Sept Oct 2006.pub - Blacksmiths' Guild of the Potomac

the Newsletterof the Blacksmiths’ Guild of the PotomacDetail of Gate at Burgos Cathedral, Spain. Photo by Alex HinmanSeptember/October 2006Vol. XXVIII No.An affiliate of ABANA: Artist-Blacksmith’s Association of North AmericaSeptember/October 2006 1

CONTENTS4 - Schedule4 - Web Links4 - Touchstone Schedule5 - Silver Sandcasting8 - Steels Useful for Tools13 - Letter from W. Yater14 - Circle Segments15 - Vietnam Blacksmiths17 - Worsley Shop TipThis in from Tina Chisena –Paul Wagner, a friend of Tina’s,is planning on getting rid of a lot of machinetools, motors and accessories for same. He hasseveral milling machines, lathes, chucks, electricmotors, some belt sanders and other sundrystuff. The tools are located in the basement of aplumbing shop in Kensington, Maryland which isnow run by Paul’s son, Bill Wagner. Interestedbuyers should call his cell phone, 240-601-3623and keep in mind that the background noise levelmay be high.1943, Pitcairn, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Katie Sablejack, forty-five, a Hungarian, employed as ablacksmith's helper in the Pennsylvania Railroad yards, earning seventy-two cents perhour. She is operating a half-ton steam hammer. Mrs. Sablejack is a widow and mother oftwo children. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI CollectionSeptember/October 2006 3

WEB LINKSwww.bgop.orgwww.grizzly.com/workshopplanner.aspxwww.Backyardmetalcasting.comwww.1728.com (math & geometry)http://memory.loc.gov (images at Library ofCongress)CLOTHING SALESSupport your guild!. In addition to tee shirts, wehave caps of many colors, pins, tote bags in twosizes and blacksmith cook books. To place anorder or inquire about what the guild has in inventory,contact Pat McGuire.UPCOMING EVENTSSUMMER CLASSESJanuary 13-14, 2007 Bill Gichner MemorialHammer-in @Hutchison Brothers' Farmordova, MDadvance registration, limited attendeesJanuary 13, 2007 Open Forge atGulf Branch Nature Center, noon-4pmJanuary 20-21st, 2007 Cabin Fever Expo"The Show for the Metal Working Hobby"York Fairgrounds, York PAwww.cabin feverexpo.comA model engineering show and auctionAuction on Friday Jan. 19 by www.cabinfeverauctions.comFebruary 24, 2007 - Dan Boone Pasture Party(last Saturday in February)7381 Parrish Road, Louisa, VARSVP to Judy Boone by Feb 15 at 540-967-3267Don't forget to bring items & buy tickets for Ironin the HatMarch 2007 Patina Antique Tool Sale & Auction(2006 date was March 11)Volunteer Fire Association Activity CenterDamascus, MDTool sales in the am, auction in the pmwww.patinatools.orgApril 7, 2007 Open Forge atGulf Branch Nature Center, noon-4pmApril 21-22, 2007 - BGOP Spring FlingRuritan Fairgrounds, Berryville VASUPPORT YOUR LOCAL CRAFT SCHOOL2007 TOUCHSTONE SCHEDULEApril 27-29 Dave Olson - Letter OpenersMay 11-13 Open ForgeMay 18-20 Hammer In - Pure IronJune 4-8 Kim Thomas -June 11-15 Nigel Tudor - Traditional JoineryJune 18-22 Glenn Horr- Irons in the Fire:Beginning BlacksmithingJune 25-29 Richard Sheppard - Arch. DesignJuly 2-6 Glen Horr- Power Hammer!July 9- 3 Fred Crist - Forged Small ScaleSculptureJuly 16-20 Ray Rybar - Damascus SteelJuly 23-27 Jymm HoffmanJuly 30-Aug 3 Holly Fisher - ContemporaryApproachAugust 6-10 Bob Becker - Traditional ForgingAugust 13-17 Kirsten Skiles- ChasingAugust 20-24 Bob Rupert -Sept - 7-9 Open ForgeSept 14-15 Fall GalaSept 28-30 Richard Sheppard - Tapestrythru TimeOct 12-14 Nigel Tudor - Effective ForgingTechniquesOct 17 - 18 Mountain Crafts WeekendTouchstone Center for Crafts1049 Wharton Furnace RdFarmington, PA 15437 USAPh: 1.800.721.0177Fax: 1.724.329.1371E-Mail: touchstone@hhs.netwww.touchstonecrafts.comSeptember/October 2006 4

SILVER SAND CASTING5/5/06 Demo by Mark SchuknechtArticle by C. Badowski & M. SchuknechtPhotos by Dick SmithThis casting method is best used to reproducesingle medium-sized projects that donot have very fine details and undercutting. Itcan be done simply and quickly without extensiveand expensive equipment. The process requiresa model or pattern to be reproduced;casting material (sand) fine enough to capturedetails and sticky enough to hold together; atwo-part frame or box to hold the sand; and aparting compound to keep the two mold halvesfrom sticking to each other. The mold is createdby filling the two mold frames with a damp mixtureof fine grained sand and pressing a modelhalfway into each side of the box to create animpression. The model is removed, the twoboxes are fit back together, and molten metal ispoured into the cavity to create a copy of themodel.There are a variety of casting sands onthe market, but Mark uses a synthetic productcalled Pro-Cast available from the Rio Grandeand Thunderbird jeweler’s supply catalogs. Thecasting compound is more like a sandy-clay thanindustrial casting sand and it can be used overand over, but you do have to take care to removeand discard any burned material. It isgood for reproducing large jewelry items suchas belt buckles and bracelets. Mark uses twodifferent types of mold frames: one is a typicalcommercial two-part rectangular frame withguide pins to ensure alignment, and the other ismade from two alumina cylinders machined sothey fit together when stacked. The two framesare open at top and bottom to allow tamping ofthe sand from the outside.The first project was copying a BGOPbelt buckle, which Mark set up in the rectangularframe. He often takes a shortcut by notemptying and repacking the mold frames ofcasting compound each time he casts. He useda tablespoon to first remove and discard theburnt sand from the last casting, and thenscooped out casting material to create a cavitylarger than the buckle. He added enough newmaterial to make up for what was discarded andpressed it through a sieve to break up lumps,remove any impurities and lighten the texture(this is called fluffing). The casting compoundwas lightly sprinkled into the two empty halves ofthe casting frames and spread out evenly fillingthe cavity. One side was made slightly concave toaccommodate the bulk of the model and the otherside slightly convex to ensure a proper fit. Caremust be taken not to over pack the new materialuntil the impressions are made.The imprint of the buckle face was madeby firmly pressing it into the fresh fluffed castingmaterial in the bottom half of the mold. Theedges around the buckle were compacted withcare being taken to build up the casting materialalong the side of the buckle. Excess material wasscraped off to insure that there were no gaps, softspots or loose sand. This produced a slightly convexshape to the bottom half of the mold with thebuckle firmly in place in the center of the mold.Then parting compound (talc) was sprinkledover the bottom section. The top half(already lightly filled with casting compound) wasgently inverted and set on top, using the guidepins for alignment and pressed into place. Hold-September/October 2006 5

the cast and he carefully inspected, cleaned andcompressed any rough spots and overhangs.Lastly the casting compound was dusted with talcand the two frames gently put back togethering the two pieces together Mark used awooden block and hammer to compress thesandy-clay material inside the mold. Once thecasting compound was firmly packed, the outsideof the two sections were filled, squaredup and cleaned off. Then very carefully themold was split apart into its two halves. T\heoriginal belt buckle was still imbedded in thebottom half and an imprint of the back side ofthe buckle showed on the top half. On the tophalf Mark cut out a channel to connect the impressionto the pouring spout of the mold, creatinga sprue. He did not carve vents for escapinggas on this mold, since the sprue waslarge enough to provide adequate venting.Moving on to the bottom half, Mark very carefullyremoved the belt buckle being sure not todamage the imprint. This was his final chanceto keep any gaps or loose sand from ruiningSeptember/October 2006 6

again using the guide pins for alignment. Steelplates were placed on the outside to support theexposed sand, and C-clamps used to hold everythingin pace. Too much pressure with theclamps can distort the mold, so if possible theyshould be positioned to press on the edges ofthe frame rather than the center of the mold.With the mold completed and sitting upright,it was time to prepare the silver. Markuses a carbon crucible, although there are alsoceramic and plaster ones available. He estimatedthe amount of silver needed for thebuckle (this can be done by weight or by volume,tho he did it by the seat of the pants). Extrametal must be added to create the sprue, andMark measured that by simply using the silver inthe old sprue that was cut off from his last casting.Mark cautioned that not having enoughmetal will ruin your project so it’s better to besafe and add extra. Boric acid was added as aflux, and the crucible was placed in the coal forgewith a lid to keep ash out of the melt. He heatedthe metal until it was completely melted but justbelow the boiling point. When the metal reachedthe proper temperature(swirling andwhite hot), itwas stirred witha graphite rod toremove impuritiesand quicklybut carefullypoured into thespout on themold frame.After the silver had cooled a bit, Mark removedthe clamps and separated the frame sectionsto free the silver casting. Finishing wasn’tdone in the shop, but involves cutting off andfiling the sprue as well as any flashing where thesilver spread between the mold sections. Allscrap metal is saved for future melts, and filingscan hoarded and sent off for refining. A finalbuffing and soldering on any mechanical parts(like a pin for the buckle), and the piece is done.September/October 2006 7

Steels Useful for Toolsby Dave SmuckerReprinted with permission of theAppalachian Area Chapter of BlacksmithsWhat is important in a tool steel? Why dowe have so many different types?Well, mostly because no one steel can doall things for all people and do it at a low cost. Itis kind of like you can have a hard steel, a toughsteel, a low distortion steel, a lower cost steel --pick any two of the four. In other words, a steelcan be designed for a given application -- butusually is a mixture of various trade-offs.If you want to select a steel for a givenapplication or tool, you need to look at the followingcharacteristics:1. Heat resistance or hot hardness. Howdoes it perform at higher temperatures?Can we use it on hot metal?2. Shock resistance. How tough is thesteel? How strong? What is the depth ofhardness?3. Wear resistance. How well does it handleabrasion, how well does it hold an edge?How hard is it?4. Machinability. How easy is it to saw, drilland machine in its soft or annealedstate?5. Forgeability. How easy is it to forge?How small is the forging temperaturerange? Does it go “hot short”?6. Ease of heat-treating. What is used toquench from critical temperature: water,oil, air, etc.? How prone to cracking isthe steel on quenching? How much doesit distort?7. Availability. While cost is a factor, inmost cases “availability” to the blacksmithin small quantities and reasonablesizes is the big issue. In addition, can wefind the material as scrap?How do alloying elements affect thesecharacteristics?Carbon (C) is the basic element thatgives tool steels their hardness and lets us dothe heat-treating. It is essential in low alloy toolsteels -- needs to be 0.60 percent (or 60 points)and higher. At the high end of the percentagerange, up to 1.00 percent plus (100 + points ofcarbon) it adds considerably to the wear resistance.It is the element that makes the very importantblacksmith tool steel W1 what it is.Manganese (Mn) improves forgeabilityand reduces brittleness. In low alloy tool steels,it may allow the use of oil for quenching in someapplications.Silicon (Si) is not a major element inmost tool steel but is important in their manufactureas a deoxidizer. In conjunction withManganese, it is important in S5, which is anextremely tough Silicon-Manganese tool steelwith outstanding shock and abrasion resistance.S5 was the tool steel most favored by my preretirementemployer (Alcoa) for use in air hammertooling used by the brick masons. Alcoauses a great number of these tools in rebuildingmelting furnaces.Tungsten (W) is a very important elementin many tool steels giving both hot hardnessand wear resistance. T1 (18.0 percentTungsten) was the first of the high-speed toolsteels used for cutting tools in machine shops. Ithas been around since about 1900.The chemical symbol W is from the Germanname for the element “Wolfram”. (My Germanfriends don’t call it TIG welding but rather WIGwelding.)Vanadium (V) acts as a grain refinerand thus improves the forgeability of the toolsteel. It also forms a very hard Vanadium carbinethat improves both hardness and wear. Inlarge amounts (above 1.0 percent), it makes thetool steel much harder to grind.Molybdenum (Mo) At low percentagesMoly improves both deep hardening and toughness.In high percentages, it is used in sometool steels to replace Tungsten.Cobalt (Co) increases the hot hardnessof tool steels used in some cutting tool applications.It also increases the critical temperaturemaking heat-treating more difficult and leadingto decarburization.Chromium (Cr) is a major alloying elementin many tool steels improving hardenability(depth of hardness) and can improve both wearresistance and toughness. We find it in manysteels including the alloy steels, 4140 (chromemoly engineering steel), 5160 (spring steel) and52100 (bearing steel) all of which are useful toblacksmiths because we can find them at lowcost as scrap.September/October 2006 8

Nickel (Ni) Used with other elements,such as chrome, to improve the toughness ofsome tool and alloy steels. An important elementin L6.What tool and alloy steels are useful to theBlacksmith?With all of the above as just so much informationyou may be saying, OK, what tool steelsare useful to me as a blacksmith, how do I forgeand heat-treat them and where can I find thestuff? What follows is my opinion on some of thetool and alloy steels based on my industrial andblacksmithing experience.I sure would like to hear from some of youon your experience and what has worked and notworked for you for various blacksmithing applications.I would like to report that information infuture articles. Here is what I think of some ofthese steels:TOOL STEELSW1 also sometimes found as 1095and as “Water hardening drill rod.” This isthe basic old-line blacksmithing tool steel. Formany applications, it remains one of the beststeels for the blacksmith. It is defined as a coldwork tool steel, since it loses its hardness at hotmetal temperature -- and therefore is not a hotworking tool steel. It still is a good steel for makingpunches and cold cuts. I like it for things like“eye” punches. You just have to remember to coolit after each use to avoid drawing the temper.Francis Whitaker used it for making a greatdeal of his tooling and I believe liked it for thingslike hammers. (I prefer 4140 or 1080 for hammers.)It makes some of the finest woodworkingtools and many of the knife makers use it a greatdeal. Most old files are made from W1. It requiresquenching with water to obtain good hardness.Because of this, the depth of hardness is limited(usually about a max. of 0.060 inch) and tools retaina rather tough core. I think that W1 and howto use it should be part of the blacksmith basicknowledge or “tool kit”.Clay Spencer uses W1 for a lot of histreadle hammer tool. He like it for most tools withthe exception of hot cuts.H13, Hot work tool steel. Another ofmy favored tool steels, this time for making toolsintended for long exposure to hot metal. This includeshot cuts, hot hardies and heavy-dutypunches. It also makes good drifts for openingup holes etc., although I use 5160 spring steelfor most of these.The hot work tool steels were developedfor heavy hot working industrial applicationssuch as forging dies, extrusion dies and hot millrolls. The reason to use H13 over any of theother “H” steels is that you can find it in smallsections both round and plate.It is available in small quantities and anumber of smiths sell it as a “tail gate” item atvarious blacksmith meetings. Reportedly, it isalso used in guide pin application in plasticmolding and may be available to use as dropsfrom some “die shops”. It is an air-quenchingtool steel, and very difficult to anneal with simpleequipment. So if you want to saw it or machineit, that needs to be done before any forgingor heat treatment.Joe Miller loves H13 and uses it forboth hot tools and a number of the cold workdies he uses under his power hammers. Hehas had very good life in this application usingit in many production runs.S7, A Shock-Resisting Tool Steel canbe found in some jackhammer tools or bits (theycan also be S1 or S5). It is a very tough steelthat takes impact loading extremely well. It alsohas good hot work properties and is used in applicationsup to 1000 degrees F. I have used itfor hot cuts, and for that application don’t seeany major difference from H13. Many blacksmithsmake hardies from S7, where they haveobtained the steel from old jack hammer bits.Some blacksmiths have used S7 to makespecial power hammer tools where they machineda pattern into the tool and then usedthat tool on hot metal under the power hammer.It is an air hardening (air quenching) tool steeland heat treating it is much like working withH13. Because it is air hardening and very tough,many machine shops like it for tooling applicationsand it has replaced O1 in many tooling applications.You can buy it in most common drillrod sizes.Some manufacturers make their powerhammer dies from S7.If I could have only one tool steel in additionto W1, it would be S7. I know manyblacksmiths love H13 but I really think that forSeptember/October 2006 9

TOOL STEELSLetterSymbolCategory Designation Group Designation Some Typical End UsesMTHigh-Speed Tool Steels(the M is for Molybdenum)High-Speed Tool Steels(the T is for Tool ormaybe Tungsten?)Molybdenum typesTungsten types (thechemical symbol forTungsten is W)Drill bits, end mills, taps, threadingdiesMilling cutters, lathe bitsH1 –H19Hot-Work Tool Steels(the H is for Hot)Chromium typesHot cuts, extrusion dies, hot millrollsH20 -H39Hot-Work Tool Steels(the H is for Hot)Tungsten typesExtrusion dies, hot forging diesH40 -H59Hot-Work Tool Steels(the H is for Hot)Molybdenum typesSpecial high temperature hotworkDCold-Work Tool Steel(the D is for Die)High carbon, highchromium typesMetal forming dies (cold work)coining dies, tread rolling diesACold-Work Tool Steel(the A is for Air)Medium alloy, airquenching typesDie casting, shear knifes, trimmingdiesOCold-Work Tool Steel(the O is for Oil)Oil quenching typesDrawing dies, coining dies, diecasting diesWSWater-quenching ToolSteel, also a Cold-WorkTool SteelShock-Resisting ToolSteel (the S is for Shock)Low alloy, high carbon(the W is forwater quenching)Lower carbon, alloyedfor toughnessHand tools, blacksmith tools,wood working toolsPneumatic Chisels, Blacksmithingand boilermaker’s toolsPMold Steels (P is forplastic)Carburizing steel(case hardening)Plastics moldsLSpecial-Purpose ToolSteels (L is for Low alloy)Low-Alloy types(L6, does have 1.5percent nickel)Large sawmill band saw bladesFSpecial-Purpose ToolSteels (F is for, ”I don’thave a clue”)Carbon-tungstentypeSome abrasion-resistant applicationsSeptember/October 2006 10

Name Category or type Make up of steel Some typical uses4140 or4340Engineering steel,widely use for equipmentapplicationsChrome Moly steel or ChromeMoly Nickel steel -- 0.40 C4119 Timken bearing steel Deep case hardened used inroller bearing from Timken5160 Coil and flat springsteelALLOY STEELSMedium high carbon chromesteel with 0.60 C52100 Ball Bearing Steel Most non Timken bearings Toolinghammers, tongs, anvil tools,power hammer tooling, powerhammer diesBoth rollers and races can bereforged into toolsDrifts, punches, and power hammertooling.8620 Case hardening steel --gearingRailroadrail,Specification is inweight per yard, such as115 pound railNickel Chrome Moly steelused in case hardening applicationsSteel varies by manufacturerbut is similar to 1080 withabout 1 percent manganeseTongsPower hammer tooling, hammersmost applications, both hot and cold, that S7 iseven better.O1, is not a tool steel that I like – Iuse either A2 or S7 or even W1 instead, but youwill find it as one of the most common drill rodsteels. (It was widely used by machine shopsbecause of low distortion in heat treatment. TodayA2 fills that bill better.)A2, The most common air hardening(air quench) tool steel in the USA today. Ihaven’t used this steel for blacksmithing tools,but like it very well for tools and gauges etc.that are machined and then heat treated. Somefolks have made woodworking tools from A2.Steve Williamson has made a number ofhis hand held punches out of A2 and likes it forthese tools.4140 and 4340 are the most commongeneral purpose engineering steels today. Usedfor many equipment applications, I like thesesteels for making hammers and tongs. Manysmiths use mild steel for making tongs, but I liketo use either 4140 or 4340 because of theirmuch greater strength and toughness. This allowsyou to make the tongs with thinner jawsalong with smaller and springier reins or handles.The one major limitation with these alloytongs is that you can’t quench them from a redheat. You must let them cool well into the blackrange if you are going to cool them in your slacktub.5160, Spring steel, found in someautomotive coil and most flat springs. I like thissteel for power hammer tooling and for heavyduty, "bash on it tooling" like drifts. I have evenmade a few hot cuts and punches from this material.From time to time I have had crackingproblems with some of this material -- likelyfrom cracks already in the old springs. Not allsprings are 5160 so your results may depend onthe type of steel in the spring. Read the articleon "Break-Testing".Railroad rail or 1080 steel with theaddition of about 1 percent manganese. Avery high quality, very clean steel that makesgood hammers and power hammer dies. Youcan buy this material as scrap at reasonableprices. If you are going to try to saw railroadrail, cut from the bottom up -- as the rail head isusually work hardened. If you have a powerhammer, you can work rail into very useful sectionsfor many tool applications. It's not quite ashigh in carbon as W1 but still at 0.80 carbon willheat-treat very well as water quench steel. Forsmall tools, you can use an oil quench.September/October 2006 11

Rebar is Junk, not quality scrap steeluseful for tools. It is one material I think youare really wasting your time trying to use fortools. I also don't think A36 is useful for muchexcept handles and tongs. A36 can be usedfor female dies for use in the treadle or powerhammer, but if you can make these out ofbetter material, you will get much longer life.If you want more information, backgroundor detail on these and other steels, seethe following references:Machinery's Handbook, now in its 27th edition editedby Robert E. Green and Christopher J.McCauley. Industrial Press Inc. (I was using the25th for this article. Every blacksmith, machinist ormechanical engineer should have a copy of thishandbook. You can find older editions of this book atgood prices in the used book market.)Heat Treatment, Selection and Application of ToolSteels, by Bill Bryson, Hanser Gardner PublicationsEngineering Properties of Steel, Philip D. Harvey Editor,American Society for MetalsCopyright 2001, 2005 by David E. SmuckerNote to other editors of blacksmith newsletters:Youare free to use this article in your publicationprovide you used it in its entirety andcredit the Appalachian Area Chapter of Blacksmithsand author. I can provide you with anelectronic copy by contacting me at davesmucker@hotmail.comIt may not be reproducedin any form for commercial use.December 5, 20061943, Topeka, Kansas. Workmen manipulating a hot forging which is being hammeredunder a steam hammer in the blacksmith shop of the Atchison, Topeka andSanta Fe Railroad. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection.September/October 2006 12

A Letter fromWallace Yater21118 Mousetown Rd, PO Box 51Boonsboro, Maryland 21713 or301-432-5789 or 202-337-0341Dear B.G.O.PLast March at age 80 the rather wellknown knifemaker of Middletown, Maryland WilliamF. ‘Bill’ Moran died of colon cancer. Bill was one ofthe 27 founding members of ABANA. He foundedthe American Bladesmiths’ Society and taught thearts involved in knife making at the Rochester Instituteof Technology and at the University of Arkansasat Washington, Arkansas where they built aschool room with student forges.During Bill’s unpleasant bout with coloncancer he and a retired IBM executive, Earl J. ‘Jay’Hendrickson of 4204 Ballenger Creek Pike, Frederick,Maryland 21703 301-663-6923, an accomplishedbladesmith in his own right, discussed usingBill’s shop or a recreated equivalent and Bill’sapproximately $2.5 million dollar estate to create aknifemaking museum in the Frederick County area.Bill made Mr. Hendrickson executor of his estatewhich means complete control over the estate andcreation of the museum. Bill and Jay decided tosell Bill’s house at 6612 Jefferson Blvd., BraddockHeights, probably mainly to have more funds forthe museum and to be relieved of the maintenanceof it.Any museum to be successful needs acommunity outreach program, an education program,and interest and involvement from the surroundingcommunity. This is especially importantnow that so much of the manual or industrial artsclasses have been taken out of our schools andreplaced in most cases by ‘computers’, which maytell you how to do a fire weld, but are completelyuseless at letting one actually experience doing itand often suffering the many failed attempts beforeactually doing a successful weld. There is ahuge difference between just reading about somethingand actually doing it.Bill’s house on Braddock’s Mountain wasauctioned off November 18 and not wanting to seeit go out of the Blacksmithing community for awhile longer I stretched my resources and endedup the high bidder. My plan is to freshen up 95years of grime with fresh paint and some neededrepairs and rent and hold it for enough years tosee if the executor does his thing, the communityresponds and the Moran Foundation turns out tobe enough of a success to benefit from having theactual house Bill lived in for the last 44 years of hislife. It is my hope that the foundation eventuallygets and uses the house. It is all wait and see.I plan to do much of the work myself. I amhoping BGOP would have some members who wouldhelp with some of the work Walkersville Southern RailroadStyle, that is, making a church social out ofthings like repairing 4 miles of track and scraping andpainting rolling stock.The Moran house work is all inside. Thehouse has heat, running water, and kitchen and Ihave enough mattresses and other camping gear toaccommodate a number of people. I plan to tacklemuch of it during the long, cold miserable haulthrough January, February and March after the funfamily things like Thanksgiving, Christmas and NewYear’s have been used up and all that is left to celebrateis Ground Hog Day, St. Patty’s Day, the IRS anda lot of cold weather.On K Street near Connecticut Ave. N.W. inD.C. is a thing called the Foundation Center, whichhas branches in many other places. This is like a librarywhere one can go to do research on the 37,000foundations in this country to search for funds for aparticular project. Out of these 37,000 foundationsyou must find the subset that proclaims an interest inyour particular field. You have to contact their directorsto see if they would have an interest in your particularproject as well as funds available for it which isusually not the case. This is a very long, drawn-out,time-consuming process requiring the persistence andresistance to frustration and defeat characteristic ofan experienced hardened salesman. You have tokeep in mind that there really is a lot of money outthere, that is why a dollar today buys what 3 cents didin 1943 and that a lot of really good programs havebeen funded this way. In addition, any time schoolsand or “inner city kids at risk” are brought in there isan addition to this a wide variety of governmentalfunding sources available.The executor, Mr. Hendrickson, is openminded and willing to listen to and consider most suggestionsand proposals. The Moran Foundation nowhas 501c3 (section of IRS Tax code) non-profit statusbut many, probably most, details of the final nature ofit are still in a state of flux as the executor interactswith what comes in from the surrounding community.Call or write Wallace M. Yater, 21118 MousetownRoad, P.O. Box 51, Boonsboro, Maryland 21713or 301-432-5789 or 202-337-0341.Very truly yoursWallace without Gromit,his sensible dog that keeps gettingNick Park’s version out of troubleSeptember/October 2006 13

CIRCLE SEGMENTSThis template for dividing a circle has been makingthe rounds but is too useful to pass up, sowe’re taking it from the New England Blacksmiths’newsletter and passing it on to you. To divide acircle into equal parts, connect the appropriatenumber to the center for the division you need.For example, the points marked 5 divide the circleinto fifths.Cool Tip—on-line math and geometry calculatorscan be found on the web at www.1728.com.# ofSegmentsDegree ofAngle3 1204 905 726 607 51.4288 45(INSERT CIRCLE SEGMENTDIAGRAM HERE)September/October 2006 14

VIETNAM BLACKSMITHSThanks to Rob Whitehurst of Louisiana for sharing these shopphotos he took in Vietnam:The two shots at right were taken in the village of Da Si, inHa Tay Province right outside of Ha Noi. The town is knownfor its blacksmiths and literally every other dwelling has asmall shop attached to it. They have a festival every yeardedicated to the craft. The "Standout Handblower" is a basicshop-made blower: I took this so that the next time someonetells me that they can't get started because they don't have ablower, I can show them this photo. Three of the shots onthe next page are from the blacksmith on the road to My Laioutside of Quang Ngai. Of the smiths I visited he showed themost skill, primarily building the sort of axe machete that allthe rural peasants in the central part of the country carry.The photo with lunch heating on the forge, and also the"Standout Handblower" are from the "street of iron smiths" inHa Noi, one of the ancient streets in the oldest section of HaNoi which was named after the trade which was historicallyfollowed there. I had to visit that one to see if anything wasleft, and found half a dozen shops sort of hanging on in smallground-level "store fronts".September/October 2006 15

Standout HandblowerSeptember/October 2006 16

A tip-top shop tip from Chris Worsley:Years ago at the dawn of time, I needed to weld a rod to a piece of plate to make along handled peel for the kitchen at Sully Plantation. Well, the difficulty was getting theplate and rod, being quite different in size, up to welding heat at the same time, andkeep the two parts from flopping around while trying to weld while doing it alone. FayP. LeCompte III had the answer.- Punch a hole in the plate where you want the handle welded.- Taper the rod so it fits into the hole and is long enough to pein down like a rivet.- Pein the end of the rod down so it holds tightly to the plate- Now, the area to be welded could go into the fire firm without having to worry aboutsliding about, or having to hold the two pieces together when they came up to weldingheat.- Rod on the bottom for the heat since it was thicker than the plate.- After welding, I dressed up the plate, drew out the rod to the needed length for thehandle and decorated with a simple twist and hook on end for hanging from the mantle.Murphy's Law in the Forge:The shop phone will always ring exactly when welding heat is reached.Bell by Bill ClemensSee future issue forarticle & instructions!September/October 2006 17

BGOP Membership Application and RenewalNameHome Phone________________AddressWork PhoneCity State ZipI am a member of ABANA, The Artist Blacksmiths Association of North America Yes NoNew Member—$35 or 3 yrs—$75 Renewal—$25 or 3 yrs—$70Age _______________(Minimum 16 years) Blacksmithing Experience ______ Yes NoMake check payable to: BGOPMail check and Membership application to: Fred Long, 5309 Bangor Dr, Kensington MD 20895-1106Gulf Branch Nature Center3608 N. Military RoadArlington VA 22207703-358-3403To Chain Bridge, Rt123 and Glebe RdBGOPshopNatureCenterMilitaryRoadLogCabinParkingTo Lorcum Lane, Rt 29,Spout Run and GeorgeWashington ParkwayName:Address:City:State:Country:Zip/PC:Type of Membership Regular.......... $55 Overseas ......$65 Student .......... $45 Contributing ...$100 Senior (65+)... $50 Library............$45ABANA Chaper Affiliation:Application may also be made at the ABANA website: www.abana.orgE-mail:www url:Phone:Fax:Credit Card Information□VisaCard#□MastercardExpiration Date:Submit check, money order (US banks only), or by credit card:LeeAnn Mitchellabana@abana.orgABANAPO Box 816 Phone: 706.310.1030Farmington GA 30638 Fax: 706.769.7147M E M B E R S H I P A P P L I C A T I O NSeptember/October 2006 18