slowpoke

Hey, Spots, Sorry I'm not going to be able to make it to your hammer-in - sounds really great, though! Just wanted to let you know that our organization, AACB (Appalachian Area Chapter Blacksmiths) is having its annual meeting on Saturday 12/1/12 at the Appalachian Center for Crafts in Smithville TN. Travis Fleming from AL will be doing a demo starting at about 9:00 a.m. & there will be "ladies' programs" at the same time. Then there will be a meal, iron-in-the-hat, and a good auction with a lot of tools. Hope you might be able to join us there - it's always a good time. Good luck with your hammer-in! Slowpoke

Call, Little Giant Power Hammer and order a 25lb spring. Use the same measurements for the 25lb LG linkage and it will just fine.

You might try the Possom Trot forge group in Adams Tn I think they meet on the last Sunday of the month at the old school. Adams is a very small farming town North of I24 just south of Ky.on HY 41. They are a very fine group with a lot of good talent GOOD LUCK.

The Alabama Forge Council will host its 27th Annual Blacksmithing Conference September 6-9, 2012. This year's featured demonstrators are Allen Kress and Tal Harris. AFC has a very strong group of people, and over the years at Tannehill they have constructed several very nice pavillions with quite a bit of equipment/tooling for the purpose of teaching and promoting blacksmithing. If you have never been to their Conference at Tannehill, visit AFC's website for registration information: alaforge.org/ Hope to see you there!

Buckeye Engraving Custom Steel Hand Stamps www.steelhandstamps.com/

Dave, sorry you missed it! The AACB 2012 Conference, at Pioneer Village in DOWNTOWN (!) MURFREESBORO,TN was a great hit. This is an every-other-year event that actually 'leap-frogs' with the Southern Blacksmith Association's Conferences held in Madison, GA. (they're both held the third weekend of May, so block it out on your calendar & plan to come each year!). Back to this year's Conference - 192 people attended & enjoyed the two fantastic main demonstrators, Ernie Dorrill & Steve Williamson. Great mini demos were also given by Larry Mullins, Joe Babb, Ken Gould, Jason Bivens, Armand Russell, Brandon Vaughan, Larry Mullins, Clint (Buzz) Busbee, and Ray Cole. Family programs were by Sandy Bolin & Sharon Babb, and special thanks to Blue Moon Press for bringing the mobile bookstore. The open forge and dutch oven cookery was a hidden jewel - thanks to Iron Bull. Lots of good tail-gating, iron-in-the-hat, and a HUGE auction with lots & lots of great TOOLS. Looking forward to 2013 in Madison & 2014 back in Murfreesboro. And thanks to IFI also - another great tool!

Fiery Furnace- Dave we will miss seeing you there. I will tell Clay, Steve and everone hello. Hope you show goes well !

The Conference info, is back on the calendar. Hope to see everybody there!! Thanks IFI.

DEG, thanks for the correction. I've changed it on the calendar, but it will take a few days for the correction to show up. In the meantime, here is the direct link to the AACB Conference page within the website: http://www.blacksmithconference.org Registrations are showing that it's shaping up to be a really good turnout - should be a great weekend.

Will be there Friday AM and will have some stuff for sale. Looking foward to seeing eveyone.

That would be Alabama Forge Council: http://www.alaforge.org Clay will be teaching tool-making at the Appalachian Center For Craft June 10-15, 2012: http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/blacksmithingworkshops/ Also, he will be teaching tool-making at John C. Campbell Folk School Oct. 7-13, 2012: https://www.folkschool.org Hope this helps.

Clay Spencer has a nice power hammer tool class. Look at the A.F.C. website and down load his collection of pic. and description on how to build.

AACB has coal at $15.00 per 50lb.bag. Will have plenty at the AACB conference May 18-19 Murfreesboro TN. www.appalachianblacksmiths.org

All you need to do is tack weld the 4140 to the spring handle, then preheat to 400deg. or more(I like a dull red), then mig weld, air cool then deliver to the heat treat plant. Just finish over 500 tools with 570lbs. made from 4140.

PETE46, I know they keep some at Tannehill state park.Check on there web site

Alabama Forge Council has good coal for sale in 50lb bags. If you are not a member, you need to join. Great blacksmith group!

Thanks so much to everyone for the info. Frank, thanks for the tip on the fly ash & the hollow fires. And Dave - good point on the clinkers changing the location of the reducing/neutral work area for good forge welding. Loving learning every day...

Question #1 - Why is it that clinkers impair the process of forge welding? Air blockage? Heat sink? Other? Question #2 - What are the better methods of fire management to reduce clinkers (besides coal quality). Thanks. Slowpoke