves room for your own personal style, and also requires some background blacksmithing knowledge as not every step is explained in detail, a relief from the redundant text of so many blacksmith how-to books which repeatedly describe even the most basic of details. The over 900 high quality photos are laid out in coherent sequence. The images tell of much more than a step in the process, we also get to see a large array of shops, tools and forges.

Throughout the pages of this book there is the undercurrent of vitality, talent and creativity alive in the international blacksmith community. A search on each of the artist’s names led to amazing galleries of contemporary iron works, an explosion of artistic expression and amazing accomplishments in blacksmithing, the king of crafts. Be warned, you may

be forced to plan a trip to Europe and beyond to satisfy your curiosity, which is sure to be piqued.

If you are looking for a book with beginner to intermediate blacksmithing techniques try Secrets of the Forge, also by Antonello Rizzo. The Blacksmith’s Project Book is a continuation in the same vein, for a higher skill level blacksmith. Each book is a standalone standout, and they make great companions for your library.

I put The Blacksmith’s Project Book on my highly recommended list, it is a great addition to any library. Consider getting an additional copy for shop use, and get busy with some of these projects!

The Blacksmith’s Project Book Intermediate & Advanced Projects from European Masters ByAntonello Rizzo

The Blacksmith’s Project Book Intermediate & Advanced Projects from European Masters By Antonello RizzoPublished in 2018 by Artisan Ideas Hardcover, 248 pages, over 900 color photos


Frank Turley has introduced many to the art and craft of blacksmithing, among them a number of NWBA members. Frank has Parkinson's disease and is facing many medical bills. There is a private fund if you wish to contribute to Frank Turley's medical and household needs, it would be a personal contribution. Send your contribution to:

Frank Turley c/o Patricia Michaels919A Chicoma VistaSanta Fe, NM 87507 turleyforge.com

If you are a Turley Forge Alumnus and an NWBA member, send your name, email and year you attended his school to [email protected]

Maybe we can have a group reunion and photo opportunity at NWBA Conference 2019, NWBA's 40th year!

March 13, 2018Dear Northwest Blacksmith Assn.Thank you so much for your generous contribution to Frank

Turley's personal medical and home expenses. In the short time, I have been taking intensive instructions from

3 therapists, occupational, physical and speech. Your money has helped with the therapists, doctors, nurses,

rent, homecare, assistants and medicines, and will be used for future home and medical necessities.

I am most appreciative,Frank Turley and Family

June 8, 2018This is an additional note added to the form letter. The form letter

was printed, because we heard from a great many kind persons. I have fond memories of the Northwest - I've presented workshops

at Bear Paw-Ranch, Chesaw, in 1977: Northwest Blacksmith Assn, Eatonville 1987; Inland Washington, Kennewick 1987; Inland Washington 1994; NW Blacksmith Assn. Corvallis, OR 2005.

I attended the Seattle ABANA conference in 2006 where Juanita, my wife, and I sang an Indian honoring song for Nahum Hersom.

Thanks to the scuptors and donors for the $2,400 gift. We will use the money as outlined in the form letter.

All Best Wishes, Frank Turley

40 Years of Fire & FormNWBA 40th Anniversary Conference May 10-12, 2019

For the 40th Anniversary Conference we are planning to show an exhibition of archives from the full 40 years. This includes many significant pieces that haven’t been shown for many years.As part of this project we will be collecting stories relating to the founding of the NWBA and some of the larger pieces in the archives. We are going to need a lot of help from the membership to make this happen. So if you have organizational, photo / video / editing, or interviewing skills or a story to share please let us know.

SAVE THE DATE ... AND BE THERE!A very memorable 40th anniversary is in the works,

stay tuned for updates, to be posted as available.

At the NWBA Conference 2018 a collaborative sculpture made by Terry Carson, Jeff Holtby, Dean Mook and Darryl Nelson was auctioned and the proceeds donated to the Frank Turley family. Other people pitched in donations and the donation was sent as a gift from the NWBA. The following are letters of thanks sent from Frank to the NWBA.

Thanks from Frank Turley


Larry Lee Langdon, 47, of Buhl, passed away May 31, 2018 in Buhl, Idaho.

Larry was a member of the NWBA for many years, until he returned to his home town of Buhl. He contributed a lot of time and energy to the NWBA, serving on the board of directors for a short stint, helping out during our conferences, and he was a great auctioneer at some of our conference auctions. Larry was always ready to lend a

helping hand, and to fi nd time for a friend in need. Larry will defi nitely be missed by all of those who knew him.

For a little more background info about Larry here is an obituary that was published online at:

http://www.farmerfuneralchapel.com/obituary/larry-langdonLarry was born in Twin Falls, Idaho to Lauren and Judy Langdon. He lived in Buhl during

his youth and went to Buhl schools. Larry was creative and inventive. He always had a cool gadget or some sort plan to cause mischief. He loved modifying trucks with lift kits, roll bars and lights.

He was able to do much of the work himself being a natural at mechanical dynamics. He always had an amazing sound system in his “Hot Wheels” trucks! People who knew Larry, knew when he did something, he did it 110%.

In a short time during High School, Larry went from being a shy kid to the life of the party. While the party life may have been fun at fi rst, it caused him problems that followed him the rest of his life. Larry chose to become sober and successfully stayed that way for over 18 years, a feat at which many people fail. He worked his way from rock bottom to owning Monster Metal, a successful blacksmith and metal fabrication business in Seattle. He created many wonderful and functional works of art, railings, gates and more with his steel fabricating skills. Much of which is still on display in many downtown businesses and will be appreciated for many years to come. On Facebook he displayed photos of his creations with the tag line “I builds stuff !”

Larry was father to his boys, Andrew Crowley, who preceded him in death in 2011, Loren and Landon. They weren’t always close but he always loved them. Landon and wife Ashley, couldn’t wait for him to meet his new grand daughter coming this September.

How can you possibly sum Larry up in anything but a character from a novel? I'm pretty sure you could interchange wordsmith and blacksmith in his description. If you observed Larry in his younger years you would probably giggle a little, wince at a few things, bow your head, shake it some and wonder how his parents handled all of his shenanigans.

Reconnecting in recent years with Larry "The Blacksmith" was nothing short of intriguing. If you didn't know him or about him, you would not have guessed all the trouble in his past. On Facebook he wasn’t afraid to tell all who cared or dared to read about the ups and downs over his life. This well read, well written, businessman and metal genius now inhabited the space of the troubled Larry Langdon. During the last few years of his life, he found a passion for helping with the Buhl Fire Department and Quick Response. He responded to many emergency calls and enjoyed helping people in need. In the summer of 2017, he worked on his fi rst fi re in the Snake River Canyon and was humbled and inspired by the hard work and danger that

faces fi re and emergency crews, from there he became an EMT and went on to be certifi ed as Advanced EMT.Unafraid of repercussions for any of his thoughts and opinions, he expressed himself brilliantly. Recently he posted, "I have an

amazing woman (Denim) who fi lls me with joy and she is perfection in my eyes; I have amazing kids who I love; and, my family is wonderful" but concluded with "I don't want you to feel sorry for me, I had a great life. I wish I could spare the pain this will cause". Larry was resolute in his plan, content in his present, and observant of his past.

A friend recently wrote about Larry, "There are people who wear their heart on their sleeve. Larry wore his heart on a fl ag, and fl ew it proudly."

Regardless of how you came into contact with him, you couldn't help but realize that he was intelligent, friendly, talented, honest and didn't judge others. At the end of his journey of life he was a proud husband, respectful son, devout brother, love-fi lled father and attentive friend. We are grateful for the time he spent sharing his opinions, support and stories with us and we know there are a multitude of others who feel the same. Rest In Peace Larry.

A memorial service was held June 22, 2018 in Buhl Idaho.

Larry Langdon, 2011 NWBA Board of Directors head shot.

In Memory Larry Langdon

April 30, 1971—May 31, 2018

Eric Sprado and Larry Langdon, auctioneering at NWBA conference 2014


"Northwest Blacksmith Association: Dedicated to the education and preservation of the art and craft of blacksmithing"...Our name and our mission.

Our Board of Directors has been striving to expand the educational outreach of the NWBA. We now have a traveling exhibit of demonstrator archives, educating the public about the art and craft of blacksmithing. We established our Mentoring Center so we could have monthly demonstration/open forge events. These have been a great success, and yet they are not enough. The Mentoring Center is located in Longview, WA, the southern part of the state, and not easily accessible to people who are farther than a 2-3 hour radius, and even that is farther than most want to travel for a one day event. So, what to do?

Local Hammer-Ins! Our membership includes many people spread across the Pacifi c Northwest region, some of whom have blacksmith shops large enough to host a few people for a casual hammer-in, or maybe even a larger shop that can host a dozen or more.

NWBA would like to encourage our members to put on a local event by providing a few resources (under development):

• Event Publicity: submit your local blacksmith event information to [email protected] or use our online form: https://blacksmith.org/submit-event/ Your event will be published online, on Facebook, and in the Hot Iron News (depending on the printing date and the date of the event).

• Online resources: articles, background info, and reports on locally hosted events.

• Articles and event listings in the Hot Iron News

• Mentorship: We hope to compile, and post when available, a list of contacts who are able to advise you during the planning phases of your event, and perhaps we can get a list of some who are willing to hands-on mentor. In the meantime, contact one of our board members if you want to discuss an idea for a blacksmith event in your neighborhood.

These resources are under development, and with help from you, the members of the NWBA it will become a useful tool for creating events throughout our region and beyond, bringing group blacksmithing to a neighborhood near you.

If you have hosted a blacksmith event in your area, please consider sharing your experience in a short article, photo essay, or list of tips.

Northwest Blacksmith Association Dedicated to education and the preservation of the art and craft of blacksmithing.


Steve McGrew shares his experience with putting on local events in his area:Columbia Fire & Iron Events columbiafi reandiron.org/Types of events:We have, so far, just three kinds of events: hammer-ins, classes, and workshops.

Hammer-ins are open to the public to watch for free, but in order to cross the yellow tape and participate, they need to pay a fee and become members. We have two hammer-ins per year, and the fee pays for membership until the next hammer-in. The club doesn't have a permanent facility, so hammer-ins are held at members' shops; the club reimburses the shop owner for wear & tear and any supplies that are consumed.

Classes are conducted sometimes at a member's shop under the auspices of the club, and sometimes just under the auspices of the club member who is conducting the class in his/her own shop. In the fi rst case, students need to join the club to take the class. In the second case, the club member needs to deal with the insurance issues his/her self. On occasion we have had focused classes, publicized to the membership and to the community and organized by the club but conducted at members' shops, for the purpose of raising funds for the club. These have been quite successful, at $50 per half-day class per student. The classes have ranged from introductory classes for young teens, to making calla lilies and various kinds of joinery.

Workshops are usually directed at club members who want to try out new techniques. We've had damascus workshops and a wedge joiner workshop. Typically participants just pay a fee that covers costs which might include a fee to a teacher, materials, and forge fuel. The workshops serve to build camaraderie and skills. Sometimes we have had workshops simply to make tools for the club -- tongs, punches, chisels, fullers, and the like. The club pays for materials, participants donate their time.

Publicizing the events:We maintain a mailing list of people who have participated in past events, or in classes given by members of Columbia Fire and Iron, or have bought forge coke or coal from me. Announcements are emailed out to everyone on the list for each new event.

We have occasionally put posters up in various places around the city to publicize our hammer-ins.

At the Interstate Fair where we do 10 days of demonstrating, we have a poster and fl yers that attract a lot of people to our hammer-ins.

We have given some classes through the Museum of Arts and Culture, and the MAC notifi es all the people on their mailing lists. The MAC also handles class registration and collection of fees.

For classes off ered under the auspices of the club, we also email notices to homeschool organizations.

Plans for the future:Our last hammer-in had too many attendees for the number of forges and anvils we could provide, so our next hammer-in will be structured as two days of morning & afternoon sessions, with a maximum of 24 people per session. We might have open forging in the evenings.

We are working toward getting free publicity for our events in the local arts & entertainment newspaper, and toward getting email lists for organizations like the Boy Scouts.

We hope to fi nd a way to have a permanent facility for our events including a mentoring center, maybe via grants or charitable donations.


Blacksmithing Schools Around the NorthwestBackwoods BlacksmithBetween Sutherlin and Elkton Oregon on Hwy 138.Instructor and owner is Gene BlandBeginning blacksmithing, tool making, organic and garden art.541 459 [email protected]

Bridgetown Forge1812 North Columbia Blvd.Portland, OR, 97217http://[email protected]: 503-804-1524New classes are being developed on a continuous basis, and classes to be off ered in near future include: power hammer work, forging a cleaver, forging a sushi knife, hammer-making, and axe-making.

Cascadia Center For Arts & Crafts P.O. Box 64Government Camp, Oregon 97028http://www.cascadiaart.org/Blacksmithing, Visual Arts, Painting & Drawing, Photography, Fiber Arts, Glass, Jewelry

Clackamas Community College19600 Molalla AvenueOregon City, Oregon 97045Phone: 503-594-6000Website: http://www.clackamas.edu/Off ering blacksmithing classes under the Welding Technology program.

Clatsop Community College1651 Lexington AvenueAstoria, OR 97103Phone: 503-325-0910Toll Free 1-855-252-8767;Website: http://www.clatsopcc.edu/Blacksmithing classes are taught through the Historic Preservation Program

David LischDavidLisch.com Knife making and blacksmith classes in Yelm WA Email: [email protected]

Incandescent Ironworks Ltd.Spokane, WA509-456-8321At Incandescent Ironworks I teach introductory and intermediate blacksmithing, introductory and intermediate knife making, and tailored instruction on selected smithing topics.Contact: Steve McGrew:[email protected]/blcl.html

Old West ForgePO BOX 2105White Salmon, WA 98672(509) 493-4418For additional details contact Tim Middaugh:[email protected] classes are listed at www.oldwestforge.com

Pratt Fine Arts Center1902 South Main StreetSeattle, WA 98144http://www.pratt.org/Phone: 206.328.2200Fax: 206.328.1260Email: [email protected]

Thorne Metals Studio13751 Daybreak LnAnacortes, WA 98221(360) 293 8257Current classes are listed at: http://learnblacksmithing.com

If you would like to list your blacksmith school here, please send your information to [email protected].

Editor’s note: As a 501(c)3 non-profi t organization there are limitations to how we are allowed promote our members’ businesses. The listings will now include contact information and one descriptive sentence for your school, a policy subject to change. To publicize your class you may send your event listing to the editor for inclusion in our online calendar. A short paragraph about the class and time, location, and fee information only please. Please send information about your events, school and class listings to [email protected]

NWBA 2018 Calendar of EventsSeptember 22 Jeff Cawley, Sinking Plate techniques Demo/Open Forge, Longview WA

October 25 NWBA Board Meeting, Longview Public Library, Longview WA

October 26-28 SWAPTOBERFEST II, Longview WA

November 17 Mentoring Center Demo/Open Forge, TBA, Longview WA

December 15 Mentoring Center Demo/Open Forge, TBA, Longview WA

Long Range Calendar: May 10-12, 2019 NWBA 40th Anniversary Conference, Longview WA

August 8-10, 2019 Western States Blacksmith Conference, Government Camp, OR

Find the details of these events at www.blacksmith.org/events/

Submit your blacksmith events: www.blacksmith.org/submit-event


Northwest Blacksmith Association“To promote and preserve the Art and Craft of Blacksmithing while building friendship and good will.”

Th e NorthWest Blacksmith Association is a Washington corporation and a 501 (c) 3 non-profi t charitable organization founded in 1979. Now over 450 strong and growing. We have something to off er to anyone with an interest in blacksmithing, from the beginner to the serious professional.

Members of the N.W.B.A. receive our award-winning newsletter Th e Hot Iron News, the opportunity to attend N.W.B.A. semi-annual conferences, frequent hands on workshops and events, and the camaraderie and support of hundreds of blacksmith enthusiasts.

Signature: ___________________________ Date:____________Print Name: __________________________________________Address: _____________________________________________City: ________________________________________________ State: _____________________________ Zip: ______________Phone: ______________________________________________*E-mail: _____________________________________________*(if you are already registered as a user at www.blacksmith.org your website user account will be updated to allow member privileges only if you use the same email address as the one used to register on the website)

Mail to: NorthWest Blacksmith Association 4742 42nd Ave. S.W. #185 Seattle, WA 98116To apply online and pay by credit/debit card go to: www.blacksmith.org

Dues are: $60 in U.S.A.$70 outside U.S.A.☐ New Member☐ Renewing Member

NWBA membership is valid for one year from the date of signup. Renewals are sent out on a quarterly basis, look for your renewal letter sometime in the 3 month period around the anniversary of your registering for membership,.

2018 MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION FORM

RELEASE OF LIABILITYI hereby acknowledge that I have voluntarily applied to become a member of the NorthWest Blacksmith Association, NWBA.I understand that blacksmithing is an inherently dangerous activity that involves certain risks and dangers. I acknowledge and understand that those risks include the potential for bodily injury.Nevertheless, in full knowledge and understanding of the above risks, hazards, or dangers, I freely, voluntarily and knowingly agree to assume those risks. By my signature below, I hereby agree to assume all responsibility for myself and my property and hereby release and discharge Northwest Blacksmith Association, NWBA; it‘s members, employees, representatives, associates, independent contractors, and board from any and all claims, demands, damages, expenses, and any other liability for injuries or damages of any description which may occur as a result of my participation in this organization as a member. Th is Release shall be legally binding on heirs, my assigns, successors, estate, legal guardians, executors and me.If I am signing this agreement on behalf of another person, I certify that all representations are true with respect to the participant and that I am the participant’s legal guardian or custodial parent with full authority to bind the participant and myself to the terms of the Release.I have carefully read this Release and fully understand its contents. I am aware that in signing this Release I am releasing and waiving certain rights that I may have and enter into this contract on behalf of myself and/or my family of my own free will.THIS IS A RELEASE OF LIABILITY DO NOT SIGN THIS REGISTRATION FORM AND RELEASE IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND IT OR DO NOT AGREE WITH ITS TERMS.


QuickandDirtyTools.com


ATTENTION MEMBERSAre you receiving our informative monthly email

announcements? Sign up online: http://blacksmith.org/sign-up-email-announcements/Get the up to the minute details of NWBA events

and news.

For sale: Quality blacksmith coal, coke and charcoal.

Contact Jim von Mosch at Mountain Brook Forge

509-493-2246 or [email protected] for price and availability.

Free to members, $10 for non-members Classifi ed ads are 50 words, text only.

Email to: [email protected] submit online: http://blacksmith.org/hot-iron-news-advertisement-submission-form/Download Ad Specifi cation and Pricing Sheet online at: http://blacksmith.org/advertising-hot-iron-news/If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact editor Amy Mook at [email protected]

Classifi ed Ads

Whitlox Wood-Fired Forges are specially designed for forging with raw wood or charcoal fuel. All our forges are made from 11 gauge steel and double lined with kaowool and fi rebrick for super long life. Use discount code NWBA for a $50 discount on any full size forge at www.whitloxhomestead.com. Phone: 503-952-6540

Advertising SubmissionsMail to: NWBA42nd Ave SW #185Seattle, WA 98116

Announcements that are of general interest to blacksmiths and not specifi cally in the business interest of an individual will be printed free of charge in the Hot Iron News, at the discrepancy of the editor and within the guidelines of the NWBA Board of Directors. Submit your announcements for publication in the NWBA Hot Iron News and our website.

Your Ad Here! Members can post 50 word classifi ed ads for

FREE.

WESTERN STATES CONFERENCE AUGUST 8-10, 2019

GOVERNMENT CAMP, MOUNT HOOD OREGON


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