the new england our 36th year blacksmiths...
TRANSCRIPT
Summer 2014
To discover, to help
The New England Blacksmiths
Our 36th
Year
1978-
2014
VOL. 34 NO. 3
Toby Hickman Spring Meet Demon-strator
NEB Contacts and on‐line Tid‐Bits ............................ 2
Around New England ............................................... 3
President’s Message ............................................... 4
Handy angle templet & Book Review ...................... 5
Morrell’s Whats It .................................................... 6
Editors Note ............................................................ 6
Fall Meet Promo on ................................................ 7
Spring Meet The Blacksmiths Totem ................... 8‐9
Color centerfold featuring the Spring Meet ....... 10‐13
Care and feeding of a pocket knife ....................... 14
Fitchburg Forge‐in promo on ............................ 15‐16
NEB Scholarship Criteria ....................................... 17
NEB Scholarship Applica on ................................. 18
NEB Membership Form ......................................... 19
Cas ngs……………………………………………………………… 20
Table of ContentsTable of Contents
Summer 2014 Page 2 New England Blacksmiths
Owen Bostrom - President (14)
99 Chase Hill RD
Ashaway, RI 02804
Phone: 401-377-2611
Bob Menard - Vice President (14) 56 Warren Ave. Suite 106
Portland, ME 04103
Phone: 207-878-2217
Jim Crothers - Secretary (14)
953 Tuckertown RD
Wakefield, RI 02879
Phone
Leigh Morrell - Treasurer (14) 207 Greenfield Rd Colrain, MA 01340
Phone: 413-624-1200
Karen Sims, Membership Chair. (14)
337 Rope Ferry Rd
Waterford, CT 06385
Phone: 860-442-3925
Marc Godbout - NH Rep. (14)
236 Old Wellington Rd. Manchester, NH 03104 -8771
Phone: 603-425-8404
Taffy Case - NH Rep. (15)
1789 E. Madison Rd
Madison, NH 03849
Phone: 603-367-8225
Fred Mikkelsen - RI Rep (15) 23 Waterman Dr. N. Scituate, RI 02857-2036 Phone: 401-647-3086 [email protected]
Ariane Ferland - RI Rep. (15)
PO Box 775
Chepachet, RI 02814
Phone: 401-568-5971
The New England Blacksmiths, an affiliate of the Artists-Blacksmith’s Association of North America, is devoted to the preservation and advancement of blacksmithing. Letters to the editor, articles, tech-nical tips, tools for sale, or other materials which furthers these ends, will be considered for publica-tion in this newsletter.
Richard Holman - ME Rep. (14)
195 Varney Mill Rd
Windham, ME 04062
Phone: 207-892-9511
Ed Grove - ME Rep. (15)
828 Haley Town Road
Brownfield, ME 04010
Phone: 207-935-2262
Courtney Mead - VT Rep. (14) 721 East Hill Rd.
North Troy, VT 05859 Phone: 802.988-2503 [email protected]
Judson Yaggy - VT Rep. (15)
846 S Rt. 116
Bristol, VT 05443
Phone 802-453-6005
Bob Phillips - MA Rep. (15)
P.O. Box 583
Westminster, MA 01473
Phone: 978-874-1367
Dick Lempici - MA Rep. (14)
2 Lempici Rd
Dudley, MA 01571
Phone:
Steve Melady - CT Rep. (15)
54 Cards Mill Rd
Columbia, CT 06237
Phone: 860-228-2185
Chip Sowalski- CT Rep. (14)
100 Gungy Rd
Salem, CT 06420
Phone: 860-287-5395
Thanks to all
Contributors to this issue: Owen Bostrom
Fred Mikkelsen
Leigh Morrell
Russell Pope
Photo Credit
Donna Conner
Jon Hodgdon
Add your name to this list
Become a contributor!
Next newsletter deadline:
September 15th, 2014
Contact information for NEB officers and directors
Note: The number ( ) after each name denotes the year of term expiration of that Board Member.
The New England Blacksmiths disclaim any responsi-bility or liability for damages or injuries as a result of any design, construction, manufacture, use or other activity undertaken as a result of the use or applica-tion of information contained in the newsletter of the New England Blacksmiths.
On Line Tidbits
h p://video.pbs.org/video/2365021516/
This is a 26 minute video of the Wood
Right's Shop featuring Peter Ross.
h p://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Jqo2539Jvmk
A five minute video of an amazing portable
blacksmith shop on a trailer. It includes all
the standard equipment and a li le giant
power hammer operated from a line sha
and a hit and miss motor.
h ps://www.youtube.com/
embed/96I_UrTOZF0
You may have no idea how many musical
instruments are currently in your shop but
this one and a half minute video can show
you.
You have the tools now get the band back
together
Summer 2014 Page 3 New England Blacksmiths
Around New England Brentwood Teaching Center
New Hampshire The Brentwood Teaching Center is open the last Saturday of each month for all members to enjoy an open forge session. If you have a project you could use a little advice, on bring it by. If you don’t have an idea we can suggest something. Still only $10.00 a day, a bargain at twice the price.
Massachusetts The Fitchburg Forge-In will be held on September 27th in Fitchburg, Massachu-setts. Leigh Morrell will be this years special guest Smith and Judge. More information is contained in this issue.
Connecticut No Submissions at press time
Maine The Fall Meet is on September 5-6-7 at the Union Fair Grounds in Union Maine hosted by Joel Wentworth. The featured demonstrator will be Doug Wilson. There will be a hands on, member participation component to this Meet. More information to follow. Be ready to pack a hammer for the weekend. Hollow Form Sculpture class will be hosted by Bob Menard at his shop in Portland, Maine. Learn many of the skills necessary to create hollow form sculpture as we make the anvil finial for the Totem. We will be working with Cor-ten steel and MIG welding process. September 20th with October 4th as an over-flow day if needed. $50.00 per day with lunch provided. Contact Bob at 207-878-2217 or [email protected]. Space will be limited.
Rhode Island Join the Southern Bunch at South County Mu-seum in Narragansett, RI on the 4th Saturday of the Month. Contact Jim Crothers 401-783-5400 or [email protected] for more information.
Vermont .No Submissions at press time.
Summer 2014 Page 4 New England Blacksmiths
President’s Message for July 2014:
Hi all. If you spent your weekend at the beach and missed out on our Spring Meet at Brentwood you made a mistake. If, while there, you met the love of your life we can probably say it would be a tossup. Our Spring Meet was a great experience for all there. Lots of fun, great food by my Martha and Dave’s BBQ, and certainly a deodorant test for all involved. Bob Menard and his team of leads put a lot of quality time in preparation for and in leadership making the production quite positive. There was a great deal of work conducted by many groups of folks showing off their tremendous range of talents on a project to benefit us all. If you didn’t actually see the Totem you cannot likely visualize how cool it is. It was also an opportunity to appreciate the quality of skilled work that was done. What was accomplished in one weekend on top of the work done in preparation was quite amazing to see. I have had many comments from participants, both during and after the events, all favorable by the way, about the Meet and asking how soon we can do it again. Food for thought, eh?
Speaking of Meets, let’s look at the future. In the Fall, Jody Wentworth will be hosting the Meet in Maine, to be held at the Union Fairgrounds. The date is September 5-6-7. Doug Wilson of Deer Isle Maine will be the featured demonstra-tor. Thanks to Jody and friends for stepping up again, and a reminder to all that we are still blank for next Spring so let’s hear your ideas.
The ABANA conference on Aug 13-16 in Delaware is nearly here. Unfortunately, this currently clashes with my per-sonal schedule so my ability to go will be only if other things don’t happen. That is unlikely. You never know though, so it could be a quick decision to head down the highway.
NEB awarded Bob Menard the Bud Oggier award in a ceremony during the Spring general membership meeting. The award recognized Bob’s extensive efforts, really since he became a member, on behalf of NEB efforts in education, casting program, Brentwood operations, and so forth. Good job Bob and I look forward to more of your great effort and ideas.
The boring but important stuff:
Our finances are sort of in good shape. Don’t understand that statement? Here’s why. They really are of course, but…Quite a few years ago, ten I think, we asked for and received a dues increase of from $10 to $20 bucks. A great deal of that was to cover our new web-site costs. Ralph Sproul at the time stepped up and did that for us for only the costs involved and saved us a bundle. In the meantime, we built up a nice cushion that has helped NEB to function without financial crisis for many years. Other expenses, many asked for by members and others required by law, have now eaten up that dues surplus. You have noticed the quality of our latest Newsletters. The quality is there because not only is the preparation great, but the cost to produce it with color and added pages is greater. In fact, the News-letter now accounts for most of our dues income. Five years ago it was about half. The BoD asked at the general membership meeting that we consider a reasonable dues increase (amount being determined at this time by our treas-urer and BoD) that would be voted on by the general membership at the fall meeting. This BoD request was approved overwhelmingly at the meeting so the BoD will have a plan soon. If you have interest or comments on this contact me or your state rep and discuss. We welcome your ideas.
My page is pretty well used up. It was great to see so many at Brentwood. It is quite hot here as I type, so that’s it really. See you soon I hope and that you are all in good spirits.
Owen Bostrom, President, NEB
Summer 2014 Page 5 New England Blacksmiths
Make This Handy Gauge Made from a scrap of 16 gauge this jig will allow
You to quickly establish three legged stands.
With 120 degree, 60 and 72 corners and a hanging hole it is an easy after supper project that you will
find handy.
Why a 72 degree corner ?
Well many flowers have 5 petals and look more
natural that way, so 360 / 5 = 72
You don’t even need to find a protractor,
Just use the photo at left
Fred Mikkelsen
Classic Wrought Ironwork—Patterns & Designs
Dover Publications reproduction of Tunstall Small & Chris-topher Woodbridge original.
If you want to get a feel for English iron from the 17th cen-tury, and not pay top dollar for something from the Victo-ria & Albert Museum, this may be the book for you.
Typical of Dover Publications, paperbacked 40 pages, it is only a overview and not an in-depth or serious study of the classic designs.
At $8.95 it seems about right as a reference to add to your book shelf.
Fred Mikkelsen
Summer 2014 Page 6 New England Blacksmiths
Morrell’sWhatsit?FromNEBSpringmeetcomesanitemfromPeterHappny’sloadofgoodies–somefrom‘rustbuckets’.Ispiedthisitem,identi ieditafterabout2minuteswiththehelpofthemaker’snameandpatentonthecastingandofferithere.Subsequently,IwasinsouthernMaineandfoundanoriginalincleancondition,completewiththehandlethatworksthemechanism.ThankyouPeterforofferingthisforourreviewandheadscratching.Answerfoundelsewhereinthisnewsletterissue.LeighMorrell
Editors Note;
The Bud Oggier Award is NEB’s highest peer award. I was recognized with the Bud Oggier award at the Spring Meet. I was not expec ng this honor and found myself a li le overwhelmed and at a loss for words. Kind of unusual for me at a Meet. I have always go en more from my associa on with NEB than I have given. I am grateful for the friendships and associa ons I have formed over the years. New England Blacksmiths is part of my iden ty. The con nuing success and strength of our organiza on is a priority of mine that I take seriously. I will con nue to work with all due diligence toward the promo on of NEB and Blacksmithing. This issue is a slimmer version than you may have been becoming accustomed to. The demands of organizing such a logis cally complicated Meet has eaten into my shop schedule and I have found myself scrambling to regain some semblance of being on me with my deadlines and also enjoy this beau ful summer with my lovely wife. Have no fear, the newsle er will return to it’s former glory with the Fall issue. The Na onal grill ar cles will also con nue to conclusion at that me. Even though the Spring Meet has command of the color centerfold for this issue I am s ll bea ng the brush for more
submissions to our Members’ Gallery. Send us something, won’t you? Through a significant omission on my part I have not recorded all the names that assisted with the grills or the Totem tower fabrica on. I would like to have all the names of the principal assistants added to the grills and to the tower but I will need your help. If you helped out and your name is not men oned in this issue please contact me so I can include your contribu on. Everybody worked so hard and I want all of you to be recognized. Be er yet, send us an ar cle! Ray Ciemny’s design will have to be recognized differently as most everyone worked on that panel and the credits would exceed to space provided. Thank you all for your hard work. Your editors, Bob & Debby Menard
Summer 2014 Page 7 New England Blacksmiths
The Fall Meet returns to Union, Maine
September 5-6-7 at the Union Fairgrounds
Featuring Doug Wilson
DOUGLAS E. WILSON as been a metalsmith since 1972, operating his forge on Little Deer Isle, Maine since 1981. He produces primarily commissioned work–functional, architectural, and sculptural - contemporary designs deeply rooted in traditional process and joinery. Doug has taught forging, drawing, design workshops, throughout the US and Canada, including workshops at Haystack, Penland, Peters Valley, and at ABANA conferences and events. His work has been included in many exhibitions, most recently, Iron: Forged, Tempered, Quenched at the Houston Center of Contemporary Craft, Dallas, Texas, and IRON 2010 at the National Ornamental Metals Museum, Memphis, Tennessee, and is in publications including Anvil’s Ring and Metalsmith.
Classifieds For sale: 2 spools of .035 Cor-ten solid mig wire
These are left over from the Spring Meet. They started at 33 lbs. and are more than 85% un-used.
The original cost was in excess of $135.00 each and are offered at $80.00 each.
Contact Bob Menard 207-878-2217
or
Summer 2014 Page 8 New England Blacksmiths
The Blacksmith’s Totem
A Public Sculpture
The theme of the Spring Meet was an ambi ous large scale learning exercise for all
who showed up to the event. It was always difficult for me to make this a single focus
endeavor. It has had two personali es from the start and that never changed. The
forging of 8 grills easily held the a en on of the greatest number of par cipants but
that industry was not able to eclipse the grand scale fabrica on of the Totem tower.
Six welded cubes a ached to a revolving base has created a pla orm or a canvas if you
will for the amazing grill work that was being accomplished by the forge teams. As it
stands today it is 15’ tall and the anvil hollow form for the top, that has not yet been added, will add 30”
more. The Marque e pictured here showing the anvil finial, gives the impression of an anvil shoot gone
horribly wrong. Having such a readily iden fiable icon used in an unusual way forces people out of their
paradigm crea ng an ar s c view point. This part of the Totem will be completed as part of a class to be
held in Portland late September, teaching some of the skills necessary to create hollow form sculpture.
Details found in the around New England sec on of this publica on.
The unfinished details were always built in to the plan for this project. It was designed as a grand learning
experience for NEB and one that didn’t end with the arrival of Sunday noon at the Meet. The educa onal
opportuni es rela ng directly to the Totem will con nue for some me into the future. My goal for the
weekend in June was to have tangible progress that could then be built upon. We exceeded that
expecta on and at the end of Sunday we all had a very real sense of accomplishment. The hard work is now
finished. The anvil finial is s ll to be created and more grills will be forged and the legacy will be further
fleshed out. All the while sa sfying and informa ve events will con nue to be organized by NEB and our
own affiliate groups. I expect the con nuing details to involve group effort through a common learning
experience. NEB is full of talented individuals but that individual effort is not encouraged for the
comple on of the sculpture. Each grill must be a shared learning experience with groups of our members
to stay true to the ethic and stated purpose of this project. Two groups have expressed intent to
contribute a grill, South County Museum and Taffy Case’s 4‐H group. I also hope to be able to organize a
grill program through the Teaching Center. Other team lead grills can be submi ed for inclusion. Who else
wants to help? How about State reps pu ng something together with blacksmiths in their area? Come on
and join the opportunity to educate, to help others and to socialize.
The Totem has 24 poten al surfaces that could be embellished but to completely cover each facet would
appear clu ered. There will always be some open spaces to herald the premise that there is s ll more to
the story of Blacksmithing, more to be told.
Summer 2014 Page 9 New England Blacksmiths
Considerable ingenuity and effort went into the Totem being able
to be rotated, allowing the viewer to experience the art in their
own way. Unfortunately our insurance company just could not live
with that func on. We will have to se le for it being re‐posi onal
for the me being, as it can be locked. I hope in the future that
restric on will be eased and the Totem be allowed to operate as it
was designed.
Summer 2014 Page 10 New England Blacksmiths
The Main Forging Area
8 Teams, 15 Forges, 25 Anvils, upwards of 50 people working at the same time
In addition to the expected forging equipment there was an area established for commonly used tools. This
included a belt grinder, porta band saw, up-right band saw, drill press, and large gas forges. The energy and
industry was noticeable for the entire weekend.
Summer 2014 Page 11 New England Blacksmiths
Kyle Connelly's design
Assisted by Bill Czerwonka, Bob Valen ne, and other
members s ll to be worked out
Joel Wentworth and John Clark’s design,
Assisted by Keith Clark
John D’Abate’s design
Assisted by a young person as yet iden fied
Nick Downing’s design
Assisted by Dana Flanders, Mark Brundage, Mark
Spagnole , Conner Spear, Josh Swalec, and other
members s ll to be worked out
Summer 2014 Page 12 New England Blacksmiths
Jus n Morrell’s design assisted by Nick Szlosek,
Chip Has ngs, Molly Harrington, and Ben Clark
Judson Yaggy’s design
Assisted by Jus n Mercier, Jon Hodgdon,
Mark Berlinger, and other members s ll to be worked out
Ray Ciemny’s design
Ray’s unique idea was to include as many of the Meet
par cipants as possible by having them create one
element among many to be added in a star burst
pa ern. 80 pieces are included
Dereck Glaser’s design
Assisted by Steve Ash and Med Chandler
Summer 2014 Page 13 New England Blacksmiths
Fabrication of the Totem Tower
Two main fabrication teams lead by Bob LaVoie and Ralph Sproul assembled the remaining 5 cubes of the tower.
Members of NEB that were professional welders and those interested in sharpening their fabrication skills rounded out the teams.
The tower is made with Cor-Ten weathering steel welded together using Cor-Ten wire and MIG welders. Each cube had its welds sanded
smooth with flap wheels and they were hoisted to their final resting place. They have all been welded together making the final structure a
single unit topping out approximately 15’ above grade. It only awaits the addition of the grills at the August open forge and
the anvil finial.
Known Fabricaters
Bob LaVoie
Ralph Sproul
Charlie Sidell
Jon Hodgdon
Ed Cannon
Marty Custer
Steve Conner
Mike Bishop
Mark Berlinger
Tom Lord
Rhe Courser
Eric Ziner
Summer 2014 Page 14 New England Blacksmiths
Pocket Knives
I have been carrying pocket jack knives for over 50 years now and only recently discovered something about them.
I use the knife daily for a variety of tasks, sharpening pencils: opening bottles; first aid; cutting paper; cutting sheet rock and shingles; opening packages; cleaning my fingernails; and cutting food. Not always in that order. One of the comforting things about getting older is I no longer remember what I used it for last.
The knife I usually use has 2 blades, a combination screw driver/bottle opener, a can opener that also fits a Phillps head screw, a cork screw, an awl tool, tooth pick, and tweezers. As a member of a tool using species I find it convenient to have the knife with me as it helps me cope with normal day to day tasks and recreation. I suppose I could even use it for self defense, even though the only person I have ever cut is myself…..fingers.. (always cut away from yourself). I have the knife clipped to a belt loop to keep it from falling to the bottom of my pocket with keys and coins.
A pocket knife usually lasts me about 10 years. A problem that I eventually had with each knife, is that the constant sharpening, (a sharp knife is a safe knife, my day used to say) narrows and shortens the blade causing the tip to retreat along the back edge of the blade until the point no longer folds down into the handle. This of course leaves the sharp tip exposed on which I catch on my pocket and fingers etc. I have seen old pocket knives at yard sales and flea markets that have been sharpened so much that half the cutting edge is exposed and the tip is sticking up one half inch or more above the case. My solution has always been to grind down the back of the tip until the point is once again below the edge of the case. Unfortunately this shortens the blade life significantly.
On all pocket knife blades there is a little curved bump between the cutting edge and where the blade now at full thickness disappears into the case. I finally figured it out. This bump acts as a stop; it keeps the cutting edge from hitting the spring and getting dull. When your old blade has been sharpened so much that the edge and tip are exposed, you can grind down the top of this bump and the blade and tip will close further into the case.
Russell Pope
Also from Russell Pope;
A steel salesman told me this one.
The Canadian steel mills in Sudbury (north of Lake Huron) would receive the order from the ship yards.
They would rough forge the propeller sha s, a couple of feet in diameter and fi y feet long. They would
re‐heat the sha s to a yellow heat, pack them in insula on and load them onto an express freight train.
The trains were given a clear track. The sha s arrived the next day at the shipyard in Halifax at a red heat.
Where they were re‐heated and forged to the final dimensions.
Summer 2014 Page 15 New England Blacksmiths
Summer 2014 Page 16 New England Blacksmiths
Summer 2014 Page 17 New England Blacksmiths
NEB SCHOLARSHIP
The New England Blacksmiths (NEB) have a scholarship program open to all members — (a full year of mem-bership is required to apply). Apply now for financial aid to improve your blacksmithing knowledge & skills. NEB offers educational scholarships to cover up to $500 of the cost for NEB members to attend blacksmithing hands on classes.
What you do
Decide on a class (anywhere, but it must be a real blacksmithing class or hands-on workshop, not a sit-on-duff work-shop or conference).
Procure the application form from the newsletter, our website or from a Board of Directors member.
Fill it out and return it,
If possible, include a class curriculum or brochure.
What we will do
Evaluate your application.
If you are chosen, we will notify you that you will receive an NEB scholarship
After your class, NEB will reimburse you the amount of the scholarship upon receipt of a copy of your receipts and certificate of completion.
What you owe NEB
Within one year of completing your class, you will provide:
A 2-hour demo of the skills you've learned in the class
A 2-page illustrated article to the New England Blacksmiths Newsletter on what you've learned.
Contacts
Any Board of Director Member or
Ed Grove, Scholarship Chairman
828 Haley Town Road
Brownfield, ME 04010
Summer 2014 Page 18 New England Blacksmiths
Summer 2014 Page 19 New England Blacksmiths
ABANA Membership Application Primary ABANA Chapter Affiliation:_____________ Name: _____________________________________ Address: ___________________________________ City: _________________________State: _______ Phone: ( ) ___________________Zip: ________ New Member Renewing Member Includes a Subscription to the Anvil’s Ring and The Ham-mers’ Blow magazines Regular Member ..............................................$55 yr. Senior Citizen (Age 65+) .................................$50 yr. Full time student ..............................................$45 yr. Overseas airmail ..............................................$80 yr. Overseas surface mail ......................................$65 yr. Contributory ...................................................$100 yr. Public library ....................................................$45 yr.
ABANA Central Office 259 Muddy Fork Rd, Jonesborough, TN 37659
NEW ENGLAND BLACKSMITHS MEMBERSHIP FORM
Dues are $20.00 USD, and due January 1st of each year.
Send checks to: NEB Membership – 337 Rope Ferry Road- Waterford, CT 06385
Please Print Clearly and check whether New member __ or Renewal __
Name ______________________________________________ Date_______________
Business name, if applicable___________________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________ Phone _____________
City _______________________ State_______ Zip________ Fax _______________
E-mail__________________________________Web Site___________________________
Occupation________________________________________ Year of birth______________
Check forging skill: __Beginner __Intermediate __Advanced
Blacksmithing areas of interest ________________________________________________
Check all that apply:
__Teach Blacksmithing __Teach Related Metalworking Skills, which skills______
__Do you do Public Smithing Demos __Demo Fee (Amount: ) __Require Travel $
__Would hold NEB Office are you an ABANA Member Yes or No
Any demonstrator or demonstration requests for NEB Meets?_________________________
Summer 2014 Page 20 New England Blacksmiths
New England Blacksmiths
Bob Menard, ‐ Editor
Ball & Chain Forge
56 Warren Ave #106
Portland, Maine 04103
FIRST CLASS MAIL
TIME VALUE
NEB CASTINGS
Anvil Cone $52
Fire pot with Clinker Breaker $190
70 lb. Swage Block $160
Can be picked up at 4 different loca ons
in New England or shipped. Contact Bob
Menard, [email protected]
for more informa on
Visit us on line
www.newenglandblacksmiths.com
The answer to the Whatsit is;
Tensioner for pallet banding prior to applying holding clips. Made by: Band‐it, Denver, CO