larry harley Posted May 17, 2007 Share Posted May 17, 2007 Larry Harley, Wes Byrd, and Tim Potier ventured to French Camp, Mississippi in May, to host a hands on demonstration of Bladesmithing for the students and staff of French Camp Academy. French Camp Academy is a Christian based school/home for kids that come from a fractured home situation. The blacksmith shop in the historical area is a 20 by 20 log structure with a lean-to on each side of the building. The shop has basic power minimum lighting and dirt floors. It is a good place to show the public and students forging techniques. Things started about eight o’clock Saturday morning at the historical area blacksmith shop. During the day about 40 students (male and female from ages 7 to 18) participated in age and ability appropriate hands on forging activities. We made nails, hot dog forks, leaves, and knives etc, and each person took something home that they had worked on. As bladesmiths, we can teach some blacksmithing skills but are looking for a couple of blacksmiths that can volunteer their time to demonstrate or teach a weekend class in blacksmithing. We are also trying to equip the blacksmith shop with work stations so more students can learn. If you would be interested in volunteering your time to teach classes at the school, please contact me, Larry Harley (423) 878-5368, or Wes Byrd (423) 775-3826, Tim Potier (337) 639-2229. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted May 17, 2007 Share Posted May 17, 2007 I spoke with Larry and he is looking for a blacksmith that can volunteer a weekend to demonstrate blacksmithing to this group of kids in Mississippi. If your interested, give him a call or contact him pm through the site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry harley Posted May 17, 2007 Author Share Posted May 17, 2007 Thanks for reposting this for me glen. So far the response has been overwhelming. I've collected a post vice, bunch of sm ballpeen hammers, 2 gas forges, one coal forge, and some tongs. You can see who i am at LonesomePine Knives. I am also the national coordinator for the American Bladesmith Society Youth Program. Here is a link to French Camp French Camp Academy A the kids come from a fractured home environment. Its my idea to not give them fish, but to teach them how to fish. harley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry harley Posted May 18, 2007 Author Share Posted May 18, 2007 his past hammerin at batsons , wes byrd and my self were being good little mushrooms and conducting out youth seminar over in the green coal section snatching every kid that came along and shoveing a hammer in there hand and makeing stufffff telln them "it ok to play in the fire here:)" some of the other demonstrators were supposed to stop at green coal through out the weekend and do green cola for adults but wes and i had these kids so fired up that thats all was there at the time was kids it came time for tim potea to take his turn ad he ended up w the kid called derrick eh worked w this kid for a couple of hrs and the kid ended up w a nice knife it couldnt be hammerd on any more so tim said "take that hom e and u and your dad finish it" and the kid replied mister , i ant got no dad and wondered off tim looked like a gut shot deer!!!!!!!! from the look on his face u could tell he was fractured after the kid wondered off wes and i started questioning his friends and come to find out none of them had parents!!!!!! time for wes and i to look like gut shot deer!!!! about an houre later the kid this derick came back by patted tim on the shoulder and said "thank u mister thats the nicest thing anybody has ever done for me" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we all fell over heart strings pluck in a major cord it was at thsi point wes and i got thsi same idea the next day (sat )we approached tim and ask for his help after some talk between our selves we dicided that we shold involve some of the higher powers of the ABS (not everyones a mushroom)smile.gif and introduced terry goins( the house counseler that had brought them up there) to joe keesler and b.r. hughes we received there blessing and visited french camp last weekend it was a real blessing!! and that dear friends is the rest of the story except when i saw tim potier leave sunday morning he had grown to 9 feet tall in my eyes harley french possum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladysmith Posted May 18, 2007 Share Posted May 18, 2007 Hi Larry! Glad to see you're back up and around. I met Larry at the first Moran Hammer-in near Frederick, MD. (Larry, I'm not sure if you remember me as there were lots of people there, but I was about the only girl trying my hand at knifemaking.) I watched Larry work with kids that weekend, and he is amazing! This big bear of a man seems to immediately connect with children, and can explain the fundamentals while the kids are working. Some (most) of those kids produced a much better first try than I did. Larry is one of the good guys! Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry harley Posted May 18, 2007 Author Share Posted May 18, 2007 awww shucks mam twerent nothn:) i have a good time working w kids and learn faster than most adults!! lol i do remember meeting u but its fuzzy long time ago for me i slept most those 48 weeks while i was sick:) working in the shop every day like my hair was on fire!! ive got a laundrey list of tools i want for these kids at french camp and already lots of response keep makeing those knives harley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry harley Posted May 20, 2007 Author Share Posted May 20, 2007 come on guys there has not been one thing donated to french camp off of this forum nothing!! heres a link to stuff that they need i know each and every one of u have stuff in your shop that u dont uesfrench camp academy - Bladesmith's Forum Board get in touch w me and i,ll make arrangements for pick up and delivery harley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hofi Posted May 20, 2007 Share Posted May 20, 2007 LARRY I do not understand why u donot answer my mail to u? HOFI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakwoodforge Posted May 20, 2007 Share Posted May 20, 2007 Harley, I still need that address to UPS that Vice , and the few other misc tools that I shook out of the shop this weekend. Jens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clark-kentski Posted May 20, 2007 Share Posted May 20, 2007 Yes,post the address where you would like tools sent :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry harley Posted May 21, 2007 Author Share Posted May 21, 2007 LARRY I do not understand why u donot answer my mail to u? HOFI hofie i,m sorry ive cked email and i havent received any thing from u it must be lost in the internet email is [email protected] send it again please harley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry harley Posted May 21, 2007 Author Share Posted May 21, 2007 Harley, I still need that address to UPS that Vice , and the few other misc tools that I shook out of the shop this weekend. Jens just send it directley to french camp Att. Terry Goins French Camp Academy One Fine Place French Camp, MS 39745 it will be put to good use:) harley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry harley Posted May 21, 2007 Author Share Posted May 21, 2007 Yes,post the address where you would like tools sent :confused: thanks for the tools i really mean it from the bottom of my lil ol pea pickn heart Att. Terry Goins French Camp Academy One Fine Place French Camp, MS 39745 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hofi Posted May 22, 2007 Share Posted May 22, 2007 Hello Harley Send Me The Size (weight) Of The Hammers U Need, And On My Return From My Demonstration In Holland For The I.f.g.s On The 29 Instent I''ll See What I Can Do For The Kids. I Myself Very Much Appriciate What U Do With The Kids ,i Myself Do The Same In My School For The Same Type Of Kids. Best Regards Hofi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry harley Posted May 23, 2007 Author Share Posted May 23, 2007 LARRY I do not understand why u donot answer my mail to u? HOFI i still have not got an email from and ive sent u 2?? get in touch so we can help these kids harley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry harley Posted May 23, 2007 Author Share Posted May 23, 2007 Hello Harley Send Me The Size (weight) Of The Hammers U Need, And On My Return From My Demonstration In Holland For The I.f.g.s On The 29 Instent I''ll See What I Can Do For The Kids. I Myself Very Much Appriciate What U Do With The Kids ,i Myself Do The Same In My School For The Same Type Of Kids. Best Regards Hofi hey there it is:) duuh most things i do on the computer end up as operator error:) i,m not sure about thew weight and sizes?? mabey u can help out here if u arfe already doing the same thing with some other kids i try to get the younger kids ( from 6 or 7 to about 11 >13 )to do nothing but work tapers its hard to be age specific and size specific because of the differences in ages and sizes and how well they r"hooked up" nerve wise(able to hit the same place 2 times in a row) i find that sometimes the little girles are better at it than some of the boys esp when they r younger i know this has not been much help, sorry mabey when u get back giv eme a call 423 878 5367 harley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry harley Posted May 25, 2007 Author Share Posted May 25, 2007 hey guys does anyone know where theres a 25 lb hammer for sale chhep or free??? i think i might have collected 4 or 5 coal forges i was thinking of selling several and starting a war ches to buy them a hammer now!! where is one??????????????? harley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakwoodforge Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 LARRY, I saw over on the bladesmith forum that Lorelei has one for sale : "25# Little Giant for Sale - Old Style - Made in Wisconsin - Excellent Condition and some tooling is included. I will e-mail you photographs upon request. $2000 firm with free delivery within 100 miles of Charleston, Illinois. Thanks and have a good day! Lorelei[email protected]" While It may not be cheap you should contact her , never know, she may have a soft spot for kiddies Jens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rthibeau Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Package of stuff is on the way to Terry at the Camp. Do you have an email address for him?? A little explanation might be in order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry harley Posted May 26, 2007 Author Share Posted May 26, 2007 LARRY, I saw over on the bladesmith forum that Lorelei has one for sale : "25# Little Giant for Sale - Old Style - Made in Wisconsin - Excellent Condition and some tooling is included. I will e-mail you photographs upon request. $2000 firm with free delivery within 100 miles of Charleston, Illinois. Thanks and have a good day! Lorelei[email protected]" While It may not be cheap you should contact her , never know, she may have a soft spot for kiddies Jens thaNKS BUT SOMEONE HAS AL;READY DONATED ONE:) YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Package of stuff is on the way to Terry at the Camp. Do you have an email address for him?? A little explanation might be in order. heres terrys email address Terry Goins u need to get him and some of the kids to the next meeting of thew mis forge council harley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry harley Posted May 26, 2007 Author Share Posted May 26, 2007 Hello Harley Send Me The Size (weight) Of The Hammers U Need, And On My Return From My Demonstration In Holland For The I.f.g.s On The 29 Instent I''ll See What I Can Do For The Kids. I Myself Very Much Appriciate What U Do With The Kids ,i Myself Do The Same In My School For The Same Type Of Kids. Best Regards Hofi alright!! i think u need to meet me down there and get this off on the right foot what better way thna ot have u do a demo and hands on w some of the older more experienced kids when do u have some free time in the fall or winter?? harley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry harley Posted May 29, 2007 Author Share Posted May 29, 2007 men i cant thank u all enough no matter ow gruff we act we r just a bunch of ol softies the response has been awsome harley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry harley Posted June 3, 2007 Author Share Posted June 3, 2007 Hello Harley Send Me The Size (weight) Of The Hammers U Need, And On My Return From My Demonstration In Holland For The I.f.g.s On The 29 Instent I''ll See What I Can Do For The Kids. I Myself Very Much Appriciate What U Do With The Kids ,i Myself Do The Same In My School For The Same Type Of Kids. Best Regards Hofi hofi becaues u r such a high profile smith id like to get u down to the french camp school it would be a big shot in the arm of this effort give me a call 423 878 5368 harley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry harley Posted June 5, 2007 Author Share Posted June 5, 2007 hofi becaues u r such a high profile smith id like to get u down to the french camp school it would be a big shot in the arm of this effort give me a call 423 878 5368 harley my email address is[email protected] i,m sorry we,ve been missing each other harley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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