Save the date.  Sept. 15-17, Goshen CT.  More information to follow.  

The NEB Fall Meet will be hold Sept 15-17 at the Goshen Fairgrounds, in Goshen Ct

Camping and camper space will be available. The Goshen Fairgrounds has bathrooms and showers.  There are some inexpensive motels in nearby Torrington, Ct, and some nicer motels to the west. There are several local attractions for family members not attending the meet.

 

Saturday lunch and dinner are included.  

Other event: Blue Moon Press, Iron-in-the-Hat, auction, and a forging contest

 

The demonstrator will be Dick Sargent.

Dick's demo will be a mixture of detailing and tooling used for the finer points of railing , gate and grill work. Subjects will include, scroll endings and jigs, blind rivets and tooling, along with mortise and tenon tooling and a unique and efficient way of making angled tenons to name a few. Dick plans that all of this will be interspersed with much discussion and questions from participants which will  expand this demo’s range.

About Dick Sargent:

Dick has been blacksmithing since 1971, and is currently teaching at the Adirondack Folk School, and was formerly the Blacksmithing Dept head at the Peters Valley School of Craft in New Jersey.  During his career he has been contracted by National Park Service, making hardware for major national restorations; and worked with the Newport Restoration Foundation, in Newport, RI forging hardware and railings for over 50 of 17th and 18th century homes there.

A link to the meet flyer will be available shortly on our Website, and the flyer will be in the mail next week

And the good news is  the Forging Raffle should be Wide Open for a winner, I'll be somewhere between AR & MO. 

Ha!  Finally....

Travel safe Dale.

Looking forwards to the fall meet.. Dale sorry you won't be around..  I'll be there Friday and Saturday..  Will be helping out over at the green coal tent both days.. 

 

 

Good news I'm going to the meet!

On 7/30/2017 at 0:25 AM, notownkid said:

And the good news is  the Forging Raffle should be Wide Open for a winner, I'll be somewhere between AR & MO. 

Sad news..., but now I'll buy a ticket!

guess I'll use the money to buy a couple powerball tickets,  Good Luck Lou

Online registration now available at the NEB website.  See you all there.  I've been asked to again run the forging contest, so if anyone has any ideas or bribery, this is your chance!

Wanted to give a heads-up about the forging contest Saturday night (after the membership meeting) at the meet next weekend. 

Teams of two will have one hour to forge a trivet. Overall design will be up to the teams, but it will have to meet minimum size requirements of at least 6” across and 1.25” tall. As with many previous contests, bonus points will be awarded for best design, use of forge welds, teams of strangers and teams with at least one beginner. Green coal tools and materials will be available for use, but if you have special tools or stock you want to use you should bring your own. No power drills allowed.

Forging contests are a ton of fun, I hope you will consider playing!  If you want to be involved, see me at the meet.

 

I'm bringing a serviceable Champion 401 forge for the fundraiser auction OR the iron in the hat.  I got it but don't see myself using it.  I figure someone with the matching blower may want it and money can be raised.   Which would be the most appropriate place for it?

Got some picture's of the stuff in the demo tent.

Kinyon power hammer

Sweet Kohswa anvil

Demo setup

And  of course my sweet Trenton anvil I picked up!

What a blast..  I met some really nice people, got to instruct on many subjects all over the scope and abilities while helping in the Green Coal tent.. 

This area was abuzz with just so many skill levels and so many different subjects. The only time the place wasn't full is during lunch or dinner.  

Friday night I made a nail header to donate to the NEB green coal tooling out of an axle from a Subaru.. I then went on to instruct,  cutting and splitting for a fork,  making balls finials,  san-mi (Taco) damascus using mild for the outer wrap and lawn mover blade for the center.. Forge welding demos.. ETC, ETC..  Was non stop..  

Really had a great time and met so many new people.. To any  of the people that I just met, when and if we meet again don't feel badly if I don't remember your names.. It takes me 3 times meeting to remember names and faces.. LOL.. 

Was a lot of fun.. Great turn out for the whole event.. 

 

If anybody has any pictures of me working or demonstrating please PM me.. I didn't get a one or anything made.. Thanks. 

Sorry those are the only pictures I took. I wish I took some pictures of the mint condition 40 pound PFP peddinghaus some one was selling. 

 

Sorry those are the only pictures I took. I wish I took some pictures of the mint condition 40 pound PFP peddinghaus some one was selling. 

Thanks.. I can get you pictures of that anvil if youd like? Top, left, right, horn, heel, bottom?  Which ones do you want.. 

Top and sides are good, thanks so much! That anvil looked like it was untouched by human hands it was amazing!

 

Top and sides are good, thanks so much! That anvil looked like it was untouched by human hands it was amazing!

OOPs sorry it sold.. I spoke to soon.. 

 

Its ok, I'm surprised it sold it was like 500 dollars!

 

Its ok, I'm surprised it sold it was like 500 dollars!

It was perfect. Brand new old stock I believe.

Yeah thought it was something along those line. Not really a useful forging size, would make a nice bench anvil though. A collector would probably go nuts for one like that.

It was a ton of fun to see everyone.  Jenifer, I think? you won the casting raffle.  Thank goodness Dale wasn't there.  (grin)

Here are my pics, mostly of the forging competition.  Teams of 2 had 1 hour to make a trivet.  

Final pieces.  

Pics of works in progress.

Lou making a forge weld in the competition

Prizes.  First place got  European hammers, second got butcher's block brushes, third and fourth a shiny ribbon and a hug from a sweaty blacksmith.  

What a teenager looks like after something like 16 hours in Green Coal.

 

 

It was a ton of fun to see everyone.  Jenifer, I think? you won the casting raffle.  Thank goodness Dale wasn't there.  (grin)

Here are my pics, mostly of the forging competition.  Teams of 2 had 1 hour to make a trivet.  

 

Nice write up.. If the Meet ever happens more towards home I'll have to stay for it.. I wanted to stay but with Mondays coming on so quickly I really need a day to catch up on rest.. 

If I did win the casting raffle that would be great.. I have been wanting to build another forge for once I get the school up and running so this will round out the desired amount.. 

All the trivets look great.. 

Here are a few pic's I snapped..  I didn't get a one of anything I made though so if anybody has  pics please let me know..  Judson do you remember what the nail header went for? There were some really nice pieces on the table.. 

Hey, that was a picture of me making a forge weld on that damnable heart trivet!  We made the mistake of picking a thicker piece of stock for the project because it was a better length...should have stuck with the narrower stock.  Because I was rushing I didn't take the time to forge proper scarfs on the joint and had a shear issue that compromised the weld.  It was terrible good fun all the same.

Jen, thanks for the pointers.  I have serious plans for that San mai taco.  I was blown away by the technique of cleaning the scale from mild steel by quenching it and then hammering off the excess.  So cool.

Judson, thanks for being so welcoming and treating me like a long time member.

 

Lou

 

Hey, that was a picture of me making a forge weld on that damnable heart trivet!  We made the mistake of picking a thicker piece of stock for the project because it was a better length...should have stuck with the narrower stock.  Because I was rushing I didn't take the time to forge proper scarfs on the joint and had a shear issue that compromised the weld.  It was terrible good fun all the same.

Jen, thanks for the pointers.  I have serious plans for that San mai taco.  I was blown away by the technique of cleaning the scale from mild steel by quenching it and then hammering off the excess.  So cool.

Judson, thanks for being so welcoming and treating me like a long time member.

 

Lou

Was great to finally meet you in person.. Glad I could help.. I thought that might be you when i saw  the heart.. 

Before you finish that taco billet the sides need to be ground down towards the mower blade so a shear plain doesn't happen at the interface between the mower blade and the mild steel and this will act as a perfect scarf.. 

 

the forge out as normal remember to keep some extra heat in it as there will be a pretty big slip difference between the mower blade and the mild.. 

Looking forwards to the finished project and please take a pic as I have none of any of the items or pieces I made..