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ladysmith

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Posts posted by ladysmith

    It followed me home

    in Blacksmithing, General Discussion

    Posted

    Either it followed me home, or I'm just feeding my addiction. ;)

    Most of you guys know, I'm due for an operation on my elbow (hammering arm), and will most likely lose most of the blacksmithing demo opportunities this year. I haven't been looking for stuff much at all lately, but it's still finding me. ;)

    Got a call from a lady who's friend I'd talked to at a flea market about blacksmithing. He had a nice Champion electric blower for sale...suggested a price I couldn't turn down. :)

    Managed to find some interesting tongs at prices much cheaper than I could make them. Odd looking tongs, most of which I have no idea what they are for.

    Then yesterday, this "followed me home".....

    Nice little post anvil attached to an axle. Thankfully I was able to get someone to load it in the car, and my neighbor unloaded it. Probably 150 pounds total. Again at a price I couldn't turn down (and some of you guys know how frugal I am when buying anvils). ;)

    Pam

    68.attach

    69.attach

    70.attach

    71.attach

    where can i get an anvil?

    in TPAAAT - Applied Anvil Acquisition Technique

    Posted

    I've had exceptional luck at auctions. So far I've paid well less than a dollar a pound. I'm in south central PA near Harrisburg. I suspect you might have similar luck where you are.

    Also there is a great antique store out here that caters to blacksmith (and the prices are fairly reasonable). If you're interested PM me and I'll get you information.

    I might also have either 2 approximately 140 lb or a 170 pound (I think) for sale, if you are interested in making a road trip...again PM me if you're interested.

    Pam

    Bill Moran

    in Blacksmithing, General Discussion

    Posted

    I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Bill Moran died yesterday morning about 4:30 am.

    William F. Moran was one of the most famous modern knife makers. Bill was one of the driving forces to organizing the American Bladesmith Association, and the ABS school in Arkansas. He is also known as "the father of modern damascus". (Bill was also a better than decent blacksmith). He was a humble man that always had an encouraging word for new knifemakers. Bill was one of the nicest people I have had the honor of knowing. Ring the anvil to send him on his way in style.

    For those close enough, or those wishing to make a contribution, here are the funeral arrangements:

    Funeral Arrangements
    The viewing hours for receiving friends are on Thursday, Feb. 16th from 3:00-5:00 & 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. The funeral will be at 10:00 a.m. on Friday the 17th. Both days are at the Keeney & Basford Funeral Home, 106 East Church Street, Frederick, Maryland 21701. Bill's remains will be cremated after that and the Inurnment will be at the Mt. Olivet Cemetery at 10 a.m. on Saturday the 18th.
    In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions should be sent to the

    W. F. Moran Endowment Fund
    C/O American Bladesmith Society
    PO Box 1481
    Cypress, Texas 77410-1481

    Or to:

    W. F. Moran Museum Fund
    C/O Landmarks Foundation
    attn: Don Keel
    6739 South Clifton Road
    Frederick, Maryland 21703.

    They are turning his blacksmith/bladesmith shop into a museum. I know Bill was heavily involved with the planning.

    Pam

    Hammer

    in Hand Hammers

    Posted

    1 three pound drilling hammer that I use for most things,
    3 different sizes of ball piens,
    1 fullering hammer,
    4 different sizes of cross piens,
    4 or so other misc. hammers.
    so...
    13 or so hammers...7 anvils of various sizes and styles...and probably 8 to 10 various tongs...and a couple of drifts.

    Not bad considering just over 18 months ago I was using 1 ball pien, 1 pair of tongs, and a RR track anvil.

    Cast handles

    in Finish and Polish for Knives

    Posted

    I've thought of "casting" a rag micarta (compressed layers of cloth and resin) handle, but I haven't yet completely worked out the design issues. It should work well with no heat to take the temper out of the blade.

    As I get some time, I'm going to be trying it, so I'll let you know how it goes.

    Pam

    Favorite Christmas ookies (recipe included)

    in Blacksmithing, General Discussion

    Posted

    Ok guys, in the spirit of the season throw all diets to the winds... What's your favorite Christmas cookie? Include the recipe.

    Mine is a somewhat grown up version of my mother's chocolate chip cookies:


    (Irsrgn, these are the ones I was baking that Christmas Eve, a couple of years ago.)


    Chocolate Chip Cookies

    1/4 cup butter
    1/3 cup low-fat cream cheese
    1 cup packed brown sugar
    1 cup all-purpose flour
    1/3 cup flour
    3/4 teaspoon baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1 large egg, beaten
    4 tablespoons coffee liqueur
    3 tablespoons instant espresso or instant coffee crystals
    1 tablespoon ground coffee
    1 package dark chocolate chips

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

    Lightly spay baking sheets with non-stick coating.

    In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar on low speed with an electric mixer. Add egg and liqueur and mix on low until just combined.

    In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add to butter mixture and mix by hand until combined. Portion heaping teaspoonfuls (or use a 3/4 ounce scoop) onto baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 7 minutes. Lightly flatten cookies with finger. Rotate baking sheet and bake an additional 3 minutes.

    Transfer to wire rack and don't burn your fingers when tasting! :mrgreen:

    Pam

    New and convincing version of an old scam

    in Everything Else

    Posted

    I just received this email that I'm sure is just a new and much more convincing version of an old scam. It is suprisingly convincing in that the grammar, and spelling are very American. Of course the premise is an old scam, so it set off lots of "red flags". I did check and US money orders are legal and apparently easy enough to cash in the UK. Anyway here it is so you all can be warned.

    Pam



    Hello Dear,


    Good day to you, my name is Susan Bryant, I am an artist with my husband James Bryant, and we are the owner of Susan Art World. I'm from London, United Kingdom with my two kids, four cats, one dog and the love of my life my husband James Bryant. It is definitely a full house. I have been doing artwork since I was a small child. That gives me about 23 years of experience. I majored in art in high school and took a few college art courses. Most of my work are done in either pencil or airbrush mixed with color pencils. I have recently added designing and creating artwork on the computer. I have been selling my art for the last 3 years and have had my work featured on trading cards, prints and in magazines. I have MARKET all my art works & galleries to private companies in UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (USA).

    I'm always facing serious difficulties when it comes to PAYMENTS, This is because all my customers in AMERICA are always offering to pay me with U.S POSTAL MONEY ORDERS OR CASHER'S CHQUE, And it is very difficult for me to cash U.S POSTAL MONEY ORDERS OR CASHER'S CHQUE HERE in LONDON, This is Because The United Kingdom Government does not permit the usage of U.S POSTAL MONEY ORDERS OR CASHER'S CHQUE HERE IN LONDON.


    Right now, I'm looking for a representative in the (AMERICA) who can be helping me to cash the U.S POSTAL MONEY ORDERS OR CASHER'S CHQUE IN THE (AMERICA) and wire the cash to me here in London, I have a lot of customers in AMERICA and they all wanted to pay me with U.S POSTAL MONEY ORDERS or CASHER'S CHQUE, so I write you to seek for your help in partnership, I want you to by my partner in AMERICA so that all my customers can be issuing the MONEY ORDERS OR CASHER'S CHQUE in your name and you will CASH THE MONEY ORDERS OR CASHER'S CHEQUE and send CASH to me here in LONDON.


    If you accept this offer, you shall be receiving 10% commission as your interest for each transaction, I will instruct all my customers to raise MONEY ORDERS OR CASHER'S on your name and send it to your address, Then when you receive the MONEY ORDERS and cash them, you will deduct 10% from the total money as your commission, and send the balance to me here in LONDON, This project is 100% risk free and it is legal from the American Government, if you are interested, kindly send me the below information's:

    1. Your Complete Full Names.
    2. Your Residential Address.
    3. Your Telephone Number or Your Mobile Phone Number for easy comnunication
    4. Age and Occupation.


    Finally Dear, My website is under construction and as soon as it is ready on the internet, you will be notified to view some of my art work, once again, This project is 100% risk free and it is legal from the America Government and here with the British Government, so fill free to make up your mind and email me back with the above information's to enable us proceed. Thanks for finding time to read my proposal.



    N/B: Please get back to us through our private alternative e-mail box (susanjamesbryant55@yahoo.com).

    Kindly reply as soon as you can.

    Friendly Regards.
    Mrs. Susan J. Bryant.

    What anvil did I get?

    in Anvils, Swage Blocks, and Mandrels

    Posted

    Brad,

    Actually, I think the anvil is a bit older than you think. It doesn't have a pritchel hole. Here is a quote from a webpage on dating mousehole anvils...

    "I am passing on a rough guide to age that I am got from Jim Wallace at the National Ornamental Metal Museum. If the anvil does not have a step, and has an even smaller horn than the small one on other Mouse Hole anvils, and is attached directly under the end of the face, then it might not have a steel face, but could. This anvil would have been made in the 1750-1775 time frame. If it has a step, and is made by Armatage, marked as an Armatage Mouse Hole, then the face is hard steel. If there is no pritchell hole, it was made before about 1790-1795. If it has a PUNCHED pritchell hole, it is in the 1795-1850 manufacture range."

    and this concerning logos...

    "1780 - 1795: MOUSEHOLE
    1795 - 1820: C&A MOUSEHOLE
    1820 - 1835: M&H ARMITAGE MOUSEHOLE

    Since it has a step, but no pritchel hole, it should be from 1775 to 1795. Old indeed. I can't see any writing above the "OLE", so it well could be before they added M&H Armatage to the logo, and there isn't enough room to have C&A MOUSEHOLE. If it is in fact just the MOUSEHOLE logo, that would date it between about 1780 to 1790. Almost 225 yrs old. :)

    Not bad for a cheap anvil at a small farm auction, in the middle of Pennsylvania.

    Pam

    What anvil did I get?

    in Anvils, Swage Blocks, and Mandrels

    Posted

    I stole...err...bought an anvil at an auction this past Saturday. I finally got some pictures loaded, and want to see if anyone can confirm or tell me what I picked up.

    For some reason, I can't get the picture to show up. They can be viewed here


    Take a look and see if you can tell me what I bought. (Yes I have a good idea of what it is, but would like confirmation.)

    As you can see, the face is badly damaged, but I think fixable.

    Pam

    face.jpg Face
    heel.jpg Heel
    horn.jpg Horn
    rtside.jpg Right Side
    writing.jpg Writing

    Edit: photos and hot link added

    New demo idea that worked!

    in Blacksmithing, General Discussion

    Posted

    Usually the kids I demo for could care less what I make (or even if I hammer anything) as long as I dunk the peice in the slack tub and make it steam. :)

    Today, I did a cool off-the-cuff demo for a bunch of kids that worked really well.

    Usually when no one is around I work on my own stuff...Today, I had a leaf hook that the leaf that just didn't turn out, so I cut off the leaf end, and was trying to figure out what to do with the hook end when the group of kids walked in...

    I told them I was going to tie the end in a knot and wanted to see who could untie it. (It was a small thin hook, so I "tied" a hole in the end instead of flattening the end and cutting or drilling a hole to screw it into the wall.) I then dunked it in the slack tub to cool, and passed it around.

    Those kids tried so hard to "untie" it! It had never occured to me that they didn't quite understand that the metal need to be red hot to bend as easily as I "tied" it.

    I had those kids undivided attention for the next half hour or so, asking suprisingly astute questions, like how each of the different types of hammers move the metal different ways. (I was using a couple of different hammers to make a leaf.) To say the least, I was amazed!

    That demo is sure a keeper!

    Pam

    Paid to do a demo, how much to charge?They accepted my price

    in Blacksmithing, General Discussion

    Posted

    Guys,

    Doing the demo doesn't bother me. I demo for an average of almost 400 people each and every weekend.

    It's the concept of someone asking how much I charge to do a demo that has me perplexed. I demo at the State Park for free (and yes I know they should be paying me).

    I've given it alot of thought and I'm telling them that for the weekend (I'd need to be there and set up by 8am and can't pack up until after 5pm) and a 20 minute to half an hour (or more) demo every hour will cost them $500 for the weekend. That gives me a bit of room to negotiate if necessary.

    Ok thoughts on the price? It covers all expenses plus some.

    Pam

    Paid to do a demo, how much to charge?They accepted my price

    in Blacksmithing, General Discussion

    Posted

    Thank you all for your suggestions on how to price this demo. They accepted my offer! I will be the paid blacksmith at the Whitetail Ski Resort's Outdoor Festival on Oct. 22nd and 23.

    Pam

    Hi all! Most of you know me as alchemyknife or Pam in Anvilfire Chat. 8)

    I got a call yesterday from the local ski resort out here about blacksmithing for their Outdoor Festival. Seems they'd been looking for a blacksmith for the festival for years, but hadn't found one until they read an article about me in the local paper. :D

    They want to PAY me to demonstrate! I have very little idea what to charge. (Didn't tell them that though.)

    The festival is 2 days, 10am to 5pm each day. I need suggestions on 1) what to charge, and 2) how often to demonstrate.

    Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

    Thanks in advance,

    Pam

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