primtechsmith

Thats a great price too! Peyton

I never had the chance to meet Jimmy in person, but had shared some good emails and phone calls with him as a neighboring state guild president over the past few years. I have a deep sense of sympathy for his family, and the NCABANA guys too. We have all lost one of the most pure of heart characters blacksmithing has ever had. His willingness to spread the word and help others are in all the stories I have heard, and little bit of time I spent talking with him. His family and friends are certainly in my prayers. Peyton

Hi everyone. I try every holiday to do something on our guild site to wish people well during the holidays. I wanted to share that with my iforgeiron family this time along with my BGVa. family. So.... Happy Easter all! Here is a link to this holiday's attempt at blacksmith humor. http://www.blacksmithguildofva.com Peyton

I dug up some website for Mike and Tom if anyone is interested... Mike "Smyth" Boone http://www.booneshooks.com/boone.html Tom Boone http://www.boonesforge.com/ All of the Boones are really talented! And I have enjoyed learning for all three of them at one time or another! Peyton

Frosty: That's cool with me. Dan is a descendant of Daniel Boone. They have a book out about the family. SOme of his family members are the ones who did a lot of the work for the Biltmore Estate, and also Colonial Williamsburg... Dan has two sons. Both are blacksmiths. Mike "Smyth" Boone, and Tom. Tome is still living close to home, and Mike is out in Colorado I believe. A couple of years back all three did a demo together. It was really great! Dan is one of the demonstrators at the ABANA Conference in Memphis this year. He will also do a lecture on getting into the craft shows and making money at it. Dan is a great guy, very humble, and just wonderful to watch work. Peyton

Dan demonstrated for us last weekend...talk about some beautiful stuff. The dragon with the anvil in his mouth is what he donated to our June silent auction! I have over 100 photos in our gallery on the guild site of the steps and chisels... http://www.blacksmithguildofva.com Enjoy! Peyton

Brian... I will tell them to sign up for your class to possibly make a hammer then learn how to make something with it other than a shoe!!! I may get punched in the face, but it will be well worth it. HA! Peyton

Brian..... I just may have to swing away on a pair with you in December when you are here for your class! Nice!!!! Also had some farriers here Saturday and two of them tried really hard to steal my/your hammer... Peyton

April 24 2010 9:30am-4:30pm Next Meeting Demonstrator: SHEL BROWDER of Colonial Williamburg's Anderson Blacksmith Shop Topic: Sawtooth trammel, socket wood chisel, patch knife, and more... Do not forget about Iron in the Hat!!! This is how we fund this guild and keep it going! There will also be a Show & Tell area to bring any recent works you have and want to show off. Directions, photos, and more meeting info on the NEWS page of the guild website: http://www.blacksmithguildofva.com ALL ARE WELCOME! MEMBERS AND NON-MEMBERS! Peyton

Hi Luke, Welcome to the forum. Being in NC you have some good smiths in your state. And the state above you...I am in Virginia. Here are a few links that may help: These guys are an Affiliate of ABANA and have a few sub groups throughout the state. NCABANA: http://www.ncabana.org/ We have a fe NC guys come up here for our meetings too...you are welcome anytime. http://www.blacksmithguildofva.com We meet at the Yesteryear School of Blacksmithing for each meeting. http://www.yesteryearschool.com I hope to maybe see you at an event or two one of these days... Peyton

I get mine from John: http://www.blacksmithsupply.com Peyton

Brian, Maybe we can make this a part of the 3 day class we have scheduled in December with you? Peyton

PAUL DELL MOFFETT, 10/1/1931--3/3/2010 Mr. Moffett was graduated from Shortridge High School in 1950 and attended Hanover College in the class of 1954. He served in the United States Army from 1954 to 1956. After his discharge he was active in two small businesses dealing with theater supplies and electronic power controls. He spent many hours volunteering for organizations which interested him including the Transportation Museum in Noblesville and, more recently, the Museum of Miniature Houses in Carmel where he was responsible for both full-scale and miniature lighting. He served for many years on the Board of Trustees for St. Luke's United Methodist Church where his primary responsibility was overseeing the care of the building and its mechanical and electrical systems. His lifelong interest in history was shown by membership in the Indiana Historical Society, National Railroad Historical Society, Indiana Canal Society and American Theater Organ Society. He also collected materials involving antique crafts such as weaving, metalwork, and hand tools. He became interested in the art and craft of blacksmithing and served several terms as president of the Indiana Blacksmithing Association. He was active, also, in the national blacksmithing organization (Artists Blacksmith Association of North America) and served as assistant chair of their annual national conference in 2004. He was preceded in death by a sister, Susan Dell Moffett Curtis, and a son, David Paul Moffett. Survivors include his wife, Suzanne Berry Moffett and daughter, Wendy Lynn Moffett Johnson. Contributions may be made in his honor to the Museum of Miniature Houses, 111 E. Main Street, Carmel , IN 46032, or the Indiana Blacksmithing Association, c/o Ferrel Wells, 8235 E. 499 S., Dunkirk, IN 47336. Paul was a great person for blacksmithing. Very dedicated, and very much willing to help anyone in need. I knew Paul, and spent some time with him at a few Quad States, and at the past ABANA board meeting in Memphis. I wish I would have known him better, and spent more time with him when I had the chance. He will be missed.

That is a nice job. I want some more angles of the pig's head... Peyton

For more information on the meeting visit our website, and look at the NEWS page. http://www.blacksmithguildofva.com

John B, What an outstanding idea!!!!!! Now I need to find a good supply of these things and do this with our Virginia guys! Thanks for sharing that! Jim Masterson down at the Metal Museum has used them for a few things... http://www.metalmuseum.org/artists.html He is at the bottom...the hight heels he made are awesome! Randy Hodges down in Manteo NC does some cool stuff with them too: http://manteoblacksmith.net/ Scroll down to his wine racks.... Peyton

some of the wood wind family would be easy.....The flut is basicly a series of finger holes, an oval shaped ohle on one end(that is capped off). That may be something cool. A lot of your other instruments have valves, reeds, mouth pieces, pads, etc. There are a lot of percussion items too....the triangle, symbol, cow bell (worked for Blue Oyster Cult "Don't frea the reaper"...) There is also a weird thing called a sistrum(not sur eof spelling. It looks sort of like a tennis racket with things in it that rattle. Used mostly for rituals. Pretty old instrument if I remember correctly. You would have to check it though. I have thought it would be fun to forge our a big Kazoo...by big I mean about 8 times the actual size, and make it workable with an air hose attachment. That is in the pile with my big mouse trap and every other small item I think would be cool made out of steel a lot bigger. Good luck with it. Peyton

Thanks guys... I am feeling a little better about this now. I was under the impression I had to forge weld the eyes...which I could and would be stronger I imagine, but me and forge welding have not met but a few times if you know what I mean...partly because I just do not do it. Hopefully after the visit tomorrow I will have a better idea on attaching it too. I need to look at what they have done and ballpark a weight for the doors too I suppose. The photos were a HUGE help too. I need all the help I can get! This project will also make me do something. I spend so much time doing everything involved in blacksmithing except actually lighting a forge. I am looking forward to this...Mike may not be looking forward to me and my million questions/plans/frustrations/etc. when I get into the forge though. HA! Peyton

I am helping out the historic village down the road from my middle school and am going tomorrow to look at the progress on the blacksmith shop they are putting up. They are wanting me to make some strap hinges for the doors, and I have agreed with a clause of saying the doors may fall off! I have made a couple of hinges years ago for the simple practice of doing it... Is there a specific formula, or rule of thumb when making these hinges? The doors re going to be 4'x8' each. I am just wondering about all aspects in this from the pintle to the need for a forge welded eye, length, thickness of material etc. any help from those with experience would be awesome! Peyton

Great point Sam! Maybe we will know the outcome an dmaybe get a photo or two... Peyton

Sam He actually said: "I wanted the finish to match the fireplace implements that have a forged look." I think this all still may be on topic. Maybe not... My .02 Peyton

I have seen people heat up a piece of sheet metal (they were going to do some chisel work on) a total of three times to get a good scaled up surface look. They would heat it up and bend it slightly each time to make the scale pop off...wire brush it with a hand brush...let it cool...then do it again. The results really surprised me on how well it did. Now this may have been for hot roll to reduce the mill scale. I do not remember. But I would think that the process would have a similar outcome in your case even if you did not bend it but go it up to heat and then brushed it. Then you can clear it or wax, or whatever.... Might work...Good luck. Beautiful by the way. Wright's work is something to admire. I have a book somewhere of his finished work and sketches. This makes me want to dig that thing out. Peyton

Cool! I think this is going to be a really fun class. I am running it first here to give all the IFI guys a chance to check their schedules for it and possibly sign up before the general public... I am really looking forward to Brian coming back to the school. I do not think I have ever learned as much in such a short amount of time on so many different techniques and ways of forging in my life. I hope to have that again! I may even have to be "sick" on that Friday to to soak in a little bit more! Peyton

Brian is coming back to Virginia for another class!!!!!!!!!!!!! This time it is a 3 day class on all the cool small items we see him posting here! December 3-5 2010 => Forged Projects with Brian Brazeal Class Description: This class will offer instruction on everything from forge welding to riveting and the fundamentals of forging. This class will allow all levels of blacksmiths to gain new project ideas and further practice of Brian's unique techniques learned from Alfred Habermann. You will make things from rings and other jewelry to horse heads, crosses, hearts, and MUCH MUCH more! You will no doubt be blown away by the insight and ability you will gain from this class! This will be one of the best classes to take this year because of how much can be done in just three days! You can register at the school website: http://www.yesteryearschool.com Peyton

I have just about left my Tom Clark cross pien in the rack lately...I love my Brazeal hammer. The coolest part is that I "helped"...when not missing and sending things flying across the shop! Great hammer! Thanks again for the experience Brian. Peyton