Demonstrations

At the

 Science Museum

Guild Member Tom Latané will be demonstrating silver inlay on a steel axe at the Viking exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota on Jan 20^th from 10 am until 2 pm.

Guild member Roger Abrahamson will be demonstrating the use of his hand forged tools on his hand built kick lathe at various times on weekends.

Roger got some nice press about his weekend demonstrations in one of the Twin Cities larger papers. I asked permission to use part of their article here but they wanted $35 and I decided that was too much to spend just to show everybody how handsome Roger is, shucks you knew that. One of these days we should get him to shoot some photos of the various turning tools he has made and maybe some of them positioned as they are normally used.

.

In this month's FORUM

Video rental form (front cover)

Metalsmith Back Issue Service

Membership application (back cover)

Publishing data

Call for Metalsmith Articles

Educational Grants

Don’t Lose Your Head

    - Hammer maintenance in Winter

Opinion Survey on Design Classes

Directory updates

Letters

Want Ads

Call for Workshop Proposals

Next Meetings

 CHANGE OF VENUE

February 12^th Meeting

Will Be at

 Toll Welding, Pymouth

Workshops

              Feb. 1

                    Pos Tongs

                    (it’s mighty bygd of

                     Monty to do this for u

                     again.)

The GoM Forum is published monthly by the Guild of Metalsmiths, St. Paul, MN.

 It is intended as a community bulletin board, a place for all members to express their opinions, concerns, debate policy, propose projects & workshops. In short, to help us run our organization.

Your comments can be mailed to

The GoM Forum,

 c/o Georgia Meyer

313 Dakota Street Lake City, MN 55041

     or emailed to:

forum@metalsmith.org

Metalsmith Article Deadline:

Those of you working on those informative articles for our quarterly magazine. The copy deadline for the issue 1 of 2003 is February 1.

Send them to:

MARCIA MCEACHRON

2526 CALIFORNIA AVE NE

MINNEAPOLIS MN 55418

Phone: 612-706-0198

Fax number: 612-781-8435

Email: metalsmith@metalsmith.org

Please!

Guild Educational Grants

                There is grant money available for Guild members to study intermediate and advanced metalworking techniques.

The Guild educational grant program is designed to bring new skills into the metalworking community. Participants are given money to pay for a portion of their expenses and are expected to learn some new or poorly understood skill and to share what they have learned with other members and the public through an article in our quarterly magazine and by leading a workshop on the topic (or other educational service approved by the board)

Application forms can be gotten from the President or Treasurer at a regular meeting or by sending a self addressed stamped envelope to

The Guild of Metalsmiths

PO Box 11423

St. Paul, MN 55111

Don’t lose your head.

Winter is upon us and dry shrinking wood leaves some of our tools in poor shape. Here is some collected advice shared by members on TheBellows:

from David Mariette - -

My two cents worth on the hammer handle issue:

  Good hammer, bad hammer, Nathan hammer, Uri hammer, Gunter hammer, or Pendinghouse, (not spelled correctly I know) I own and have used all of them.

 Even the Craftsman cross pein that I still have that was my first forging

hammer, they all have one thing in common here in Minnesota. (or at least in winter climates) Along about early to mid December all my hammer handles get loose.

Stick that baby in a bucket of h2o over night. The wood will swell and,

wolla, snug handle. I tried soaking hammer heads in Ethyl Glycol (Auto

Antifreeze) upon someone's recommendation and it works also. Some people

have a problem with that. It has corrosion inhibitors in it. Your

Folding knife made by Guild Member RB Johnson who demonstrated at Mike Blue’s Hammer in.

“RB's folding knife I threw in to torment everyone about how a knife ought to look. He makes it appear easy with simple tools. He does such a nice job and I despair of ever coming close. Still it's something to work toward.” Mike Blue

hammers

will not rust. You have to buy the kind of antifreeze that has the

inhibitors in it. Not all of them do.

Water works too and it is a lot cheaper. It is the lack of water in the

handle that causes the wood to shrink.

I also have a little drift that is shaped like a rectangle on the end.

Measures about 3/16 by 5/8. I made it for drifting the rucussa (also not

spelled right) hole through the quillion and knuckle-bow on a rapier I made

about a billion years ago. It works great for resetting the steel wedges in

my hammers as well. In fact, I have never made another rapier, but I use the drift regularly for hammer wedges. Who'ld a thunk anyway. David

---------

From Mike Blue - -

Fellow listers,

Let me second Dave's thoughts about soaking hammer handles.

I've long heard about the Anti-freeze trick. Some time ago when looking into stabilizing woods for knife handles I ran across seemingly ancient (1940's) articles about using polyethylene glycol to soak rifle stocks. The PEG supplants the air spaces in the wood and thus prevents shrinkage, warping of the stock which would affect accuracy.

Several companies sell this stuff as a powder for wood stabilizing before turning on a lathe to make bowls out of highly figured (and fragile) woods or from green wood. Molecular weights typically run up into the thousands.

The powder is mixed with warm water to dissolve the PEG and the wood is soaked with the mixture running up into the water pores of the wood.

The problems with PEG are the same as with EG, they feel greasy and the stuff is always coming out of the wood especially when the temperature gets warm in the summer. Of course, it never gets warm in Minnesota so this isn't much of problem locally.

Another odd purpose that PEG is put to is as a laxative. But I'll leave that one to your imagination.

Saarah DeLaney attended Mike Blue's knife making seminar and went home with a 50 layer, patterned steel basket makers froe. (They don't throw you out if you decline to make a knife.)

“Sarah's froe is an impressive item. I think that everyone's damascus turned out quite well and the blades that got done were really nice ones for first attempts. There's not much to say about these works. Except that my first stuff was never this good.” Mike.

I don't use the stuff anymore. I send handle materials to WSSI in Ionia Iowa for resin stabilizing when I need to keep some highly figured but easily destructible wood like spalted anything or fragile burls from coming apart. The stuff even works on ivory which is notorious for moving around and cracking like crazy with the slightest humidity variation.

It's an acrylate or ester applied in a vacuum chamber hot but it completely fills the former water channels to the center of the piece of wood. It will not fill cracks. The wood needs to be dried to less than 5% before stabilizing, if I remember correctly. Essentially you're left with a plastic handle that started out as a wood matrix. I have no idea how they'd work on a hammer.

Just some thoughts accumulated over the years. Better that the list remembers them before I forget them.

Mike Blue

--------------

From Pete Stanaitis - -

I'm one who has used the anti-freeze trick for many years. I use a 3 pound coffee can's plastic lid to hold an ounce or two of the stuff (the lid is only about 1/8" deep). I lay it on the floor over in a corner. If a handle loosens, I just stand it up in the lid till the next time I need it. Lasts a year or two. The trouble with plain water is that it evaporates WAY too fast. Just put the same amount of water in another lid and see which one is gone first. I don't notice any sticky-ness after I once wipe off the hammer head. With the above process, only the very end of the handle gets into the solution. After soaking for a week, you can barely see that the solution has come thru the hammer head.

  One caveat (which can also be a blessing): the anti freeze is poisonous, I guess. This can be bad for the family pet, so keep the lid covered some appropriate way. On the other hand, it ought to be a great mouse controller.

Pete Stanaitis

Charlie Bateman’s Damascus Blade from the Blue Hammer in. (Photos by Mike Blue)

-------------

From Mike Blue again - -

Pete's method of only exposing the open end of the handle is a good one. I soaked the whole thing. And the anti-freeze is poisonous. Dogs particularly like the stuff because it's sweet tasting and they get a little buzz. The ethylene glycol breaksdown to alcohol and a toxic metabolic byproduct that actually does the killing. The antidote, for those of you so inclined, is ethyl alcohol. I don't advocate drinking anti-freeze just as an excuse to drink more ETOH.

Mike

------------

and finally from Nathan, the hammer maker

I was looking at the Hoffi hammer, I bought at Caniron, last night and noticed

that the handle had gotten loose. I know that Tom Clark JB Weld's the

handles in, so epoxy probably isn't going to last very long either ( the

hammer hasn't got many miles on it, I know it's not been abused). I should

mention that I don't think moisture or lack of moisture had anything to do

with Gene's handle loosening up. 5/8" isn't much stock to put a handle

through. Installing the handles without damage is fairly tricky, you can't

drive the steel wedge home, and you only get a 1/2"-5/8" wood wedge into the

handle. You can start with the head nicely aligned and square to the world,

and it won't be once the wedges are driven home. When you figure that

you've drifted evenly from both sides to get the classic hourglass eye hole

that leaves you with 5/16" of reverse taper to hold the head on, not very

much. I may try drifting one like a nail hammer, they're drifted from one

side only (the top) so that all of the wood inside the head is spread out by

the wedges. Did anyone think we'd ever get this much mileage out of loose

handles? I suppose because we're all plagued by them.

Nathan

Directory Updates:

Jim and Linda Armstrong

Statement: I am interested in primitive blacksmithing, knife making, yard art creations, techniques

Letters:

To have your letter printed here, Address it Dear Forum: and mail it to The GoM Forum,

 c/o Georgia Meyer

313 Dakota Street

Lake City, MN 55041

     or emailed to:

forum@metalsmith.org

******

Dear Members,

It’s been an interesting ride.

Putting out a newsletter has been fun. I’d like to thank all who have helped me with photos, info, and feedback.

Karen the printer for making it a lot easier to put out, Barbara Bradley and her subs: Sarah Delaney, and Bill Hanson, for getting it to the post office.

I wish you all a great Year.

I have one favor to ask of you though,

please extend your support to our new editor Georgia Meyer. Send her photos and summaries of meetings/events,

Don’t forget Marcia and Metalsmith.. When you do som neat project or find some new technique get her pictures and a story.

We all want to hear about it.

Sincerely,

Gene Olson

Should the Guild Teach “Art &Design” as it relates to metalsmithing?

Here is your chance to let us know what you think about our education program.

PLEASE!

Fill out the form,

use the comments section

If you need more paper, tuck in another sheet.

Let us know what you want to see

A Survey for all Guild members

By Pete Stanaitis

Please read the following short article, then fill out and return the attached short survey. It should take less than 5 minutes to complete.

 Please

read this article,

Fill out the poll

and mail us your comments

Should the Guild Teach “Art &Design” as it relates to metalsmithing?

A Survey for all Guild members

By Pete Stanaitis

The Guild Education committee is considering adding “Design” or “Art and Design”to the Guild workshops curriculum. The subject is very broad. We have tossed around many ideas. Now we need to know how widespread the interest is and in what areas it lies. This series would NOT focus on beating on iron. Those skills are taught in our other classes.

Learning “Art & Design” to some of us might be the task of learning how to do the mechanical drawings associated with building something like a garden gate. Here, we have to deal with proper fit, mechanical strength, reliability as well as the esthetics of the finished product.

  To others, “Art & Design” might simply be developing the ability to know what’s the difference between ugly and beautiful or pleasing. One aspect of this skill or ability

would be to learn to appreciate the art of others. Another aspect would be to be able to create pleasing shapes in either functional or non-functional pieces.

  Some of our members simply want to be able to make pleasing functional things like paper towel holders. Others want to be able to turn the general ideas of a prospective client into working drawings that will sell a job and then be able to execute and install or deliver the design to match the drawings.

There are many schools where art appreciation is taught. Maybe all we should do is to suggest that members take these courses.

Once I asked one of our professional blacksmiths how to get scrolls to look good. His answer was to simply make a lot of scrolls. Draw them, shape them. Could be on paper, in clay, in wood, in iron. But do it a lot, until it becomes immediately apparent when the scroll doesn’t look right.

Then there was the guy who asked the woodcarver how he carved a horse out of a solid piece of black walnut. The answer: “I just carve away everything that doesn’t look like a horse!” Gulp! Obviously, this fellow had a good enough image of the finished product in his mind that he could see many steps ahead as well as into the details of the object that was his goal.

There are lots of us who have the smithing skills needed to produce functional items. But all too often, they look only utilitarian, and maybe even unpleasant. We can even see that something is missing from the “pleasing” view, but we don’t know what it is.

Special tear out Poll

Tell us about your own personal interest/desires about art and design.

Please Respond!

Please rank the following sentences, 1 through 8,

 8 being most relevant to you.

A.  ___ I don’t want to take any classes related to art or design because I don’t think I need these skills for the type of metalworking that I do.

B.  __ I don’t want to take any classes related to art or design through the Guild of Metalsmiths because I already possess these skills.

C.  __ I have the metalsmithing skills needed to produce functional items. But all too often, they look only utilitarian, and maybe even unpleasant. Usually, even I can see that something is missing between functional and “pleasing” , but I don’t know what it is.

D.  __ I want to do something to improve my ability to analyze artistic pieces so I can quantify why something looks pleasing to me or to others.

E.  __ I want to learn how to plan and draw up ideas that come to my mind.

F.   __ I have the basic smithing skills I need, but I need to learn how to make things look pleasing as I make them at the anvil or the bench. I am not very interested in making drawings up ahead of time.

G.  __ I want to learn how to design and produce the mechanical drawings associated with building something like a garden gate. Here, I will need to deal with proper fit, mechanical strength, regulations and reliability as well as the esthetics (artistic look) of the finished product.

H.  __ I want to be able to turn the general ideas of a prospective client into working drawings that will sell a job and then be able to execute and install or deliver the design to match the drawings.

Special tear out Poll

Please Respond!

Comments: Tell us anything you want about possible art/design training that the Guild might provide. _______

My zip code is:__________________

Want Ads:

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

******

Notice from Jack daSilva, who demonstrated at the 2001 fall conference.

5th annual MAKER 2003 June 14-18, 2003 The Metal Art Workshops & Educational Retreat

Presented by Jack da Silva’s Metal Design Studio

CONTACT: Jack da Silva

 Tel & Fax: 510-223-1616

MAKER 2003 POBox 21600,

 El Sobrante, CA 94820

www.metalcyberspace.com/maker.htm

Attend one to five days. All who attend must preregister. Discounts for early registration, students, teachers, seniors, guilds & groups are available.

Scheduled Presenters:

Marcia Lewis

- Chasing & Repousse

Betty Helen Longhi

- Creating by Forming Metal

Tom Madden

- Pewter: The Other White Metal

Richard Mawdsley

- Jewelry Construction w/ Tubing

Kirk McNeill

- Blacksmithing

Carol Webb

- Images in Metal

Susan Wood

- Chains & Catches.

June 14, MAKER 2003 Symposium

The day long Symposium offers seven

consecutive presentations in various metal arts topics, BBQ, slides and an evening gathering.

Open to the general public. Under age 18 must be accompanied by parent or legal adult guardian. $125. includes:1-2 nights in a bunkhouse cabin in the redwoods, all meals, Symposium & BBQ.

June 15-18 MAKER 2003 Workshops

May attend workshops from one to four days.

Select one or two of the workshop topics being presented. Open to the general public, (see descriptions for any requirements).

Must be 18 or older for workshops.

$695./5 day package: Up to 6 nights in a bunkhouse cabin in the redwoods, all meals, Symposium, BBQ and attend four days of workshops. Discounts up to $100. available, (see registration form).

WANTED: SHEET METAL EQUIPMENT AND

TOOLS

    Looking for sheetmetal hand brakes (apron), straight or finger (box/pan brake).

Also a hand (slip/pinch) roller of

at least 22 ga by 36" or so, it could be powered.

Also need a 4' shear, could be foot operated or powered.

A setting down machine

and a deep throat (24"?) 'beading'

machine.

 Niagara E-Z Edger.

 Metal stakes. Pittsburg

machine (hammer lock).

Foot operated spot welder.

  You can email at: radialrafter@willmar.com

or CALL: Alan at 320-235-1117, you might have to leave a

message on the machine.

******

For Sale

Miller Bluestar 2E Welder/Generator

210 amp DC/3500 Watt

with leads, with or without trailer

Call for details

Dave Feterl - 651-681-0625

******

For Sale

 Two forges- one pan is

appr. 22 inches in diameter, the other is oblong 22 X 27 inches .

One Champion 400 blower on stand, One Midway blower on stand (a lot like a Champion 400 )

,several leg vises both 4 and 5 inch jaws.

 Ken Preusser 320-255-9178 St. Cloud email: ShininSpt@aol.com

******

Wanted

 Donation of any items or materials related to metalsmithing. Starting new coed group of Venture Scouts with focus on BlackSmithing, Jewelry making, timber sports and pioneering. We have two forges but lack anvil, tools, knowledge, materials and safety equipment. Our group draws from the Mound Westonka Area of Lake Minnetonka, a western suburb of Minneapolis. The young people in our Venture Scout Crew range in age from 14 to 21. We have 13 members and are growing. Two of our members will be attending the Guilds beginning Metalsmithing class next month. If you can help us in any way or know young people who would like to join us, please call or write.

William, Shirley or Chris Bull

4690 Tonkaview Lane

Mound, MN 55364

952-472-3088

bllbull@aol.com

February Meeting

Site Changed

to

     TOLL WELDING

Plymouth Minnesota

6:30 pm - Wednesday , February 12, 2003

Information and demonstrations of products,

AND

Demonstrations of equipment.

February Meeting

Potluck at 6:30PM

Meeting at 7:00

Where: Toll Welding

             3005 Niagara Ln, Plymouth

What’s the feature: - (I am winging this but probably . . .)

 Oxy Fuel, Demo rooms

 w/hands-on equipment, Open store

and maybe something totally different

but probably interesting.

Who’s in charge: Bryan Steckman w-763-551-5332

Don’t forget “Show and Tell”

Toll Welding Building on the corner of 55 and Niagra Lane.

See you there.

Lorri Sills Damascus blade which she made at Mike Blue’s Hammer in.

Special thanks to Bryan Steckman and Toll Welding

for stepping up to the plate when 3M

suddenly backed out on us.

Yes Dear, by the way, I’m bringing about a hundred or so friends to dinner, hope you don’t mind.

<G>

Back of Poz tongs coupon

Fill out the other side

(Make check payable to Guild of Metalsmiths)

and send to:

Monty Bygd

1928 80th Street

 Eau Claire, WI 54703

POZ Tong workshop

at Monty Bygd's Shop

Saturday, February 1, 2003, from 9 - 4.

Cost: $25

The class size is limited to 5 or 6.

 Send registration in by January 25, 2003.

 (Make check payable to Guild of Metalsmiths) and send to:

                               Monty Bygd

                               1928 80th Street

                               Eau Claire, WI 54703

More information will be sent to participants prior to the class.

   POZ Tong workshop at Monty Bygd's Shop

Saturday, February 1, 2003, from 9 - 4

    (Make $25 check payable to Guild of Metalsmiths) and send to:

           Monty Bygd, 1928 80th Street, Eau Claire, WI 54703

________________________________________________

name

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

Address

    Phone: _______________________________________