The Royal Show 2006

[Mr Smith]

Prologue (Friday evening)

Well, Show time is upon us again.
For those of us at BAWA, its an opportunity to gat together, spend a week and a bit smithing, and catch up with our members who live outside the metro area.

For a bit of background on the Show, check out :
www.perthroyalshow.com.au

Anyway, Brett needed his anvil and tools taken into the workshop, so we spent the evening loading it up. For the record, it's a 200kg Armitage Mousehole.
How do two blokes shift a 200kg anvil, with only a hand trolley? Very carefully!

[Mr Smith]

Day 1 (Saturday)

We had a good crowd, for our first day, which was suprising, considering it was AFL Grand Final day, and the West Coast Eagles were playing.

All things considered, it was a good day.
Highlights : Keith made a giant dinner triangle - it was fun to give it a belt with the hammer on the way past.

Today's projects: chain (2 x 3 links) a branding iron in the shape of an '@', and a giant hook. I'll post photos later.

[Mr Smith]

Day 2 (Sunday)

Chain, chain and more chain....

Last Sunday, one of the visitors to the shop showed me how to make chain.
It's a great way to learn forge welding, because the two ends being welded can't move - all you need to worry about is the heat and flux.

So, I spent most of Sunday making chain. Don't I look impressed??

[Mr Smith]

Day 3 (Monday)

Monday was the day Malcolm Paine decided to drop in.

He started out by making a beck (a kind of hoe and fork tool), then moved onto a pair of tongs. From memory, one half of a pair of tongs took him about 5 min. He does some fantastic work! He brought along an Anglo-Saxon style helmet he had made.

Here's a few shots of our spoon-making enterprise. These spoons are made from a number 7 horseshoe nail, and sell for $2. They walk out the door (not literally).

[Crackers]

G'day everyone, if I can figure out how to up load photos again, I'll post some more photos of the Royal Show week. Hmmm, I think I just might just have to call on Michael (Mr. Smith) again for some assistance. We had a busy, but very enjoyable eight days, blacksmithing together and showing the general public that blacksmithing is still actually being done!!! Some people are amazed. Anyway, lets see if I can work this photo thing out again.
Regards, Brian.

[dinny]

Mr Smith
Cobber whats the tool your using to make your spoons out of the nails.(in photo). I just use the hammer to make mine.could you explain how you make yours,looks interesting. do you twist,and roll the end. anyone else make thing's out of Horse Shoe Nails
good onya mate
Dinny
keep the iron hot and the tinnies on ice

[Mr Smith]

G'day Dinny!

What it is is just a swage, with a round "dimple" as the bottom, and a ball as the top part. Just 'cos you asked, I'm gonna knock out one of my you-beaut plans for you and post it up.

[dinny]

Good onya Cobber