Was contacted by the EAIA  (Early American Industry Association) and asked if I would be interested in making a video of forging  a wood carving chisel the old way.. 

I said sure..  Today was filming day and while I don't have any footage finished I do have a few photo's. 

Last Thursday I went over and did the story board pieces and today was complete forging including the washer..  

Made from 5/8" sq wrought iron with rasp for cutting edge I don't have very many detail pics as I left the items there for filming.  I scooted out just after bevel for edge was put on. 

4hrs start to finish with filming.  it was interesting as I noticed I have a tendency to say something in a particular order off the cusp and when asked to say it again. I don't even remember what I said exactly..  it was rather interesting. 

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JLP: To begin with, your work and your youness, inspire me.

Robert Taylor

Robert,  your very kind and for sure welcome to come for a visit.   Building hasn't gotten any further but tomorrow I am hoping to get some plowing done and back to work with some clean ground next week before the next snow storm.. 

So, here is the chisel handled and ready for use.   I like the " Your work and your youness, inspires me."..       LOL..    Thanks 

What a beautifully done tool. That's great that you were asked to make a video. You're my hero! Seriously, I do look up to you as an example of how skilled I want to become. May never happen, but I will try as hard as I can. 

Thanks CGL.    In certain circles I get some respect.. LOL..  

Thanks for the kind words..  Your well on your way and your work is very nice and well finished..  These are the tenets to a great smith.  

Getting some 1 on 1 time with a good smith can help out but you are doing very well. I love seeing what you have going on. 

I got the report back that it cut nicely and it survived the initial test on cutting a mortise in yellow pine. 

Beautifully done Jennifer. I'm sure the customer will be pleased. If not they don't deserve your work.

Frosty The Lucky.

Frosty, I'm the customer..     The request  to me was for the video footage.  I told them as the stipulation that I will be taking the story board and finished example for the shop.  I also asked for a copy of the finished video and raw footage..  The finished video will not be modified by me.. but the raw footage will be put into the video I had taken to offset some of the lost footage as a set and forget filming method, which somehow the lens ended up out of focus on the last 1/4 of the build..

I of course will give credit to the videographer and run it by him before publishing on the footage I do use. 

Thanks.. I like this kind of work so it was extra fun.. 

Here is a photo of the shop which was from the last time I demonstrated making a Carving hatchet for the EAIA, which is an exact copy of the original shop which was moved to Old Sturbridge villiage  this the Moses Wilder blacksmith shop in Bolton, MA.  Well the copy.. the orginal shop is in OSV. 

I was referring to the commissioner of the video as the customer. A quality video of the make is the real product, subbing portions of the whole to experts is how pro shops do things. The chisel is the teaching aide, were it anything but beautifully done would be a surprise. 

Frosty The Lucky.

Thanks.    

The EAIA was the sponsor and the guy who filmed it is a member..   I did it because I was asked by Bob and I like Bob and his work ethics and know that if he puts his stamp on it, its going to be a quality production..  I really can't see anything less..  The person who filmed the work was in video production some years ago and he was particular with the shots.. 

By the way.. this is not a full feature, full length film.   It is going to be used as a commercial kind of arrangement where much of it will be dubbed and sped up..  From what I was told they want it to be about 2 to 3minutes long so they will have ample footage (4hrs condensed).   

Its one of the reasons I requested to get footage. So I can then edit my own version. 

I try to donate my time and skill set towards worthy entities.   ABANA, NEB, EAIA.  Youtube, IFI.. 

Really beautiful chisel. I hope one day to be able to make things of that quality.

Looks like it would be a joy to use.

As a side note.   Anytime I donate my time or forging knowledge i don't expect anything in return other than a credit as to who is doing what.  I do it because it's what I enjoy.. 

I got to work in a nice shop, work with nice people, answer some great questions and share not only my knowledge but love for a thing I still find to be fascinating.  

Chelonian,  Thanks,  I don't know yet.  I wasn't able to try it.

When I put the first bevel on it felt good on the cutting edge.  Usually will take a few sharpenings to get back behind the rounded edge.. I left it full length vs docking it back..  (at the end of a file stroke the file has a tendency to fall downwards rounding out the metal.  This is fixed by filing straight across with a file plate so the file does not fall away/rock.. Or the end is cut off or docked.  I did neither..  So once it's used a few times and needs to be sharpened it will be worn back instead.. )

It will be shipped back to me in a few weeks once all the stills are taken and processed.   It will be a great show and tell piece. 

Wonderful!

A 4 hours to 4 minutes compression would probably look a lot like the forge welding demo at SOFA, where the final weld demo'd was "forge welding in the slack tub": The demonstrator took two pieces heated to welding temp and threw them in the slack tub---then reached in and brought them back out perfectly welded together!   He later told me that the secret to that weld is a murky slack tub and a previously welded set of pieces placed in the tub *before* the demo!

I"m slow on most things but even I was up to speed on this welding on the slack tub. 

I'm all ready half way thru on the footage I took.  It's so fast with only 1 video stream.  Other nice thing is its just straight 4K video vs 3D so this speeds things up dramatically. 

I'll be curious as to the ratio they use..  They mentioned they wanted it to be both condensed but also to have direct examples of the forging technique.   It will be interesting for sure. 

Overall I believe it was about 6hrs for the complete chisel.  The handle was pre done needing only to be drilled and furelles drilled and fitted.  I was going to do welded ones but time wise didn't work out.