BALCONES FORGE
Blacksmith of Central Texas
July 2003
Larry Crawford-President Gerald Pollard-Treasurer
Jerry Achterberg-Vice-President Vince Herod-Editor Harvey P. Wise-Secretary

Due to computer failure last month, this is a combination of the June and July message. Ed.

From the Prez:

May's meeting was an apparent success and a whole lotta tool makin' went on here in Marble Falls. I have had a couple requests for that kind of meeting. Thanks to all the participants, a lot of money was made for Ironfest.

Bleachers; we got em. Balcones Forge now owns two sets of OSHA approved bleachers to use at our annual demonstration.

I wasn't available for June's meeting at John Graham's in Geronimo but I have received the auction proceeds and evidently it was quite a success. Thank you to John Graham for hosting (and the excellent Bar B Que, Ed.) and to Jerry Achterberg for the demonstrating.

July's meeting (the 26th at 9am) will be a special meeting with a first-time host, our own Austin Community College Riverside Campus. Bill Bastas and I will be in charge of the program with power-hammer demos Mr. Bastas (full time instructor of blacksmithing). I, your President and part time ACC instructor will lead a demo and hands on project for willing participants.

If you are not familiar with ACC's Metal Arts program and the top-notch classes in everything from jewelry to pipe welding, then please don't miss this opportunity to check out a great place to learn about all things metalworking.

L. C.


Membership Info
We have a few new members. Please welcome:

William (W. T.) Bryant
5208 Saint Georges
Austin, TX 78745
512-428-9196
aboart@ev1.net

Les Cook
11222 Sagewillow
Houston, TX 77089-4536
281-481-2457
anvil@flash.net

Jim Davis
9519 Quicksilver
San Antonio, TX 78245
jdavis1971@aol.com

Jose R. Llamas
1350 Buffalo Springs Crossing
New Braunfels, TX 78132

Budd Paris
10505 Deer Canyon Road, #3
Jonestown, TX 78645

Please make a correction to your roster for:

Aaron Tilton
9922 Autumn Dawn
Converse, TX 78109
210-566-1028

John Stewart
Texas Tactical Knives
2002-A Guadalupe St. Suite 334
Austin, TX 78705
512-576-3178

Clif Ladd
1509 Newning Avenue
Austin, TX 78704-2543
512-442-7149

If anyone has a correct address for Tony Lazarine, please send it my way. His last two newsletters have been returned as "no such number".

Please change the e-mail in your roster to the following for:

Sue Girten
doubledog@earthlink.net

Larry House
thedragons@dragonswatch.com

Johnny Stout
johnny@stoutknives.com

I have bad e-mail addresses for the following members; please send your corrections to me at: spotteddogforge@yahoo.com

Chuck Wehner
Ruth Carter
Orlando Najera
Cherish Roughton
Roy Bellows

Secretary's Report:
The June meeting of Balcones Forge was held on the 28th in Geronimo, Texas. It was hosted by Jon Graham and was held at his really neat Blacksmith shop. Vice Pres. Jerry Achtreberg called meeting to order at 9:30 am in the absence of Pres. Larry Crawford. John told us all a little bit about himself and his shop, also after the meeting he demoed his ironworker machine that does a little of everything.

There were several announcements made by Vince concerning the newsletter, starting next month it will be mailed out to our ABANA affiliates also if you have info for the newsletter send it to Vince as it will help keep it full and interesting. Vince and Jerry had a list of meetings they are as follows: July 26, 03 will be at A.C.C. campus with Bill Bastas & Larry Crawford demoing.

Aug. meeting?????????? We NEED a place, September, Bob Phiel in Llano,
October, George Schroeder in San Antonio.

Jim Galish told about 2 anvils for sale in the S.A. area, for more info contact Jim. John Crouchet talked about the bleacher we bought also the Library. The scholarship committee gave a report on their progress and submitted a rough draft for the board members to go over before the next meeting.

Dave Koenig (ABANA board member) talked about progress that is being made on the 2004 Conference and other ABANA news also told of up coming HABA events.

Jerry was our featured demonstrator this month he started out with a demo on Copper and other Patinas, Tom Lupton showed how Lock Tite 751 will turn metal black. Then Jerry demoed the Fredrick split cross, he showed how to mark and cut it for several different applications.

There was no trade Item this moth but we had a heck of good Iron in the Hat auction that netted the club close to $300, there were Tee shirts, Caps sold and several new members signed up so Gerald has a good deposit to make this month.

After the main event we all got down to eating some real good Bar-B-Que that John had been cooking all morning, it was so good that out of the Kitty we got a $40 donation back from John.

After we all had our belly's full several of the members tried their hand at making small crosses. There were 32 members and 6 guest present.

See You All next month in Austin.

Harvey

Classifieds
FREE CATALOG: Rocky Comfort Forge offers a FREE catalog of Video/DVD offerings from 21 Master Blacksmiths demonstrating at Blacksmith Annual Conferences throughout the Southeastern United States. To get your free catalog, send your name and address to Rocky Comfort Forge, 6323 Pat Thomas Parkway, Quincy, FL 32351 or request one by e-mail at rockycomfortforge@gdsys.net. Be sure to include mane and mailing address and the number of catalogs you would like to receive.

Book Report
Simple Smithing

Practical Projects for the Blacksmith by Ted Tucker is one of those old-fashioned, straight-forward "how-to" books. These days, it would probably be titled "Blacksmithing for Dummies". (It would also be full of those obnoxious little smiley faces and only available at bookstores next to Starbucks.) Originally developed as a blacksmithing curriculum for eighth graders (yeah, fourteen-year-olds), these projects were later adapted for adult education. They range from truly simple (making a nail) to fairly complex (music stands, light fixtures) and include a number of unique and interesting items.

When was the last time you forged a harpoon? Done any goat yokes lately? Axes, branding irons, and eight different types of hinges are all included here, along with latches, kitchen utensils, various types of tongs, and instructions on forging your own scissors and belt buckles. All of this is shown in a plainly illustrated, simple style with clear instructions that do not assume you are the Michaelangelo of blacksmithing or that you possess every blacksmithing tool known to man.

No powerhammer, treadle hammer, or big power machinery is needed for any of these projects. A simple forge and anvil, and a good hammer will suffice, along with a few hand tools, most of which can be easily made from instructions in this book. If practical forging is your interest, then this is your book! It is available from The Booksmith, Norm Larson, at 805-735-2095.

John Crouchet
Balcones Forge Librarian

Trade Item
The trade item for July is a piece of cabinet or door hardware. Remember, you gotta make one to take one.

Directions
To get to the Austin Community College Riverside Campus:

East on Riverside from I-35.
Left on to Grove, then 2 blocks (past golf course).
Turn in at 1st driveway.
Park and enter the Vo-Tech building.

Meeting starts at 9am and must be over by 1pm. We will get a tour of the facilities and then the demonstrations.

There is a deli on campus. The officers will meet over lunch.

Hello ABANA
Balcones Forge is pleased to announce that it has been granted Affiliate Status by the ABANA Board of Directors.

Starting this month our newsletter will be sent to all ABANA affiliates as part of the newsletter-sharing program. Balcones Forge has started to receive issues from around the country and looks forward to including the best information in our publication.

Our newsletter has been written in Word but we have now purchased Pagemaker and hope to give the newsletter a more professional look with better graphics and more pictures. Now the Editor just has to learn how to use the program.

Artist-Blacksmith's Association of North America, Inc.PO Box 816Farmington, GA 30638 USA706-310-1030 tel 706-769-7147 faxabana@abana.org € www.abana.org

President's Letter
June 2003

In case you have not heard the 2004 ABANA Conference will be at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky just south of Lexington on I-75. The dates are July 7-11, 2004. There will of course be demonstrators, vendors, classroom activities, the family program, tailgating (that's a sales activity), galleries, the big auction, with Tim Ryan presiding, plus the thrilling general membership meeting! There will be time to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. Dave Koenig, Conference Chair and ABANA Board member from Houston, Texas, has put a tremendous amount of time into better organization of all the details for many months. We can look forward to a great educational time. I hope to see you there.

The ABANA Board has recently passed two motions that will create and fund the Endowment Trust for Education. It will be initially funded with $150,000.00 from ABANA funds. This will help insure the future of blacksmithing by funding our scholarship program and limited grants. These will come from the interest, while the principal continues to increase in safety. This is really an important milestone for ABANA. We are growing up and setting this money aside will help perpetuate our craft indefinitely for years to come. Bravo to Treasurer Will Hightower for the hundreds of hours spent keeping track of and managing our funds carefully to put us in a position where this is not just a dream but a reality.

Jerry Kagele, ABANA Secretary, has been overseeing the ABANA Central Office that LeeAnn Mitchell runs so efficiently. I thought his explanation of our elections in the last issue of The Anvil's Ring was great. His reason, legal knowledge, and professional business skill had brought a lot to the board meetings not to mention his sense of humor!

ABANA has never been in such good shape, financially, educationally, and with regard to our publications. Dorothy Stiegler has been running publications, lobbying for the color pages in The Anvil's Ring and the added pages in Hammer's Blow. Rob Edwards and Brian Gilbert work really hard to meet the deadlines and produce high quality material. Dan Nauman has been working passionately on the teaching program in the Education Division, now chaired by Maegan Crowley, to have a new series of basic articles written which are being published in Hammer's Blow. These are designed to help aspiring (shouldn't that be perspiring?) smiths to learn the basics. If you have something to share, please send it in. For many years I have heard people ask, "How DO you get published in The Anvil's Ring or Hammer's Blow?" The reply is still the same. Send it in! I really enjoy reading the articles though I must admit that I always look at all the pictures first!

Remember, it is our 30th anniversary year! Amazing! Spread the word, better yet, sign up a new member! We are a very diverse group of individuals and it is really wonderful to share tips and information with others about, "how did you do that?"

Bob Fredell has worked hard to strengthen relations with all the ABANA Affiliates, now equals in their own right. Please remember that all your board members are volunteers and send us your ideas for improving your association.

I want to mention that The National Ornamental Metal Museum in Memphis, Tennessee is in the process of building a new library. Many individuals and organizations have donated, including ABANA. Bill Gichner has donated HIS library! Wow. A lot has been collected over the years and a proper place to display it where smiths and others can go to conduct research will be great. If you have some money to donate to a very worthy smithing cause this is it. Or send them work for their auction at "Repair Days" in October. I first saw that place in 1983, and it has really undergone a transformation under Jim Wallace's hand with the aid of his excellent staff.

This just in; Leonard Masters has been awarded the prestigious Alex Bealer Award! Leonard has organized and led many wonderful blacksmith tours in Europe. More on this elsewhere, congratulations!

Last, and far from least, we lost a giant. Carl Jennings of California passed away in May. Those who knew him will mourn his passing by celebrating the joy and beauty of life as he said he wanted us to. He was so kind and incredibly gifted and the world is a poorer place without him. Get out to that fire now and make him proud! Celebrate life and don't postpone joy.

Scott Lankton
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Sue Murray sends this report from Ironfest, Ed.

Toby Hickman's Finish for Interior Metal Pieces

Saturday afternoon at Ironfest, Toby Hickman gave a demonstration of the finishing method he prefers for coating "Interior" metal pieces. He even let those of us watching try it. He uses two "ceramic" color products with wax carriers: Ceramichrome Wax Metallics and Baroque Art Guilder's Paste.

What you'll need:
1. A pallet, or pieces of cardboard for each color you want to use,
2. A pallet knife (Toby uses pieces of old bandsaw blade),
3. A cheap paint brushes (small) with fairly stiff bristles (use a different brush for each color or color mix),
4. Citrus-based solvent (so you don't have to breath fumes from a solvent with hazardous ingredients),
5. Colors you want on your piece, including silver or gold for highlighting.
6. Deft Wood Lacquer (aerosol)

How to do it:

1. Depending on the size of your piece, put a small amount of the color you want to use on your pallet.
2. Put a "tiny" amount of citrus solvent on your brush (essence of solvent!) and mix with the color to thin slightly.
3. Brush back and forth on the pallet until the brush is almost dry.
4. Brush back and forth on your metal piece to slightly color.
5. Repeat with a different color or slightly darker color if desired, until you have the color you desire. Note: He is not going for a "painted" look. He is trying to color in softer, more natural tones.
6. Finish coloring by using the method above to add highlights to your piece with silver or gold. The silver, brushed on with an almost-dry brush highlights high edges and makes textures and indentations stand out nicely.
7. Toby tops off his finish with a thin coat of "Deft Wood Lacquer". Why? Because if there is any dust in the house…it will wipe right off, as opposed to adhering to a wax or oil finish.

Toby said that you can also mix your color with the citrus solvent and brush it on thicker to get into pits and grooves better. Then, use a dry brush to work it back and forth to remove as much as possible to soften the look. You can also wire brush it at this point. Highlight with a dry brush worked in the silver paint. Toby's "fall-back" finish is copper with silver highlights. Finally, he said that you can store your brushes without cleaning them, since there is no caked-on paint. They will work just fine on the next project without being too stiff.

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ABANA Conference 2004
July 7-11, 2004

The 2004 ABANA Conference will be on the campus of
Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky

Why not plan a family vacation in the Richmond area to coincide with the ABANA Conference? Get a load of these interesting places to visit in Kentucky!

Places of Interest Near Richmond. (www.Richmond-ky.com) Explore Daniel Boone's fort, Bybee Pottery, historic homes, Civil War tour, ferry, planetarium, golf, Kentucky Artisan Center and more.

Shaker Village of Pleasant Hills. Twenty-five miles southwest of Lexington on U.S. 68. (www.shakervillageky.org) You may visit many Shaker buildings in their original condition.

Old Fort Harrod State Park. A few miles from the Shaker village on U.S. 69. See the restored fort, George Rogers Clark Museum and the Mansion Museum with Indian and Civil War artifacts.

Mammoth Cave. (www.cavecity.com) This one needs no explanation.

Louisville Area. (www.gotolouisville.com) Over 90 attraction including Louisville Slugger Museum, and Churchill Downs.

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site. Hodgenville on U.S. 31E. When in the area, this is a must.

Bardstown Area. (wwwbardstowntourism.com) My Old Kentucky Home State Park (Stephen Foster), Kentucky Railway Museum, Old Talbott Tavern, Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History, Jim Beam, Evan Williams and Makers Mark distilleries and much more.

For lots of other places to see go to (www.kentuckytourism.com)

Bob Fredell, Chairman
Member Services Committee
(763) 389-5119
bobfredell@abana.org

Balcones Forge "Ironfest" stamp by John Crouchet.