LOCATION

Please read in the top right the Up Coming Events for September.

Steve will give us time to ask all our questions about what really goes on at the TV show Forge in Iron. Why & how do they do that, I have a ton of them. Where do the find all those crazy weapons and many more. See you all there. JIM

LOCATION

I am very pleased to announce Steve Wayne will be showing us a quick and easy way to forge a blade! at our September meeting. Steve is an accomplished smith with decades as a farrier, and years as a blade smith. He now teaches blacksmithing and bladesmithing as the instructor at Heather's Heart Forge in Stephentown, NY. www.facebook.com/heathersheartforge If any of you remember Steve's horseshoe demonstration years ago, you know we are in for a treat!

We continue to have open demos available for October, and November. We would love to have you share something with us, we'd love to see it.

Joe is the third generation blacksmith, dating back to his father and grandfather in Italy. Joe and his brother Remo own and together run the Armando &Sons Ironworks which fabricate a remarkable number of custom iron, aluminum and brass fences, grates, railings, etc. -all of which are of the highest quality old world craftsmanship.

Sunday, Joe demonstrated a wide variety of high tech tools and machines which a modern day metal fabricator would use. He also demonstrated a number of techniques and skills normally used in the course of a professional iron fabricator's day. He additionally demonstrated where, why and when the skills of old time blacksmithing (that's us!) would be appropriately used in his shop. This demo was really an eye opener for most us us and we literally drooled over wishing we had some of his machines.

Terrific job, Joe!

Paul, as we are all learning, is a masterful teacher and demonstrator. His latest demo was on how to do a version of the standard twist, called the pineapple twist. This more sophisticated twist is most often used on tool handles, such as fireplace pokers, shovels, etc. However, Paul also brought a unique example of using this twist on the grip of a sheath knife. Paul, as he usually does, talked about all of the steps he was taking as he was working on the pineapple twist so that we clearly understood the steps and the finer points of ending up with a finished and attractive piece. Paul also had pass outs which clearly, through photos and a narrative, walked you through all of the steps. While heating his demo piece, Paul introduced yet another, even more complicated twist, which he has yet to actually make, called the alligator twist in which the end product has the interesting pattern of alligator skin. Paul will demonstrate that technique at a future meeting.

The overall meeting was another success with over 30 members attending along with several new folks, a number of whom got to try their hand at moving metal at the forge. Some promising smiths there! Lastly, we were pleased to have Andy VanSchoick and his 150lb. lap dog drop by. Andy was one of our early founding members and jack-of-all-trades and who now owns Evolution Ironworks in Albany.

DO NOT FORGET! OUR AUGUST MEETING IS OFF-SITE AND IN SCHENECTADY. SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS.

Jim Moran did not make the meeting till 4 : 30 PM ,in time to clean up the shop. Sorry but I'm still on my Irish time. I was sorry I left the shop in a mess after our open house on Thursday night . As was said , I would have been ps off if I found the shop in that shape for a meeting. Hay guys I am getting a little older. When Jack comes back , I will do better. Thanks for all the help with the Albany School classes , you all did a great job and we paid out dues. JIM