Maritime Blacksmiths Association

Good news about coal! Eirik Larsen has offered to put together a coal order. It looks like the price will be just under $700 including taxes for a one ton pallet of 50lb bags. The minimum order for this coal at cost will be one ton so if you want less then please find some other folks to share a pallet. Eirik plans on retailing coal by the bag (three bag minimum) for those who prefer to buy their coal in that manner. Thank you Eirik! MBA members, spread the word, check your bank account, and stay tuned for the details.

Wayne Jay and Frank Smith will be leading the workshop to build gas forges. It will take place on the weekend of November 29 & 30 at Frank’s new shop. More information will be forthcoming.

 Stephen P.

Started off the morning with Mark Asprey giving demo’s on a bottom swage blank, a chisel and crimping stake. In the process he discussed techniques in prepping your work, hammer control, anvil effect and several other items.

Here’s some photos from part of his demo, more to come.

His smushamatic tool is a great addition to a blacksmith shop. Particularly if your using different size hardie holes. The tool in the picture is used for making his tenons and it’s a piece of angle iron that fits in the hardie hole. The tool itself rests over the anvil.

His chisels have a very distinct shape and he gave a very good explanation why it was.

Next Mark created the crimping stake. It’s starts off as a 1′ X 1/2″ flatbar that will be folded over to make it 1″ X 1″. He started with the bar 1″ over the edge of the anvil wide side down and struck it with half face blows to drive it down. He turned it vertical and gave the 1″ piece a slight taper. He then bent it over almost 90 degrees and upset it.

The piece will be bent back on itself to fit in the hardie hole and the upset piece is the stop for the tool.

The other end is bent over 90 degrees, it will become the crimping tool. Mark used fullers to create the groove.

When it was complete with the groove all dressed it was time to case harden it. Mark uses Kasenite. Its made organic material and apparently doesn’t smell very good. The directions a fairly simple, heat to orange, coat in Kasenite, heat to orange again, quench in water.
That’s it until I get home, other than some photo’s. It’s been a great time, there were 205 registered participants. Yeeha!

Stephen P.

Well we made it here. Wednesday night we (Scott Hamlin, Doug Roberts and myself) gathered in Sussex and left at 9pm. Doug drove for most of the night and we made it to the Ashokan Center around 10am this morning after a couple of stops. It’s nestled in the Catskills of New York and is a great site.

The conference got under way this evening with the plan for the weekend. The silent auction is underway and the 1st iron-in-the-hat as well. There’s about 160 participants and it looks to be a good lineup of demonstrators.

The tailgaters are here and the tool demo’s have started.

Talk to you later, Stephen P.

While driving around a couple of weeks ago I came across a man who might be interested in selling some blacksmith equipment. His name is Warren Jollimore, and he lives in Tatamagouche. his phone number is 657 2325

Doug

Who’s interested in a coal order? Nothing firm at the moment, we’re just making a general inquiry. Send me an email if you’re interested.

We’re getting some prices together, the order would be for 22.5 tons. There’s the possibility of some anthracite if someone is interested, but that would be a pallet of it. Which is about 1.25 tons.

We’ve received a request from Truro to come to the fair on August 23rd. We’re looking for volunteers again. Who can make it, send an email. We’ll post some more info on the where’s and how’s.

Stephen P.

Well we had members at the Big Ex this year. Not enough though. Scott Hamlin and Doug Roberts were there on Friday, while Doug was by himself for half the day on Saturday before I showed up.

Doug made a very good point while we were talking about the association and Exhibitions/Fairs. This is our opportunity to engage with the public, show who we are and meet potential new members or even new clients. We should have had 4 members there at minimum, 2 for hammering, 2 for meeting and talking to the public. It’s a cross between a recruiting station, job fair and public relations booth.

 Doug has spoken and written about how we can improve when it comes to the association attending the fairs. He’s a former member of the Vancouver Island Blacksmiths Association and as he said at the end of the day Saturday he’s made hundred’s of leaves at the fairs. He’s not blowing his horn when he talks about how to possibly improve things but he’s genuinely concerned about how we can stay a viable association and stay in the black. We need to keep our MBA afloat and that’s not from the profits of hosting one CanIRON to the next one.

 Stephen P.