I will be at the Hertfordshire Craft and Country Show this weekend if anyone cares to join me, Giles and Tom N look like they will be scarce so basically I will be on my own there for most of the time, if anyone cares to come along for a chat, or to ask anything blacksmithing or guild related, please come along and make yourself known, if you want to have a play on the forge then that can be accommodated, bring your own PPE,


The Showground Dunstable Road Redbourn Herts AL3 7PT
Directions The Showground is located 300 metres from Junction 9 of the M1. The Showground is signposted from the motorway.

hi there john - im afraid i cant make it - the Usual Family Commitments slay my weekends ....! shame you will be on your own though... hope you get some interest. hope all is well with you and yours - i havent posted much for a while, have been making very boring things in metal, and other exciting things that are Not in metal! i have a job coming up that i might post though im sure i will encounter difficulties :)

That is such a shame, I would love to John, if only it were closer!! I am busy with my market stall tomorrow and I'm afraid it's just too far to go for a day for me as it's a 3 hr drive. Hopefully someone will be able to help you out!

Sorry I couldnn't make it John.
I hope you had a good and productive show.

Thats OK Tom, show went well, We just kept getting interrupted by people wanting to buy stuff and chat about blacksmithing. Giles had his bits there creating some interst as usual, I had some demo/sample bits but not much to sell, gave away some items to some kids, sold some others and took enough to cover fuel and a bit over, so was also good from that point of view, plus I got less items to take back with me,

Key rings, pokers/logroller, the taster day BBQ forks, split crosses and hooks, seemed to be the order of the day, had to turn down many requests for the daffodil and roses, as they are my course samples.

Lady turned up that I had arrange with to meet as she wanted something making which I know you could do, but Giles was there so he has arranged things with her, there were also requests from different people for someone to make fire baskets, and tongs

Best bit was when Mick Maxen turned up and we had an enjoyable afternoon and chinwag on the Sunday,

Will you be going to the Windsor Show?

John,
It was good to see you and Giles on Sunday and catch up with what has been going on in the blacksmithing world.
I have a question, the centre of the daffodil that you had displayed, was it made from tube with the edges curled back ?

Mick.

Hi Mick, good to see you to, yes, that particular one was.

Hi John,

sounds like you had a good time at the show. Shame I couldn't make it!
I've got myself 3 weeks work in a warehouse at the moment, which is terrible and minimum wage, but I can't turn down the work at the moment.

Giles has told me about the commision. I won't be able to have a go at it for quite some time at the moment, as free time is very rare currently.

I won't be coming to the Windsor show, as I will be down at Westpoint for the firewelding course.

Hi Tom, I am afraid I won't be at Windsor either for the same reason, or the course won't run,

Are you still looking for some stainless wire for chainmail? Or any tooling?

Not looking for any wire at the moment. That was just for a bit of fun!
Currenty having no free time at the moment, I am just trying to rebuild my workshop at the moment.

Slowly looking to build up tools as I go. Its just getting the free time to make them.

See you in a few weekends time.

Hmm... I will be at the Windsor Show and so will not be at the welding course - which is a great pity because I would both enjoy it and benefit from it a lot.

John, any chance of a two day course with the focus solely on joining methods? I'm most interested in mortise & tenons, collaring and old-style brazing on the hearth. What's the critical number needed to make it a goer?

1, may not be economical, but if someone needs the information, we are there to try to provide it, and will endeavour to do so.