pittsburgh area artist blacksmiths association newsletter...please note: the pittsburgh area...

Congratulations!

PAABA Member, Bill

Robertson has been

selected as a new

ABANA Board Mem-

ber. Bill has an ex-

cellent background

to help ABANA with

new membership

and encouraging

smiths of all levels. His past experience

as president and editor of the Florida

group will come in handy! Don’t forget,

Bill will be demonstrating for WRABA

June 29 and 30th! Be there!

Volume 11, Issue 2 June 2013

Pittsburgh Area Artist—Blacksmiths

Association

Welcome New & Returning PAABA Members

From PA:

John Wilson- Enon Valley

Michael Kuhlman—Pittsburgh

Steven Kontaxes-Perryopolis Ross Kareha-Hartstown Jayne Swan-Sewickley Jeff Miller-McMurray

Bucky Blauch –Pittsburgh George Blystone-Waynesburg Michael Evegres-Pittsburgh

Jake Heasley-Slippery Rock From Ohio:

Cris Buckley-Coolville From Michigan:

Rod Lange

Contents:

Summer Plans –1

President’s Message –2

Editor’s Message –2

Calendar of Events –3

Ideas to Share –3

Dream a Little Dream-4

Room for Improvement –5

“Toe-Stools”-6,7

And the Winner Is!-8,9

Library News –10

Bottoms Up! -10

Directions and Tips-11

Calendar –12

Add on Some Summer! Summers mean fun and vacations! PAABA has a mini vacation afternoon planned just for you. Visit

an historical home with great ironwork, the Butler Museum, and for the big machinery buffs, stop by

Youngstown Steel Heritage Foundation. The 1905 family home for Olive Arms was built in the Arts

and Crafts style which is the style of work we will be seeing with demonstrator Robert Trout in Au-

gust. Chuck Hughes will be our tour guide and will show you some of Youngstown’s highlights and

there are other places you might like to visit on your own such as the Grist Mill and Fellow Riverside

Gardens. When I was a kid, I often heard my dad say on a Sunday afternoon, “We’ll go just for the

ride”. This short drive to Youngstown, Ohio will make for a get-a-way day at a very reasonable price.

Relive a lazy afternoon with PAABA friends and meet at the Arms Home, 648 Wick Ave, Youngstown,

Ohio 44502 on July 21. Please let us know if you plan to attend so we can arrange a group rate for

the house tour.

So What was it Used for Anyway? Have a tool that has been on your work bench forever and you still don’t know what it was used for?

Asked your friends and they don’t know either? Finally, you may have your answer on August 24th,

at John Steel’s get together. Robert Trout will be demonstrating his fabulous copper work, but

PAABA Member, Frank Mirth, has arranged to have Three Rivers Tool Collectors attend this event

as well. This is an organization that just loves tools, their historical significance, and educating other

through their knowledge. President, Mark Eastlick, explained that collecting tools of crafts no longer

practiced helps preserve the knowledge of that craft for future generations. Bob Simone, Vice Presi-

dent of the organization, interest is collecting hand saws and knows just about everything there is to

know about them. Frank Mirth says that Bob can identify and tell you about a saw by just looking at

the teeth. The oldest in his collection in is a Disston saw from the 1850’s. The members of this or-

ganization have interests in a wide range of tools and many are interested in woodworking tools. If

you would like to have something finally identified, the Three Rivers Tool Collectors will do their best

to help you for free! Individuals of the organization have had their collections on exhibit at the Heinz

History Center and have written books and articles on the subject. Don’t miss out on this great

event, see fabulous copper work and examine some unique tools all in one perfect day!

Please Note:

The Pittsburgh Area Artist-Blacksmiths

Association, its staff, directors, officers

and members and the PAABA Newsletter

do not manufacture, distribute, sell, test,

warrant, guarantee, or endorse any of the tools, materials, instructions or products

contained in any articles or advertise-

ments in the PAABA Newsletter. The Pittsburgh Area Artist- Blacksmiths

Association and the PAABA Newsletter

specifically disclaim any responsibility of liability for damages or injuries as a

result of any construction, design, use or

application of information contained in any articles in the PAABA Newsletter.

The Pittsburgh Area Artist Blacksmiths

Association and the PAABA Newsletter assume no responsibility for the accuracy,

fitness, proper design, safety or safe use

of any information in the PAABA News-

letter. Blacksmithing, due to its inherent

nature-fire, steel, hammers, fuel, etc.-is

not an activity to be taken lightly. Pru-dence and common sense must be in the

forefront of any blacksmith’s mind before he/she picks up a hammer.

The PAABA Newsletter is composed by

the editor. Unless otherwise noted, copy-

right belongs to the authors. Please honor their work and do not reprint copyrighted

material without permission. Permission

is granted to other similar non-profit organizations to reproduce other articles

in their entirety appearing in the PAABA

Newsletter provided credit is given to the original source.

Words of Steel…

In case you missed it in the last newsletter on page 3, we (PAABA

and Steel Welding), have taken on a community service project for

refurbishing the gates at Economy Cemetery on Route 989, just up

the hill from Ambridge, PA. The gates were picked up and brought to

Steel Welding and rested up for a month before we held a work day

to repair and strengthen them. The next step is sandblasting, prim-

ing, painting and of course installing. Many thanks to all the volun-

teers that worked on them and especially to the men who were free

to work on June 8th—all excellent craftsmen experienced in metal

manipulation. Thanks to team leaders, Frank Mirth and Mike Ballew,

and their crew of Dave Lint, Bob Selvaggio, Duke Mincin and Chris

Holt who forged a great lunch and kept things moving along with

her project management experience. By the way, there will be no

expenses to PAABA, just good PR!

Summer provides an opportunity for events such as a trip to Youngs-

town, Ohio with our tour guide Chuck Hughes, my shop in August for

a PAABA picnic and all the trimmings, and to close out the summer,

join us at the Compass Inn for another community project. Ed Ap-

pleby arranged a hands-on day of blacksmithing to make projects

for the Compass Inn Gift Shop. Bring your hammers and equipment,

ALL LEVELS of smiths are encouraged to take part. “S” hooks, plant

hooks, fire pokers, key rings, are welcome! This is another way you

can put your skills to good service and be appreciated by a commu-

nity.

Recently, I experienced a loss of a dear friend and mentor, but his

contributions to the blacksmithing community will never fade away.

He founded the Center for Metal Arts and this institution will continue

to educate future smiths. I believe the big part of a community

service project is giving back to smiths that have taught us. Think

about being part of a project to better your community.

Looking forward to seeing you at PAABA summer events!

-President, John Steel

What the Ed Sed...!

Something that is common among all smiths is the quest for a perfect collec-

tion of tools and tooling for projects. Whether these tools every see the light

of day can be inconsequential, but to “hold such greatness in your hands”

(said by Angel Martin played by Stuart Margolin in a classic episode of the

Rockford Files) can be nirvana! This newsletter has the subject of tools for its

focus. Tools to make, equipment to improve your shop, an event that includes

tool collectors, and even a “tool” to get the mud off your boots and add some

whimsy to your garden! For those of you that are looking to learn about state

of the art equipment, read about TechShop on page 4. Dan Thompson can in-

troduce you to a place that will inspire you to follow a dream...if only you had

the right tools! Read about several PAABA members and an ABANA board

member that won awards, probably because they were able to use tools both

traditional and contemporary. Our librarians Harold and Rosemary Sloppy have

chosen a perfect book to read that includes tools that were made many years

ago to make some tasks more efficient. We have several great events planned

for you, see you soon...now, where is that double bit mortising axe when you

need it!

-Editor, Chris Holt

Pittsburgh Area Artist — Blacksmiths Association June 2013 2

PAABA OFFICERS

John W. Steel-President

2063 Lovi Road

Freedom, PA 15042

Home 724-774-6757

Fax 724-774-3209

[email protected]

Dave Lint-Vice President

Box 245 250 Union St.

Dickerson Run,

PA 15430

724-529-7942

[email protected]

Rex Dietz-Treasurer

1880 Camp Meeting Road

Sewickley, PA 15143

Home 412-741-0760

[email protected]

Chris Holt-Secretary/Editor

1630 Camp Meeting Road

Sewickley, PA 15143

Home 412-741-6171

[email protected]

Jim Campbell - Publicity

Chris Holt-Membership


2012 Calendar of Events June 29, 30—Western Reserve Blacksmiths Association, Annual Conference, Bill Robertson dem-

onstrates at Century Village, 14653 East Park St., Burton, Ohio 44021 A GREAT ANNUAL EVENT!

July 21– Afternoon Drive to Ohio with Host Chuck Hughes! Meet at the Arms Family Museum

Home On Sunday at 1:30 to tour the home, Butler Museum and see Rick Roland’s Youngstown Steel

Heritage Foundation to see big machinery. PLEASE RSVP so we can make plans! 724-774-6757

August 24-Steel Welding, 9:00 PAABA will host Robert Trout at John Steel’s shop. It will be a

PAABA Picnic Day! Great demonstrator, great food and a great day! We will have a short PAABA Meet-

ing, Auction and PAABA Library will be on hand. $15 includes lunch and all day demonstrations by this

renown coppersmith. We are honored to have him demonstrate for us. If you are a family and are

bringing more than two people, ask about a group rate. Also on hand will be the Three Rivers Tool

Collectors.

August 31– Compass Inn, Labor Day weekend. Come and make items for the gift shop. ALL skills

are welcome! Chef Ed Appleby grills lunch for your hard work! 9:00 start, this is a fun event, if you

missed last year, make a point to come this year!

September 20,21,22 Quad State Conference, Troy, Ohio

Visit Our Website: www.paaba.net PAABA Hot Line-Update on events: 724-45-FIRE-1

Don’t Breathe A Word Of This! NOB (Northwest Ohio Blacksmiths) association member, Rob Lange, suggests

looking into the product Resp-O-Rator for working in the shop. The designer of

this product is a diver and applied the general principles to this invention. In-

stead of a respirator covering your nose and mouth with more conventional de-

signs, this apparatus has a mouthpiece and the hepa filters are located behind

your neck. The big advantage is that it can be taken off with ease and put on in

seconds. For instance, if the phone rings, if you want a sip of coffee, or you

want to talk to someone, it is as easy as dropping the mouth piece from your

mouth and reinserting it when ready to begin work again. This ingenious design

is simple and effective. To learn more check out www.duxterity.com. As their ad says, “Made by a

Craftsman for a Craftsman.” Rob says he wished he knew of this product 30 years ago and finds it

super easy to use once you adjust to it after using conventional and cumbersome respirators.

Keep the Change! PAABA extends their appreciation to those individuals that make additional donations to PAABA spon-

taneously. These individuals give a little more by saying “keep the change” when paying for their

dues, lunch, or auction items. These kind gestures are not forgotten, in fact they help pay for an ad-

ditional roll of stamps, coffee, paper plates etc. As you are all aware it “adds up”, and that little ex-

tra helps the bottom line when balancing the books.

A special thank you goes to Ed Claypoole, speaking of giving. His recent donation to PAABA was con-

siderable. Ed sold a few items off the PAABA web site and sent a big check. In fact his check will

cover most of the expenses for the hosting the site for the year. Ed, we appreciate your honesty and

genuine support of the Pittsburgh Area Artist Blacksmiths Association. If you see Ed at a upcoming

meeting, thank him for being a “stand up” kind of guy, integrity goes a long way!

A Golden Opportunity! October 12 and 13th, 2013, a Pow-Wow will be taking place at the Community College Golden Dome

in Beaver County . A free space is offered to a blacksmith that would like to demonstrate from 11AM-

6:30 PM Saturday, and 11AM-4:30PM on Sunday. For demonstrating you can sell your wares. This

event will feature Native American Dancing, will have traders on site, teepees, bead making and tur-

quoise jewelry. This will be heavily attended with visitors, so this will be a great way to sell your cus-

tom work. Please call John Gobrish for more information: 724-480-3450


Where Dreams Can Be Reality!

PAABA member, Dan Thompson, recently contacted

John Steel about a new workshop that opened up in

Bakery Square (East Liberty Area). As said in its bro-

chure,” TechShop is a membership based do-it-

yourself workshop that provides you with the tools,

equipment, training and a vibrant supportive environ-

ment of creative people and staff to help you bring

your ideas to life.” There are Safety Basic and Use

classes to show you how to use the equipment and

technology. Membership is NOT required to take

classes.

There is a department with full welding equipment,

(MIG, TIG), laser cutters, CNC Mills, 3Dprinter, vac-

uum forming, water jet cutter, powder coating equipment, industrial sewing machines, design software,

computer access and training and even state of the art woodworking department. Very Impressive!

And it is available to everyone! Did I mention, everything is brand new?

Matt Verlinich is the general manager and he is happy to give you a tour of this amazing workshop. “At

TechShop you can start the business you’ve always dreamed of or bring your ideas to life without ex-

pensive equipment costs.” There are only six TechShops in the country, three in California, one in Aus-

tin Texas, one in Detroit, and one in Pittsburgh. Their hours are geared for the individuals that like to

start their day a little later. They open at 9:00AM and close at 12:00 (midnight). If you are interested

in learning how to weld, this just might be a good place to start. We (PAABA) are also brainstorming

some ideas about the equipment they have on site. They have an English wheel. If you are interested

in learning the basics, we were thinking about a small group attending one of their safety and basic use

classes. Take a look a their web site, and if you are in the area, stop by and ask for a tour. You will be

impressed. www.techshop.com

About the General Manager, Matt Verlinich:

I was born and raised just north of Pittsburgh (McCandless Twp.). I went to North Allegheny High

School and attended college at Penn State. I got a Masters degree in Engineering Science and Mechan-

ics. I work as a research and teaching assistant for 2.5 years at PSU. The project I worked on was de-

signing and fabricating biodiesel reactors which used Microwaves for heat and high-intensity ultrasound

for mixing. I wrote both my Bachelors and Masters’ thesis on this topic. I then moved back home to

Pittsburgh and worked as a Mechanical Engineer in Westinghouse Electric Companies Piping Analysis

and Fracture Mechanics group.

After 3 years at Westinghouse, I began looking for a more creative career where I could make a real

difference in the world. Luckily the timing worked out perfectly for me to apply and get the job as Gen-

eral Manager of TechShop's Pittsburgh location. I am hesitant to say that I have expertise in anything,

but I would consider my greatest strength my breadth of knowledge. I have a fundamental knowledge

of all the areas of our shop which allows me to communicate and aid nearly anyone in pursuit of their

dreams. My personal passion lies primarily in education, energy, problem solving, and the sustainable/

green design.

TechShop can offer you a look into the future of using equipment and tools. You can improve your

marketability and experience by taking classes and working on your own!

Check out their web site www.techshop.com, or Matt Verlinich [email protected]

Matt Verlinich and PAABA’s Dan Thompson pose with an English Wheel.


Across the Pond! This summer, you may not have big travel plans, so how about a few ideas from England? The BABA

Magazine (British Artist Blacksmith Association) creates a fabulous publication that has may ideas and

photographs of great work. The following ideas are from the Winter 2005 issue. Thank you Lucille

Quinnell and Peter Parkinson for your help and permission to reprint the following information!

Clamp for Round Bar

Last week I had a real pain of a job to drill large holes in some tubes;

even solid bar is hard to hold in a drill. Taking this problem in hand I

came up with an idea to saddle the round bar in the jig made from a

piece of channel bolted to the drill table.

To clamp the tube I used a pair of old hose shoes side by side with a

large nut welded in the middle to form a bridging clamp. A bolt was

screwed into the nut as a means of a locking devise, the channel and

the bolt used to lock it, ready to drill. A pointer can also be fitted to

help in-line a number of holes.

Saving Your Laces

Coming from a welding background I’ve ruined more pairs of boots by

burning than I wish to remember. You know we all do it-”I’ll just put

this piece of plate-oops! My foots on fire!” More holes in my socks,

not to mention the fumes you could breath in. Having-like most of us

– a small budget and valuable workshop space, I set out to solve this

problem.

Using a 45 gallon oil drum and fan from an old welder, I cut off the top out of the drum, leaving a lip

of about 1/2 inch around the edge. On this I placed a top made of large size expanded mesh. In the

side of the drum I cut a 10 inch hole into which I welded a stub of a 10 inch grain pipe. The fan I fixed

a plate which fitted inside a 2 foot long piece of the same pipe. Small legs stop the fan pipe from roll-

ing away. I’ve done this so the fan will pack away into the drum when it is not in use. It can also be

used on its own as an air blower for those hot summer days.

I spray the mesh with anti-splatter spray to help keep it

clean. I then set the drum up next to my workshop door

with the fan butted up to the drumpipe, and the exit out-

side.

I tend to set up my work to be cut on a piece of old box

section, away form mesh. This helps prevent cutting the

mesh and only lets the sparks into the drum. Care must

be taken if you are gas-cutting. Only cut straight down

and not into the drum sides, as this will heat the sides up

and they could easily be leaned on.

I use this cheap air table for all my gas and plasma cut-

ting. It is easy to clean out and off cuts lay in the top of

the mesh. If you don’t have a fan, you can put about 2

inches of water in the bottom of the drum; this takes

away most of those nasty metal fumes. You can even

grind small items on this if the sparks are directed down-

ward.


“Toe-Stools” by John Steel and Chris Holt This project idea came to us by the way of Nigel Barnett, a British blacksmith. The photo of this

bootscraper was quite small so we made it according to our interpretation. It looks quite involved, but

actually it is pretty straight forward. We were asked to include this project in the PAABA newsletter by

a few smiths that saw us demonstrate it this spring. It is fun and you really cannot make an error,

just follow the simple steps and suggestions and you will have a great garden addition...and clean

floors!

Materials:

1 piece 3/4” X 10”

2 pieces 1” X 11” and one 13” 1 round disc approximately 3 1/2 “

2 round discs approximately 4 1/2”

1 piece 5/16” X 1 1/4” X 14” or 1/4” X 1 1/4” X 14”

Forge the three stems so the top of the stem is slightly smaller

that the original diameter. You do not want a severe point, toad-

stool stems are generally the same diameter but, a slight forging

makes these toadstools more shapely. Give the stem some shape by bending. Change the shape of

the discs by hammering the perimeter. Try to have the toadstool tops not look too perfect. Imperfec-

tions add character! After the discs are no longer perfectly round, use a swage block and sink them so

that the stem will have a connection. How far you sink them or how little you sink them is up to you,

but keep in mind you do want room for a shoe or boot to fit between the toadstools. Weld the tops on

the stems. The most challenging part of the project is creating the

scraper part. Start by necking down the two ends of the bar leaving 6”

in the center for the scraper. You first want to create an “hour glass”

shape on each end. Carefully forge the ends as long as you can, you

will need at least 18”ito 20” inches to have enough to wrap around the

stems of the toadstools. When you are forging out the ends, the end may get out of shape, flatten it

down and forge some more. It is important that this step is carefully forged, don’t rush. When you

finish one end, bend it back on itself so you have a handle to forge the other side. Your ends do not

have to be the same length, one can be a little longer than the other. You will end up with quite a

long piece of forged material with wicked ends, be careful as you work with the material. Forge the 6”

scraper part on one side so it will have a slight curve and texture. You also need to have the ends near

the top of the scraper. (See drawing below.)

To assemble, we found it advantageous to make a jig to

secure the two toadstools that will hold the bootscraper.

Materials:

2 pieces of 1” pipe

1 piece of angle

Weld the two pipe sections 7” on center to the angle so the

toadstools will be held by the pipe for assembly. The angle

will fit securely in your vise during assembly.

Draw out both ends out 18-20 inches Forge the wrapping ends near

the top of the scraper.

Texture lower side of scraper, it will develop a natural curve.


Assembly:

Place the 10 and 12 inch toadstools in the pipe holder secured in vise.

Make sure you have enough room between the toadstools caps to fit a boot

or shoe or have enough clearance to fit under the toadstool caps and the

scraper. * You can also tack weld the caps of the toadstools after you place

the scraper part, however it is more difficult regarding design how far up to

wrap the ends of the scraper in reference to the complete design.

Tack weld the scraper on the stems with the long forged ends sticking

straight out. For safety, place a glove or something on the ends so you will

not impale yourself. Using a torch, heat one end closest to the stem of the

toadstool and wrap up the stem...not down at this point. There is a reason

for this. If your forging of the scraper has less than an ideal transitions

between the scraper and the wrapping material, you can wind some of that

material over the less perfect transition. It will be hidden by the wrap.

Wrap both sides; they do not have to match. You will need a heavy stone

of some size to hold the bootscraper. Drill three holes approximately 1

1/2” for the toadstools. Two will need to be placed so the scraper will fit,

the third toadstool can be placed a little to one side of your choice to make

a more interesting placement. Grout with hydraulic anchoring cement from

a big box store.

Ed Mack

Edward Mack of Monroe, NY, blacksmith, metal arts educator, and founder of

Fine Architectural Metalsmiths studio and the Center for Metal Arts, died

peacefully at home on June 6, 2013 after a long illness. Ed was a lover of the

arts, and a passionate teacher whose fondest pleasure was in sharing skills

and knowledge. He was a problem-solver and inventive thinker who thrived

on bringing ideas together from multiple disciplines.

Ed was a PAABA member for many years. His work as a metal artist was

spectacular. He was respected by smiths and metal workers throughout the

country and abroad. His firm was a regular award winner in the Top Job

contest and he received the Mitch Heitler Award for Excellence in 2005. Most

recently, he received the Julius Blum Award in 2012, for his outstanding contributions to the

industry. He was a close friend of John Steel, Fred Crist, Charles Lewton-Brain, and many, many

smiths...he will be missed, but his sharing of ideas will continue.

Far Left– Wrap going up first , then

when bringing down, the wrap will cover the transition area.

Middle—Wrap material covering transition area and wind down to

completion

Right—Place third toadstool to one

side of your choice, it usually looks

best paired with the taller of the two toadstools.


Precious Metals Winners! NOMMA (National Ornamental Miscellaneous Metals Association), holds a Conference and competition

every year. NOMMA Members are encouraged to enter their best work to compete with the “best work”

among its members. There a many categories and the work is outstanding. Companies range from

huge multi–million dollar shops to tiny shops, but all have one focus, to create the very finest creative

work for a clients. NOMMA has a world wide membership, so competition is at a premium level. We

are pleased to announce that three PAABA members won awards as well as an ABANA board member!

Congratulations to all for an outstanding showing and accomplishments!

Flagherty Ironworks– Francis Flagherty PAABA Member, Francis Flagherty won three awards, one

gold and two bronze for outstanding work. Flagherty Iron-

works is located in Alexandria, Virginia.

Category P- Restoration, Garden Gate-Bronze Award

This gate was originally fabricated in 1934 and was

installed in the garden of a large estate. The original gate

was decorated with hand forged flowers which corre-

sponded to flowers growing on the estate. Over the years many of the

original delicate forged flowers had deteriorated or had been broken off and

were missing. The owners did have the architects original drawing (from

the 1930's) of the gate and we were able to restore the gate with it’s origi-

nal design elements. As the original fabricator had done, we used the flow-

ing plants still grown on the estate today along with the drawings as our pat-

tern. The leaves, flowers and vines were duplicated using traditional meth-

ods of forge welding. Rivet connections were also used. New ball bearing

hinges, latch and lock were installed. Gate was metalized and a powder

coat finish was applied. Hours: 300

Category E- Interior Rail—Ferrous Forged-Gold Award

This hand forged rail project includes approximately 20 LF of step rail and 2

curved sections of rail (20 LF) on the landing. The rail was designed by the

owner. The power hammer was used and the

scrolls are drawn down from ¾” round bar with

some ending in forged leaves and others ending

in curly cues. Attention was given to keeping to

the 4” code. The curved sections of rail were

the most challenging. The rail has a natural oil

rub finish. A heated mixture of turpentine, lin-

seed oil and beeswax was applied to the rail.

Man hours: 280

Category G. Exterior Rails Forged-Bronze Award

This exterior rail was designed by the owner. The scope of this

job includes 145 LF of rail on a large upper deck, 40 LF of stair

rails on 2 sets of stairs, and 75 LF of fence with castings. The up-

per deck includes 2 curved hand forged scroll design pattern pan-

els and 5 straight scroll design pattern panels. There are also 20

hand forged urn design patterns. A powder hammer was used to

draw out the material in the custom panels. The deck was made of

wood and this presented our greatest challenge---making sure the

long runs of rail were secure. We had to beef up the deck by add-

ing wood underneath and using longer thru bolts to attach the rail.

Also challenging was getting the owner to agree on how many scroll and urn patterns would be in-

cluded based on his budget. Finish: We primed the rails with auto body primer and finished with black

top coat. Man hours: 840


Fine Architectual MetalSmiths—Ed Mack -Silver Award

PAABA Member Ed Mack, of Chester, New York

Category B—Gates, Driveway Forged-Silver

The landscape in iron imitates the view from the client's deck,

which overlooks a famous cliff-top tower. We broke up the long 20

ft. expanse into "storybook page" stick-style frames of forged 2"

pipe. Wrapped connections complete the storybook look. The cen-

ter birch trees were formed in two halves of 14 gauge steel, tex-

tured in the hydraulic press, and gusseted

before welding. Grasses, a butterfly, and

snail rise from the textured iron foreground,

and the 3D copper rocks on either side were

literally formed over rocks for surface tex-

ture. At the client's request to add something Norwegian, we

forged two trolls from 1-1/2" mild steel, with a he-troll high in

the bare winter branches, and a she-troll swinging from a vine.

All pieces in this gate were hand-formed in our studio.

McLellan Blacksmithing– John McLellan-Gold Award

ABANA Board Member, John McLellen, Loomis,

California

Category K-Gates / Doors – Forged

Gates and side panels are for a 12 ft. wide

opening and are 8 ft, tall. The job required eight

1” square bars and twenty four 7/8” square

bars. Each had sixteen 7/8” square holes slit

and drifted. There was to be no welding on the

project. It was all assembled with rivets. Challenges were consid-

erable on this job. The whole job was done in a coal fire…it gave us

the best heat for punching the holes. There were 512 holes that all

had to line up within 1/32” to get the horizontal bars to go in. We

tried a number of ideas to do the holes…but found the traditional way, 2 strikers and one guy holding the

punch worked the best and the fastest. Just to make it interesting, the job was 1,282 miles from the

shop and we had 2 weeks from start to completion of installation to get the job done…with an $8000.00

penalty if we were late. The handles were a last minute addition by the architect…but we still got it in on

time. Labor: 477 hrs.

Steel Welding—John Steel and Chris Holt-Gold Award

PAABA President, John Steel and Chris Holt

PAABA Secretary/Editor Steel Welding

Category H—Furniture and Accessory

A new bistro type restaurant was opening

and needed an unusual fireplace covering for

an outdoor eating area. The architect wanted

it to imitate the look of a skip hoist on a blast

furnace. Their wish was for it to look like it

was actually removed from a steel mill and “upcycled” into the use of a fire

screen. Since we were familiar with blast furnaces, our design was readily

accepted. The door was made from 10 gauge plate with 3/8” X 1 3/8”

buggy tire reinforcing straps. We used authentic rivet construction with 80

pounds of ore bridge rail counter weights. The door measured 4’1” wide by

34” high. We believed it was important to use materials that would help

give an authentic look to the door. Safety guards were also installed around the chains to keep hands a safe distance from the pulleys. A safety

lock and pin was also installed to keep the door in an upright or down posi-

tion. The door can be easily opened and shut with one hand. To give it a

“used” look we used high temperature paint as well as a variety of spray

paints to achieve a used/burnt look. Approximate hours – 86 hours.


Library News! Harold and Rosemary Sloppy

181 Wallrose Heights Road, Baden, PA 15005 724-266-7549

To Draw, Upset, & Weld, by Jeannette Lansansky, Paperback, 79 pages.

Published by An Oral Traditions Project, Keystone Books. This book was do-

nated by Harold and Rosemary Sloppy in memory of Frank Sloppy.

This book covers a wide variety of work the rural blacksmith did in Pennsylvania between 1742-

1935. You may think of blacksmithing as the term that covered all iron work was however, black-

smithing had sub divisions of the craft. For instance there were nineteen specialties in blacksmith-

ing listed at one time in smaller cities like Lancaster (p 18.) such as: edge-tool smiths (axesmiths),

cutlers, sicklesmiths, scythesmiths, plowmakers, shovelmakers, augersmiths, filemakers,

stovesmiths, nailsmiths, forgers, iron-railing smiths, locksmiths, gun or riflesmiths, whitesmiths,

spoonsmiths or ladlemakers, coachsmiths, wheelwrights, and farriers. Learn even more about the

different type of smiths through this book. There is also a very interesting account on what a

whitesmith was. This term is often misused and Jeannette Lansansky provided a complete descrip-

tion and examples of a whitesmith’s work. There are also photographs of interesting items such as

a basketmaker’s beating iron, a pumpkin chopper, meadow hoe, husking pegs, and an excellent col-

lection of spatula designs. This book will certainly widen your historical horizons of the work that

many smiths did in our past. A great book to read this summer while swinging on a hammock in the

back yard!

A Glass Act by Cary Brant

“Bottle Trees” have been a popular garden accent in recent years, part of the fun is

empting the bottles to have enough for the project! There are two ways to make a

bottle tree. The easy way is to weld 1/4” round X 12” to a 3/4 pole and slide bot-

tles onto the rods. If you are up for more of a challenge

wrap 3/16” round material, around the outside of the

bottles so the bottle fits inside a spiral.

Shape a 4X4X12 into a wooden bottle. Screw a 1/2” square X 3” onto bot-

tom of the wooden bottle. Screw a wood screw 2” long up from bottom of

the bottle 1” onto wood. Secure in vise. Make teardrop loop on one end of

3/16” X 30”. Put loop over screw and wrap twice around bottle working to-

ward top of bottle.

Decide how many bottles will be on your tree, making them 5” apart at ei-

ther 1200 or 900 angle as go up the 3/4” pole. Drill a 3/16” hole 1/2” deep

and weld bottle holders to trunk. Wrap 1/8” cable in a spiral up the trunk

or use a grapevine material and add leaves. The base plate is 1/4” X 12” X

12”

Material needed:

3/16” round X 30” for each bottle

3/4” round or square X 5’

2” wood screws

1/4” round 2” long

1 wooden dowel 3” long to fit inside of bottle neck

From our PAABA Member living in Italy: I learned a saying in Italian today "Essere fra l’incudine e il

martello" which is "To be between an anvil and the hammer". We have the equivalent saying in

English "To be between a rock and a hard place". —Ken Hogue


_____________________________________________ Name _____________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________

_____________________________________________ City State Zip

_____________________________________________ Phone

_____________________________________________ E-mail Mail Completed Application and Check for $15, ($20 for family) Payable to PAABA to:

Chris Holt, 1630 Camp Meeting Road, Sewickley, PA, 15143

How did you hear about PAABA?

____________________________________________

Areas of interest and comments: ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________

PAABA Membership Application

Visit our Website: www.paaba.net

__ Full Time Smith __ I have my own shop

__ Part Time Smith __ I could host a 1-day Hammer-In

__ Hobby Smith __ I could do public demonstrations

__ Beginner __ I could host a plant tour

PAABA GPS System

Youngstown Meeting Place– Take the turnpike toward Ohio to 680 North, take exit 6 (Hubbard

exit—Butler Art Museum sign posted), then take the exit 422N Warren, (it is a long exit, Butler Art Mu-

seum sign posted). At red light, turn left on Wick Ave, very soon after you turn left , make a right into

the Arms Family Museum on right. (Butler Museum is only two doors down). RSVP 412-855-6511

John Steel’s Shop – Take 79 to Route 228 Exit, or Turnpike to Cranberry to Rte 19 N; go West

(left) on Freedom Road (Main intersection - at the Marathon/Denny’s Intersection) Follow Freedom

Road for about 2.2 miles, Turn Right onto Lovi Road. Follow Lovi Road for 1.6 miles to 2063 Lovi

Road, shop on Left, large grey building. Plenty of parking! 724-774-6757

Compass Inn—This Inn is located along Route 30 in Laughlintown, PA, just east of Ligonier. From the

PA Turnpike, exit at the Donegal Interchange #9. Turn left on RT 30 a short distance to the intersec-

tion of 711 N. Take 711 North 12 miles to the intersection of Route 30. Turn right heading East, pro-

ceed 3 miles. Compass Inn is on your right at the corner with the blinking light. Easy unloading and

parking area!

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Coal Source—Need good coal? Gene King, and Dave Lint highly recommend Stardust Coal Company.

It is located south of Uniontown, on 119 and Shady Side Road. It is approximately $90 a ton which is

a great price for great coal. Call before just to make sure they are open! 2412 Morgantown Road,

Uniontown, PA 15401 (Near Smithville) 724-439-1545

Center Punch Resource– John Steel recommends using a used or broken Hilti Bit for a center punch,

hard steel and works great!

RE OPENED! - Metal Supermarket– 4290 Campbells Run Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15205, Metal Super-

market is a locally owned and operated metal store. The business carries sheet metal, metal edging,

heavy metals and light weight metals. Items can be purchased by the foot or in pieces, and a wide va-

riety of colors is available. They have structural, brass, copper, stainless steel, aluminum, sheet and

bar stock! They will offer a 10% discount to PAABA members and 12% discount to Veterans . Ask for

Tony, he attended the event at Rices Landing this spring, he will help you out! 412-279-3600

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Pittsburgh Area Artist —Blacksmiths Association

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If your m

embership reads

2012, please send in your dues

promptly! Thank You!

pittsburgh area artist blacksmiths association newsletter...please note: the pittsburgh area...

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