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2008 Fire and Brimstone Hammer-In and Smelt


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The hammers and the screw presses will be moved into place tomorrow with the large tent going up sunday afternoon.

 

It appears that Jeff Pringle will indeed be attending and setting up a smaller crucible smelt with one of our foundries.

 

I'll hopefully be buying a new power supply in the morning for the computer we update websites from. It should let us get everything upto date and add the site map.

 

Chris is planning to be here most of the week as well so we should have some small things that might go over looked worked out with extra hands/eyes.

 

For those who are looking to eat on the cheap or just spend more time on site, there will be grills on hand and we will have ice and refrigeration available

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Also if anyone needs net access there is a strong signal on our high speed wireless net here, just ask for the PW

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I'm picking up the big tent tomorrow, should be a fun setup!!!! I want it up so we dont have wet ground with the rain forcast for mid week.

 

There is already a gas grill here and a nice firepit with chairs all about....

 

Outstanding. I'll bring some groceries. And the cameras. And the laptop. And my tools. And some projects.... wish my shop had wheels.
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The pickup I had wasn't going to pass emmissions last fall, so I sold it and bought a dodge van that'd been converted to a rather functional camper, for the same money. Worse milage by half, I think, but it suits my needs better most of the time.

The Tidewater Forge

Christopher Price, Bladesmith

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The pickup I had wasn't going to pass emmissions last fall, so I sold it and bought a dodge van that'd been converted to a rather functional camper, for the same money. Worse milage by half, I think, but it suits my needs better most of the time.

 

When you come tomorrow it might be easier if you park at the church and come find me. I'll make sure we move stuff so you can drive up and unload the bricks

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Hi Kerry,

 

Have you got directions posted anywhere? Couldn't find them on the site. I'll be showing up bright and early Friday.

 

Walter

Edited by Walter Sorrells

Check out Walter's instructional videos:

Forging Japanese Style Blades

Making Hamons

Japanese Sword Mounting

Polishing

Making Japanese Sword Fittings

www.waltersorrellsblades.com
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Hi Kerry,

 

Have you got directions posted anywhere? Couldn't find them on the site. I'll be showing up bright and early Friday.

 

Walter

I'll drop them out via email to everyone tomorrow....

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Day one of the build and setup. Who knew it would take all week!

 

couple of quick pictures

 

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If I know Chris, he's got a video camera.

 

Dang, I'm jealous! Seeing those pics of Jesus and Chris making the furnace gets my hands itchin' for some smelting goodness... :( Love those offset tuyeres, too.

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We're having a great time, and doing a lot of work to bring this thing off. Jesus was here today finishing the furnace, and it ought to be ready to go on Friday. I got about half the charcoal done today, when it started raining this evening... tomorrow's supposed to be really bad with wind and rain all day... but Thursday should dry out a bit, and we can finish the charcoal chopping in time for the smelt.

 

Kerry is a fantastic host, and I know everyone who's coming will appreciate his making space for us to do our thing.

The Tidewater Forge

Christopher Price, Bladesmith

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day 2.....

 

Furnace has been prefired, air power hammer is in place, and our monster bader grinder is brought out of hiding! Chris Price and Rick Janney continue the thankless job of chopping, chopping, chopping.....

 

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Four hundred pounds of charcoal are chopped and ready.

 

The furnace had a few cracks in the upper sections, we threw some refractory in there to settle overnight.

 

There are two operational power hammers (and one really kicks hard), 2 large anvils, 2 screw presses, 2 gas forges, and a vice all set up and ready for work.

 

I forged a viking sword from some of Kerry's thermitic vent steel he has laying around. It's promising, if there aren't any cracks or veins of really wierd stuff in it. Forged fuller, too.

 

 

 

 

I cannot emphasize enough how high quality a host Kerry Stagmer is. The hope is to make this an annual event, and if you're not going to be here this year, you really should try to next spring. The location is great, the tooling is plentiful, and we've already had a ton of fun just getting ready for the main event.

 

The plan, assuming Jesus and Walter show up, is to light the furnace at 6am for 2 hours of preheat, then run hard until noon. Bloom consolidation in the afternoon, and whatever else we can squeeze in there.

 

 

Wish you were here!

The Tidewater Forge

Christopher Price, Bladesmith

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Wish you were here!

 

 

You and me both man,

 

you totally lost the mytique of chopping that charcoal though, your supposed to squat uncomfortably on the ground for hours. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

 

Stephan

President - Georgia Knifemakers Guild

ABS Journeyman Smith

 

"Wisdom and experience are built of bricks made from the mud of failure." - Mike Blue

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Hunching over the table wasn't much better, man. That chopping tool made for some funky wrist action.

 

 

 

On the upside, the smelt was successful, my bricks held up as expected, the furnace ran very well on a shopvac, and once the bloom was extracted a bar was made from the edges (with another 20-30 pound main hunk going back south) and Walter will forge a blade from it tomorrow. I have a ton of pics, and some video, I'll take some time next week to put it all up. We started at 5:30 this morning, I'm whipped.

 

Other highlights:

Jeff Pringle melted some ore in a crucible

Some guy whose name escapes me did a demo on pattern weld, as well as a can of 4140/1095 powder

I got a visible hamon on 4130, which was thought not likely

Edited by Christopher Price

The Tidewater Forge

Christopher Price, Bladesmith

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That was Deker from this very forum!

 

I too am simply beat.....

 

Hunching over the table wasn't much better, man. That chopping tool made for some funky wrist action.

 

 

 

On the upside, the smelt was successful, my bricks held up as expected, the furnace ran very well on a shopvac, and once the bloom was extracted a bar was made from the edges (with another 20-30 pound main hunk going back south) and Walter will forge a blade from it tomorrow. I have a ton of pics, and some video, I'll take some time next week to put it all up. We started at 5:30 this morning, I'm whipped.

 

Other highlights:

Jeff Pringle melted some ore in a crucible

Some guy whose name escapes me did a demo on pattern weld, as well as a can of 4140/1095 powder

I got a visible hamon on 4130, which was thought not likely

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