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Chris & Daniel come to Brian Brazeals


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Chris & Daniel were at the LAMA conference when Brian and I were there and Daniel took a hammer class. He is a young energetic and soft spoken young man that has a lot of talent. His dad Chris, ended up doing some striking at the conference in LA and did a great job. While he was heating a piece of metal this morning Daniel leaned over and told me that was the first time Chris had ever heated a piece of metal in a forge. Chris worked with Brian this morning and got off to a good start. They made a hot cut hardy while Daniel and I made one. I got a few pics but was working with Daniel most of the day. Bryce jumped in and took some pics of Brian and I making a repoussé hammer.
Then there are a few pics of Daniel and Brian working on a 1 1/2" top fuller. Finally I took a few pics of Bryce making a drift from 1 1/8" 1045. I did not get pics of it but Chris made a repoussé hammer and so did Daniel. The hammers will be used in the class we are all signed up for this week with David Koenig. I should have pics of the hammers tomorrow.

https://picasaweb.google.com/LDWynn/ChrisDanielDay1#

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It looks like all 5 of you are having a great time! Beautiful repousée hammers! Chris and Daniel, i am sure will learn enormous amounts from Lyle and Brian ( one can't NOT learn any thing from them :D )

alec

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Good guess Clinton but in a couple of the pictures you can see that the tongs are against the fullers when dividing up the hammer. Because of the fold on the end this acts as a stop to place you as far as you can be against the fullers without hitting the hole. Look at this link to picture number 43 on Chris & Daniel day 1. https://picasaweb.google.com/LDWynn/ChrisDanielDay1#5609721880135692098


Below are the pics for day 2 they started with the 2 sided taper, after that Brian did a leaf, ( I think I got all the steps to that) then went through the tong steps, Daniel had brought his hammer he made at the LAMA Class, I got pics of Brian tempering it and putting a new handle in it. I got all the steps of him making a steel wedge, I guess this is a very simple item but for some reason I think its cool.

Heres the pics for day 2 https://picasaweb.google.com/LDWynn/ChrisDanielDay2#

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Here are days 3 & 4 https://picasaweb.google.com/LDWynn/ChrisDanielDays3And4# Chris & Daniel both made 3 1/2 pound hammers out of 2" round, Brian and Daniel made some drifts, Daniel was really getting that new hammer up in the air. Then Chris and Brian were making a punch. We start our class with Dave Koenig tomorrow through Friday then is time for our Conference.

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Well here is the last day of forging with Chris & Daniel. https://picasaweb.google.com/LDWynn/ChrisDanielsLastDay# They got started by making a cupping tool, then moved on to the hammer tongs. Daniel and Brian made a set of hump tools as well. I got picks of all the tools they made, and you will see a feather and an art piece Daniel and Chris made during the class with David Koenig. It has really been a lot of fun working with these two. I think Chris has really built up his confidence around a forge and will result in the two of them excelling in understanding the forging elements Brian has shown them in hopes of them being able to repeat what they saw. It was a lot of fun, Daniel is a nice young man, and any father would be proud of how he handles himself.

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Lyle,

Daniel and I sincerely thank you for chronicling our efforts at learning the blacksmithing craft from you and Brian. I suspect that the nine days we were with you folks seemed like quite a while to you; but it flew for Daniel and I! Thank you also for showing us the Mississippi Craft Guilds facility. Both it and the Agricultural Museum are first tier facilities promoting the best of the best of what Mississippi has to offer. I know of no other states with such an impressive devotion to the crafts. Also, please pass along Daniel and I's scincere appreciation of the efforts of the Mississppi Forge Council in putting together a very fine conference. Your council is populated with very skilled and personable individuals, and we much enjoyed the hospitality extended to us. Daniel learned a great deal from everyone he met during our time with you and Brian. I cannot imagine that a more productive learning experience could be found anywhere else at any price. You folks (spouses included) are one very fine team that really went the extra nine yards to ensure that we were as productive as we could be.

Daniel is back to work at the Ranch Forge and he and I will be practicing making hammers this weekend in preperation for this months HABA meeting where we are expected to demonstrate what we learned. I would have posted this note sooner, but Moma is out of town with the Red Cross and I am pretending to raise the kids in her absense. Do you reckon Brian would let Karen come over and cook for the next week or two?

Daniel and I will definitley be back to spend time learning with you again. Just let us get a little more practice on our anvils and we will be ready for the next in the Brian and Lyle series of forging techniques.

Time to pull the casserole from the stove.....

Cheers,

Chris Riffe

P.S. Alec.....we got to finally see your snails. Nice! Daniel and I talk about your skills often and imagine that you are as happy as Daniel is now-a-days when he is at his anvil.

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It looks like you guys both had a fabulous time with Brian and Lyle ( who wouldn't! ). Thank you very much for the compliments! And, you know you can't make those hammers this weekend without posting picture of them here on iforgeiron, don't you? ! :D ( I look forward to seeing pictures of them!)
Say hi to Daniel for me.

alec

P.S another great job with the pics , Lyle!!

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