Hello everyone

As I surf this glorious thing called the internet I have found some interesting
e-books on blacksmithing and thought I'd share.

http://www.beautifuliron.com/links_bks_smith_beginner.htm

I haven't gone through them all (yet) but there's a treasure trove of cool books
for smithing here.


This is the one that I'm working threw at the museum this summer, hope to finish
all of the lessons by the end of the season, or at least thats the goal.

http://www.hct.ac.uk/Downloads/cp_blacksmith.html


Enjoy !!

Lady Thora
( working full time as a blacksmith this summer out here in Ottawa) :)

Canadian National Blacksmith's Conference comes to Ontario in 2011

CanIRON 8
Thursday July 28 to Sunday July 31, 2011
Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex
Fergus, Ontario

	 The Ontario Artist Blacksmith Association is pleased to announce it will be
hosting CanIRON 8, the Canadian National Blacksmith's Conference. From July 28
to July 31 this summer, blacksmiths from across Canada and the United States
will be gathering at the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex in Fergus
Ontario. Eight featured demonstrators are coming from England, Canada and the
USA to illustrate techniques and conduct hands on workshops. Elements of the
event will be free for the public to view. These include special demonstrations,
a metalwork Gallery where you can meet the artists,  an auction Saturday
evening, and watching our (often entertaining) forging competition on Sunday
afternoon.

	 CanIRON is a biannual event which moves west to east across the country. Last
held in Ontario in 2003, CanIRON 8 follows the successful event at Ness Creek
Sask. in 2009. This year's theme is 'Forging Friendships', and to that end an
event is planned with as much interaction between our featured demonstrators and
the members as possible. A special focus for CanIRON 8 will be the use of all
hand powered work, the use of strikers with sledges rather than modern
mechanical equipments. Aspects of design will be an important component, with
demonstrators chosen for their proven ability to effectively communicate.

Our featured demonstrators are:
Paul Allen - England
Sandra Dunn - Ontario
Jesus Hernadez - Alabama
Mike McCarthy - New York
Jake Powning - New Brunswick
Mark Puigmarti - Ontario
Brian Russell - England
Kelly Smyth - Pennsylvania

	 As well as physical demonstrations, conference members will take part in hands
on workshops, lectures, panel sessions, open forge sessions, tail gate sales - 
and ample opportunities to 'Forge Friendships'.


	 The Ontario Artisan Blacksmith Association draws its members from both
professional and hobby level metalworkers. The organization traces its roots
back to the late 1970's when it formed as a chapter club under the larger Artist
Blacksmith Association of North America. Our goal is to both preserve the
traditional skills of  the blacksmith and  promote forged iron and steel as an
artistic medium. It never really was about horseshoes!


For more Information:
web site : www.ontarioblacksmiths.ca/CANIRON8/
blog : http://caniron8.blogspot.com/
e-mail : caniron@...

View this Ad: Blacksmith Anvil by Peter Wright

And sent you this message:
Greetings all,
Got a hit on Kijiji for a great deal on an anvil. It's a Peter Wright, and judging by the paint stick as a scale, My Guess is that it is in the 120-175 lb range. For $200.00, that is a very good deal. The anvil looks to be in great condition and the edges and horn look very good. If anyone is looking for an anvil, this looks like a great deal.
aeneas
(if I didn't already have 5 anvils, I'd jump on this one myself)

Thanks for visiting Kijiji!

View this Ad: anvil

And sent you this message:
Got another hit.
This one is 200lbs and the seller is asking $250.00 ... that's $1.25 per pound. That's an excellent price and the anvil is in pretty good condition based on the photo.
Good luck.
Aeneas

Thanks for visiting Kijiji!

I've started up a Resource File and I've downloaded 2 manuals I've collected
over the years.  I have many more manuals and documents that I'll download as I
get the chance, but I figured 2 was a good start.  If anyone else has any
manuals, e-books or documents they want to download, feel free.
Aeneas.

Great idea and contribution, Aeneas!

I look forward to flipping through the manuals you provided to the group.

Aurik

--- In EaldormereBlacksmithguild@yahoogroups.com, "Sam F" <oakhammer.forge@...>
wrote:
>
> I've started up a Resource File and I've downloaded 2 manuals I've collected
over the years.  I have many more manuals and documents that I'll download as I
get the chance, but I figured 2 was a good start.  If anyone else has any
manuals, e-books or documents they want to download, feel free.
> Aeneas.
>

Greetings all,

I know the Guild has been a little quiet as of late, and I hope you all know
it's due to busy lives rather than lack of interest.  So Lady Thora and I have
come up with the idea of each and every month, a question or topic be put
forward for the group to talk about.

Our hope is this will engage both current and future members to exchange ideas,
share past experiences, explore new avenues of smithing, generate future lines
of discussion and boost the Guild's activity overall.

We have pulled together a number of questions, and Lady Thora has graciously
agreed to start things off within the next few days with the first topic at
hand.

Aurik

Morning all

We have decided to do a monthly question, (Craig mentioned this in one of his
posts)  and since it is a new month and everyone is back from a successful
blacksmithing conference in Fergus Ontario, I thought I'd begin.

Question:  What is the best way to forge weld braided wire?

Please feel free to answer this question and/or ask more questions on this
topic.

Yours in Service
Lady Thora V
aka: Henreitta

Hello everyone,

Just as an update on places to learn,  the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum(
were I work in Ottawa)  has started a new Blacksmith Program.  Its a place to
learn how to blacksmith ( circa 1900's)  but the basics are all the same .  If
you are in the area and wish to come on out sometime this summer,  go to "  123
go register"  (city of ottawa site)  look for the Cumberland Heritage Village
Museum (click on it) and search blacksmith (click on it) and then find a date
that is open,  sadly they on longer have drop in times for full day classes.

There is also a two hour dinner gong class that is only $10.00 if you just want
to try it once before you come out for all of the lessons.


its a fairly laid back class this summer, with a lesson in the morning and then
open time in the afternoon, but remember you have to work around our demos to
people coming out to the museum to learn about the 20s-and 30s.

and did I mention its free??   you'll need to bring in your own metal after your
done the basic classes but thats all :)

They have changed the volunteer blacksmiths into the blacksmith program and I
hope that they continue to allow this open forum to be available to the public.

The first day is an assessment to see what you do and do not know, then we can
begin, don't forget, 100% cotton and close toed shoes, you might want to bring
your own safety glasses we have spare aprons and foamy ear plugs if needed.

There is a max of 3 students per day  aswell.

Yours in Service
Lady Thora V

aka Henrietta

> Question:  What is the best way to forge weld braided wire?

By braided wire I am assuming that you mean cable such as is used by wreckers or
cranes.

The first is to determine if it was from an elevator. This type of cable is
counter rotating. That is that the inner strands are twisted in the opposite
direction from the outer strands. If you heat this type of cable and try to
twist it tighter the inner strands cause it to force apart.

It can still be welded but don't twist it tight. Start with standard cable as it
is easier.

Regular cable from cranes or wreckers etc. has inner and outer strands twisted
in the same direction. This allows you to take a heat and clamp one end in a
vise and twist the other end with vise grips or pipe wrench tight to help remove
as much of the air space as possible.

The good news is this alloy welds very easily although the technique is a bit
different from normal forge welding.

Once the cable is twisted tight take a general bright orange heat and scrub as
much scale off as possible with a fine wire brush. Do this gently to not untwist
what you have previously done.

Flux with 20 MuleTeam Borax or similar. Let the flux melt into all the cracks
and crevices. It should wick its way deep into the structure of the cable.

Back to the fire and take to a welding heat. Lemon yellow in a gas forge, well
below sparks in a coal forge. For the next step you will need a bottom tool. A
swage block is ideal but you can get away with a couple sizes of angle iron
welded and supported on a bar that fits the hardy hole of the anvil. The point
here is to create a tool that support the bottom of the cable (either 90 degrees
V block as the angle iron or half rounds as is found in many swage blocks)

The different sizes will allow you to adjust to the right size as the cable/bar
shrinks or compacts as it is welded.

So having your swage tool ready bring out the cable and start the weld at the
far end with light but firm hammer taps. Now the important part. Rotate the
cable as you go so that each hammer tap is tightening the cable as you weld.

At first it will be sort of squishy or floppy but once the weld takes it will
become a solid bar and you will hear the sound change. Once it is solid just
treat it as a solid bar and you can do further welds or refinement on the anvil
surface.

Repeat overlapping your welds as you go until you reach the length that you
wish.

I hope this helps.
Breneth
Artist Blacksmith
http://www.artistblacksmith.com

Very detailed process, Breneth.

For the welding compound, will straight borax do the trick or will a borax /
metal filling mix work better?

Aurik

--- In EaldormereBlacksmithguild@yahoogroups.com, "dblacksmith23"
<drobertson@...> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Question:  What is the best way to forge weld braided wire?
>
> By braided wire I am assuming that you mean cable such as is used by wreckers
or cranes.
>
> The first is to determine if it was from an elevator. This type of cable is
counter rotating. That is that the inner strands are twisted in the opposite
direction from the outer strands. If you heat this type of cable and try to
twist it tighter the inner strands cause it to force apart.
>
> It can still be welded but don't twist it tight. Start with standard cable as
it is easier.
>
> Regular cable from cranes or wreckers etc. has inner and outer strands twisted
in the same direction. This allows you to take a heat and clamp one end in a
vise and twist the other end with vise grips or pipe wrench tight to help remove
as much of the air space as possible.
>
> The good news is this alloy welds very easily although the technique is a bit
different from normal forge welding.
>
> Once the cable is twisted tight take a general bright orange heat and scrub as
much scale off as possible with a fine wire brush. Do this gently to not untwist
what you have previously done.
>
> Flux with 20 MuleTeam Borax or similar. Let the flux melt into all the cracks
and crevices. It should wick its way deep into the structure of the cable.
>
> Back to the fire and take to a welding heat. Lemon yellow in a gas forge, well
below sparks in a coal forge. For the next step you will need a bottom tool. A
swage block is ideal but you can get away with a couple sizes of angle iron
welded and supported on a bar that fits the hardy hole of the anvil. The point
here is to create a tool that support the bottom of the cable (either 90 degrees
V block as the angle iron or half rounds as is found in many swage blocks)
>
> The different sizes will allow you to adjust to the right size as the
cable/bar shrinks or compacts as it is welded.
>
> So having your swage tool ready bring out the cable and start the weld at the
far end with light but firm hammer taps. Now the important part. Rotate the
cable as you go so that each hammer tap is tightening the cable as you weld.
>
> At first it will be sort of squishy or floppy but once the weld takes it will
become a solid bar and you will hear the sound change. Once it is solid just
treat it as a solid bar and you can do further welds or refinement on the anvil
surface.
>
> Repeat overlapping your welds as you go until you reach the length that you
wish.
>
> I hope this helps.
> Breneth
> Artist Blacksmith
> http://www.artistblacksmith.com
>

Hi  Everyone

This is mainly for the smiths closer to ottawa,  I am in the middle of working
with the Vintage Iron group here in Caldrithig (ottawa) into ordering come coal.
If you are in the area-ish and want to add to the order the bags will be
approximately 40.00 plus HST per bag .  Can you let me know soon if you are
interested, even if its one bad thats cool.

Please email me at hverweybsmith at gmail dot com
as I don't normally respond to the yahoo emails, yes I am evil.....

Yours in Service

Lady Thora V

The Barony of Rising Waters is hosting Fall Coronation 2011!

It will be a celebration of the reign of Their Royal Majesties
King Aaron IV and Queen Rustique IV
and the coronation of their successors, Their Royal Highnesses
Quilliam and Dagmar,
Crown Prince and Princess of Ealdormere

We are also proud to be hosting The Knighting Of Count Quilliam!!

Site opens at 9 a.m and closes at 11:00p.m.

see web site for details: http://ealdormere.ca/coronation/index.html

Greeting all,

Fortunate news folks!
Lady Thora has informed me that a table will be made available for the Eldormere
Blacksmith Guild at the Feast of the Hare event this year.  That's right!  A
dais of our very own, upon which to showcase (read "brag!") our arcane skills in
the art of metalworking to the populace of Ealdormere.

If you have a piece or three you would like to display, please submit the
following info to Lady Thora (hverweybsmith@...) by Nov 5:
- your mundane name;
- your SCA name;
- name and short description of your brag item(s);
- a photo (JPG format) of each item; and
- an indication if you plan to bring your item(s).

We will have a 6' table which will be ample space for many small / medium sized
pieces, and I'm sure we might be able to display some larger pieces on the floor
nearby.

So round up your metallurgical creations, big (within reason) and small, bring
them to Hare and let's show Ealdormere the vast creativity and mighty skill that
is the Blacksmith!

Aurik Burnsson

And now you know why I asked Aurik to write a blurb about the table, he has a
way with words :)

Lady Thora


--- In EaldormereBlacksmithguild@yahoogroups.com, "Aurik" <rockforge@...> wrote:
>
> Greeting all,
>
> Fortunate news folks!
> Lady Thora has informed me that a table will be made available for the
Eldormere Blacksmith Guild at the Feast of the Hare event this year.  That's
right!  A dais of our very own, upon which to showcase (read "brag!") our arcane
skills in the art of metalworking to the populace of Ealdormere.
>
> If you have a piece or three you would like to display, please submit the
following info to Lady Thora (hverweybsmith@...) by Nov 5:
> - your mundane name;
> - your SCA name;
> - name and short description of your brag item(s);
> - a photo (JPG format) of each item; and
> - an indication if you plan to bring your item(s).
>
> We will have a 6' table which will be ample space for many small / medium
sized pieces, and I'm sure we might be able to display some larger pieces on the
floor nearby.
>
> So round up your metallurgical creations, big (within reason) and small, bring
them to Hare and let's show Ealdormere the vast creativity and mighty skill that
is the Blacksmith!
>
> Aurik Burnsson
>

Folks

There will be one of the regularly scheduled iron smelting events coming up:

Wareham
October 8 - Sunday
9 am - roughly 5 pm

Your host is Darrell Markewitz of the Wareham Forge (aka Sylard)
The working team will be drawn from DARC, with some tasks available for
other participants (ie- dirty jobs)

Objective is to build and operate an Iron Age slag pit style furnace.

This is a LIMITED observation day only event. So please contact me
directly if you wish to attend. Note that this is a modern experimental
process (no costumes please).
Wareham is about 45 minutes north of Orangeville off Highway 10 (near
Flesherton).

My direct e-mail is dark@...

Darrell
--
****************************************

Darrell Markewitz - Artisan Blacksmith
the Wareham Forge - Historic Reproductions & Architectural Forgings
<http://www.warehamforge.ca>
Interpretive Program Design - Norse Replicas / Viking Age Equipment
<http://www.warehamforge.ca/NORSE-REPRO/norse.html>

Blog : Hammered Out Bits

Author of:
Introduction to Blacksmithing (DVD)
Historic Bladesmithing (DVD)
Forging the Viking Age (DVD)
Experimental Iron Smelting from the Viking Age (CD-ROM)
Exploring the Viking Age in Denmark (data DVD)
all available at http://www.warehamforge.ca/video.html

All materials created by Darrell Markewitz copyrighted the author.
http://www.warehamforge.ca/copy.html

Thanks for the heads-up, Valdr.

Aurik

--- In EaldormereBlacksmithguild@yahoogroups.com, "Sam Falzone"
<oakhammer.forge@...> wrote:
>
> Oh, I just realized this person emailed me at my address, not through the
> guild list - that's good, that means the list isn't being spammed.  But
> watch out for this message in your mailboxes anyway . still smells phishy to
> me.
>
> sam
>
>
>
> From: Sam Falzone [mailto:oakhammer.forge@...]
> Sent: October-11-11 7:29 AM
> To: Ealdormere Blacksmith guild
> Subject: Fwd: "Are you a blacksmith?" - possible phishing scam
>
>
>
> If anyone else gets this message (see below), I'd be wary of it if I were
> them.  It sounds like a phishing scam to me - especially since this person
> mentions checking out my website ... and I don't have a website.  Be warned,
> don't give out any information.  Any way we can get this person blocked from
> the list?
>
> Sam - Valdr
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Heather Madison <heather@...>
> Date: Tue, Oct 11, 2011 at 5:11 AM
> Subject: Are you a blacksmith?
> To: oakhammer.forge@...
>
>
> Hey there,
>
> I'm reaching out to you because Thumbtack
> <http://www.thumbtackmail3.com/welcome?r=4255058862&utm_campaign=new_provide
> r&utm_medium=email&utm_source=marketing&utm_content=26&h=58e30b2FraGFtbWVyLm
> ZvcmdlQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ==>  is getting a lot of job leads for blacksmiths, and
> I'm looking for another blacksmith who is interested in taking on more
> clients.
>
> After checking out your website I think you are a great fit for Thumbtack
> and I'd love to start sending you job leads. Please fill out a few details
> about your skills and rates
> <http://www.thumbtackmail3.com/welcome?r=4255058862&utm_campaign=new_provide
> r&utm_medium=email&utm_source=marketing&utm_content=26&h=58e30b2FraGFtbWVyLm
> ZvcmdlQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ==> , and I'll start forwarding you potential new
> clients.
>
> If you have any questions about what Thumbtack can provide, please don't
> hesitate to ask.
>
> Thanks,
> Heather
> --
>
> Unsubscribe Link: One-click unsubscribe
> <http://www.thumbtackmail3.com/unsubscribe?e=oakhammer.forge@...&actio
> n=unsubscribe&utm_campaign=new_provider&utm_medium=email&utm_source=marketin
> g&utm_content=26> .
> 1001 Page St, Suite #45, San Francisco, CA
> This message is an advertisement.
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> _______________________________________________________
>
> Strive for greatness in all that you do, for life is too short to be a hack.
>
>   _____
>
> No virus found in this message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 10.0.1410 / Virus Database: 1522/3943 - Release Date: 10/07/11
>

Good day all
I know that the monthly question is a bit late this month, but as it is the end
of the crazy season for me I hope that you can over look that.

So Here is the question(s) of the month:  What is the difference between wrought
iron and mild steel?  and which is better?. why?

I know its more then one question but I thought it might be of interest to
people, and also I love asking questions.

If you have a question about smithing feel free to post it, no question is a
stupid question and others may also be wondering why too.  Some questions may
seem very basic but that is how we all learn.

If you are too shy to post a question but have one, feel free to send it to me
via hverweybsmith at gmail dot com, I get too many emials on my yahoo account so
i only use it to send stuff out now.

***ALSO!!!!  there will be a brag table a Hare so please bring something out for
it,  if you only have a picture feel free to bring it out for our scrap book
that I will be bringing too, yes there is a scrap book too :)  come on out and
say hi at Hare and meet others of like mind who enjoy hitting on hot (or cold)
metal ....

Yours In Service

Lady Thora V

Hi Thora and everyone.
Sorry I won't be at Hare, Aibhilin and I are committed to helping a
friend of ours get their house buttoned up and livable before the snow
flys.
Have a great event - I love the idea of a Brag table and scrapbook.
Any way we could turn that scrapbook idea into an online project (a
question for those wise in the ways of the web)?  Just curious.
Cheers.

Sam
Aeneas
Valdr

On 10/19/11, Gary Walker <walkergarya@...> wrote:
> While I am more of an armourer than a blacksmith, (therefore I commit the
> sin of hitting colt steel), real wroght iron is the period material and mild
> steel is the modern. Wroght iron is made by taking a large lump of ore
> called a bloom and repeatedly heating it and pounding it flat. With
> practice, carbon can be added or reduced but more important, each time the
> bloom is worked, more of the silicates or slag flak off the bloom.
> Wroght iron is harder to get these days, but works better in the forge
> especially for hammer welding. Due to some metalurgical properties I dont
> pretend to understand, wroght iron has better corrosion resistance than most
> modern steel. It is also like modern steel, subject to the properties of
> high and low carbon content. Very high carbon was not used in medieval
> europe but high and low carbon material were used where the hardness or
> softer steel were desireable.
> Mild steel is low carbon steel and makes the majority of the armour used in
> the SCA as well as most of our consumer goods. It is reletively cheap and
> consistant.
>
> For most blacksmithing work, mild steel works well enough without the extra
> cost of Wrought Iron. For the best work, Wrought Iron could be best.
> For a source for new wrought iron try...
>
>
> http://www.realwroughtiron.com/
>
>
>
>
> Duncan
>
> ________________________________
> From: thoravolundsdottir <hverweybsmith@...>
> To: EaldormereBlacksmithguild@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2011 6:35:44 PM
> Subject: [EaldormereBlacksmithguild] Monthly question
>
>
>
> Good day all
> I know that the monthly question is a bit late this month, but as it is the
> end of the crazy season for me I hope that you can over look that.
>
> So Here is the question(s) of the month:  What is the difference between
> wrought iron and mild steel?  and which is better?. why?
>
> I know its more then one question but I thought it might be of interest to
> people, and also I love asking questions.
>
> If you have a question about smithing feel free to post it, no question is a
> stupid question and others may also be wondering why too.  Some questions
> may seem very basic but that is how we all learn.
>
> If you are too shy to post a question but have one, feel free to send it to
> me via hverweybsmith at gmail dot com, I get too many emials on my yahoo
> account so i only use it to send stuff out now.
>
> ***ALSO!!!!  there will be a brag table a Hare so please bring something out
> for it,  if you only have a picture feel free to bring it out for our scrap
> book that I will be bringing too, yes there is a scrap book too :)  come on
> out and say hi at Hare and meet others of like mind who enjoy hitting on hot
> (or cold) metal ....
>
> Yours In Service
>
> Lady Thora V
>
>
>

--
Sent from my mobile device

_______________________________________________________
Strive for greatness in all that you do, for life is too short to be a hack.

Hear ye!  Hear ye!

We're just shy of 2 weeks away from Feast of the Hare, and I thought I'd put out
a friendly reminder about the EBG brag table.

Aurik

--- In EaldormereBlacksmithguild@yahoogroups.com, "thoravolundsdottir"
<hverweybsmith@...> wrote:
>
> And now you know why I asked Aurik to write a blurb about the table, he has a
way with words :)
>
> Lady Thora
>
>
> --- In EaldormereBlacksmithguild@yahoogroups.com, "Aurik" <rockforge@> wrote:
> >
> > Greeting all,
> >
> > Fortunate news folks!
> > Lady Thora has informed me that a table will be made available for the
Eldormere Blacksmith Guild at the Feast of the Hare event this year.  That's
right!  A dais of our very own, upon which to showcase (read "brag!") our arcane
skills in the art of metalworking to the populace of Ealdormere.
> >
> > If you have a piece or three you would like to display, please submit the
following info to Lady Thora (hverweybsmith@) by Nov 5:
> > - your mundane name;
> > - your SCA name;
> > - name and short description of your brag item(s);
> > - a photo (JPG format) of each item; and
> > - an indication if you plan to bring your item(s).
> >
> > We will have a 6' table which will be ample space for many small / medium
sized pieces, and I'm sure we might be able to display some larger pieces on the
floor nearby.
> >
> > So round up your metallurgical creations, big (within reason) and small,
bring them to Hare and let's show Ealdormere the vast creativity and mighty
skill that is the Blacksmith!
> >
> > Aurik Burnsson
> >
>