International Blacksmith Day was May 23rd, 2015

[Michael]

I had no idea about his holiday, where smiths open up their shops to the public, but Bill K (madwing)
convinced me to drive down to Russell's shop in Watsonville for the day.

Got there early and help Russell scroll the ends of some 10 foot bars for a gate project, and by the time Bill and Dovid arrived, the 100 lb propane tank was plumbed in and the Anyang 88 was warmed up.

We got a few members of the public, drawn by Dovid's giant anvil signs planted out on the road, but mostly is was us four.  

Russell showed off his specialty, stainless mesh layered with copper wire trimmings and bronze, heated with a torch and driven into a die with a power hammer.

Bill, with his tendency to start gift projects under tight deadlines, made a copper and steel candle holder.

and me, with a dozen feet of 1/2 inch coil spring, cut, straightened and shaped a handful of chisels for shaping hot steel into dragons and trolls. The I got to play with the Anyang and drew out a handle from a piece of 1/4 by 4 inch plate to start a bolster plate.

Never have I seen 4 guys working out of both sides of a little freon tank forge so smoothly, no knocking projects around or crowding.  3 anvils, 2 brought by Bill and Dovid, helped.

Dovid made nails you could hold railroad track down with before forgetting which end of the bar was which. He spent the second half of the day melting ice in his hammer hand!

Great time was had by all, and much thanks to Russell for letting a bunch of yahoos mess with his shop.

[Frosty]

Sounds like my kind of day. It's amazing how much a guy can absorb just being with guys when working. And it's all fun and games till someone gets burned. Hmmmmm?

Frosty The Lucky.