THE ANVIL’S CHORUS

Summer 2009

The Anvil’s Chorus is composed and written by the editor except as indicated. Material may be reprinted except as noted as long as proper credit is given to NYSDB. It’s offi-cers demonstrator’s writers, editor, and members specifically disclaim any responsibil-ity or liability for damages or injuries as a result of the use of any information pub-lished in the Anvil’s Chorus. The use of any information published is strictly at the user’s own risk.

The Cover : Items from the gallery at the GLIFF conference.

For submissions to The Anvil’s Chorus: We would prefer if your submissions be sent electroni-cally, meaning via email or US mailed to us on disk/CD. For pictures, please submit them in either JPEG, JPG or TIF file formats. If not sent in these forms, submissions will still be added to publication but it makes it much easier for us to put all the input together for print. Please keep in mind, any way you submit your contri-butions we greatly appreciate them. This is the club’s newsletter and their ideas, upcoming events, should have all members possible share pictures, and so forth.

Executive Committee (Board of Directors): President : Treasurer & Secretary are filling in till position is filled. Vice President: Treasurer & Secretary are filling in till position is filled. Treasurer: Harry Heuer 585 924 9627 6854 Boughton Hill Rd, Victor, NY 14564 email: heuerenterprises@yahoo.com Secretary: Joe Goforth 607 739 3489 296 Stillwell Dr. Horseheads NY 14845 email joseph.goforth@gmail.com

Forgemasters: Adirondack: John Scarlett 315 324 5635 email: littletreefarm@cit-tele.com Genesee: Dick Rightmyer 585 293 3299 email: richardr@localnet.com Mohawk: John Brunell 315 676-7359 email: jbrunell@twcny.rr.com Niagara: Bob Corneck 716 741 4311 email: rcorneck@roadrunner.com Southern Tier: George Treichier 607 569 2272 email: gtreichler@frontiernet.net

Newsletter Editor: Al Butlak 716 894 7185 email: butlak1@mindspring.com Scholarship Chairperson: John Scarlett 315 324 5635 email: littletreefarm@cit-tele.com Membership Chairperson: Gene Beamer 716 695 2535 email: gene@ckfs.com Librarian: Marty Snye email: msyne@northnet.org Webmaster: Tim Gregg 716 636 4827 email: greggt@canisius.edu NYSDB Website: www.nysdb.org Send contributions to your editor or Tim directly. Club Sales: Don Kieffer 585 426 6151 email: kieffer@eznet.net

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E DITOR ’ S NOTES

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Summer is here and a lot of activity already has started. ABANA has already announced that a new ring project is being proposed. Read the accompanying articles relating to the project. If anyone is interested I have a ring design in mind for the musical ring. It is time for the members to step forward and decide whether or not a ring should be made. Nobody will stop us if we make more than one. At Ashville the NYSDB made three rings and placed one in the Grille. An Executive meeting is in the works come August 29th 2009 in Victor, NY. If anyone has any ideas on planning the next year’s activities contact any Forge Master or Executive Member. According to the membership chairperson a lot of members have been dropped from the roster as well as a few active members. Check your expiration date upon receipt of your newsletter and you can update your member-ship. Remember that it is your dues money and iron in the hat activities are what keeps the NYSDB going. The Forge groups alone would have a hard time keeping up with the costs of operation. So keep on hammering and make a lot of things for iron in the hat. AB

Dear Executive Committee Members: You'll recall from last years planning meeting that I took the action item of setting up our next planning meeting on August 29th 2009.

Once again I was lucky enough to book the meeting room at the Victor Public Library for the day. As last year we will be let in at 10am and asked to leave after a brief clean up at 4pm. The address is 15 West Main Street. It sets back about 100 yards to the south of Route 96. Early birds can catch a break-fast at Pappa Jacks which is just up Main street (RT 96).

Format will be the same. The club will reimburse the Forge-Masters for their gas and we'll have a working lunch at noon.

It is our goal to hammer out the functions, dates, and people for the years activities. We also have to deal with the selection process of officers.

We filled up the day last year, and the list of potential issues is growing. This is the time to:

---bring those nagging issues to the table. ---come up with a slate of potential officers. ---set dates, agendas, and responsibility for the all hands meetings.

So bring a pad, pencil, some good ideas, and plenty of optimism. Looking forward to seeing you all again.--Harry Heuer Editors note If any interested members would like to attend with some fresh ideas contact Harry by phone or email 585 924 9627 <heuerenterprises@yahoo.com>

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ABANA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE May 2009 In my last message to you I discussed the challenges our association is faced with, and my commitment to keep you informed.. Now that the first quarter of the 2009 Board’s activities are behind us, you need to know it has been rough going. We had a heated debate over the conference financial procedures, and as a regrettable result we lost two very talented board members, Jill Turman and Kate Dinneen. You may well be asking, “What the heck is going on here?” Our current Conference Manual was first adopted in 1994 and was last updated in 2003. This includes the conference financial procedures but fails to fully comply with our bylaws or the way that conferences are run currently. At the November Board meeting the conference committee was authorized by a unanimous vote to open a 2010 conference checking account. This has been a past practice for many years and is in line with the old Conference manual. However, Linda Tanner, our Treasurer, questioned the procedure, and pointed out that it may not comply with the bylaws. Our pro-bono attor-ney was contacted for an opinion, and the bottom line is that the Treasurer and the ABANA President (as backup) are the only signatories permitted under our bylaws. Now for some good news – your ABANA Board has revised the conference financial procedure and it was adopted by a majority vote. This newly revised procedure complies with the ABANA bylaws and places the ABANA Confer-ence finances under the control of the Treasurer, as it should be. New leadership for the 2010 Conference in Memphis has been appointed. Lance Davis and David Hutchison, volun-teered and are doing a great job picking up where the past conference committee left off. We will soon announce the list of demonstrators and program activities. Lance and David, along with committee member Paul Boulay, are work-ing on fine-tuning the budget to keep the cost of attending low and still produce a great conference focused on forg-ing. One more point of good news is that several ABANA Affiliates and many individual members have donated funds to the conference seed money account. My hat is off to these folks and they deserve a very special “Thank You.” I won’t reveal who these Affiliates are just yet; it would spoil the surprise we have in store for recognizing their efforts. Also note that additional sponsorship opportunities are available. These funds will allow for expenses to be covered prior to opening up con-ference registration . Our confidence is high and the excitement is building! The 2010 ABANA Conference in Memphis, June 2nd through June 6th, promises to be “ABANA’s Greatest Hits”. Stay tuned for more announcements posted on the ABANA web site and Constant Contact emails. I’d like to welcome Andy Blair from Stevensville, Montana, to the Board. Andy is an active member of Northern Rockies Blacksmith Association. He will serve out the remainder of Kate Dinneen’s term. Andy will chair the By-laws Committee. You can find his contact information on the ABANA web site under ABANA Business, Board of Directors. Jack Parks of Piedmont, South Dakota has also joined the board to serve during the last few months of Jill Terman’s term. Jack is eager to help out wit the conference and will be on the ballot for the Board this summer. If you have an interest in making a difference, and you have some time and talent, along with a commitment to ABANA’s future, we need volunteers in a number of areas. We’re also seeking a Trustee for the Education Endow-ment Trust. This position was vacated when Len Ledet was appointed to the board. Considering running for the Board? Election deadlines are coming up, candidate statements for publication are due by June 15th. All you need are the signatures from 10 members in good standing and a short statement of your interest and background. Finally, please feel free to contact any board member with concerns, questions, and suggestions. For Love of the Craft, Rome H. Hutchings, ABANA President

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Passing the Hammer ACBA Says Goodbye to a Friend, Mentor and Inspiration

Charleston, South Carolina America was faced with a pressing need for the systematic training of artisans through educational programs emphasizing craftsmanship. The country was losing master craftsmen and women who are skilled with their hands, creative and innovative with their minds, and passionate about quality workmanship in their hearts. The solution to the crisis was the American College of the Building Arts (ACBA); a college inspired by Master Blacksmith Philip Simmons. Philip Simmons was more than just another outstanding American craftsman; he remains the inspirational founder of an entire American movement to ensure that art goes back into building. Just as Philip Simmons understood the criti-cal need for master artisans in America, a small group of individuals in Charleston saw the shortage of professional building artisans across the United States and in 1997 the group joined forces with Simmons to try and preserve the lost arts and give a national crisis hope. The project goal was to make a universal change to what was and still is one of the largest critical needs in the Ameri-can Workforce; a Master Building Artisan trained through educational programs. After years of work, this group of pioneers founded the American College of the Building Arts, which is now our nation's first and only college to offer a Bachelor's degree in the Building Arts in six different majors/trades (Architectural Metal, Architectural Stone, Car-pentry, Masonry, Plaster Working, and Timber Framing). Simmons was a critical inspiration during the entire ACBA project and devoted his last years watching the College grow. On May 2, 2009 Simmons made his last public appearance at the graduation of the American College of the Building Arts inaugural class in Washington Park, Charleston, SC. ACBA is very sad to have lost their friend and mentor on June 22, 2009. We like to believe Philip Simmons has now passed the hammer to the college says Huguley, his legacy will forge on through our teachings, and he will always be remembered by our students, faculty and founders. **The American College of the Building Arts educates and trains artisans in the traditional building arts to foster exceptional craftsmanship and encourage the preservation, enrichment, and understanding of the worlds architec-tural heritage through a liberal arts education. www.buildingartscollege.us

Brittany Darwin Wallace Director of Development darwin@buildingartscollege.us 843.266.7847 Office 843.345.9815 Cell American College of the Building Arts P.O. Box 71668 North Charleston, SC 29415 www.buildingartscollege.us

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BOOK REVIEW

Mark Aspery has written two books which will be of great value to anyone interested in the art of blacksmithing. The first book is titled "The Skills of a Blacksmith - Mastering the Fundamentals of Blacksmithing." This book covers all the basics of blacksmithing in a clear and concise manner that most should have no trouble understanding. The chapter on heat treating of metals is complete and very understandable to anyone who has a problem with this sub-ject. There are lots of projects and detailed instructions on tooling. The final chapter involves the making of tongs and covers four different types of tongs.

The second Book is called "Mastering the Fundamentals of Leaf-Work". This book is loaded with everything you need to know to make all types of leaves, plants, branches, and flowers and, of course, all the tooling you require. So much clear detail and so many illustrations!

Being a collector of blacksmithing books I tend to be critical of most how-to books. Although written by very talented blacksmiths, often these people are not always particularly good authors. Mark is not only a talented blacksmith but he is also a talented writer (although I understand he had a lot of help from his wife, Nancy). Mark’s humour is found throughout both books and helps to lighten the subject. Each page is covered with step-by-step pictures which never leave you in doubt. Mark has written his books in a way that you can follow the project by words or pictures making them like two books in one.

I bought both of these books for $55 each, which is not cheap; however they are hardcover books with glossy pages. Both well written with great illustrations, you could teach yourself to blacksmith with these impressive resources!

These are the only how-to blacksmithing books you will ever need (although I am sure I will buy more) and when Mark's next book, which he says will be on joinery, comes out, I will buy that too!

Please support another blacksmith and buy your books from Judy Berger at Blue Moon Press. She can be contacted at 814-627-6000.

-Peter Parry

Blacksmithing in the Southern Tier The Southern Tier group of the New York State Designer Blacksmiths is fairly small, but we have a group of active members who enjoy getting together to learn new skills and share their knowledge. We are always looking for others who share our inter-ests and who enjoy shaping hot iron.

The NYSDB membership list shows 21 people as members of the southern tier group. We send meeting notices to these people and anyone else who would like to be notified. If you want to get our meeting notices let Bill Banker know at wbanker@stny.rr.com. There are 8 to 10 people at most meetings.

We meet on the 3rd Sunday of the month except on months with all state meetings. If several members have conflicts we will meet on a different Sunday. We meet in member's shops, getting to see a variety of shops, tools and projects. We gather at 8:30 for coffee and the meetings start at 9:00 with a demonstration or workshop and forging for members who want to. At noon we eat lunch together, often chili, and have an informal meeting to discuss and plan future meetings. In the afternoon there can be more demos and time for forge work. In the last several years demonstrations and workshops have included: making gas forges, Nor-folk latches, tongs, hotdog forks, touch marks, welding, and many others. The main purpose, of course, is to spend time with friends who have similar interests. By George Treichler

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Top Left: Mike Nelson at the Father’s Day meeting. Top Right: Eric Maxwell and Chuck Caterbury working at the Father’s Day meeting. Bottom Left: Terry Rose doing a demo at the meeting Middle Right: Chuck Caterbury making a fire.

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Father’s Day at the Museum Genesee Forge celebrated Father’s Day at the Genesee Country Museum and Village as we have done in the past. Eleven NYSDB blacksmiths worked at their forges to demonstrate modern day smithing to the attending public.

Several of the smiths had their wares for sale and the visitors were in a buying mood. The weather was generally good, no rain but it threatened. We had a tent available in case of rain or intense sun.

Father’s day is free for visiting fathers and a few tried their hand at hammering some metal. They walked away appreciating the hard work involved. Several wanted information about joining but I forgot to bring applications and newsletters. They were told to check on the website for NYSDB or ABANA for the links.

The museum would like to have us back again next year. I did not take attendance for names but there were smiths from Niagara Forge and Canada present as well as Genesee Forge. No Names as I don’t want to forget anyone but your participation was very appreciated and I hope that next year will see more of the NYSDB present.

-Dick Rightmyer

THE GLIIF CONFERENCE The GLIIF Conference was held once again at Andy Chambers shop in Buffalo, and despite a lower than expected turn out, it was a resounding success. The demonstrators, Mark Aspery and John and Nancy Little, were really terrific and gave us a show to remember. The conference could not have happened without a lot of work by a small group of dedicated people, and on behalf of Bob and myself I would like to thank each one of you who worked so hard to help make it all come together. I would especially like to thank the Chambers family who devoted so much time and effort into getting the building ready and offering so much help with the preparations. For all of you that attended over the weekend, thank so much for your support and words of encouragement. You made it all worthwhile! As for the future, well neither Bob or myself are prepared to do this again for a while, so if you or your group are interested in organizing another conference let us know and we will be happy to provide you with any help you might need. So once again THANK YOU ALL. Peter Parry and Bob Corneck. Co-Chairmen, GLIIF Conference 2009.

Genesee Region Chapter Meeting On 4-25-08 the Genesee chapter of the New York State Designer Blacksmith Artists met in Marion NY, The meeting was lightly attended due to a date change and other commitments of members. The 8 members who attended were able to watch the Demo by John Rausch, who was showing various steps in the project the group has decided to pursue. The project is a shelf unit, origi-nally brought to the group by Harry Heuer, which entails 2 square corners at least, and traditional joinery, including mortice and tenon, and other types, as options to the individual member. John explained that if you have not done a square corner in a while, it can be a challenge, yet he banged one out effectively, and let the members all give it a go, with varying degrees of success. Later John also showed a tenon demo, and a good discussion was had by all. One of the shop forges was out of commission as a new clinker breaker was in the process of being fabbed up by Dick Rightmeyer. We now have an operating old style Drill press, and the members were instrumental in getting it refurbed for use (thanks go to Dick Geier for his web belt repair tool) , now we need some more bits and a bit sharpener. The shop is coming along nicely, wood has been pro-cured for the building of an outhouse, and the only shop tools we are really needing now are a mig welder and a belt grinder. All in all, it was a good meeting, and now that the warm weather is here, it is expected more of the members will attend. Mike Nelson Genesee Chapter Scribe

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Right: GLIFF Parade.

Below: Peter Parry present-ing Andy Chambers as a

Senior Honorary Member

Above: Dominic Spano at a workshop during the GLIFF conference Right: Keith Price at a workshop during the GLIFF conference

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Left: GLIFF Parade Middle: John Little during a demo at the GLIFF con-ference.

Left: Mark Aspery demoing a piece of scroll work. Above: Mark Aspery punching doing a demo at the GLIFF conference.

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New England Blacksmith's Fall Meet: Huntington River Smithy The NEB Fall meet for 2009 will be held at Jim Fecteau's "Huntington River Smithy" in beautiful Huntington, Vermont on the 11th, 12th, & 13th of September, 2009 Featured demonstrator- Steve Parker. Steve is an industrial smith that has 15 years of experience in making all the tongs and han-dling equipment for the Clifford Jacobs Forge House. Steve has worked with and stays in close contact with his friend and men-tor Clifton Ralph who has shared his many years of experience with power hammer forging. Clifton worked all his life as a main-tenance blacksmith for a steel mill in Gary Indiana. This fall meet is one you should not miss if you own a power hammer or have any interest in Industrial Shaping, Tool Making, and General Forging Principals that apply to Treadle, or Power Hammer Operation and getting the results you are after in your work. This Fall NEB event will also include: Two Demo Areas -- Additional Demonstrators -- Green Coal Teaching Tent Iron in the Hat -- Auction -- On Site Camping -- Gallery -- Chicken BBQ Tailgating -- Coal for Sale Local Details: Jim Fecteau's Huntington River Smithy is located in beautiful Huntington, Vermont - just 20 miles from Burling-ton. Lots of local B&B's and hotels near by. Onsite camping will have water and portajohns but no RV hookups. Swimming holes nearby. Contacts: Event Coordinator - Jim Fecteau fecteau@gmavt.net Registrations - Lynn Lang langfarm@together.net http://www.newenglandblacksmiths.org/spring_&_fall_meets.htm

GLIIF DEMONSTRATORS During the Memorial Day weekend the Niagara Forge hosted the GLIIF Conference with Mark Aspery of Springville, California and John Little of East Dover, Nova Scotia. These two fine smiths put on a fine demonstration as well as a hands on workshop. First Mark demonstrated making an anthems leaf which was written up by Bob Corneck in the Winter 08-09 edition of the An-vil’s Chorus. In addition to making a pair of leaves, Mark used bars of steel folded in half and forge welded the intersection. Af-ter carefully rounding out the intersection he also cupped out the portion of the leaf that was to be forged welded to the double bar stock. Then after the welds were complete and Mark was satisfied with the results he spread the two bars apart and tapered one of the ends in preparation for forming a scroll. When he finished the two scrolls and the piece was complete. In Mark’s second demo he made tooling to punch and drift a round bar to intersect by another round bar. A round car spring was used as material for the tools. After a little pounding on one end of a piece of spring a punch was born. Next on another piece tapering one end round about two inches or so and the other end about an inch and a half. Having the tools made, Mark took a piece of around one half inch round and after center punching the bar and heating it he pro-ceeded to punch the bar stock. As I forgot to mention the punch was about one eight inch wide about a little shy of one half inch wide. After punching the bar the piece was drifted. Then another piece of one half inch stock was inserted onto the hole created by the drift reheated and the intersection was dressed up. Mark recommended that trial attempts be made to get the correct appli-cation of spacing you may require for your application. I went back to my shop and made a punch and drift and attempted to perform this feat. Everything went well except I had trouble holding the piece to punch it. I took two pieces of quarter inch by one half and welded them to an anvil plate with a hot piece of half inch round as a spacer. I also drilled a hole in a little different spot so I could punch the slug through. Try it, it is neat. As a note back in January, Nigel Tudor was in town demonstrating this same procedure by a different method. Nigel used a slit-ting punch made of S10 steel. He also used a compound of Carbon Powder and Molybdenum Disulphide (mixed with water to form a paste) used to cool punch and keep it from sticking in hole. John little forged a couple of pieces of three eights round steel into a couple of branches. Then he took a couple pieces of light gauge sheet steel and cut out a shape of a bell. The two sides the same. Then with either TIG or oxyacetylene the pieces were welded together all around the outside with a piece of quarter inch pipe at one end (top of bell). With a hot fire the sheet metal was heated to good heat. Then compressed air was lead into the pipe and caused the sheet metal to bulge into three dimensions thus forming the bell. The bottom was cut away and filed and the bell was ready for use with a hand clapper. (This process was first developed by Elizabeth Brim who used this process in her work) John also demonstrated making a grappling hook. AB GLIFF pictures can be found on pages 10 and 11.

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2010 ABANA Ring Project. Call for Submissions

Calling all blacksmiths and metalsmiths! As part of its 2010 conference, ABANA is sponsoring mother ring project. We are soliciting handmade rings for inclusion in ornamental pieces that will be auctioned off at the June conference in Memphis, Tennessee.

This year, instead of one large ring framework, conference planners are preparing three separate frameworks, each with a different theme, and each consisting of four rings. The goal is to create three great auction pieces that are small enough to hang and display in a home, business, museum, gallery, restaurant, corporate board room, shop, music studio, etc.

THE THREE THEMES ARE:

National Ornamental Metal Museum The rings and framework of this piece will acknowledge the important presence of the National Ornamental Metal Museum in Memphis, Tennessee and classical ornamental metal work in general. Ring submissions might draw their inspiration from American or European mastersmiths.

Mississippi River These rings will acknowledge the importance of the Mississippi River from the headwaters of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota to the Mississippi River delta in New Orleans. Rings might include flora, fauna, fish, birds, boats, river towns, and history associated with the river.

Memphis Music These rings will acknowledge the Memphis music scene. Rings might reference musicians (Elvis Presley), music (Beale Street blues), instruments (Gibson guitars), etc.

PURPOSE The purpose of this undertaking is to promote friendly competition for blacksmiths and metalsmiths, to raise revenue for ABANA, and for fun and camaraderie.

CALL FOR RINGS Anyone interested in submitting a ring (or rings) is encouraged to make and send his or her best work for possible inclusion into one of the frameworks.

Commitments are requested by November 30, 2009; however all rings are welcome at the ABANA conference. Rings must be handed in by noon June 3rd, 2010. To commit, contact project coordinator Rome Hutchings, The Prairie Forge, 13633 Ferman Avenue NW, Clearwater, MN 55320, 763-878-1694. E-mail: forge@ theprairieismygarden.com. Rings received before the conference may be used for photo opportunities advertising the conference, a great incentive to contact the project coordinator and get those rings in early!

SPECIFICATIONS FOR MAKING THE RINGS

Ring size is 10" O.D. (outside diameter, and must be accurate) made from 1/4" x 1" steel flat stock bent the hard way.

Each ring needs space left at the 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, and 9 o'clock positions with a minimum of 5 minutes (using the clock analogy) on either side of these positions for mounting. Refer to the sketch below.

Materials inside the ring can be ferrous or nonferrous metals.

All rings are offset from the framework 1/2" (ring construction cannot protrude greater than 1/2" towards the back side).

Selection will be based on: interpretation of theme, quality of execution using traditional forging techniques (chiseling, forge welds, rivet joinery etc.), and meeting specifications.

Twelve rings will be selected, four for each theme, from all the rings submitted.

The funds raised from the ABANA 2010 Ring Project will help offset conference costs and support the educational mission of ABANA, grants, scholarships to individuals, and special projects of an educational nature. Those ring makers whose rings are selected for one of the three frameworks will receive 50% of the net auction proceeds. All other rings not selected for the project will be auctioned individually and the maker will receive 50% of the proceeds.

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To view past ring projects hosted by ABANA, visit: http://www.photoworks.com and click on "my photoworks." Login as blacksmithblacksmith@hotmail.com and enter password: anvil. After you login, click on "My albums" or the "Choose album" box. Photos are in folders titled: Ring Project "Ring of Fire" and BAM Conference Ring Project. Grateful acknowledgment is made to the ring framework design and construction team: Bill Krawczeski, Charlie Bateman, Myron Hanson, Marty Hicks, Nick Hinen, Tom Latane, Rob Murray, Chris Rand, Ann Schroeder, Bob Walsh, Anna Yust, and John Yust. Taken from “Metalsmith” Volume 33, No. 2, June 2009 (newsletter of the Guild of Metalsmiths, MN)

Ring Areas that Need to Remain Clear for Mounting

Traditional Theme Music Theme

Mississippi River Theme

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DEMO THEME: Randy will demonstrate the forging of animal heads in a two part demonstration. As tools are required for facial details, the first segment will be on tool making using scrap tool steel. He will start by making an eye punch and chisel. Other tools will also be explained. The second segment will be the forging of animal heads using the tools previously created. He will show you how to make heads for a dragon, horse, ram, mouse and human in bar stock. He will also forge a bug and some leaves. Other techniques will also be covered. BIOGRAPHY: Randy McDaniel began his journey into sculpture by learning to shape hot metals with a hammer and anvil. He began his experi-ence in blacksmithing with a class from an 81-year-old blacksmith in 1972. The class was a couple of hours for four Saturdays and it cost $2.00! That was the spark that ignited his passion for forging hot metal. Randy also learned from other “retired” smiths, researching the craft in libraries, by taking craft schools classes from various skilled smiths such as Frank Turley, Francis Whitaker and Ivan Bailey, and by participating in blacksmithing conferences. Mr. McDaniel traveled to England in 1987 to par-ticipate in the British Artist Blacksmith Association’s International Conference in Hereford and to study ironwork in London. In 1988 Randy was baptized as a smith by Manfred Bredhol from Aachen, Germany. Originally specializing in Colonial reproduc-tion ironwork taught him the basics of forging hot metal. Randy’s blacksmithing experience now includes a wide diversity of works that runs the gamut from designing and producing personal and whimsical items from business card holders and furniture to large-scale lighting, gates, grilles, fountains and sculptural pieces. His design and forging of the artwork for the new Children’s Garden entrance arbor at Hershey Gardens is an excellent example of his art and whimsy. Besides forging steel he enjoys work-ing in copper, bronze and titanium. Over the past 35 years Randy’s metalwork has been shown at National juried craft and art shows and then in art galleries such as the Pendragon Gallery in Annapolis, MD, Eisonwerks in Manayunk, PA, and more recently at Gallery 20 in West Reading, PA. He has received many “best in show” awards, and has been highlighted in articles in books, magazines, newspapers, and televi-sion shows. He is most recently featured in the book, “Lives Shaped by Steel” by Nancy B. Zastrow. Randy has taught basic and advanced workshops for more than twenty-five years. These include workshops at the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA, Penland School of Crafts, J.C. Campbell Craft School, Appalachian Center for Crafts, New England School of Metalwork, Peters Valley Craft School and for many regional blacksmithing groups from coast to coast. Randy was also a lecturer and demonstrator for the Artist-Blacksmith Association of North America’s International Conference at Alfred, New York in 1990 and at LaCrosse, Wis-consin in 2002. Mr. McDaniel has also gained recognition and acclaim for writing and illustrating “A Blacksmithing Primer, A Course In Basic And Intermediate Blacksmithing”. Originally self-published, due to its’ success is now being published as a second edition by Finney Books. Blacksmiths, blacksmithing groups and even schools around the world are using this book to teach basic to inter-mediate forging. This book has also been professionally filmed as a 6 hour video/DVD with Randy’s instruction and demonstra-tion. Besides his book he has written articles for “Fabricator Magazine” on operating a business and the virtues of laser cutting. “The Anvils’ Ring” has featured Randy and his works many times over the years. In the winter of 2005 he was mentored by a 74 year old sculptor who has taught Randy the intricacies of producing sounding sculptures from bronze, brass, steel and beryllium copper. He is excited about adding his own skills and imagination to this his-torical art form. He was accepted to the prestigious Philadelphia Furniture & Furnishings Show 2006, which became his first public showing of his new line of works. In May of 2008, two of Mr. McDaniel’s works were accepted into the juried National exhibition, Reaction, at the AnnMarie Garden Sculpture Park & Arts Center in Solomons, Maryland. AnnMarie Garden’s is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. Guest juror of the Reaction exhibition, Mark Ward, deputy director of the American Vi-sionary Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland, “was also present at the opening Gala to mingle with guests and announce the award recipients for the exhibition. Randy McDaniel of Reading, PA received Honorable Mention for his musical metal sculpture, The Choir. These pieces were chosen for their effective portrayal of movement in artwork.” In his never ending quest to learn new techniques and effects, Randy is experimenting with his sixty ton hydraulic forging press in order to show that hot metal really does work like modeling clay. “Creating works in metal is a way for me to express a three-dimensional feeling of motion, life and fun. Now I am able to add sound as another aspect of life which produces an interaction between the work and the participant. My whimsical designs per-petuate a lighter heart for all; for myself while creating and for the client over the years.” Randy McDaniel

1 Day Demo with Randy McDaniel at Pieh Tool Date: Saturday, September 26, 2009 Demo Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Location: Pieh Tool Company - 661 E Howards Rd. Ste J - Camp Verde, AZ 86322 Tel: 888-743-4866 Cost: $100 (*$90) Includes coffee, donuts and lunch Space is limited to only 50 people. Iron in the Hat: Please remember to bring something. Iron in the Hat will be done after lunch.

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NOTICE TO ALL MEMBERS: EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO ATTEND OTHER FORGE MEETINGS IF INTER-ESTED IN JOINING ANOTHER FORGE, EMAIL THE FORGEMASTER AND GET YOURSELF ON THE EMAIL LIST FOR THAT PARTICULAR FORGE SO YOU CAN GET A NOTICE Southern Tier Forge meet at Henry Offerman shop in Bath NY 3rd Sunday of month Mohawk Forge meets at the Chittenango Barge Canal Museum Chittenango NY 2nd Saturday of the month Genesee Forge Mike Nelson shop in Marion, NY 3rd Saturday of month Niagara Forge meets 1st Saturday of month Adirondack Forge meets 2nd Saturday of month in various locations

Please make these new members welcome.

Adirondack

Jason Karszes 4169 Number Nine Rd Stanley, NY (607) 227-0694

Genesee Frank, Taylor & Tyler Richardson 5770 A, State Hwy 37 Ogdensburg, NY (315) 778-0613 If you can't find a particular person on the current membership list, please contact them and remind them that their membership has lapsed.

ATTENTION MEMBERS

There has been a large change of email addresses or servers. The Membership chairman Gene Beamer has suggested that he be notified of change for membership roster and will post such change on the NYSDB member email list which will be posted periodically via email on the list for all members to receive.

Welcome

1800 Dale Road Buffalo, NY 14225 (716)892-8434 UPSTATE STEEL INC.

In the Rochester area: 20% discount is offered on purchases

Metal Supermarkets Rochester Steel and Surplus 95 Mt Read Blvd 10A 1829 Lyell Rd. Rochester NY 14611 Rochester NY 14606 585-235-5170 585-458-8100

Pieh Tool Company Blacksmith Supplies 437 General Crook Trail, Suite D Camp Verde AZ 85009 Giant Tool Sale! Limited supply of items email:piehtoolsales@piehtoolco.com ask for sale brochure.

Shop-made blacksmithing tools designed for the beginner or hobby blacksmith. Just go to www.ebay.com, Advance Search, then a seller search on scharabok. Ken Scharabok, Poor Boy Blacksmith Tools, scharabok@aol.com.

Supplier of stainless steel burner flares to fit the Reil, Side arm, Mongo and T-Rex burners. Carries a full line of quality propane regulators, hoses and fittings. Sell all the parts for the burner designs in Michael Porter's book both separately and in kit form. Have 1" and 2" Durablanket 2300 degrees ceramic blanket and a refractory coating, Plistx 900F, that will replace ITC 100. Call for pricing. Zoeller Forge Phone: 502-361-0706 Email: zman59@earthlink.net Website: www.geocities.com/zoellerforge

I recently came into a large quantity of really nice, gently used horse shoes. I bought them for .50 cents each. I'll bring them with me if anybody wants some for projects. .50 cents each will be the price..........your pick of the litter. Don Kieffer website - home.rr.com/fawaironwerks

CDA 260 Brass sheet .062 8" x 96" $41.25 28" x 21" $31.62 21" x 36" $41.00 Stainless steel bars-304 3/8" x ½" x 12' $18.00 ea Contact Gene Beamer 716-695-2535 days

For Sale Rough sawn lumber Black Walnut, Oak, Maple, Pop-lar, Brasswood, and Pine. Widths & lengths are random. 4” to over 14” 8ft to 12ft in length. Harry Heuer 585-924-9627

If you have sold your item(s) and no longer need your ad ran in the newsletter please let us know so there’s room for others!

Got something for sale? Send it to us and we could print it here!

Offering 15% discounts to members on Steel

TWO NEW/OLD E-BOOKS-Weiner Kunstschmiedear-beiten (1928) and La Fidelle Ouverture de l’Art du Serru-rier, originally published in 1627. Now eight titles are avail-able on CD, $4/each, or all eight books, $24 postpaid in the US (overseas please inquire- my email is hammerguy@mindspring.com). More books are in produc-tion and will be available soon- order on-line at www.blacksmithingebooks.com, or check/MO to Brian Gilbert, 3404 Hartford Dr,. Chattanooga, TN 37415.

For Sale T shirts $15.00 XXL/XXXL $17.00 Hats $11.00 Gloves $18.00 pair """""" $20.00 2 lefts or rights Bumper stickers $1.00 Window stickers $1.00 Club patch $2.00 Contact Don Kieffer, 280 Jordan Ave, Rochester , NY 14606 Email dkieffer2@rochester.rr.net 585 426 6151 *Prices are plus nominal shipping charges unless picked up at meeting *See Al Butlak for "Custom Forge" shirts or sweats Lots of six or more required (red, black or blue)

Beeswax available: call or write for information on price and delivery Henz Honey Bee Farm 5566 Irish Rd N. Tonawanda NY 14120 (716)625 8322 Norm Larson Books Sells hard to get blacksmithing and knife making books. Free catalog. 5426 E Hwy 246 Lompoc, CA. 93436 Phone 1-800-743-4766 email larbooks@impulse.net

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The New York State Designer Blacksmiths

New Membership Form Name___________________________________________ Phone______________________

Address _________________________________________ City________________________

Email __________________________________________ State______ Zip______________

Do you want your phone number on the membership lists? Yes_____ No_____

Which region do you want to get mailings from?

Adirondack Genesee Mohawk Niagara Southern Tier

What areas of blacksmithing are you interested in? (Please check all that apply)

___General Forging ___Ornamental ___Tool Making ___Knife making ___Historical Reproduction ___Other ______________________

Do you have a ___Forge? ___Power Hammer?

Your experience level:

___Beginner ___Hobby Blacksmith ___Full-time metal trade ___Full-time Blacksmith

Membership includes 4 issues of the newsletter: Anvil's Chorus published about Jan 30, April 30, July 30 and Oct 30. Please write amount All New memberships require an initiation fee of $10.00. _________ Regular membership dues are $20 per year. Multiple years are accepted. _________ Student membership dues are $x per year. _________ Family membership dues are $20 _________ plus $5 for each minor plus $10 for each adult after the first. _________ Life membership is a one-time fee of $200. _________ Total _________ Send completed form and remittance (checks payable to NYSDB) to:

Harry Heuer 6854 Boughton Hill Rd

Victor, NY 14564 Email: heuerenterprises@yahoo.com

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New York State Designer Blacksmiths Al Butlak, Newsletter Editor 1351 Walden Ave Buffalo, NY 14211-2826 Return Service Requested

The Anvil ’ s Chorus

Remember!

Genesee Region: Meetings held 3rd Saturday of the month.

Mohawk Region: Meets at the Chittenango Barge Canal Museum Chittenango, NY Meets 2nd Saturday of each month, excluding Dec.- Feb. No meetings in months with schedule NYSDB Statewide meetings.

Niagara Region: Meetings will be on the first Saturday of the month Aug. 2- Niagara Region Picnic and Hammer-In-Amherst Museum, Amherst, NY Aug 15- Scottish Festival - Amherst Museum Sept 5 – Regular Meeting Bob Trout demos Copper - @ Gene Beamer’s shop Sept 12-13 Harvest Festival & Craft Show - Blacksmith demo

Southern Tier Region: All meetings are on the third Sunday of the month.

Adirondack Region: Second Saturday of each month.

Please submit your region’s schedule so we can post them here for quick reference.

NYSDB now on the web! www.nysdb.org