Helping with a 4H project

[Double Y]

First off, I am by no means a blacksmith instructor.

 

A co-workers younger brother needed to complete a 4H project for the fair next week.  He had built a metal table last year that would have taken a 10 ton crane to move.

 

She suggested he come spend a few hours in my shop and build something.

 

This is what we came up with for "Wood and Steel Construction"

 

The bar stock is 1 1/2" x 3/8" x 24"

 

The hooks were made from 1/2" round

 

I had him do all the work by hand - no use of the power hammer.  Slitting the fish tails took some time!

 

Brent was a fun kid to have in the shop.  We now wait so see how he does in the fair!

[JimsShip]

That looks great!

I like that you kept the wood natural too. So many people rush to paint everything!

[Frosty]

Nice job, it's a PERFECT coat hook for the barn. I'm thinking it has decent market value in the farm, ranch, rural communities. Eh?

 

Frosty The Lucky.

[VaughnT]

Very nice work, especially considering his smithing experience!  I see coat racks like that all the time on etsy and ebay; they're always priced over $100 and I don't doubt that they sell.

 

Tell him to keep up the good work.

[Double Y]

I received word the coat rack sold very well.  He received $550 for the rack.  

 

He also got a blue ribbon.  The Judge didn't like the screws that were used to attach the rack to the piece of wood.  I guess we could have forged the heads of some lags square...but the ones I have are all galvanized coated and I WILL NOT use them in the forge.  Oh well Brent was happy with the project and it sold well.

 

I think I may have to raise my prices if that is what those are going for! HAHA

[SpankySmith]

$550?   I'm working on a similar rack right now, I'm going to have to seriously re-think my pricing!

[DSW]

It's probably an auction like when we sell the 4-H pigs we raise. Market value ( what the commercial meat houses will pay for one of the hogs), is way less than what the kids receive thru the auction. A bunch of the sponsors know what it costs the kids to raise one of the pigs, and they usually bid up the prices so the kids not only break even, they have some extra cash for their effort. A few "special" ones make big bucks. We have one sponsor who will always buy the Grand Champion Hog every year. He uses it as bragging rights and an advertizement for his business and that it supports 4-H. I think right now he's bought the Grand Champion the last 6 years running and has the  banners prominently displayed in his show room.

 

A few others can make even more. A friend of mine passed away a few years back, the 1st year his daughter was in 4-H. Several of the sponsors bid her two hogs (  2nd one was her sisters who wasn't old enough yet to show for 4-H) up way over what the Grand Champion brought. They just wanted to do something special for a young kid who was having a really tough time in her  life.

 

 

( Blatant plug for 4-H)

 

If you haven't looked into 4-H you should, especially those of you who have your own business. Every year, 4 of us get together and buy 2 hogs to help support our local 4-H pig club. Each family in our group ends up with 1/2 a pig, usually about 100 lbs of assorted pork. ( bacon, sausage, roasts, pork chops, ham etc.) I usually write the check, because I can write the cost off as an advertizing expense for my business. 4-H posts all the "sponsors" who bought pigs the previous year at the sale, so for my "donation", I not only get the advertizing, I get "free" meat. Cost last year with processing came out to about $3 a pound. You also don't have to take the meat. If you just want to support the kids, you can bid up the hog and if you win, sell it to one of the commercial suppliers at the market price they have listed for that hog. So lets say you win with a bid of $450. The market price of the pig you bought is say $150. The commercial supplier will pay the $150 and take the hog, you are only responsible for the remainder of $300. You still can write that cost off as advertizing. I know we are always looking for buyers, if nothing else, to help keep the bids up so the kids all at least cover their costs.

 

Several 4-H groups do auctions. Besides the pig club, I know the sheep/lamb club and Beef club hold auctions as well. I highly recommend those who have their own business look into this.

[SpankySmith]

Love it.  I'm not aware of any 4H in my neck of the woods, but I may just look to be sure.  Sounds like a great organization.

[DSW]

There should be plenty of 4-H groups in your area, though possibly not every club. Here you go Spanky. The link below should find you something in your area. Our 4-H auctions all come middle of August at the county fair.

 

http://www.aces.edu/4-H-youth/AL4-H/

 

 

Oh I also forgot to mention that you can just make a donation, even without bidding. We have a number of sponsors who make a donation of a set amount, lets say $100. Usually either the club leader or State extension office member, holds all those assorted small donations. They pool that money and use it to bid on animals. It's not uncommon for them to announce that 3 or 4 small sponsors "won". Usually those pigs are sold to the commercial meat processor, so they use the market price, plus the assorted donations to cover the cost.

 

You can also simply make a donation towards someones hog. I've seen several sponsors who will donate money towards  a hog of a kid who for whatever reason didn't sell real well. This usually happens after the sale when a sponsor will walk up to the buyers table and tell the staff they'd like to give say $50 towards so and so's pig. That kid then will receive whatever the price was at the sale, plus that $50 "gift". I know some local businesses occasionally do this with their "extra" money that they didn't get a chance to spend at the auction for whatever reason.

[SpankySmith]

Thanks for the link!  I looked and none of the ones nearby are farm oriented, they're in-school (values), horse only or robotics, which gave me pause but not really, this area is heavily into science and technology.  But there's a school just a few blocks from me that has an in-school club that might be worth investing in.  Thanks again for the info. 

[DSW]

If you are into something 4-H does, but they don't have a club in your area, you can always offer to start one in your area. For example 4-H has a welding program. Many times areas don't run programs, not because there isn't interest, it's because they don't have anyone who will step forward and volunteer to become a leader.

 

http://www.msue.msu.edu/objects/content_revision/download.cfm/revision_id.473078/workspace_id.-30/welding

 

http://4hengineering.osu.edu/node/142

 

https://4h.unl.edu/4hcurriculum/4H680arcwelding

 

 

 

 

I've also volunteered to do blacksmithing demos to a couple of Boy Scout and Cub Scout troops in my area. Scouts has a metal working merit badge. Option  # 3 is foundry, and #4 is blacksmithing.

 

http://www.scouting.org/Home/BoyScouts/AdvancementandAwards/MeritBadges/mb-META.aspx

 

 

1. Option 4—Blacksmith
   1. Name and describe the use of a blacksmith’s basic tools.
   2. Make a sketch of two objects to hot-forge. Include each component’s dimensions on your sketch, which need not be to scale.
   3. Using low-carbon steel at least 1⁄4 inch thick, perform the following exercises:
      1. Draw out by forging a taper.
      2. Use the horn of the anvil by forging a U-shaped bend.
      3. Form a decorative twist in a piece of square steel.
      4. Use the edge of the anvil to bend metal by forging an L-shaped bend.
   4. Using low-carbon steel at least 1⁄4 inch thick, make the two objects you sketched that require hot-forging. Be sure you have your counselor’s approval before you begin.
      1. Include a decorative twist on one object.
      2. Include a hammer-riveted joint in one object.
      3. Preserve your work from oxidation.

 

 

 

 

If there is enough interest, I'll probably end up as a merit badge counselor for that one.

 

Scouts also has a Welding merit badge.

 

http://www.scouting.org/sitecore/content/home/boyscouts/advancementandawards/meritbadges/welding.aspx

 

 

 

[Frosty]

Another thought besides teaching a class, I've never had a taker from the boyscouts I've volunteered to teach blacksmithing. Anyway a person can certainly forge some cool, useful or just decorative items and donate them to be auctioned at the 4H auction.

 

If there's no interest at the auction or club, that's all needs be said. I haven't stopped offering I just don't expect a response so I don't feel bummed or guilty for not trying harder.

 

Horse shoes and RR spikes are usually popular amongst the horse and farm folk.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

I've done a demo at a cub scout camporee and worked a den through making their own hotdog/marshmallow roasters---had to "prove them in" afterwards.  Haven't had much interest from Boy Scouts so far.