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259936 Michael Suwczinsky <nicknaylo@g...> 2016‑08‑25 Blacksmiths in the Redwoods
I'm not in at the start of a lot of things. The Roaring Camp Hammer-In had
its first incarnation this past weekend.  A Hammer-In is a gathering of
blacksmiths, to teach, demonstrate, learn  and mess around with tools and
fire!

Frank Golding is the blacksmith at Roaring Camp, demonstrating from a
picureseque little shack on the weekends at the Camp, a narrow guage, live
steam railroad park just up the road from Bill Kasper's place in Felton CA.
Brett Moten of Infinity Forge in Reno led a sculpture workshop of a
stylized steam locomotive, John McClellen (CBA Prez) led a tong making
workshop that had a bunch of young newbee's at work the whole weekend, a
local high school student, Matt Murphy, was working in the Camp smithy
making Gothic Armour and Russell Jones of Santa Cruz Gates gave an
excellent demo of forged dragon heads that I paid extra attention to.
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We all got to try our hand at the Locomotive sculpture, forge welding and
fitting parts to Brett's Master plan.  Russell's dragon heads build on the
work of Eric Clausen, who's been making dragons since the early 70's and
demonstrated at the CBA Spring Conference (the Old Guy's Conf) in Ferndale
back in April.  Russell's added twist is insetting ball bearings for eyes
into the dragon heads.
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I gave Russell's technique a try and after burning up a roughed out head in
a very hot burning that I dubbed 'disco inferno', managed a serviceable
dragon head in 3/4 bar stock, the demo was in inch and a quarter.
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A new, liftable (for now anyway) nail stump was started for Roaring Camp
and had some added weight of decorative nails driven in.  BBQ steak dinner
Saturday night was followed by the traditional Iron in the Hat (raffle) for
tools and smithing bits donated by the participants and auction.
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A Mountain Man Redevous group was camped out under the trees, throwing axes
and firing off small bore cannon when every the train though the redwoods
would drive by, making the blacksmiths the quietest guests of the weekend!

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Great fun, got the bring the lovely wife, learn a few things and hang out
with a great bunch of skilled craftsman.

-- 
Michael-Frightening the neighbors since the year Four

Recent Bios FAQ