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The August Monthly meeting of the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland will be Sunday, August 21st on the grounds of the Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S. Center St, Westminster, MD 21157. The facility opens up at 9am and we will be there until about 4pm (more or less). August is time for the BGCM Annual Ice-Cream Freeze-Off. Bring and make your best home-made/home-churned ice-cream. Compete for “BEST BLACKSMITH ICE-CREAM. Pot-luck lunch at 12 noon Iron-in-the-hat follows lunch Business meeting at about 1pm. Trade Item this month is an ice-cream scoop

Welcome to blacksmithing. There is a new Guild starting up not to far from you: The Blacksmith Guild of Western Maryland. They meet one Saturday a month at Wally Yater's place on Mousetown Rd, Boonsboro, MD. Contact Wally at 301-432-5789 wallaceyater@yahoo.com to find out about their next meeting. The Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland meets at the Carroll County Farm Museum in Westminster. Our next meeting is Sunday, 21 Aug. You can keep track of our meetings via the BGCM HotLine: 410-386-9150 Meeting annoucements are also poster here on I Forge Iron (Glenn, thanks for providing that service to blacksmith clubs).

This class is being given at the Touchstone Center for Crafts, Farmington, PA (about 60 miles SSE of Pittsburg). The tuition for the class is $xxx. (there may be other fees). Tom Latane will be teaching a class: Complex Hand Forging: A Bench Vise The class runs August 8-12, 2011. Students will forge a bench vise with 3" jaws starting with 1:" square bar. The process will include forging the complex jaw shapes, welding steel on the jaws, forge brazing parts to build the box, and making the mounting bracket. Students can choose between having a machinist cut threads on the screw and box or brazing square threads from a "c" clamp to forged parts. A friend asked me to post this as the class only has 1 student signed up so far.

Ideally, 100% natural fiber is considered best. But in this situation where you are putting an adult size shirt on a child the fabric is basically drapped over the child and not in close contact with the child's skin. So if a large piece of fire scale were to fall on the shirt, the odds of burning through and contact skin are pretty low. The child is holding the twisting wrench at arms length, and is only in a "forging" situation for maybe 30-45 seconds, so I think the odds are in my favor. On the other hand, if the camper were actually hammering on hot steel where there would be a greater chance of having fire scale pop up and land on the shirt, I would then insist on a natural fibers shirt.

We do 3 projects for the Living History Camp at the Farm Museum for 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. For each group we prepare the blanks. The only thing that the campers do is put a twist in item. The youngest put a twist in a tab hook; next group puts a twist in a "C" hook so that it ends as an "S" hook. The oldest campers put a twist in a screwdriver (the reason we do the screwdriver is that at one time the campers made small hand looms for weaving potholders. They would use the screwdrivers to adjust/assemble the wooden loom. I am not sure if they still make the looms, but we still do the screwdrivers.) All the items are made from 1/4" square. I heat up the iron work, place it vertically in a post vice and postition the 2 handled twisting wrench. At that point the camper comes into the forging area, places their hands on the wrench and simply walk around the post vice until I tell them to stop. At that point they leave the forging area and go outside the railing. Next I straighten the item as best I can,(If the camper can hold his/her arms straight, the item comes out pretty straight). Next, I wire brush vigorously and apply a coating of beeswax. As each item is finished it is placed on table next to the campers initials. They are sternly instructed not to touch the iron work until I hand it to them. The camp gives me 2 counselers who mind the campers, keep track of the initials, etc. We have 2 men's long sleeve workshirts and each camper, in turn, puts one on backwards (so that the buttons are in the back) we have child size safety glasses (IMPORTANT, if you try to use adult size safety glasses they will keep slipping down the child's face and create problems.) Also we have small size gloves. So the camper is covered up as well as possible. By having 2 sets, one camper is "suiting-up" as the previous one is doing the twist. The 2 camp counselers are responsible for helping the campers put on and take off the safety gear. We have to move along at a pretty good pace to fit all of the campers into the allotted time. I usually get 4 groups of 12-13 camppers at a time. While heating up a piece of iron, I talk about the history of blacksmithing and answer questions Projects which had been done in the past include making small dinner bells, and horsehoe rings. Those were done before my involvement.

The July Monthly meeting of the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland will be Sunday, July 17th on the grounds of the Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S. Center St, Westminster, MD 21157. The facility opens up at 9am and we will be there until about 4pm (more or less). Pot-luck lunch at 12 noon Iron-in-the-hat raffle follows lunch Business meeting at about 1pm. Trade Item this month is something made of non-ferrous metal

I have demonstrated for many elementary school groups. Most of them would be perfectly happy to just watch me heat the metal to orange and then quench in the slack tub. They seem to get a really big charge out of seeing the hot steel generate steam. once they have seen me quench, they ask me to do it over and over. Making nails is also good. Even 2nd graders seem to know what a nail is and what it is used for, so making a nail is something that is quick and something that they can relate to.

Another way to determine the sides of a Golden Rectangle is to use a Phi ruler. I bought one from a wood worker supply store. On one side you measure the long side and the bottom half of the ruler will give that dimension decreased by Phi. The other side of the ruler assumes that the short side is know and gives you the same dimension increased by Phi for the long side. It has the value of Phi, 1.618 etched into the ruler, so even if I am not going to use the ruler, it is easy to find the value. The ruler has no manufacturer's name on it. Mine is 18" long, ss, and made in Taiwan. I seem to remember from when I bought it, that it was available in a number of different lengths.

The June Monthly meeting of the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland will be Sunday, June 12th on the grounds of the Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S. Center St, Westminster, MD 21157. The facility opens up at 9am and we will be there until about 4pm (more or less). This is not a 3rd Sunday. Pot luck lunch at noon, Iron-in-the-hat raffle follows lunch (please bring a contribution for the raffle) Business meeting at about 1pm. Trade Item this month is a “beverage related item”: coaster, cup holder, bottle opener, cork screw, wine bottle holder, etc.

Glenn, Words just seem so inadequate at times like this. Please know that you and your family have my thoughts and prayers. Albin

The April Monthly meeting of the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland will be Sunday, April 10th (THIS IS NOT A 3RD SUNDAY OF THE MONTH) on the grounds of the Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S. Center St, Westminster, MD 21157. The facility opens up at 9am and we will be there until about 4pm (more or less). Pot-luck lunch at 12 noon (please bring something to share) Iron-in-the-hat raffle follows lunch (please bring a contribution for the raffle) Business meeting at about 1pm Trade Item this month is something with a flower

The March Monthly meeting of the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland will be Sunday, March 20th on the grounds of the Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S. Center St, Westminster, MD 21157. The facility opens up at 9am and we will be there until about 4pm (more or less). At 10 am, Ted McNett will give a demonstration on making decorated hinges, based on his class taken with Gary Brown. March is time for the annual Chili Cook-Off. Competition in two flavors of Chili: spicy and mild. If you don't bring chili, bring a side dish to go along with chili. Iron-in-the-hat raffle follows lunch (please bring a contribution for the raffle) Business meeting at about 1pm. Trade Item this month is a chili ladle.

I had the same thing happen to me. I put the rr spike to a grinder and sure enough the sparks (very short reddish yellow with no stars) confirmed that I had a wrought iron spike.

The February Monthly meeting of the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland will be Sunday, February 20th on the grounds of the Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S. Center St, Westminster, MD 21157. The facility opens up at 9am and we will be there until about 4pm (more or less). Pot-luck lunch at 12 noon, bring something to share Iron-in-the-hat raffle follows lunch Business meeting at about 1pm. Trade Item this month is a kitchen utensil. If the weather looks “ify” call the Guild HotLine at 410-386.9150 before you leave home.

The January Monthly meeting of the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland will be Sunday, January 16th on the grounds of the Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S. Center St, Westminster, MD 21157. The facility opens up at 9am and we will be there until about 4pm (more or less). Pot-luck lunch at 12 noon, bring something to share At 10am, Curt Welch will lead a discussion on “Modern welding for the hobby blacksmith Iron-in-the-hat raffle follows lunch Business meeting at about 1pm. Trade Item this month is a something with a heart (in preparation for Valentines Day next month. If the weather looks “ify” call the Guild Hotline at 410-386-9150 before you leave home.

Bill Gichner Memorial Hammer-In on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Jan 7/8/9 The Registration price goes up from $60 to $80 after 25 Dec. New this year is a Sunday only registration for $30. Also, there will NOT be an Iron-In-The-Hat due to space and weather constraints, only an auction. So please bring a nice hand-forged piece for the auction.

The December monthly meeting will be this coming Saturday, 11 December, 2010 at the Bear Branch Nature Center on the Grounds of the Hashawha Environmental Center, 300 John Owings Rd, Westminster, MD. This is off of Rt 97 north of Westminster. The December meeting is the Annual Holiday Party. Set up starts at about 4pm and we will sit down to break bread around 5:30 or so. Attendees are asked to bring either a side dish or a desert. The trade item is a hand made Christmas Tree ornament. Also, there will be a Christmas Cookie Exchange. Other than the Open Forge this coming Thursday night, 9 December, the Guild will NOT be meeting at the Farm Museum in December. The next time we will be at the Farm Museum will be for the January meeting, Sunday, January 16th. The Trade Item for January is something with a heart.

The November Monthly meeting of the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland will be Sunday, November 21st on the grounds of the Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S. Center St, Westminster, MD 21157. The facility opens up at 9am and we will be there until about 4pm (more or less). Pot-luck lunch at 12 noon Repousse demonstration by Albin Drzewianowski at 10am Iron-in-the-hat raffle follows lunch Business meeting at about 1pm. Trade Item this month is a blacksmith tool.

Important reminder!!!! The October Guild Meeting is Sunday Oct 31st (which is not a 3rd Sunday) on the grounds of the Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S. Center St, Westminster, MD 21157. The facility opens up at 9am and we will be there until about 4pm (more or less). Pot-luck lunch at 12 noon Iron-in-the-hat raffle follows lunch Business meeting at about 1pm. Trade Item for October is a bowl or vessel. We are not meeting on Sunday the 17th because we will be demonstrating at the B&O Train Museum in Baltimore for their Steam Days. 10am to 4pm both Saturday and Sunday.

The September Monthly meeting of the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland will be Sunday, September 26th on the grounds of the Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S. Center St, Westminster, MD 21157. The facility opens up at 9am and we will be there until about 4pm (more or less). This is NOT a 3rd Sunday of the month. Lunch at 12 noon Iron-in-the-hat Business meeting Trade Item this month is an crab tool. Also, Please mark your calendars. Due to the fact that the Guild will be demonstrating at the B&O Train Museum in Baltimore the weekend of 16/17 October, the October monthly meeting has been moved to Sunday, October 31st.

The August Monthly meeting of the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland will be Sunday, August 15th on the grounds of the Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S. Center St, Westminster, MD 21157. The facility opens up at 9am and we will be there until about 4pm (more or less). August is time for the BGCM Annual Ice-Cream Freeze-Off. Bring and make your best home-made/home-churned ice-cream. Compete for “BEST BLACKSMITH ICE-CREAM. Pot-luck lunch at 12 noon Iron-in-the-hat follows lunch Business meeting at about 1pm. Trade Item this month is an ice-cream scoop

The July Monthly meeting of the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland will be Sunday, July 18th on the grounds of the Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S. Center St, Westminster, MD 21157. The facility opens up at 9am and we will be there until about 4pm (more or less). Pot-luck lunch at 12 noon Iron-in-the-hat raffle follows lunch Business meeting at about 1pm. Trade Item this month is a bottle opener

((The following book review was originally printed in the May/June 2010 issue of the BGCM Newsletter)) Title: Boone Wrought Iron: Products and Practices Written by Don Plummer Photographed by Nick Vincent Edited by Judy Boone Published 2010 by Plummer Design Works, Phoenixville, PA ISBN: 0-9709099-5-0 7-3/4” x 7-3/4”, soft cover; with 76 pages and well over 100 color photographs Daniel Boone the 7th has traced his blacksmithing heritage back 15 generations to 16th century England. This book is a tribute to his (and Judy's) success as a full time professional blacksmith; this after having a long career as a welder. The book includes a brief bio, pictures of his shop and craft fair booth and a discussion on how he approaches the business of selling ironwork. This is followed by 6 chapters featuring the different types of ironwork he makes and sells. Along with the pictures there are brief sidebars which speak to various technical aspects involved in making the piece. This book is intended for 2 (often overlapping) audiences: first those of us who have come to know Dan and Judy Boone, who have attended their legendary “Pasture Parties” every February and who appreciate how much he has shared his knowledge of blacksmithing; secondly for any smith who would like to pursue a career as a full time professional blacksmith. This book is a blueprint of how to identify a niche clientèle and then produce the ironwork appropriate for that class of customers. The fact that Dan's devoted clientèle come back year after year to buy yet more ironwork from him, proves the validity of his business plan. In the final analysis this book is about the pictures, highly detailed color pictures that display all of the fine points of Dan's work. By studying these pictures, you can see a continuity of style through all the different types of home hardware. When you see one of Dan's pieces you can almost always recognize it as his work. His style is his signature. And I am not just talking about his dragons, but also his leaves, the way he wraps the joints, dimples the screw holes, etc. For a mere $19.95, this book would be a steal at twice the price. To get a copy, contact: Nick Vincent, 410-848-7903 nick@nathansforge.com

The June Monthly meeting of the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland will be Sunday, June 27th (THIS IS NOT A 3RD SUNDAY OF THE MONTH). We will meet on the grounds of the Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S. Center St, Westminster, MD 21157. The facility opens up at 9am and we will be there until about 4pm (more or less). Pot-luck lunch at 12 noon Iron-in-the-hat raffle follows lunch Business meeting at about 1pm. Trade Item this month is a mobile or a windchime

I have a Clay Spencer in-line treadle hammer and I have 17 1/4" between the anvil and head. This gives me 16 1/4" between the flat dies. My various pairs of fullers are between 2" and 2 1/2" high each so that leaves me about 12" or so when I am using them. Seems to work very well for me.