Guild of Metalsmiths Monthly Discussion Forum

Please!

Video rental form (front cover)
Metalsmith Back Issue Service
Membership application (back cover)
publishing data
Call for Metalsmith Articles
Educational Grants
Richard Herman New Video Librarian
December meeting notes
Directory updates
Copper working tip
Our new online discussion group
Letters
Want Ads
Next Meeting:
Arms and Armor - Feb 13, 2002
Workshops:
Jan.
Beyond the Basics workshop
Feb.
Pot Rack Making workshop

Richard Herman Takes over as new Guild Video Librarian.

Richard Herman has started his duties as new Guild Video Librarian. Last week he picked up the tapes and all from retiring Librarian Fred McCluskey. Look for the new Video Rental form on the back cover of the Forum.

Our thanks to Fred McCluskey for all the time he has donated to whip the library into shape.
Please use the New Forms for ordering Videos.

Rich Herman
12553 Danbury Way
Rosemount, MN 55068
email: rncherman@earthlink.net
phone:(651)322-1623

The December Meeting:
submitted by Gene Olson

CSPS Hall, St.Paul, MN

After the obligatory round of socializing and testing all the goodies everybody brought to the banquet, President Dave Feterl called the meeting to order.

Dave welcomed everybody to the meeting.
He reminded everyone that the Guild has money in the educational grant fund to help pay for intermediate and advanced level classes and allowed that we were looking for non-ferrous grants
Treasurer, Mike Frattalone, reported that we have over $6,000 in the educational grant fund now.

Committee Reports:

Financial: Mike Frattalone - $21,700 in the bank. 325 members, that's up $4000 from last year. If anyone still has receipts to turn in or knows of supplies that need to be purchased please get them to Mike before the end of the year.

Education: Robert Johnson - Basics are full for the this session, a waiting list developed. We are working on intermediate classes for January. A group of instructors worked as students last weekend, to refine the 'Beyond the Basics" 2 day workshop, which will be offered to the membership in January. There will be announcements in the forum. Committee is looking for something to offer the more experienced.
We are always looking for volunteers to help teach these classes. Nothing focuses your understanding of a process like trying to explain it. Teaching is really a learning experience, and that's good for ya. Come on over and pitch in.

Program: Myron Hanson - The Fall conference planning is well under weigh. They have narrowed the list of demonstrators to six and are making progress. They want a separate committee set up to handle the raffle and prizes for it. If anybody is interested in working on this, contact Myron.

Publicity: Gene Olson - The December Forum is now in the mail. It's a bit late. We emailed it to Karen on the first, she printed it right away, and then wires got crossed and it sat on the shelf for a week because nobody picked it up to take it to the post office.
We will try and get this under control so it doesn't happen again.

ABANA Rep: Dave Mariette - The Guild of Metalsmiths has been asked to organize the opening ceremonies for the 2002 conference in LaCrosse June 5-9.
If you have any great ideas contact Dave Mariette.
Dave, called on Bob Fredell to tell us what sort of staffing was needed for the conference. Bob put up a sign up sheet at the meeting and got more people than he needed. The jobs they will be doing are: Site Managers (a person Friday for each demonstrator) Setup Crews: (arrive early and leave late) Registration help, and Family room help.
Thanks to all that signed up, no more people are needed for those jobs.

Dave Mariette, however, is still considering good ideas for the opening ceremony.
Home phone: 651-439-1031
Cell Phone: 612-889-3291
email: anvildancr@aol.com

Old Business:

501C3 papers have all been collected and submitted to the lawyer.

Show and Tell:

Bob Beck showed us some leather he had hand tooled and then made a molded stamp from which he is able to stamp the design into other pieces of leather. .The process could be used for Guild of Metalsmiths insignia belts or something like that.

Gary and Suzy Zahradka, Omega Artworks, guests from St. Paul showed us some of the swords and other objects they sculpt for clients around the Country. Gary and Suzy have been doing this for 20 years.
They have a website at www.omegaartworks.com.

John Yust showed us some cast bronze door hardware from Spain, which he brought back from the ABANA Europe tour. He also had some old corkscrews and things from Czechoslovakia.
He brought back some books from a tool museum in Troyes, France which show how much power and prestige the blacksmith had in medieval society.

Adam Yust showed off his "baby" skillet with the new handle Myron Hanson had forged for him.

John Adams showed off the Orchids that he and Bill Krawczevski had forged recently and intimated that if there was enough interest they might be convinced to put together a class.(so call Bill and John if you like this idea)

Peter Maas, showed off some flower pot holders he had made for a gravesite. of forged steel with copper repoussé detailing

Roger Degner, showed off the stencil resist bleached tee shirt he had made at Tunnel Mill and also pointed out that the UMBA Winter Conference will be in South Beloit, Wisconsin February 9^th - 10^th.

Bob Albert brought some antique fireplace tongs which came from Indiana in the around year 2000. They are consistent in design with those made in the 1700s, and could well be an authentic colonial era pair.
Jesse Gavin showed us some cheese knives he had made.

Tom Latané showed a meat fork and some lock parts.

Bill Krawczevski showed us an Ice fishing ice scoop he had forged from one piece of metal. Two days to forge out the wide part and the taper down the handle.

Bob Fredell showed off some 19^th century rosettes from Spain that he had collected during the ABANA tour. Also some lock parts and door nails.

Brent Wold showed a snake forged from a rasp, a mace and a sword. The mace had a wrapped leather handle which Scott said was made tight and durable by wrapping as tightly as possible, then painting with beeswax and heating gently to shrink and set it.

Gene Olson showed a small copper bowl he had raised and soldered a silver lip onto.

And there were other things there too but I got distracted part of the time.
ed.

Welcome to new Members and visitors.

New Museum to open in the Metro area:
Chris Poor told about the new arms and armor museum which will be coming to the metro area.
This received two articles covering 3/4 of a page in the Star Tribune. A European collector is donating a large collection of arms and armor to a new museum in this area. The collection includes armor and weapons from 1800 BC up to the end of the 19^th century. A unique feature of the collection will be that patrons may make arrangements to handle the objects to better understand the balance and construction of the items. They are still looking for a building.
More on this collection can be found at:
www.oakshott.com
As usual we are looking forward to an exciting meeting at Arms and Armor in February.

(Our congratulations to Chris on landing this important collection. )

Awards:
In giving these awards we recognize the contributions of some exemplary individuals. We know that they did not accomplish all these things on their own, but rather with the support of many Guild members. Their leadership and personal involvement have earned them these accolades, but we and surely they recognize the support of all the volunteers in our organization that have made these classes, conferences, meetings . . . possible. As we recognize these individuals, we thank you all for your involvement and support.

President's Award:
Mike Frattalone for 12 years of keeping track of the Guild finances and making it easier for everyone else to get things done. Mike's work on the conferences, the auctions, the raffles, . . . are a key part to our health as an organization.
Thanks Mike!

Juaire-Hubler Service Award:

Dick Carlson for years of service to the Guild. All the classes he has taught, the meetings he has hosted, several terms on the board of directors, management of several conferences, committee work, almost too many things to list here.
Thanks Dick!

A special award was given to Irma Carlson in recognition of all the support she has given to Dick's involvement as well as the big projects she has taken on herself. (Oh, six more for dinner? No problem)
Thanks Irma!

Charlie Bateman was awarded his "completing the basics" plaque, which he had earned of course, but it was given with a bit of high jinx celebrating his 9 years of getting started while photo-documenting our activities.
Thanks Charlie!

Mike and Dick were given standing ovations by the members present.

Elections:
Myron Hanson, Bob Johnson, and Gene Olson were reelected to two year terms on the Board of Directors.
Mike Frattalone was reelected as Treasurer.
Dave Mariette will succeed Tod Erdmann as Vice President
Dave Feterl was reelected to the Presidency.

Auction:
We had a mini auction of items donated Roger Degner was Auctioneer and I'm afraid I lost track of what was sold and who donated it. We thank you all for your support.

Meeting Adjourned.

December 04, 2001

2002 Conference-Blacksmithing Program Display Space

To further promote our educational mission, ABANA is providing free display space at the 2002 Conference in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, for schools and other organizations with blacksmithing education programs to advertise their classes. Space will be in the inside main display area and limited to a table top with no electric power available. The displays can range from a simple sign and copies of brochures to whatever can be fit onto a standard table top. One registered person from your school will be responsible for set up and tear-down. The display need not be manned during all times of the conference, but we will schedule time slots where representatives will be requested to be available to answer questions.

Deadline for registration for this program is April 30, 2002. Please use this unique opportunity to reach a core group of potential students to introduce or reinforce your class offerings. Contact Doug Learn , ABANA President, for more information and for registration for this program.

Doug Learn, President ABANA
121 Pebble Woods Drive
Doylestown, PA 18901-2907
H: (215) 489-1742
FAX: (413) 215-0281
cjfdlearn@mindspring.com

Directory Updates:

We left space . Get out your pen.

New Members:

Breczinski, Jim & William
Minnetonka

Lusche, Derek and Cassandra
Lusche Designs
1651 Melrose Ave S
St Louis Park MN 55426
email: ccpartydecor@aol.com
Interests: We are interested in learning more about metal arts. We both took welding classes and fell in love with metals, but it only covered welding not hammering or sculpture.

Stengel, Thomas M
Desert Iron
PO Box 307
2940 E Bench Rd
Moab, Utah 84532
Work Phone: 435-259-1170
Email: desertiron@hotmail.com
Interests: I want to learn all that I am able to as far as metalworking goes.

Reick, Anthony
Anthony's Gallery
4724 McColl Dr
Savage MN 55378
Work Phone: 612-369-6626
Email: anthonyreick@aol.com

******

Working Copper in the Winter

Oh, the weather outside is frightful,
but the fire is so delightful
and it's not only fun to gaze,
when you braise,
repoussee
anneal and raise

At least, I sink you can.
I know I've found,
a wood fire is just about perfect for annealing copper.
If you are burning wood in the shop,
move your workstation to a nice cozy spot by the fire
set up the pickle pot, quench tank

put a stake on,
pitch a pot,

and ticka ticka tank
the winter away.

Gene Olson

Our New online discussion group

Dale our ISP guy called me and said, "Gene I've got the email mailing list set up for you, go sign in and mess around with the controls and check out the options see what you can figure out and then ask me questions if you need to."

I went and looked here and there, checked options, tried some things, and then back on the main administration page, discovered that the delete button really did work, it deleted the whole mailing list right off the system.

That was okay though, I was going to ask him to change the name of the forum anyway. Dale had called it "Forge" which would have been a good choice if ABANA's wasn't already called "theForge",

I started bouncing around ideas for a name. Something metal, anvils, hardies, stake, slake-tub, hammer, tongs, fire, coal, clinkers (now there was a possiblity), blower, bellows . . bellows

Bellows, the lungs of the forge or the foundry. Gad, it was perfect, "theBellows" sounded kind of like listening to some of the old farts that keep this place going. <grin>

By the time you get this snail mail copy of the FORUM, everybody that registered their email with us will have gotten their first mail from the list.
It tells them this.

This is a "closed" discussion list. To get onto it you must ask the "moderator" to enter your address.
The reason for this is to keep spammers out and keep most of the discussion on topic. Individual emails will not be monitored and you can say whatever you want, but if by some weird chance someone forgets how to be civil, they can be banned if they fail to listen to friendly advice.

If you haven't received an email welcome message by this time, you aren't on the list yet

How to SUBSCRIBE:.
If you want to join the list send me and email saying you want to join theBellows discussion list to webmaster@metalsmith.org

How to UNSUBSCRIBE:
Once you are on the list, you can get off it at any time by doing the following:

To be removed from the list, send mail to imailsrv@metalsmith.org
In the body of the message enter:

unsubscribe theBellows

The list will send a confirmation message to the return address from which you sent the unsubscribe message.

If you try that and it doesn't work, email the webmaster and he can delete you, but please try doing it yourself first.

How to POST A MESSAGE
(after subscribing!):
Simply send your message to theBellows@metalsmith.org

It will be sent out to each member of the list.
If you reply to a list message, your reply will be posted to the list.
If you want to reply only to the sender of a message, you'll have to send to his or her address, which you can copy out of the header on your email message. It is the one marked <From:>

We hope you enjoy this new service. If you have any problems just email me at webmaster@metalsmith.org

Letters:
To have your letter printed here, Address it Dear Forum: and mail it to The GoM Forum, c/o Gene Olson, 8600 NE O'Dean Ave. Elk River, MN 55330-7167 ; email it to: forum@metalsmith.org or FAX to 763-441-5846

******
From Al Olson, down south:
dear friends;
time flies, seems like last week i was looking forward to thanksgiving. you have to understand we have long weeks, and no traffic jams, no christmas advertising everywhere you look, no commercial TV (military channels), no lights across main street, no houses lit up like the strip in las vegas. so when i figured out that xmas was in a few days, it was no surprise to me that i was clueless. some of you will undoubtedly read this after your holidays are over, i hope they were grand and special and that you managed to survive the chaotic bits. we/i are looking forward to another two days off! very sweet indeed. we have the good fortune of having a guest chef from italia, for three days. he doesn't speak english but there are a couple people on station who do, and they are translating for him. he also shipped pallets of food just for his meals (freshies). as opposed to the boxes of stuff that have been in cold storage for oh...7 years. last night's dinner was a big hit. we gave him a standing ovation after the galley folks sang their lyrics of Galley Smells, to the tune of Silver Bells. quite humorous. There are some decorations about and certainly enough white snow if you look beyond the city limits. it's just dirt in town, or dirt covered snow, or rocks, or dirt covered rocks, or a pleasant mixture of rocks and dirt. there are little streams of water all around town during the afternoons as well that flow towards the sound. so mud is also part of the local landscape. ask any janitor around here, they sweep up pounds of it off the floors every day. unfortunately they also try to vacuum it up with what appears to be household, upright, vacuum cleaners. the grit and rocks actually wears holes through the housings, ruins the motors, and they end up in our shop to be repaired. i'm glad that another guy does those. i have been quite busy with my share of big garage doors/openers lately, among many things. i need three levels of scaffolding and helpers usually. not one has gotten the best of me yet. this place is falling down around our ears and making parts is as common as finding them in a warehouse down here.

i'm happy to say that i've had a nice little boondoggle this month. there's an island, Black Island, about 23 miles from town, and we have a relay station out there. a couple lives out there for the summer season to keep things running and to play host to all of the antenna / telecom / IT / satelite / microwave type people that need to go out there. they, tony and karyn, have a few wind generators for power and a fresh water pond nearby to drill for domestic water. nice setup. helo's go out there often. anyway, their oven was dying and i got to fly out to see if i could fix it. unfortunately the oven needed new parts and i couldn't find anything around town to jury rig it with. so i told them what they needed and they special ordered the parts sent to NZ and hand carried on a flight. (read: that doesn't happen often) so i got to go back out again to install them.

http://uwamrc.ssec.wisc.edu/amrc/iceberg.html

i've seen satellite images of the ice conditions in this part of the ross sea. specifically the big icebergs B-15 and C16. right now they are resting on the north end of ross island, mcmurdo is on the south end of the island. our ice runway was moved a couple weeks ago onto the permanent ross ice shelf for the rest of the season. it's like a small village of huts and a hand full of different planes. the old one is just a shiny spot out there now. i volunteered to be a truck driver during ship offload coming up soon. don't know if i'll get that. i'm hoping for some open water around town this year, so i can see some wildlife. I've seen so many pictures and video of wildlife around here, and heard stories, it almost seems like i've experienced it already. just skuas and a few seals so far. we saw a great documentary on the mcmurdo experience recently that will be aired on PBS sometime in the first quarter of 2002. be sure to check that out! well everyone, it's dinner time and that means italiano cooking. i'm out of here. i hope your christmas and new year's celebrations are warm and comfy.

cheers, alan

******

Hi all,

Just got photo from Al in his Thanksgiving day garb -- and he found a fellow kilt wearer!
Now, I think he needs one of those hats.
Beth Henry

(With a name like Olson . . . who'd a thought? Alan (Rob Roi) Olson the well dressed celt. <g>
ed.)

******

Here is a site with excellent welding information. The address below goes to the table of contents.....and each page I looked at has a tremendous wealth of information.
http//www.adtdl.army.mil/cgi-bin/atdl.dll/tc/9-237/toc.htm

all the characters above are necc. Including the hyphens.

Valerie Weihman
Sculptor/welding instructor

Want Ads:
Any notice MUST be in my hands by the end of the month.

Due to the transient nature of Items for sale, All want ads are listed on the exchange page.

******
Want Ads are free to members
(and if the some nonmember is selling tools and equipment that may benefit members and the smithing community by keeping good tools in circulation, we will print those free too (anvils, forges, etc.)) Ads, (and letters) are published on a space available basis. This notice needs to ride on one stamp, so if there are too many pages some editing may be done or the ad may be pushed into the next issue.
Display advertising rate is the same as for Metalsmith. Half sheet, 4 insertions, for $50.
(Thats full page in this format, half page in Metalsmith)

Here in January

Board meeting at Fredell's

Beyond the basics workshop

Coming in February

The February membership meeting will be at Arms and Armor on Stinson Blvd in Minneapolis.

Pot Rack Workshop

Coming up in March

Board meeting at Fredell's

Spring

Coming up in April

Northern Minnesota Spring Conference up by Lake Itasca

Happy New Year everybody!

Return to index of this issue

February Membership Meeting

Wednesday
February 13, 2002

Arms and Armor on Stinson Blvd in Minneapolis. You can park around the building or across Stinson in the parking lot
6:30 Pot luck
7:00 Meeting
Program: Owner,Chris Poor will discuss his Armor and sword-making business as well as his upcoming Museum venture.

Don't forget "Show and Tell!"

Return to index of this issue

Beyond the Basics

When: 9AM - 4PM,
1-26-02 and 1-27-02

Where: Mn School of Horseshoeing

Instructor: Various Instructors

Workshop Manager: Bob Johnson
1302 Osceola Ave
St. Paul, Mn 55105

Phone: 651-699-3919

Cost $40.00

Class size 8

Description We will work to improve hammer skills, and learn new processes as in the Study Guide. This will include some traditional joinery, assembly, and tool making.

You need to Bring: Participants must have their own safety glasses, ear plugs and a good hammer or two your favorite bucket of tools. Measuring and marking devices. Cotton clothing and suitable footwear (ie. leather shoes) are also required.

Bring a lunch or eat at one of the local establishments.

To reserve a spot in this workshop send your check for $40 payable to "The Guild of Metalsmiths" to Bob Johnson.

cut here

Beyond the Basics - two days

Sat. Jan. 26^th and Sun 27^th , 2002 from 9 am to 4 pm
Mail to: Bob Johnson, 1302 Osceola Ave St. Paul, Mn 55105
Phone: 651-699-3919
Cost: $40.00 Check payable to: The Guild of Metalsmiths

Name:____________________
Address:_____________________________________________
City:__________________
State:______ZIP:_____

Phone:______________________

Return to index of this issue

Pot Rack Making Workshop

When:
Sat. February 9^th, 2002
from 9am to 430 pm

Where: Class will be held at the Minnesota School of Horseshoeing 6250 Riverdale Drive NW in Ramsey Mn.

Instructors: Curt Engstrom and Bob Fredell
3500 45^th Ave So.
Minneapolis, MN 55406
What you will make:
Students will make a pot rack as seen in the Blacksmithing Study Guide, slightly modified.

Cost: $15

Class size: 8

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:
Students will use the processes of scrolling, bending, punching, drawing out, riveting, incising decorations and finishing the surface.

You need to Bring: Participants must have their own safety glasses, ear plugs and a good hammer or two. Cotton clothing and suitable footwear (ie. leather shoes) are also required. Gloves, file, wire brush, hammer, tongs for ¼" stock, soap stone or silver pencil.
Bring a lunch or eat at one of the local establishments.

To reserve a spot in this workshop send your check for $15 payable to "The Guild of Metalsmiths" to Bob Fredell.

cut here

Pot Rack Making Workshop

Sat. Feb. 9, 2002 from 9am to 430 pm
Mail to: Bob Fredell 3500 45^th Ave So. Minneapolis, MN 55406
Cost: $15.00 Check payable to: The Guild of Metalsmiths

Name:____________________
Address:_____________________________________________
City:__________________
State:______ZIP:_____

Phone:______________________