Anvils Horn 9607

A PUBLICATION OF THEARIZONA ARTIST BLACKSMITH ASSOCIATION

Issue NO. 65 JULY 1996

Left:TobyHickman

Right:Heather

McLarty

8:00 A.M•.REGISTRA TION9:30 A.M••DEMONSTRA TION

12:00 NOON ••LUNCH1:00 PM..IRON-IN-THE-HAT

DRAWING1:30 P.M.DEMONSTRA TION

CONTINUES

JULY 20TH & 21STPLACE: FLAG FORGE

12225 N. GunmanFLAGSTAFF,AZ

PHONE: Russ Borthwick(520) 526-8594

DEMONSTRA TORS: Alfred AttendeesWe'll have some of the members who attended the National Conference at Alfred, NY

demonstrate what they learned there. If you remember the Flagstaff meeting held after the st.Louis Conference a couple years ago, this can be a very interesting event. Of course, we'll have

the traditional hands-on sessions as well.ADMISSION: $10 FOR MEMBERS

$15 FOR MEMBERS & FAMILY OR NON-MEMBERS (FIRST TIME)

• 2 The Anvil's Horn •

~D __E~__OO_N_~__TRAO_~__O_N__ I~ L_E_TTERS IOur demonstrators for the July

PAGE' lopic meeting will be some of those who2 DEMOS,LfTTERS attended the National Conference at~ ABANA PRESidENTSMESSAGl Alfred, New York. They're going to4 AABAPRESidENTSMESSAGl show us some of what they learned at5 ON-liNERESOURCES the conference and give us something

to try during the traditional Hands-On6 SCROllsHOW-TOsessions, so bring your favorite

7 DRillPRESS,by BRUCEBlzrciel hammer. There's plenty of room for8&9 PiCTURES parking and camping on Russ's10 FORTkEREfERENCElibRARY property and the gate will be open so11 MABEll,CONTEST drive right in and set up.

Russ says the fire danger is12 PElERWRiqliTANvils"Extreme" right now, but if they get Dear Mike,

1 ~ ITEMSof INTERfST some rain and it gets downgraded to Thanks for the roster of members.14 ClAssifiEds "Very High", we'll be able to set up the It has sure grown since I joined some1 5 MEMbERSHipfoRMS Hands-On and the cookout outside as time ago.16 SouRCESof Supply usual. If not, we'll have to cancel the I really enjoyed the article in the

f r Hands-On session and the grub will be April issue of "The Anvil's Horn",ThE TRipTOBullHEAdCrrv WASA iRSTlOR:. ~~~~~~~~~t--Wl4i-,-~_~ca~t~erled~b~th~e;H~o~r~;;an;r;' ~:~---;:"~ereflave-AH-the-Flowe Gone?"ME. ATAbouTTkREEkouRSd . . h h I

Keep an eye on t e weat er. by Bob Rummage. Would you pleaseWASNTASMuckof ATRipASI HAdExpECTEd. I relay my compliments? All his articlesI ENJOYEdSEEiNqTkEsiqliTsACROSSTkERiVER HOT TIME AT THE are interesting. Ihope he keeps themANdTHEdEMOWASEdUCATioNAl,TOO.I'd likE RIVER coming.TOTHANkJOEDoNATHANfORORGANiziNqTHE ,. ~--~-~- Regards,MEET.ITHiNkHEMAdEn ASUCCESSdesprn A We had a great time at the April John E. Winter

meeting at the Mohave Community Hurricane, UtahfEWsrtbscks. College in Bullhead City. Joe

yERrd., MikECOOPER Donathan and the Mohave CC [email protected] things well organized and the--------~----------=-Iturnout was good.

ROUTE TO FLAG FORGE: Toby Hickmanstarted off on Saturday

------------------- with a brief history of his

to 3rdHous. 89 blacksmithing experience. He'sN 0 been in Petaluma since '76

o D Tumbl•••••d making lighting, railings,---=~Gu-nm..1.-n-Rd-.--CO-p.-I•..1nd~R~d----f ~ntry signs and the like. Hiso equipment includes a 200

G.od••leOom. f lb. Nazel hammer,AMul7 ••1Ie.hydraulic press,

ironworker and flypress.His first subject was the scroll. He

showed how to roll a scroll and thenhow to produce a scrolliron to make more of thesame. His demo included

many tips, such as, when bidding ajob, quote two hours per scroll ironneeded for the job.

Next came a class in Forging Mathfor Tongs. Starting with a piece of 1V.

(Continued on page 4)

INSIDE i---_I

I FLAGSTAFF I

Dear Mike,I wanted to thank you for your

help in the class. The class was great.I now have my forge and anvil set

up and have had a great time trying outnew things.

It's a big difference not having allthe tools like at the shop but you learnto improvise.

Thanks Again,John DrewsNorth Pole, Alaska

Dear Mr. Cooper,I enjoyed the article you wrote in

the last newsletter. Your are so correctabout the need to warm up beforedoing anything strenuous.

I never realized before but up here,where it is cool most of the time,sweating is not the problem it is in 110degrees. There is a world of differencebetween 70 degrees and 110 degrees,when you are swinging a hammer orstanding next to the fire.

One thing I have my students do,to get their arm in shape, is thefollowing exercise. I tell them to sitcross-legged on the ground and make aX or a in front of them. Then to swingthe hammer as hard as they can at thismark. This not only gets the arm inshape, it gives them some practice atstriking one spot. For beginners, Idraw a circle on the face and horn ofthe anvil. The I tell them to pass thehot iron back and forth through the

P.O. IIo!t206, Wuhingron, Miaoun 63090 OfficeHoun: 9:002m· 5:00pmI!=:urive Sccreury, Janc:1JcGilbert Phone:: (314) 390-2133

PRESIDENTS MEsSAGEJULy 1996

M you have most likely auessed these messIlJeS ate written about • month before you Id them.We find it necessary to do that for scheduling purposes but It does make it nearly impossible to write aboutsubject matter that Is absolutely current. By the time you read thI~ the ADANA Conference will be over.What takes place at the conference will provide subject matter for future messages.

On the Tuesday before the Conference _ the ADANA board will meet II Alfred, NY. One ofthe ~bjects to be addressed al the board meeting, thanb 10 the eff~ of Lou Muener, win be long nngeplanning for ABANA. Effective long range planning is a complex matter that involves very much morethan looking at next year's budgel or deciding where the next couple of conferences will be held If my ofyou have expertise in long range planning we could use you on the long nnge planning committee. If youwant to ~Ip.let me know. We are serious about getting a good start on long tange planning at Alfred but Iam sure It will be several months before anything that can be reduced to writing for presentation to themembership comes out of the cormnittee.

I hope the call for board nominations that was printed on page four of the Spring 1996 Issue of theAnvil's Ring has prompted 90DIe members to submit their IUUIIes10 appear on the ballots that win be sentout this fan. Right now I don't know how Iliany incumbents will file for reelection. I do know that themembers that serve on the board find it rewarding enough for them to opt to seek additional terms.

Last month in telling you about the new art and craft center we have in West Virginia I identifiedthe "Tamarack", the tree for which the facility is named, M an evergreen. I was mistaken. OroUeesEncyclopedia says the tree is of the pine family but unlike most conifers it sbeds Its leaves although not aUII once. Now you know.

Ho~ dangerous is blacbmit!""g? I am not sure that I can Jive an adeqwlte or Slllisfactory IIIl5Wefto that ~,on. I do know that accIdents resulting from the dan~ of blacbmithing are directlypropornonate to the ~t of COIJ1JIlOOsense we apply to deaUng with the presence of those dangers. Howdangerous Is blacksmithing? Perhaps the right answer is "only M dangerous M we make it". Pay heed towhat your common sense is telling you. Be safe. Be happy.

Joe HarrIsABANA President

r.o. BOI 206. Wa~hingtOO. Missouri 63090 OfTk~ f lours: 9·00l.fn· 5:00pmE,<curiv< S<crt:t.ry. Janelle Gilh<rt Phone' (314) 390·2IH

PRESIDENTS MESSAGETO THE CHAPTERS

June 1996

ARTS &: CRAFTS SHOWCASEDI know from reading various articles in 0uIpcet NeW!letters and other publicadons that

there are several places around the Country that provide a place for black3miths and otherproducers of arts and crafts to showcase and sen their products. Such a facility has justopened in West Virginia and It Is really a showplace. It is known IS "Tamarack - The Bestof West Virginia". Tamarack is an evergreen tree that grows in West Virginia. The facilitywas built at a cost of 17 million dollars and is being blUed M unlque ~9,OW square foolretail/an/craft/vlsitor center, showcasing. marketing and promoting West Virginia made arts,crafts and agricultural products.

If you are tJaveling through West Virginia east or west 011 Interstate 64 or north or"""th on Interstate 77 you will see the facility at Beckley, West Virginia, adjacent to theBeckley Travel Plaza. If you have the opportunity to visit Tamarack please do. it will bewell worth your time.

Forged Items for sale at Tamarack range from beds and other furniture to fireplacesets, kitchen utensils. letter openers and paper weights. There are on-going demonstrations byblacksmiths, woodworkers, glassworkers and others. Being a West Virginia facility it willprovide an excellent opportunity for us to promote the Appalachian Blacksmith Associationand it wiU also provide an opportunity to promote ABANA and I certainly will do that.

ABANA DIRECTOR ELECIlONI hope to see many of yoo at Alfred this month and I hope to talk to some of you

about your willingn= to become more involved in the affairs of ABANA by being acandidate for the 1996 election of directors. If you have any interest at all in being acandidate, talk to me or one of the other directors at the Conference. We will do our best toanswer any questions that you may have.

HINDSIGHT SAFETY REMINDERAnother safety rule violated, IIIIOI1w sore toe. I have • bad habit of laying heavy

objecU on top of the anvil when it Is not in~. Thls lime it was the bottom plate from mytreadle Iwniiler. I knocbd it of( and it hit my big toe. Was I wearin& gfety toe shoes?No. Did it hurt? You bet it hurtl The fact that It oouJd have been so eMUy avoided didn'tmake it feel any better. I do try, but I hope your gfety hablu are better than mine.

Joe HarrIs n .ABANA Presi~

•

+ 4 The Anvil's Horn +

AABAPresident's Message

Ron has had mOl'e than his shal'e of il'ons in the fil'e this last few months and wasn't able toget his message to me, so J thou9ht J'd pass alon9 this tidbit. This wintel', the association inconjunction with ABANA will host a wintel' mini-confe./"e.nce,A •..izona Winte.rfe.st. Jt'!t be a

fou•..day event at the Phoenix Fo •..ge 3an. 9-12, '97. Demonst •..atol"S will be Dot'othy Stie9let',3e •..•..y 14offman, Dmitt'i C";et'akit'is, Lou Meullel', and Cot'k};'Stol'el'. Thel'e'll be a Gallel'};' at theRamada Jnn and on the last evenin9' a Banquet. Re9istl'ation fol' the fout' da};'s will be $150and attendance will be limited to 125, so if you't' intet'ested contact Bill Callaway at the Pho~nixFo •..ge (602) 254-4996 01' me at 938-1495.

Fol' Ron Kin};'onVJot'k With Safet};' in Mind,

Mike Coope •..

(Conunued from page 2) "Letters"circle while striking it with the hammer.

You are also right about loosehandles causing blisters. A hammerthat "clicks" on the handle will oftencause blisters. If the handle is worn orloose, I replace it usually as youdescribed. But if it is only "clicking" Isoak it in water about thirty minutes,after having given it a couple of goodblows with a heavier hammer.

I don't know if this will workdown there in the valley, but it worksup here. Wet your hand beforehammering. This prevents the hammerfrom slipping plus you do not have togrip quite as hard. Like I say, a sweatyhand may have the opposite effect ofmaking the handle slippery. While youare at that sporting goods store, youmight pick up a "resin" bag. Dry yourhand good, shake a little resin and youare part of the hammer. I used to getthis stuff from pine trees, pulverize itand keep it in a salt shaker. It doesincrease your grip quite a bit thuslessening arm cramps.

Yours in smithing,YellowhandDale H. Shadle

(Continued/rom page 2)X 3/8, he showed how to calculate thelength needed using the volumes ofeach section of the tool. Although heusually makes tongs on the powerhammer, Gene Bland provided thesteam for the manual version.

Toby recommended BlacksmithingIllustrated by John Lillico for reference.

During the Iron-In- The-Hatdrawing, Dr. AhIene won the tongs andgraciously auctioned them off for thebenefit of the association. DanJennings was the high bidder.

Joe Donathan gave a presentationon chain mail including a hand-out withplans for a coil forming jig. One ofJoe's shirts weighs in at an impressive50 lb.

Heather McLarty came toblacksmithing via the theater. Shestarted out building props and likedwelding and fabrication. Hertechniques for forging leaves and vinesallow her to make realistic leaves downto W' in length which she incorporatesinto bookmarks made from 3/16' roundbar. A favorite reference is a CarlBlasfeld book full of black and whitephotos of plants, available from NormLarson.

Thanks, Joel

DEMO AM> BOARDMEETING ROSTERS

Here are the proposed rosters fordemonstrations and Board of Directorsmeetings for 1995/96:Demos:July 20 & 21, FlagstaffSept. 21, TucsonNov. 16, PhoenixJan 9-12, Phoenix Winter Mini-ConferenceBoard Meetings:Aug. 17, Oct. 19.

Unless notified otherwise, BoardMeetings are at the Phoenix Forge.

I AABA OFFICERS I_________ 1PRES. Ron Kinyon, V. PRES. Jon

deMasi, SEC. Mike Cooper,TREAS. Ed Hirrold

EDITORS Mike and Fran Cooper

BOARD OF IDIRECTORS

~~Bruce Birtciel, Calvin Boyle, MikeBrooks, Darrel Bussey, Bill Callaway,

..Read Carlock, Hap Danielson, MauriceHamburger, Dave Hawkins,JoeHernandez, Bill Murray, BobRummage, John Segura, RonSmith,Gordon Williams, Tom Yeager

• The Anvil's Horn 5 •

N. W.B.A. Resource Handbook

BLACKSMITHING ON-LINE

There are many information sources for hlackxmith-, on just about cvcrv oil-line service and throuuhout the lntcruct/World- Wide- Web, ..-

A,B,A,N,A, is finall~ on-line \\ ith their ()\\ n Web Page,The UMBA journal appears here and ill the near future itwill be published Oil the World Wide Web exclusively atA,B,A,N,A,\ page, Their URL is: http://wuarch ive. wust l.ed ul ed u/arts/h lacksm it h inglA.B.A.N.A.!

To subscribe to A,B,A,N,A, \ "The Forge" mail list forum.send as Entail to: [email protected] ill thesubject field. type: subscribe THEFORGE (your name) Tosend a message so that all the other subscribers of TheForge Mail List receive it. send it to:[email protected]

The UMBA Journal is on the Chapter Newsletters Page.That URL is: http://wuarchive.wustl.edu/edu/arts/blacksmithi ng/ A.B.A. N.A .!eha pters/ news/ news

Plaza Del Herro. The Blacksmith Plaza (in Mexico)Their URL is: http://www.nets.com/bsmithpla/a/

The Old Cowtown Museum. a non-profit organization inWichita. Kansas, their home page is at: http://www.southwind.net/~seribe/eowt()wn/smithy.html

Ralph Lawson-Smith. Westrnead. N.S,W. Australia http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/radiology/smithing/smithing.htmThe American Welding Society has a Web page at: http://amweld.arnweld.org/hcme/htrnl As well as at: http://www.os.kcp.com/home/catalog/gasmetarc.html

You may be interested in a net based mailing list that semisa comprehensive listing once a month of show. exhibit.grant info etc. It is called the Art DEADLINES. To get acopy of The Art Deadlines List via ernail. includingsubscription information. from the World Wide Web. sendthe line:send http://www.xensei.com/users/adl -in the body ofyour message to: [email protected]

Using the above method you will be able to get a copy orThe Art Deadlines List from the World Wide Web at anytime' Otherwise. point your browser at the URL: http://wwwxensei.com/users/ad I

To unsubscribe from The Art Deadlines List. send themessage: UNSL'BSCRIBE w:adl(a)\ellsei,com

To get subscription information about The Ar: Dcadliuc-,List. semi the mcssage:SEND SUB-INFO to: adl(a1\cnsei,com

To get information about advcrtixing r.uex for The ArtDeadlines List. send the message (ill the Subject line \)1'

body of your message): GET AD-RATES to:adl@'xensei.com

The Institute of Metal Repair is happy to offer a freearchive for metalworkers. The archive includes:

PLANS.TXT. a listing of magazine articles ,howing plansfor making your own metalworking tools and equipment.They reviewed all major maguzines from I<,)00to 19XO, Ifyou have access to a library with a good magazinecollection. you will be tapped into the rnotherload of toolsand equipment plans.

(;OLDMINE.TXT, an article entitled. "Rcpairingv aMetalworker's Goldrnine." Outlines the benefits tometalworkers when they include metal repair. restoration.care. preservation and conservation. to the services theyoffer.

BOOKLlST.TXT, a list of metalworking books. many outof print. but worthwhile spending the time to find,

IMR.TXT. a short description of what IMR is all about.

To receive this file. please Evmail request. including youron-line address to: 71-l77,17-l2(fi'compuserve,com

And last but not least. ACADEMIC METAL. out ofTemple University. It is not so much a Iorurn for allexchange of techniques as it is a forum for the exchangc ofideas. philosophies and approaches to one's work and thepublic at large. If I may be so bold. a Zen of Metal Artsforum,To subscribe. send an Evrnail to:[email protected]

In the body of the me~sage. write:SUBSCRIBE ACMET-L (YOUR NAME)

Reprinted from Upper MidwestBlacksmith Association


AN INTRO TO SCROLLS'By: Jeff Mohr, Watkinsville, Georgia

I get a lot of beginning smiths through my shop. Ifthey can turn a scroll, I'm lucky. I've had a lot ofexperience teaching beginning smiths how to do just that.It's a simple process but one that's hard to master. Theonly way to get good at it is by much practice. Whenbeginning, take it slow - hit, stop, look - then hit, stop,and look again.It takes a lot more time to get yourselfout of trouble so it's better to save yourself time byworking slowly. A small cone for the hardy hole is handyfor helping to correct the mistakes made in turningscrolls.

Start by forming a taper on the end of the stock ( asshown in Figure 1). Push 1 to 2 inches of the tapered endover the far edge of the anvil and bend it down (Fig.2)then turn the piece so that the tip now points up. Strikethe work at the point indicated by the arrows in thesequence of figures at right ~

Always remember that in general, the hammer handis the laborer - the other hand is the manager. This isespecially apparent in scroll making. After bending thetip over with the first few light blows, to get to the tip inorder to start turning the scroll, raise your left arm(assuming you're right handed) real high so that the tipis in such a position that the hammer blow is directedstraight down towards the anvil. Lower your arm a littleon each successive blow as the scroll is rolling around.As you move along the tapered stock the force of thehammer blows is increased slightly since you are strikingincreasing thicker stock, but the first blows are reallylight taps.

After you have formed a small scroll similar to that inthe last illustration, you can increase the size of thescroll by repeating the procedure. To get a larger radiuson the increasingly larger scroll, just push more andmore material over the edge of the anvil. Practice!!!

®

FIGURE I

~("'NVIL.)

FIGURE 2

(I)

l1'" -'Z"

~: (

~~

: ,, rThere are many examples of perfect scrolls in nature.

Study a sea shell or a snail shell to really see what yourgoal is. A well made scroll has no flat spots in it. It is aline that smoothly flows as it curves in an everincreasingly loose radius from the center outward.

:---_-!i( 12'-~~

deff

Reprinted from the newsletter ofthe Ocmulgee Blacksmiths Guild

May/June '96

• The Anvil's Horn 7 •r You may have see~-~~ces-~-an-u-alDrll-' -I Pressat some of the meetings. BruceI was kind enough to let us print the plans so you can make your own!

Hf1 ND l f DE S \G f'iTO Sull ~OURSELF

WELDIi LL r\\\O UMD

TWO PI(Cf s:, 0 f1" x 2' C H f1 Nt" E LWELDEDTOG[T\-\ E R\/\/111-\ I=t 1/4"GAP Q,ETWlEI,,\,\\-\EM.

WELD

HANb PO\l\ltJ\t D DR\L l\A/ Pd:.NC H <\1...E) T H1\UI DE D R.DD < \LE" )NUT PIN!) WAJH[I\. SILtS I ANDHEIGHT OF TOOL D~P[t~D 01\\CHUC.K SILT ... ~f'GIN WITHT\1E [HUeI'--. AND W~\A\'~\Jt.R_ s:rLE'H\ R.EIi 1) U:J ~ D0 r \'I ') TH [ C. H U C.K ,IF C HU U .., I S L IH 6 E r-, 1"\1A ['I :) /8"\-lfA 'i\E..~ CHAl-HI fL AN D ~A<:'f:MIGHT [)E NEC'V[ D .WH'tN 1)P"lL INS _ NlI1INTF\\N LOf\\~TPdn~UT NOT neE)\ IVE FClp.,C.t: DWi\$ t,\\',

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WELDALL AROUND"

CLflMP ,0 Tfll'lLtOR. WO~\\ FlEet:

r /: " /I 0."0+-~/8 ><. 2. "" -) - $ II )~,


CW from Lower Left:Gene Bland striking (for)TobyToby's Forging MathToby's TongsBob Rummage and TobyconferToby warding off evilJoe Donathan spinningsome MailLeft:Joe's Mail Shirt and Helm


Top, Left to Right: HeatherForges LeavesMiddle, Left to Right: OUf

Gracious Hosts, Heather'sBookmark and Small Leafand her Layout for a GrillBottom, Left to Right: Joetakes bids for Toby's Tongsas Dan Jennings prepareto Ante Up, JayKidwell'snatural.

• 10 The Anvil's Horn •

Reprint from: The Blacksmiths Guild of the Potomac January/February 1996,

REFERENCE PAGEThanks to Tom Coker for the catalog from which we copied this chart The book sells for $14, plus

shipping.

'w'hite

2,345 ° F Cone 10Ught yeno'W'

Yeno",

1,816° F Cone06Orange

Cherry red --DarlecherryBloodred

Darlered1,085 0 FCone 022

Charco'llburns ••t 4392° F 3182°F PlatinummeltsSilie.lmelts 3119° F 4442°F Ironboils

3,000° F 5432~ Tungstenmelts

2,900 I Limi~of s, R, B ~pe the~ocouples 0 0

2,800 '::P-ur-e-r:-·-on-m-elts Fre-clay melts 3020 F to 3128 F

2,700 / Nickt'lmelts 2,600° F 2S00-r-3270.F firebrick2,600 --L- limit for alumina-sfliea ceramic fib~ softens2,500 .•..••---- top limit for forging wrought iron

~ . cast lron melts from 2100° F2 400 StalOless steel melts t 2350. F2'300. . 0 Nicke1-chr~ium anOY!~lt, --- Nickel(Gennan) Silver melts from 2440 F to 2950 F

2,200

JCopperl brass, bronze melt 1,900 - 2,000· F2,100 / jGold melts 1,94SOF SodiumSilie.lte as a ~me-nt2,000 ===:Ur Silver melts . can be used up to 1,475" F.I 9007~76 t OF Copperbrazmg anoys melt from, , 1300 • F to I9000 F

1,800 Glass melts t 800° F to 2200· F1,700 sealt' fans off frt't'ly The sHver solders melt1,600 Ilron No~qnetic I from 1200 ·F to 1400·F •1686-r Zincbefls1,500 ' '-- Unfannedcoals of a ·wood

..I 1,400 CherT\} red 1,420 • F --..... fire about 1 ,500 • F

1,300 E MagnetiC' ·Enamelsfired at 1350 • F~1220 -r Aluminiummelts to 1500° F

1,100· F"- Armealhard (beresflicate) glass1,000 Borax melts 136SOF Firebrick melts from 2,830· F to 4,9500 F,900 d~ending on the type.

AAMalsoft (soda-lime or lead) glassZincmelts

-=~7~0:;0==-L;;d;~ MerC\Jl'"1JboilsLead melts

600 Pt'wi!'r melts Soft sold~ melt~ Babbitmelts from 350 OF

400\'- Charcoalmade to 600 ~~ Tinmelts

300

200 'Wood'sanoy rnelts at 160° F100° F

-"800· FBunsenburnerPetrolt'um blowplpl'Air-hydrogMAir-natural qasOxlJgt'n-naturalgas0xlJgen-hydroge-nOxlJqen-aOt'~leneElectric arc

21920 F2732° F3960· F3560· F51~F5385· F

4352· F6332- F

From my book, Blacksmithing in the 21st Century, published byCybernetics Oesign, 88 East Main Street, Suite 457, Mendham, N.J. 07945-1832Copyright © 1995 by Oavid Smith. All rights reserved. This item may be repro-duced if this notice is left intact.


I YOUR. MOTHER ISr-t-

LIBRARY CONTEST

IABOUT TO DISOWN STUFF

YOUI Starting with the AprilImeeting, the subject was again

That's right, your Ma! Theentity we used to call Ma Bell isabout to deny your existence.US West Direct, the YeHowPages poeple, have begunnotifying business listed underthe heading "Blacksmiths" thatstarting with the next issue ofthe Yellow Pages, that headingwill be dropped. You'll have tosettle for a listing underWelding, Metalworking, orsome other, less appropriateheading.

If you have a concern aboutthe proposed action, contactyour US West Direct Salesindividual and send somethingto your editor, too.

Perhaps a bit of pressurefrom those affected will preventMa from booting you.

Jerry Fuller would liketo build the library into areference for the Association, sohe needs contributions.

If you can donate oryou know the whereabouts ofmaterial that may belong to theAssociation, please contact Jerryor any Board member.

Jerry can be reached at:705 N. Orlando Cir., Mesa, AZ85205, (602)924-4026.

BELOW:SOME INfERESTING

STUFf' ON THESHOW·N ..TELL TABLE

POKERS! We got exactly two!That was pretty embarrassing.We have close to TWO·HUNDRED members and wecould only get TWO pokers. Ifwe could figure out how to forgeapathy we'd probably have moreentries than we could handle.We'll try pokers one more timein July.

Flagstaff is coming!Don't embarrass me again!Remember, the items must

be signed and winners' pieceswill be held in the Association'sdisplay for 2 years.

Just a reminder: if you havea piece that's been in thedisplay, you can claim it bycontacting Jon deMasi at one ofthe meetings. You can alsoleave it in the display, if youlike.


interest to give a brief description of theprocess of manufacturing as it isearned on to-day.

The firm are turning out anvils offiner quality than ever before, andworthily maintain the reputation whichthey have secured in every part of the

~-------- __ II!!•• world.It is interesting, in passing, to note

that this is one of the branches ofindustry which we appear still to retain,in face of much talk of foreigncompetition. For example, in theUnited States of America there is nobetter known blacksmith's anvil thanthat manufactured by this house. Thesame remark would apply to almost anyquarter of the globe.

In the old days all anvils were"built up," that is, made by weldingtogether a number of separate pieces onto a central block of common iron.Each of these vertical butt welds was,of course, a grave source of weakness,and such anvils frequently broke up.Under the firm's patent, which was theinvention of Peter Wright (the great-grandson of the founder), all theiranvils are made from only two forgings,which are called the "top" and the"bottom" respectively, and require onlythe one weld at the waist, even thisbeing, in addition carefully "tied in."

The finest wrought iron scrap iscarefully picked over by hand at theforges, and then passed into largefurnaces, where it is either balled orpiled, and then thoroughly workedunder powerful steam hammers, so asto form the tops and bottoms fromwhich the anvils will be made.

These forging s are now pairedtogether, and , owing to their design,the greatest strength and workingsurface is secured for each anvil,according to its weight. These are thenhanded over to the anvil makers, whohave been trained to their respectiveduties all their lives, and have thereforebecome specialists at their work. Thistrade is very largely hereditary, andmany of the men are representatives offamilies that have worked for PeterWright & Sons for generations. Theseforgings now undergo a furtherprocess of hammering and trimming,

The Manufacture ofAnvils in Great

Britainfrom the Blacksmith and Wheel-WnghtJu~,1904subrrUtted

by Brian Hughes

The Hardware trade Journal, ofLondon, England, recently published anaccount of a visit by a reporter of thatpaper to the Constitution Hill Works,Dudley, where Peter Wright & Sonshave for over two hundred years beenengaged in the manufacture of anvilsand vises.

We reproduce this article as likelyto be of interest to Americanblacksmiths, large numbers of whomuse Peter Wright anvils.

The Hardware Trade Journal says:The name of Peter Wright & Sons,

of Dudley, is so extensively known inconnection with blacksmiths' anvils andvises that it will need no introductionfrom us. To have a reputation as anold-established house is, in these daysof new inventions, a doubtful blessing.In many cases the fact that a firm wasestablished twenty, fifty or onehundred years ago only goes to proveto the mind of the outside world thattheir methods are obsolete, their goodsold-fashioned, and that for really up-to-date service a concern of more recentorigin must be found. This is one sideof the question.

This view, however, is not alwayscorrect, and there are many hundreds ofinstances throughout these islands thatpoint the other way. In the case ofPeter Wright & Sons, every year of thetwo hundred during which they havebeen in existence has seen modernimprovements, superior machinery andscientific methods introduced into theproduction of their manufactures. It istherefore correct to say that every anvilat present leaving Constitution HillWorks is not only the outcome of thevery latest in the way of scientificinvention, but that each of those articleshas behind it the whole of theexperience of a couple of centuries. Itwill undoubtedly, therefore, be of

which contributes great toughness andsoundness. They are then weldedtogether at the waist under powerfulhammers, which insures the absolutehomogeneity of the whole anvil.

The next step is to weld on thesteel for the face, and this as may beimagined, is a delicate and mostimportant process. The steel employedis the finest grade, combining all hedifferent qualities necessary for theheavy work that the anvil face has tostand. The firm is constantlyexperimenting by means of chemicaland physical tests, in order to securethe very best material for their purpose.The face of the wrought iron body isheated up to welding point in a largesmith's hearth, both being in charge offoremen, who always superintend thisprocess. Specially pure washed fuel isused, and a true weld is made withoutthe aid of any patent compounds ormixtures. To make a sound weld of theface of an anvil of say, 700 pounds, is,of course, a really fine piece of work,requiring the most careful methods andhighest degree of skill.

The anvil now has the bick andtable trued up, the holes put in, and thefinishing touches made, after which it isheated to the correct temperature andplunged into great hardening tanks,where streams of water give it the finaltemper. Long experience hasdetermined the degree of hardnesswhich proves the best and safest toinsure good, all-round wear.

The final process is to grind thesteel face, which is done on hugegrindstones, and the anvil, after beingpolished, is passed on to thewarehouse.

Throughout this time the anvil hasto undergo various exhaustive tests atthe hands of one of the principals, forhardness, squareness and freedom fromany flaws. Constant practice enables atrained ear to detect even small defectsby the ring given out, and it is all thiscare which causes a Peter WrightPatent Solid Wrought Anvil to ring likea bell. After approval, the trademarksare stamped on every anvil, theseconsisting of the words ''Peter WrightPatent"


ITEMS OF INTBREST (505) 281-8080

Going to England this year?Here's an excerpt from the ArizonaRepublic Sunday, Feb. 11, '96 sent inby Bruce Birtciel:

" ...On March 20, a $66 million,25,000-square-foot Royal ArmoriesMuseum in Leeds will open. Themuseum will display about 7,000 piecesin five galleries, and will featureinteractive computer displays. Exhibitsin four of the galleries will illustrate theuse of arms and armor in war, hunting,tournaments and self-defense. The fifthgallery will be devoted to Asian armorand weapons, including a Chinesehelmet from 350 B. C.

Leeds, 185 miles north of London,can be reached by train from London'sKings Cross station. The journey takesabout 2 hours and 15 minutes. TheRoyal Armories Museum, a 10-minutewalk from the station, will be situatedoff Armories Drive, Leeds LS 1OIL T.By road it is about a quarter of a milefrom the Ml highway. It will be open10 a.m. to 6 p.rn. daily. Calculated at arate of$1.55 to the pound, admissionfor adults will be about $10.75; children4 to 14 years, about $6.

Tom Yeager thought it would beworthwhile to repeat Rob Gunter'shardening solution here. It can be usedto harden mild steel for use on hotwork:

Into 5 gal. water mix

5 lbs. salt32 oz. Dawn dish soap8 oz. Shaklee Basic IThe Shaklee distnbutor Tom found

is in Sedona, Carrie Devore, (800) 742-5553.

The cost was less than $15 per qt.including UPS. This quench is saferthan the sodium hydroxide quenchformerly advocated for mild steel and isreputed to give it enough surfacehardness to make a chisel that's capableof cutting unhardened A36.

August 15-18, 1996 the RockyMountain Smiths will hold their sixthConference at the Francis WhitakerBlacksmith School on the campus of

~

hte Colorado Rocky Mountain Schoolin Carbondale. Colorado.

'--.____________ Demonstrators will be FrancisWhitaker, Nahum Hersom, CathiBorthwick, Chris Axelsson, Hoss Haleyand David Norrie. Activities include aGallery and Silent Auction. Reasonableaccomodations will be provided at theSchool.

Contact:Conference Coordinator:Will PerryPOBox 122Carbondale, CO 81623(970) 963-2464Conference Registrar:Dan Nibbelink1932 N. Hwy 287Berthoud, CO 80513(970) 532-4387

Plenty of Rivets! Here's a tipfrom Dave Way of the SouthernAlberta Chapter:

When you need a large quantity ofrivets for a project, make a jig from apiece of plate or bar with a plug weldedto the back to fit your hardie hole orvise Drill a bunch of holes in the faceof the plate a little larger in diameterthan the shank size of the finished rivetand deep enough to form the length ofshank needed.

Cut some rivet billets to lengthfrom the appropriate size round bar.To figure the length, add the neededshank length plus 1Y2 times thediameter of the shank (for the head).

Make a rivet set from somesuitable tool steel a little larger indiameter than the desired rivet headdiameter. One way is to form thedesired head shape in some stock anddrive the heated punch blank over it toform a female replica of the desiredshape. Dress the punch and harden andtemper it.

Now either heat the billets in theforge or drop them in the plate and heatthem with a torch, being careful not tooverheat the plate. Strike two goodblows to upset each billet and finish thehead with the rivet set. Tap the platewith the hammer and the rivets willjump out ready for use.

SCHOOLS

Colorado Rocky Mountain School1493 County Road 16Carbondale, CO 81623(303) 963-2562

Dry Canyon ForgeJoe Elliot128 East AntlerRedmond, OR 97756(541 )548-2564Basic and Advanced Classes

The Forgery School ofBlacksmithingRob Gunter13 Imnaha RoadTijeras, NM 87059

Old Cedar ForgeJerry CulbersonEast 220 CronquistAllyn, WA 98524(360) 275-6769Basic and advanced classes

School ofBladesmithingTexarkana College2500 N. Robinson Rd.Texarkana, TX 7550J(903) 838-4541

Sculptor of SteelDavid Thompson4440 Theona Dr.Eugene, OR 97402(541) 688-2348Basic classes

Turley Forge Blacksmithing SchoolRoute 10, Box 8ScSanta, Fe NM 87501

MOUl'ITAm SMITIfSBLACKSMITHINOCOIVERENCE VI


["CLASSIFIEDS" I Contact to~ Yeager at:

I 19206 W. FIllmore_________ --.---l Buckeye, AZ 85326

(602) 853-0506Artist-In-Residence/Smithy ManagerPosition: Full time, permanentposition, $16,500, Tuesday throughSaturday. Medical insurance,workman's comp,. sick and annualleave, studio space, commission andwork for exhibitions are stronglyrecommended.Contact Jim Wallace, DirectorNational Ornamental Metal Museum374 Metal Museum Dr.Memphis TN 38106

W ANTED: Blacksmith to work in thelargest and fastest growing shop insouthern Arizona. Contact:Tombstone SmitheyBox 222Tombstone, AZ 85638(520) 457-2326Or apply in person at the Smithey.

FOR SALE: Niagara Tinners BenchSet. Includes stake plate on 26" basewith shelf and 7 steel stakes. In storage50 yr. Ideal for tinwork or lightironwork. Set is similar to Centaur cat.p.I08, but larger and heavier. $1700value, $450 firm.Contact Tom Woods at:3401 W. MortenPhoenix, AZ 85051(602) 841-1218.

FOR SALE: Bruce Birtciel ran acrossthese tidbits while scouting Glendaleantique shops.At Craft Country, 9201 N. 29th Ave.near Metro Center, a hand operatedblower on a stand for $295 made byLancaster Forge and Blower Co.Arizona Antique Gallery, 1126 N.Scottsdale Rd., Tempe has a 3W' postvise for $90.An un-named store on 57th Dr.between Glendale and Glenn, north ofthe Bank One building has ablacksmith's bellows upstairs that'sabout 4 ft. long for about $295.

FOR SALE: Combination gas andcoal forge with motor for $100.

FOR SALE: The Artist-Blacksmith 'sCraft and My Life as Artist-Blacksmithby Julius Schramm have been translatedfrom the German and published in onevolume by Skipjack Press. In the firstbook, The Artist-Blacksmith 's Craft,Schramm presents his view of theforces influencing blacksmithing andcontinues with a description of basicprocesses. The remaining 30 pagescontain photographs of his work.

The second book, My Life as Artist-Blacksmith, is as the title implies,autobiographical. In it he recounts hisearly life and experiences as ablacksmith. He goes on to describesome of his works and ends with somelearning exercises. The last 25 pagescontain photographs of his work.

A new release from Skipjack Press;Julius Schramm translated by RobertRuhloffwas first published in the '30'sas a workshop report. It's a 6" x 8.5"24 page booklet with 11 photographsof wrought iron work that Schrammforged near the end of his career. It'savailable by mail for $6 from:Skipjack Press Inc.637 Drexel Ave.Drexel Hill, PA 19026(610) 284-7693 ph(610) 284-7694 fx

RESTORA nON '97:Restoration 96/Chicago is aconvention/trade show with anemphasis on architectural restorationand conservation of twentieth centuryresources. Presentations willaccompany the trade displays andeducational programs. New this year isa "Job Match Program" aimed atconnecting job seekers with prospectiveemployers in this field. This year'sRestoration will be held at the ChicagoNavy Pier, October 18-20.For more information, Contact:RESTORATION Conference Manager

RAl/EGI Exhibitions, Inc.129 Park St.North Reading, MA 01864Tel (508) 664-6455Fax (508) 664-5822e-rnail [email protected]

SHOP TIP: From Juanita Hill, by wayof the May issue of the newsletter ofthe Appalachian Area Chapter, apainting tip. For painting iron or wood.Wad a nylon stocking and use it insteadof a brush. It does not leave streaks orlint.Dampened nylon is also good fordusting your iron projects.

WAX IT: Here's a good preservativefor your metal projects, knives, etc.It's called Renaissance Wax and it'simported from England. It's used bymuseums, art galleries and institutionsto preserve their precious pieces.Order a 200 ml. bottle for $16 plus $4S&Hfrom:Cutler Specialties22 Morris LaneGreat Neck., NY 11034

FLAT BELTS: From the MikeGeorge in the Newsletter of theBlacksmiths Association of Missouri,here's a tip for those needing flat belts.Try your local farm machinery dealer.Hay balers for making large roundbales use rubber or rubber-faced canvasbelting to roll the hay. The belting canbe from 3 inches to over 7 inches wide.In normal use these belts only wear inspots. That means there is a lot ofgood belting in the dealer's scrap pile.Mike traded a couple of small hooks tothe baler mechanic for a piece of beltingthe length he needed, complete withbrand new, machine installed lacing.

FOR SALE: Ray Robertson at LaurelMachine and tool has some more neatstuff. They have been making swageblocks, cones and hardy tools for thepast couple of years. Now they areadding anvils to the list. They aregetting ready to pour a 400 pounder hesays will be aRc 60 hardness. Call Rayat (601) 428-0541 for more info.

ARIZONA ARTIST BLACKSMITH ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL DUES ARE $15 MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO: AABA

N~ DATE _

ADDRESS CITY STATE _

TELEPHONE _ ZIP--------

PROFESSIONAL BLACKSMITH HOBBYIST FARRIERINTERESlEDINTHEART TEACHER OTHERPLEASE CHECK ONE: REGULAR MEMBERSHIP ($15)_

FAMILY MEMBERSHIP ($20)_NEWSLETTER ONLY ($ 6)_

SEND TO: MIKE COOPER3533 W. BANFFLN.PHOENIX, AZ 85023

ABANAMEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Includes a subscription to the Anvil's Ring

and The Hammer's Blow

Primary ABANA Chapter Afflliation, _

NAME ~PHONE( ) _ADDRESS(street) (pO Box) _CITY STATE ZIP-----

o RZHE1Ilt.L NmmJl!R?

DREGULAR MEMBERSHIPDSENIOR CITIZEN (65+)OOVERSEAS AIRMAILOOVERSEAS SURFACE MAIL

$35.00$30.00$70.00$50.00

DFULLTlME STUDENTOCONTRIBUTORY MEMBERSHIPDPUBLIC LIBRARY

$30.00$100.00$25.00

DCHECK OR MONEY ORDER ENCLOSED (WRITTEN ON U. S. BANKS ONLY)DVISA []MASTERCARD

card numberEXP. D~TE (REQUIRED) 1•.... _1_-"

/Seud to: ABANA, P. O. Box 1181, Nashville, IN 47448 .Or pbooe with VISAIMasteICard by calling (1112)988-6919

+ 16

03.LS3fl(lnJ NOI.I.JJmIaJ Ss::m-aav-

£ZO£8ZV 'XIN30Hd3NYl ±INVH 'M ££S£

~OH S.lIMIV3Hl

The Anvil's Horn +I -) Contact Tim Ryan,

I 10UH.C:~0¥ IlIPPhY (617)643-0158. •• Brochure: Brian-Hughes has written a

new brochure called' "Consumers Guideto Wrought Ironwork". It is apromotional and educational tool forblacksmiths to use in -helping potentialclients understand tlleir work If youwould like more information, sendSASE to:Brian HughesBox 10033Prescott, AZ 86304Centaur Forge, P,O, Box 340,Burlington, WI 53105, has a completeline of books and tools, Send for theircatalog,Little Tree Designs, 115 E.Mendocino, Willets, CA 95490, has acatalog of tools and fixtures,(707) 459-1934V.Uey Forge and Welding, JereKirkpatrick, 30-C E. San Francisco St.,Willits, CA 95490, is another goodsource of catalog tools and fixtures,(707) 459-2523.For Sale: Ring roller, benders,twisters, bending dies, ornamental iron

Contractor Book Soutce stocks a"'-'number of reference books for the:::,trades loaded with handy formula ~There're located at 9th St. and _nJefferson. .- 'ENCO Tool Supply carries abrasives,belts, saw blades and many other kindsof tools at reasonable prices. Stop byor send for a catalog.(602) 968-5153929 W. 23rd St. TempeArizona Specialty Metals, 4020 E.Washington, Phoenix AZ 85032 (602)276-8407, has a pile ofH13 tool steelfor sale cheap. In a special arrangementwith Tom Yeager, they'll sell H13 remsfor $1.00 a pound. This is high temp,air hardening steel that's great forhammer dies and anvil tools. See Tunor Allison and say Tom sent you oridentify yourself as an AABA memberto get the special price.Genuine Wrought Iron: All sizessquare, round, flat and fabricated bar.Made in England.

drawing system, scroll ironattachments. All new manufacturedproducts. Send for info.Shop Outfitters605 S. Adams St.Laramie WY 82070(307)745-5999

'17u!AnviL's Horn is the official newsletter of theArizona Artist Blacksmith Association. Publishedevery other month preceding the bimonthlymeetings of the Association, the newsletter isoriented toward anyone interested inblacksmithing and related forms of metal work:.Membership is available at the rate of $15 forindividuals and $20 for families and includes asubscription to the TIle Anvil's Horn for one year.Every attempt has been made to ensure theaccuracy of information appearing here, but noliability is assumed by the Assooiation or itsofficers for errors, damages, or injuries resultingfrom any design use, coostructionor application ofsaid information. Uncopyrightedmaterial may beused freelyby other similar organizations providedproper credit is given. Any copyrighted articlesappearing hearin should not be reproducedwithout pennission of the author. Matters relatingto membership, newsletter submissions,corrections, etc. should be addressed to the editor:Mike Cooper3533 W. Banff Ln.Phoenix AZ 85023 (602) 938·1495

Anvils Horn 9607

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