Over View of the ODBSA Event on 10/07/06

October 2006 1 Volume 1, Issue 11

Officers: President: Bobby Floyd By Hammer and hand the whole world does stand V.P. Operations: Missy Coates V.P. Library: Wendell Wayland Administrator: Bettina Wehner Treasurer: Charlie Boothe Old Dominion Blacksmith Recorder/Prod: Glen Bryant Asst. Recorder/Prod: Reo Garrett

Contributors: Association Photos: Jerry Jones www.odbsa.com Article: Dale Morse 434-335-5621 Dale Morse 1 Photo by Jerrry Jones ODBSA President’s Notes 2 By Bobby Floyd ODBSA Newsletter Notes on Traditional Joinery 3 By Dale Morse Published & Edited Distributed “Gold “Coal 4 By Bobby Floyd By Bobby Floyd By Missy Coates Last ODBSA Event for 06 5-6 By F. Crist & D. Munn

Dale Morse

Photo by Jerry Jones

Master Blacksmith/Teacher and one of ODBSA Educational Directors (Dale Morse) forge welds to make a corner bracket for some scrollwork he was demonstrating on October 7, 2006 at his shop/studio (Clay Hill Forge) in Charlottesville, Virginia for ODBSA members. 2

Over View of the ODBSA Event on 10/07/06 By The member’s names are not in order. Bobby Floyd, Charlie Boothe, Jerry Jones, Bettina Wehner, Wendell Wyland, Mike Wyland, John Riddle, Reo Garrett, Glen Bryant, Tom Harrell, Val Harrell, Jerry Naff, George Juettner, Richard Bartelt, Mary Bartelt, Charlie Hanks, Shirley Hanks, Carrie Boothe, David Hall, Tom Hughes, Dale Morse, John Paulus

“Dale's demo Sat. was fantastic! We have had some good demos, but I think this was as good as any we have had. The people that missed this one don't know what they missed.” Jerry Jones

ODBSA President’s Notes

It was a miserable cool, windy, heavy rainy day on easy way of explaining what he was doing in his demo is October 7, 2006 to attend Dale Morse’s demo at his Clay why so many members always enjoy his teachings. He has a Hill Forge in Charlottesville, Virginia. Due to the driving very clear, precise method for explanations. This works well conditions and over two-hour drive for a lot of members, it for a slow learner like myself. It all looks simple until some was pleasing to see the number in attendance and all arriving go you back Dale, to their the meal respective was excellent. shops and try it. on time. There were six other members who said that they Iron-in-the-Hat raffle and donations were excellent with were planning on attending but it is understandable why they $260 in ticket sales. All items in bold were hand-made. Mike did not attempt the trip. Wyland - Twisting wrench, Dale Morse grinding ODBSA tables were set up in the hall. Charlie Boothe wheel, Bobby Floyd - old grinder, Charlie Hanks - with his well organized Iron-in-the-Hat routine, Wendell Hummingbird, Wendell Wyland - tool bag, Bobby Floyd - Wyland likewise with the Library, Glen Bryant and Reo Brass Hammer, Glen Bryant - threaded rods, Charlie Garrett were capturing the day’s event on DVD and ODBSA Boothe - flux spoon, Bobby Floyd - Rose headed nails, new Administrator Bettina Wehner getting a taste of the Jerry Jones - Horse welcome sign, Bettina Wehner - confusion at the sign in table, signing in members, passing Blacksmith's Gazette, Bettina Wehner – another out name tags, selling t-shirts ($10), hats ($10), coffee mugs Blacksmith's Journal, Glen Bryant - Candle Holder, Tom ($12), beer mugs ($15), and dvds of past events ($5). Harrell - hanger & candleholder, Dale Morse - grinding ODBSA makes no profit from the sale of these items. wheel, Richard Bartelt - Hammer mold, Mike Wyland - flat Wendell and I signed up two new members: Tom Hughes steel, Bettina Wehner - Blacksmith's Journal, Glen Bryant - and David Hall. steel, Richard Bartelt - blacksmithing hammer. Dale had prepared coffee for us and bought us all a Our last ODBSA event for 2006 will be on November catered lunch from the Bar-b-que place across the street. 4th. There will be NO ODBSA event in December. Next Thank you Jerry Naff for saying grace and Carrie Boothe year’s (2007) first event will be held in January at Rustburg for helping with the raffle. in David Tucciorone’s Sunrise Forge. There will be a Looking around the shop, one could see many large Newsletter in December with more information. anvils (350 lbs), power hammers, large gas forge, 30 plus tongs, assorted smith made aids, beautifully designed gates, Thank you all in attendance for braving the weather for this stair rails hanging from the ceiling, artistic forge works and event and thank you again Dale Morse for the superb for me, the never before seen “water cooled forge” that Dale demonstrations, uses, all members that were there knew that they were in a professional blacksmith shop/studio. Bobby Floyd Dale did not disappoint anyone in his demonstration. His

3 Some Notes on Traditional Joiner By Dale Morse

To punch through a flat bar and pass it through itself on the flat, or the hard way, you must first slot punch along the length of the bar. The dimension of the slot punch has a direct relationship to the size of the finished hole. Technically, the perimeter of the slot punch should be equal to the perimeter of the inside of the hole. In practice, the slot punch should be a shade smaller and the finished size of the hole obtained by use of a drift made from a piece of the Bettina original stock. Once the slot punch is accomplished the use striking for Dale of a torch to upset the hole is advised. The upset can be accomplished using the forge, but a watering can will be necessary to keep the heat localized around the hole. Place the piece in the vise, and using the torch, heat the punched mark center on the flat. Determine which taper will end area and hammer the loose end of the bar to upset the hole. up being on top when the collar is folded around the You must upset the hole until the axis of the hole has work and shift the center mark one half the length of one switched from running the length of the bar to the width of of the tapers. For the example above this is usually the bar. In other words, you must upset until the hole has around 3/16 of an inch. This will ensure that the seam on almost closed on itself. Take a heat in the forge on the hole the finished collar will land exactly center. From the and using the vise as a bolster, carefully align the drift new center line, mark at half the distance of the perpendicular to the long axis of the bar and drive through. thickness of the work to either side. In the example You will need to go in part way with the drift, drive it out above, you would mark ½ inch to either side of center. and flip the work over and come in the hole from the other Make these marks indelible with a center punch or side perhaps two or three times to keep the drifting regular. chisel. Using the vise and a torch (highly Once the hole is shaped correctly, take a long heat on the bar recommended), fold the collar on one of these marks at from just beyond the hole and for several inches. You will 90 degrees. Make certain the center punch mark is on need to move it back and forth in the fire repeatedly to get a the inside of the fold. Using a spacing block, flip the long heat. Using the hammer and horn of the anvil, the vise collar over and fold the other leg down to make a staple. and some tongs, bending forks, or some other devise for This should fit snugly to the work to be collared. Again bending, loop the loose end around and through the hole. using the torch, fold the two legs down around the work. Drive it through until the appropriate size loop is created for As it cools, the collar should make a pinging sound the project you are making. Make final adjustments to the similar to that of a tin roof in the sun. shape with the bending forks. A mortice is simply a hole punched and drifted to a Cats eye punches, a slot running the length of a bar that specific size to receive a tenon. Slot punching and allows the swell of the punched hole only on one side of the upsetting will make a more decorative mortice. The bar, are made in a similar fashion. The slot punch and drift tenon is made by cutting a groove in the end of a bar are used to make and shape the hole. Omit the upsetting. with an offset hardy or a butcher so that the slant is to With the drift in the punched hole, place the hole in the the end of the bar and a square shoulder is formed. The hardy hole of the anvil or in some similar bolster. Forge the knob that results at the end of the bar is roughed down bulge of the punched hole down until the top edge or surface with a flatty tool which is either top and hardy tool or of the metal is flat. In this way a frame can be made that is spring flatty. A swage made to the finished size of the smooth on the outer edges around its perimeter and yet the tenon then is used to make the pin smooth and precise. decorative effect of the swell of a punched hole construction This swage is also either a top and hardy tool, or a is preserved. Collars and be affixed through the cats eye spring swage. A monkey tool, which can be simply a bar punched holes to secure infill. with a hole drilled in the end of it at the size of the tenon A collar is typically made of flat bar and the length is diameter, is then driven onto the end of the hot bar that determined by the perimeter of the material the collar will is set in the vise in order to true up the shoulder. The encompass plus two to two and one half times the thickness tenon is then placed into the mortice and trimmed to of the collar stock. For example, a ¼ by 1 inch flat bar collar length. The rule of thumb for the length of material to be made to encompass two pieces of ½ inch square needed for a tenon head or a rivet head is one and one material. The perimeter of the two pieces of ½ inch square is half times the diameter or thickness of the tenon or rivet 3 inches. Two and ½ half times the thickness of the ¼ by 1 stock. Again the torch is very helpful is setting the head inch flat is 5/8 inches. So the length of the collar is 3 and 5/8 of the tenon. inches. Taper the ends of the collar down opposite to each

other. On edge it should look like a parallelogram. Find and

“Gold” Coal 4 By Bobby Floyd

We have been in search of good cheap coal If you go, be very careful of the many, many all year long for the members of ODBSA with small towns in the mountains in West Virginia no one agreeing on what is good coal. If we as you pass through. I was told (by locals) that found it how much to get, if members would pay some local police would ticket you if you were in advance, where will it be dumped and how over the speed limit just a little. In some of the would members pick it up and when and who towns it is the only revenue system. would administer all of this. If a member wants Once in Keystone you will see the large to coordinate all of this, please let me know. machinery on the right side that cleans the coal. In talking with Master Blacksmith Dale There is no place to turn into this location until Morse about coal, here is his take on it. “ On you pass it on the hwy and then turn right and coal, I have observed that many of us American when you cross the railroad tracks, turn right smiths can get really hung up on the quality of again and park in front of the trailer. Go inside coal that we have. There is no doubt that good the trailer to pay and they will load you up. coal makes things go easier, but many of the Everyone there was really friendly and all were great international smiths I have had the interested in why we are blacksmithing. You can privilege of working with have had some of the only purchase in increments of a ton. No 500 or worst coal or coke I've ever used. It still 1000 lbs. The hamper dumps one ton at a time. functions in that it gives a useable heat, but that The cost last week was $70 a ton plus tax. I was is about all the good you can say of it. They use told the coal came from two Sewell vein in West it because it's the cheapest or most convenient Virginia. One is strip-mined and the other is stuff around. Perhaps there is a lesson there in deep mined and the coal is mixed 50-50. It is that it isn't necessarily the tools, fuel, or stoker size or less than inch and half in diameter. location that makes a smith a great craftsman.” This is not a mine but a sorting/cleaning facility I just ran out of coal and I had to decide if I that sell their coal. would get some from the same place (South On the Internet site of the Appalachian Boston) that I bought the last (if you want to Blacksmith Association they list Keystone coal make very large clinkers, when it begins to heat as “excellent coal for welding”. They list it as up, it runs like hot tar and has a lot coal dust, Pocahontas but I was told at the plant that it was then this is for you) or go for “gold” coal. I gave Sewell. If this means anything, Dollywood just the name “gold” coal to it because the owner of the week before, bought 20 tons for their a ton of Keystone coal (Charlie Boothe) was so blacksmiths there. tight with it that I felt it had to be really special. I know almost nothing about coal, so I asked Charlie was kind enough to give ODBSA some questions. They would not give me anything in for Jerry Darrell and Pete Ross demonstrations writing but only verbally. It is stoker coal, with and both seem to like it. 0.69% sulfur content, 4.9 ash and BTU 15,179. I am now the proud owner of some “gold” My results from using the coal for two days coal and I now understand why Charlie was so are as follows: the smoke smelled sweeter, so protective of it and so will I be. Let me explain. far very few clinkers and what is found is less The place where I purchased this coal is the than a dime size. Ash is far less than what I had same as where Charlie Boothe bought his two before, it cokes very well, it does not burn up as years ago. fast as what I had, it produces very good heat Four hours and quarter drive to Keystone, and seems to last. If this is a definition of good West Virginia one way with George Juettner coal then maybe I have some. driving his large, dual wheel, pick-up truck, If you’re interested in getting your own coal buying breakfast and dinner for four (our wives from Keystone Services Industry, Inc. here is were with us), paying some on the gas and the telephone number: 1-304-862-4529. They returning home at about 10 pm and one starts to are open from 9am until 4 pm Monday thru appreciate the hardship in getting “gold” coal. Friday. The drive into Virginia and West Virginia The only problem that I have with this “gold” mountains at this time of the year was beautiful coal, so far, is that “I can no longer blame the with the leaves changing colors. The last 20 coal for not making my forge welds.” I’m sure plus miles past Bluefield to Keystone was “an to find another excuse. eye opener” for all of us. The economic situation is different.

“When I first learned to forge weld, I had been trying and failing for a couple of years. My instructor was Bill Fiorini (he might be a good one to contact about doing a demo, known for his Damascus knives). He taught me a rigid ritual to go through to prep the fire and the metal and hold your tongue just right you'll get the weld. It helped a great deal, but as I got comfortable with the process, I didn't need the rigid ritual anymore. As I said in the demo, the main things you are trying to overcome in a forge weld is oxygen and time. Reduce the oxygen with a well-banked fire and flux, and don't take a lot of time to look at the work, line up the metal, or hunt for your hammer. You've got maybe four seconds and you need to use all four as efficiently as possible.” Dale Morse

“ODBSA Last Meeting/Demonstration for 2006”

When I researched these two professionals, I came to the conclusion that they are in the cream of the crop of Master Blacksmiths. They have over 60 years experience between them, have worked with and for some of the best in the country and their work is all over the world. Fred has demonstrated for many ABANA conferences, and blacksmithing groups, has taught at Haystack Mountain School of Arts in Maine, Peter Valley Craft Center in New Jersey and Touchtone Center for Crafts in Pennsylvania. Master Blacksmith Jerry Darnell told me back in January that we had some of the best blacksmiths in the country at our doorsteps (Fred Crist and David Munn) and that they are a “must see”. So if you are serious about learning blacksmithing this is your chance to see the best at work. Don’t miss this opportunity for they are truly experienced professionals.

Please let me know if you are planning on attending! The following are members/guest who said last month they were Planning on attending: Reo Garrett, Glen Bryant, Jerry Jones, Jerry Naff, Charlie Boothe, Bettina Wehner, Carrie Boothe, Bobby Floyd, George Juettner, Saturday,Tom Harrell, NovemberVal Harrell, Tom 4, Hughes, 2006 Location: Metalsmiths Inc. 463 Dinwiddie Street Waynesboro, Virginia 22980 540-942-8778 Hosts: Frederic A. Crist and David W. Munn Time: 10:00 A.M. Until 3:00 P.M. Refreshments: Coffee only (furnished by ODBSA) Lunch: nearby restaurants (your cost) Note: bring your own chairs

Demonstrators: Master Blacksmiths Frederic A. Crist and David W. Munn

Subjects: Slide presentation of some of their past projects, demonstration of forge welding techniques, the making of a large barn hinge and the making of the pintle for it.

The following was taken from Metalsmiths Inc. web site [email protected] Metalsmiths produces hand-forged sculptural and architectural works made in iron, steel and brass. All pieces are custom-designed and executed using traditional blacksmithing techniques and joinery, such as mortise & tennon construction, hot collaring, riveting and forge welding. All elements of a particular item are heated to a forging temperature (2200 f) in a coal or gas fixed forge, then hammered and shaped over the anvil while hot to create the final form. Decorative elements are created by hot carving with chisels and/or using repoussé techniques to achieve the desired effect. 6 Together, Frederic A. Crist and David W. Munn have over 60 years experience in designing and forging metalwork in such areas as large entrance gates, exterior and interior lighting, railings, furniture and sculpture. Mr. Crist received a BFA in sculpture from Philadelphia College of Art in 1977. He was employed by Samuel Yellin Metalworkers from 1977 until 1988. While at the Yellin Shop he advanced to the position of Mastersmith and has executed major works for the city of Philadelphia, the National Cathedral in Washington DC, the University of Pittsburgh as well as numerous private and public commissions. As a sculptor Mr. Crist exhibits work at The Reynolds Gallery in Richmond, Virginia, Agora Gallery in Soho, NYC, as well as other exhibitions in Baden Wurttenburg, Germany; Tianjin, China; New York and throughout the United States. In 1999 he was awarded a professional Fellowship in Sculpture from The Virginia Museum. Mr. David W. Munn received a B.S. degree in Sociology from Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas in 1969 and was employed until 1980 by the 19th District Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court as a probations officer. Since 1980 he has been self-employed in the construction trades and as a blacksmith. He trained for four years at the White Oak Forge in The Plains, Virginia. Mr. Munn has executed private commissions in Northern Virginia; Charlottesville, Middleburg, Fauquier County in Virginia; Washington DC, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Louisiana, North Carolina and California. In 1991, Metalsmiths was honored with the Craftsmanship Award for excellence in Metalwork by the Virginia Society of Architects of the AIA for work on the Sigma Nu Rose Arbor and numerous private commissions executed in Virginia. In 1995 Metalsmiths was commissioned to execute a Memorial Bench for Norfolk Academy in Norfolk, Virginia. In 2003 Metalsmiths was awarded the craftsmanship award by the West Virginia Society of Architects for work on the a Randolph County residence. In 2004 Metalsmiths was awarded the design award by the Virginia Society of Architects for work on a solar table. In 1998, 2000 and 2002 Metalsmiths was invited to participate in an international workshop on furniture design at Emma Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada. Metalsmiths works can be found in many private and corporate collections including: Sydney and Francis Lewis Collection, Richmond Virginia Markel Corporate Collection Media General Corporate Collection Medical College of Virginia Art Collection The Allen residence in Randolph County, West Virginia Robin & John Horn Collection, Little Rock, Arkansas Richmond Times Dispatch, Corporate Collection, Richmond, Virginia Purple Foot Restaurant, Waynesboro, Virginia Shenandoah Shakespeare Blackfriars Playhouse, Staunton, Virginia Frederick Koch residence, Butler, Pennsylvania Philip/Morris Corporate Headquarters; Corporate Collection Richmond, VA

Directions: 463 Dinwiddie Ave, Waynesboro: Find your way to Waynesboro. There seems to be many ways off hwy 64 to get to 463 Dinwiddie Ave. Your on your on until you get on N. Charlotte Ave, then stay on it past bowling alley on right and go under railroad bridge --- turn left onto 5th Street and go one block and turn left onto Dinwiddie, it is the 1st building on right. Good Luck!