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MISSISSIPPI FORGE COUNCIL THE UPSET JANUARY 2017
JANUARY 2017
Long time member of the Mississippi Forge Council, Lyle
Wynn, recently competed on the History Channel’s pro-
gram, FORGED IN FIRE.
As we all knew he would, Lyle represented our state with
style, dignity and class. Congratulations Lyle on a job well
done. More pg. 17
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MISSISSIPPI FORGE COUNCIL THE UPSET JANUARY 2017
OFFICERS
PRESIDENT
Stan Bryant
312 Wilson Welch Rd
Mendenhall, Ms 39114
601-940-9340
Sb_eutaw@yahoo.com
VICE-PRESIDENT/EDITOR
Jim Pigott
136 Munich Dr
Madison, MS 39110
601-540-6030
jpigott111@comcast.net
TREASURER
Lyle Wynn
236 Nelda Dr
Brandon, Ms 39042
601-940-8816
ldw@gmail.com
SECRETARY
Michael Havens
1330 Cassie Lane
Edwards, Ms
769-226-8002
mmwhavens@yahoo.com
AT LARGE
Gerald Durbin
503 Laveda Lane
Pontotoc, Ms 38863
662-419-2226
gtdubin@gmail.com
AT LARGE
Nick Thompson
Sex the Prez
Stan Bryant
I would like to start out by saying “thank you” to each and every person
that has shown interest in this group. We are in a growing phase now and that
is indicated by the attendance at our meetings. The January meet had over 45
folks watching two 13 year old young men demonstrating how to make a claw
hammer. Cade Aylesworth and Cross Franklin, under the direction of Derek
Melton, kept the crowds’ attention throughout the demo. They also drew in a
number of the general public that just happened to come by. When they were
finished Michael Havens taught a “green coal” class with 9 people participating.
This went on till the late afternoon. It was a great day.
We asked for input from members as to what they would like to see
demonstrated at the meetings and what classes they would like to attend. The
first suggestion was how to make tongs. Great, we will be demonstrating tongs
at the March meeting at the Ag Museum. You will have the chance to get in the
forges and try your hand. Also, we will plan a full day class on tong making if
the interest is still there. Please let us know what you would like the MFC to
provide the members.
Derek Melton had agreed to re work our web site. I know how im-
portant this is and I believe Derek is the man for the job. Give us a little time
with this and we will keep you informed when ready. Is there anything in partic-
ular you would like to see on the web? Let us know as soon as you can. Now is
the time.
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the February knife event at Ter-
ry Vandeventers’ shop, more info in this newsletter and on Facebook.
Also, remember to bring something for Iron-In-The-Hat. This is mostly
how the MFC is funded. We need your support.
Also: MFC DUES ARE DUE IN JANUARY OF EACH YEAR.
If you haven't sent the dues in yet, please due :)
I just want to say “thank you” again for allowing me to serve as president of
this great group. We are looking forward to an exciting new year with you.
If you have any questions, suggestions or nice things to say, please feel free to
contact me.
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MISSISSIPPI FORGE COUNCIL THE UPSET JANUARY 2017
ON THE HORIZON
It has only been a year since the last newsletter. Hopefully we will find an editor that will do what he
says. In the meantime, here we are.
This newsletter has a lot of old articles from across the country and from our members. It was a little
easier to do it this way but it would be great if our members would contribute stories and pictures of what
you are working on now or have done in the past. It is pretty cool to be able to praise our members for what
they have accomplished. The skill level is not important, actually being able to see your progress from one
year to the next is just the thing to encourage other beginners to try. We will help.
Our meetings have been well attended lately. There were about 45 people at the last meeting and
these folks watched two thirteen year old boys, young men, make a claw hammer under the direction of
Derek Melton. The picture below shows Cade Aylesworth and Cross Franklin with Derek.
They did an impressive job and drew a large crowd from the visitors to the Ag Museum. These young men
are the future of blacksmithing. We owe it
to them to support their efforts to learn
this ancient craft. To see a video of them at
the anvil go to Mississippi Forge Council on
Facebook.
While you are on the Facebook site check
out the information on our next meeting. It
is our annual Knife Event to be held on
February 11 and 12 at Terry and Ginger
Vandeventer’s home in Byram, MS. There
is more information in this publication al-
so.
We would really appreciate your input as to what demonstrations you would like to see and classes you
would like to attend. We can’t do this without your help. It has been suggested that we have a tong making
demo/class. Maybe that will be the March meeting. More suggestions, please.
Do you have any blacksmithing, ironworking tools or supplies you want to sell? Let me know.
Send pics and info to : Jim Pigott jpigott111@comcast.net
REMEMBER
Membership dues are due this month for everyone. We appreciate your support.
Send your dues $30. to :
MISSISSIPPI FORGE COUNCIL
312 WILSON WELCH RD MENDENHALL MS 39114
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MISSISSIPPI FORGE COUNCIL THE UPSET JANUARY 2017
Philip Simmons Artist Blacksmith Guild January February 2017
A Shocking Outcome– Paul Diefenderfer
Electrical Etching
Editor’s note: PAABA President, John Steel, saw this article on the Arizona Blacksmiths Association web site. It was written
by their President “Dief”, who was happy to share the article with us. I spoke to him and he said if anyone has questions,
please feel free to contact him. (602-509-1543 or president@azblacksmiths.org If you re-verse the process...it is a rust clean-
er! It’s like Doublemint gum...double the pleasure or if you forget…... it’s either clean or gone!
This process uses electrolysis to create a very organic pitted texture on steel. I “discovered” this process when I was using this
method to remove rust from some metal sconces. After doing one successfully I hooked the clamps up backwards and created
a mess. The sconce was covered in thick rust overnight. After cleaning the rust off, I was amazed at the deep pits that were
created. It was a texture unlike anything you can create with fire and hammer. I was hooked. I really opened up new ways to
create solid privacy gates and wall hangings
Here’s what you need to get started. 12 volt 10amp battery charger . Plastic bucket or tank. 3/8 rebar . I star ted with a
5gal bucket, then moved up to a 55gal drum. As my addiction to etching increased I switched to a 250gal plastic water hauling
container that is supported on the exterior with an aluminum frame. I’ve also built a custom single use tank from 2x12 lumber
and plastic sheeting to etch a 4ft by 8ft picture frame.
Step 1: Line the inside of your plastic tank with ver tical rebar spaced about 3 inches apar t. These can be secured to the
tank by drilling a small hole on each side of the rebar (at the lip of the tank) and using wire to “twist tie” the rebar in place. My
250 gal tank has a curved lip on top that overhangs the interior. I drilled 3/8 holes through this lip and pushed the rebar down
through the holes so nothing else was needed to secure the rebar.
Step2: Connect all the rebar pieces together in a loop. For temporary tanks, I use copper wire wrapped around each
piece of rebar. Over time the copper and rebar oxidize and the electrical connection between the wire and rebar will deterio-
rate. For my permanent tank, I welded horizontal pieces of rebar across the tops of the vertical rebar. This ensures a great elec-
trical connection. You basically have a rebar cage hanging inside of your tank.
Step 3: Fill the tank with water . Add 1 tablespoon of washing soda per gallon of water . This is not a cr itical meas-
urement so when in doubt add too much soda. I use a whole box for my 250gal tank. You will find washing soda (Arm &
Hammer is the most popular brand) next to the laundry soap in any grocery store.
Step 4: Place a wood 2x4 across the top of the tank. From this 2x4 suspend your iron work in the tank so it is com-
pletely submersed. It must not have any direct contact with the rebar cage! If it does you will short your charger out. For small
pieces I use hooks made from 1/8 round stock. For larger heavier pieces I bolt or weld on a piece of rebar. Note: if you use 1/8
stock and leave the piece in the tank for more than 3 days you risk having the hook rust away and break sending your ironwork
to the bottom of the tank. A magnet bolted to the end of a stick is handy for getting small flat pieces out of a 250gal tank – not
that yours truly has ever had to do this.
Step 5: Connect the negative clamp of the battery charger to the rebar cage. Clean the rebar of any rust so you get a
good connection. Clip the positive camp of the charger to the piece of metal your iron work is suspended from. Note: Do not
immerse the battery charger clamps in the water. This etching process also works on copper and you don’t want to have to
keep replacing the clamps.
Step 6: Double check that there is no direct contact between your ironwork and the rebar cage. If your charger has
amp settings, set it on the 10amp trickle charge. Do not use the 50 amp “Quick Start” option. Plug in the charger. You should
notice a ghostly blue white film develop around your piece within minutes. You will then notice lots of little bubbles coming
off the piece and the rebar cage. Now leave it alone for about 2 days. Note: this process pro-duces oxygen and hydrogen gas!
Needless to say this should not be done indoors where these gasses could accu-mulate.
Step 7: Turn off the charger and remove your piece. I find that 48 hours give a good deep pit-ted texture on 1/8 thick or
thicker steel. Longer time means more pitting. Thinner stock will develop holes so a shorter time may be in order. Hint: lots of
small holes makes for an interesting light sconce.
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MISSISSIPPI FORGE COUNCIL THE UPSET JANUARY 2017
Philip Simmons Artist Blacksmith Guild January February 2017
Step 8: Your beautiful iron work is covered in a heavy coat of gooey rust. Most of it will come off using a scrub bush
and water. I follow this up with a twisted wire brush on my grinder (wear a full face shield as these buggers throw off eye
seeking wire strands). Using a wire brush by hand is usually not aggressive enough to get all the rust out of the pits. I have
also used a sand blaster to remove the rust. This will give the iron work a very uniform flat finish so I pre-fer the wire brush.
Cleaning the rust off with the wire brush throws up a bunch of fine rust dust so do this in a well ven-tilated place.
Step 9: I use several coats of Permalac lacquer to seal my ironwork. Add solvent dye to the lacquer for some great col-
or effects. The pits take more lacquer/color for a wonderful organic look.
Step 10: Have Fun! Exper iment and repor t back to me with your discover ies.
Notes: The rust off of your iron work collects on the bottom of your tank. You will need to per iodically drain your
tank and clean this sludge out. It is iron oxide. Experiment and find some cool uses for it. Do not let your metal hang down
into this sludge. It prevents the metal from etching.
This is an electrical process and thus you need good electrical connections. I have found that as the copper wire on the battery
charger clamps oxidizes the clamps with heat up from the resistance. Take a few minutes and solder the wire to the clamps.
In general electrons are lazy little buggers and take the shortest route in any circuit. What does this mean for you? Hang your
piece in the center of your tank. If you hang it to one side that side will get a heavier etching. This also means that if you hang
a large flat piece from corner to corner in a square tank the edges of the piece near the corners will etch a lot and the center
will etch very little. This is because the center of the piece is father away from the rebar cage – re-member electrons are lazy
and always take the short route.
You can etch more than one piece at a time if they are flat and hung edge to edge. If you hang them back to back the sides
facing each other will not etch. This may not be a problem if you are etching a wall hanging and don’t care about the back
side.
If you mask off areas of the steel they will not etch. This allows for all sorts of design option. I use two things to mask off the
steel. For crisp edges on your design use latex sticker material (scraps available at any sign shop). Peel off the backing and
stick the material on to your clean steel. Use an X-Acto knife to cut out the design and peel off the latex on the areas you want
to etch. If you have a design already drawn (or printed) on paper use spray adhesive to glue the paper to the latex. For fuzzier
edges in my designs I use oil based paint. Apply it as thick as possible using a dabbing technique instead of brushing as brush-
ing applies the paint too thin. The paint along the edge of the design will be thin-ner and thus will create softer fuzzy edge to
the design.
As you turn the water in your tank into oxygen and hydrogen and it also evaporates, just add more water. No need to add
more washing soda as it stays in the tank. Reprinted from the PAABA newsletter who got it from the Arizona Blacksmiths
Association
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MISSISSIPPI FORGE COUNCIL THE UPSET JANUARY 2017
A Better Way To Cool Tools
By Randy Stoltz
Both paraffin wax and beeswax have an excellent ability to absorb and store heat. Additionally both of these substances
do not have a melting point, they have a melting range (i.e. they slowly liquefy over a range of temperatures not a single
point like water). This makes wax a great medium for cooling punches, chisels, drifts, and other tools used to work hot
steel as it will cool and lubricate the tool without the risk of harden-ing it.
I have used a mixture of paraffin wax, beeswax, and powdered graphite to cool my punches and other tools for some
time now and have had very good results.
You can use all paraffin or all beeswax but I used a 50 - 50 mix since the paraffin is harder than the beeswax (and I had I
several pounds of it sitting around). I added the powdered graphite to improve the lubricating properties of the mixture.
Graphite is a high pressure high temperature lubricant often used on dies or presses. It works very well on drifts to keep
them from sticking. You can also use molybdenum disulfide powder for extreme lubricating applications but it usually
costs a lot more.
To make the mixture, I add one tube of the powdered graphite (.21 oz / 6 grams) to 2 cups of melted wax and pour it into
a metal cup. Note that wax expands 5-10 percent when heated so leave some room in the cup.
Here is some additional technical information. Paraffin wax is part of a family of hydrocarbon compounds known as
alkanes with the general formula of nH2n+2 that are solid at room temperature. Paraffin that is liquid at room tempera-
ture is known as mineral oil.
Beeswax is not a single compound but is a mixture of several compounds with the base compound very similar to paraf-
fin. Both paraffin and beeswax are solid at room temperature and have a flashpoint of 400° F.
The melting range of paraffin wax varies with the exact compound but can be classified as: low (125° F - 135° F),
medium (135° F - 145° F), And high (150° F - 165° F). Beeswax has a melting range of 144° F - 147° F.
Reprinted from The Anvil’s Horn, January 2011 and probably from the Hot Iron Sparkle, newsletter of NCABANA somewhere
along the line.
Safety Reminder:
Albin Drzewianowski
This safety tip was passed on to me by Matt Harris's father, Ron Harris during the 2016 Principio Iron
Furnace Hammer-In. The following actually occurred in their shop.
They were working on a project that involved repoussé and had a bottle of rubber cement near the weld-
ing station. A spark from the welder hit the bottle and burned through the plastic. Now they had a jet pro-
pelled bottle flying around the shop spewing burning rubber cement.
Moral of the story, be very care where you put any kinds of flammables in your shop. Who would have
thought that a welding spark would have been able to burn through the hard plastic of the rubber ce-
ment bottle?
______________________________________________ ____________________________________________
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MISSISSIPPI FORGE COUNCIL THE UPSET JANUARY 2017
Matt Harris passed on this tip at his annual Principio Iron Furnace Hammer-In. ITMACO (Indiana Tech-
nology and Manufacturing Companies) provides a Metal Weight Calculator app for your cellphone (both
android and IPhone) which is very handy for calculating metal weights based on dimension. Matt uses it
all the time.
Also from the Principio Hammer-In, the featured demonstrator, Derek Kemper demonstrated a lot of
forge welding, thus he spent a lot of time wire brushing the steel. He kept his wire brush soaking wet.
The water on the wire brush really helped remove the scale. He would also wet his hammer to “blast” the
scale off. Very impressive. It got your attention.
Do you have a shop Tip?
If you have a shop tip you would like to share, send them to the editor.
______________________________________________ _________________________________________
REDUCING THE SIZE OF A HOLE
by: Tommy Ward
Here are a couple of tricks for reducing the size of a drilled or punched hole that is found to be slightly larger than desired.
One method is to find a ball bearing with a diameter larger than the hole and drive it against the opening with a hammer to push the metal around the lip into the hole. This technique can be done cold, but may require heating the piece to a forging temperature if more material is to be moved or if the work is particularly hard. Repeat the process on the reverse side.
Another approach is to heat the area around the hole to a bright red and then carefully quench the “bottom” side of the work (the hole should be perpendicular to the water) while leaving the “top” part outside of the water. The submerged area will cool rapidly and shrink somewhat, but the portion of the metal remaining outside of the water will be drawn in more as it slowly air-cools - resulting in the “top” half of the hole being reduced in size. Reheat the piece and repeat the process on the opposite side. I have found it easier to hold the work pre-cisely half-submerged by bending up some coat hanger supports that span my slack tub. Make a couple of dry runs to get things adjusted, and then quenching will be a simple matter of lay-ing the heated material on the hangers that have been preadjusted for the correct depth. If you’re really curious about how the shrinkage of the metal can be influenced, play around with the leaving the piece in the water until it cools to room temperature, or taking it out of the wa-ter and allowing it to air-cool after the initial quench.
Both of these techniques work better, of course, on thicker pieces of metal, and with a little practice can reduce the size of a hole by a surprising amount.
8
MISSISSIPPI FORGE COUNCIL THE UPSET JANUARY 2017
MFC Knife Hammer - In
Feb 11 & 12, 2017
Location: Terry Vandeventers
1915 Timberlake Place
Bryam MS 39272
We are proud to have Steve Schwarzer here for the Knife confer-
ence this year. He was an early pioneer in Damascus steel and was
also a Navy Seal. Steve’s wife is a journeyman smith that
specializes in William Scagal style knives.
PLEASE MAKE SURE TO BRING SOMETHING FOR THE AUCTION.
Lunch, drinks and desert will be available for $10.00
CONFERENCE FEE IS $60.00 FOR ALL WEEKEND
HOURS 9 – 5 SATURDAY
9 – 12 SUNDAY
http://www.steveschwarzer.com/knife_gallery/themes/
av_knifesite/index.html
HOPE TO SEE EVERYONE THERE!!
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MISSISSIPPI FORGE COUNCIL THE UPSET JANUARY 2017
MFC KNIFE HAMMER- IN FEBRUARY 11 & 12
LOCATION: TERRY VANDEVENTERS
1915 TIMBERLAKE PLACE BYRUM MS 29272
REGISTRATION FORM REGISTRATION FEE (2 DAYS) $60.00 X _______ LUNCH, DESERT, BEVERAGE (SAT) $10.00 X _______ MEMBERSHIP FEE $30.00 X _______ T-SHIRT (MAY 2016 CONFERENCE) $10.00 X _______ TOTAL _________________ SEND REGISTRATION TO:
MFC HAMMER-IN
312 WILSON WELCH RD MENDENHALL MS 39114
PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING SOMETHING FOR IRON IN THE HAT. THIS IS WHAT KEEPS OUR GROUP
RUNNING
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MISSISSIPPI FORGE COUNCIL THE UPSET JANUARY 2017
11
MISSISSIPPI FORGE COUNCIL THE UPSET JANUARY 2017
THE FRIENDSHIP KNOT
By: Tommy Ward
The blacksmith’s bag of tricks includes techniques intended to impart metal with the illusion of being something else and give the observer cause to wonder. A
perfect example is this simple bending exercise that suggests the appearance of a rope knot. The knot theme can be further developed into a useful accessory such
as a hook for hanging a coat, hat, or what have you. The knot makes for a nice little gift - particularly when the recipient is told the story of its tradition. Walt Scad-
den performed the knot during his demonstration of nautical ironwork at Tannehill this year, and I was intrigued as much by his account of the knot as I was of the
procedure for making it.
Walt’s shop in Connecticut is near Mystic Seaport, an area renown for traditional boat building, For years Walt has supplied authentic iron work to the wooden
ships that come to the port for outfitting or repairs, and he has made a habit of presenting a visiting vessel with one of his metal knots as a gesture of good will
and friendship. Hence, the “Friendship Knot.” Walt is passionate about preserving and furthering the craft of blacksmithing, and what better way to honor the
tradition than by making a “Friendship Knot” for a friend. And don’t forget to share the story with them.
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MISSISSIPPI FORGE COUNCIL THE UPSET JANUARY 2017
(5) Tight knot
This is how the finished knot should look. The tighter the fit, the more
“rope-like” the joint will appear. You may improve the fit somewhat by
working the loops and necks of the eyes with a light cross peen hammer
in the areas indicated by the arrows, but be aware that working the knot
cold can loosen it.
(4) Pulling knot
Take a bright heat on the center of the assembly, place one end in the vise , grasp the
other with a heavy set of tongs, and give the “knot” a quick, heavy tug to draw it tight.
You may want to put soft jaw liners in the vise to prevent marring the legs. Quenching
the ends of the legs before clamping may help isolate stretching to the knot area.
With some practice you should be able to get a fairly tight knot in one or two heat.
(2) Two pins
Make two identical pins with the eyes bent up twenty degrees or so. Try to
keep the eyes as compact as possible to improve fit
(1) Forming eye
Starting with a piece of ¼” rod about 12” long, form an eye resem-
bling
a big cotter pin. The inside diameter of the eye should be a smidgeon
over ½” to allow both legs of another pin to pass through it.
13
MISSISSIPPI FORGE COUNCIL THE UPSET JANUARY 2017
Missing our Friends
Libby and Gene Mulloy
Tommy Ward, seated & Ricky Wynn
Bobby Rico and friends and
Ray Robinson
We are better for having known you.
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MISSISSIPPI FORGE COUNCIL THE UPSET JANUARY 2017
STATIONARY PUNCHES
by: Tommy Ward
Here's another "third hand" idea I saw Bob Patrick use - simple punch type tools held in position by the anvil's pritchel hole. Why not eliminate the frustration of juggling a punch, hammer, and odd-sized work piece by making up a few of these stationary punches that allow you to hammer from "behind" the piece; controlling the work in one hand and hammering with the other. An added benefit, particularly on thin sections, is that the work remains hotter longer when not in direct contact with the cold mass of the anvil.
These things are simple to construct, making them attractive for "one time" projects. Most pritchel holes seem to be in the neigh-borhood of around 1/2", so any stock that's slightly larger can be used. No limit on the design; most any configuration of hand punch that you would use for repousee or detailing could work. Metallurgy, refinement of design, degree of finish, etc., will be your choice based on application.
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MISSISSIPPI FORGE COUNCIL THE UPSET JANUARY 2017
A SELF-MEASURING CENTER PUNCH
by Tommy Ward
From time to time I’ve had to drill a succession of equally and accurately spaced holes. Although laying out the hole spacing can
be done fairly quickly using a transfer compass, the positioning of the compass points, scribe marks, and ultimately the point of
the center punch itself, each present the opportunity for
a slight error (particularly with my aging eyesight). Over a
series of holes these small individual errors can "stack
up" and result in a significant overall change in dimen-
sion. The solution to the problem is a “self-measuring”
center punch. This little trick is neither new nor original,
and is one I first recall having seen many years ago in an
old metal trades manual.
A standard center punch can easily be fashioned into a
self-measuring type by drilling a perpendicular hole thru
its shank to receive a lateral locating rod. A point is
sharpened on one end of a small diameter rod (I used
9/32” piano wire) and the sharpened end is bent ninety
degrees to form the locating "leg". Cross-drill and tap
the punch shank to accept a setscrew which will be used
to lock the adjustment of the locating leg. Although
punches are generally regarded as being a fairly tough steel, I had no trouble drilling a pilot hole through mine with an 1/8" dia.
TiN coated bit running at 1500 RPM and using a coolant. The dimensions of things are not critical, but care should be taken to
insure that the lengths from the cross arm to the tips of the punch and locating leg are identical.
To use the device, set the desired dis-
tance between the tip of the punch and
the locating leg, lay out a longitudinal
reference line on the work, and punch the
location of the first hole. Then place the
point of the locating leg in the first mark
and punch a second mark on the refer-
ence line. This sequence continues for the
remainder of the layout as the locating
point is placed in each successive punch
mark, a new mark is punched on the ref-
erence line, and the process is repeated
as needed.
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MISSISSIPPI FORGE COUNCIL THE UPSET JANUARY 2017
BLACKSMITHING CLASSES IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI
Walter Neill, longtime blacksmith, 20 plus years, has recently opened his shop to anyone wanting to learn techniques for moving metal. His large, well equipped, shop is located just south of Oxford, MS on many beautiful acres of peaceful countryside. The Oxford Treehouse Gallery guards the entrance to this artists paradise.
The pictures above show Walters’ oyster shucker, left and cheese knife.
Beginning and intermediate blacksmithing, knife making, tool making, sculptures and most anything you are interested in learning is offered. Call and ask.
WALTER NEILL
328 CR 418
OXFORD, MS 38605
662-816-9046
17
MISSISSIPPI FORGE COUNCIL THE UPSET JANUARY 2017
STAN BRYANT LYLE WYNN
The tools you will take
home are worth more
than what you will pay
for the class. Think of
the knowledge you will
take home also.
WALNUT CUT FORGE
TOOLS FOR MAKING TOOLS
18
MISSISSIPPI FORGE COUNCIL THE UPSET JANUARY 2017
FORGED IN FIRE
Lyle Wynn
I saw an ad on Facebook asking for people to apply to be in the show. Without telling any-one, I went to the website and applied. A few days later, I got a phone call and was told to be prepared for a skype interview the following day. After the skype interview, I was then told the next process was the paperwork portion. Aster signing and returning all the releases, a background check was then done to make sure I was not a hoodlum. I did not hear back for about 7 weeks. When I did hear back, Stan Bryant and I were on our way to Salt Lake City for the ABANA Conference and would be gone for the next 5 days. They told me I would be fly-ing to New York in seven days. I almost wanted to turn around and go home.
While I was in Utah, my family came over and helped prepare for what was going to happen in case I made it to the final round and they would be filming at my home. I got an email with all the flight information and headed to New York.
They pick you up at the airport where you end up meeting your opponents on the ride to the motel. I was picked up around 7:15 A.M. each day and would get beck to the motel around 9:00 P.M. You would spend a lot of time in the interview room waiting for the next time you would go back on the set to film. After each filming, there were lots of interviews where you would have to answer in present tense.
Overall, you are treated like Royalty and everyone is wonderful. I learned that whatever you make must be made to pass the test. That is the important thing. Whatever it takes to get past the tests should be considered prior to Historically accurate. If you make it past the first two challenges, you fly home one day and the next morning a producer and camera man show up at your home. After 5 days, you pack up your weapon and they ship it to Forged In Fire. You then fly back to New York and go through the testing, deliberation and elimination. If you are a Bladesmith, it is worth applying. I had a blast and hope to return one day.
TOOLS TO MAKE TOOLS
Lyle Wynn and Stan Bryant have joined forces at Walnut Cut Forge to create a Blacksmithing School. We offer 1 - 5 days classes that teach you how to make the
tools to make hammers and other tools.
The school is located in Mendenhall Ms.
The class includes a place to stay, meals, we provide all material and you take home everything you make.
For more information and details about the class email us at
Toolstomaketools@gmail.com
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MISSISSIPPI FORGE COUNCIL THE UPSET JANUARY 2017
WISTERIA HANDRAIL COMMISSION
The folks that commissioned this handrail are
consumed with wisteria. It covers all the trees
in their yard in Oxford, MS. Naturally the idea
of a wisteria looking handrail appealed to
them so they contacted Walter Neill with their
idea and a short time later they were cele-
brating their new rail by opening a bottle of
cooled champagne on their front porch. The
finished product looks pretty cool.
Send pictures of your work so we can showcase the skill
of Mississippi Blacksmiths. If you would, include an arti-
cle of the processes involved. It doesn’t have to be very
long and don’t worry about punctuation and such. We
will make ourselves look as intelligent as possible. :)
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MISSISSIPPI FORGE COUNCIL THE UPSET JANUARY 2017
Mississippi Forge Council Membership
Date ———————————————–
Name -———————————————
Spouse ———————————————–
Address ———————————————
City ———————————————
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Make check for $30.00 payable to MFC and send to:
MFC PO Box 320744
Flowood, MS 39232
MFC is an affiliate of the Artst-Blacksmith Association of North America (ABANA) Dues are $30.00 per year and include subscription to The Upset.
Disclosure Blacksmithing is inherently a dangerous occu-pation. You are responsible for using eye, ear and respiratory protection and safe work methods. The Mississippi Forge Council, it's Officers, demonstrators, writers, editors and members specifically disclaim responsibility for any damages, injuries or destruction of property as a result of the use of any infor-mation published in the Newsletter, demon-strated at conferences or at meetings. Every effort is made to insure the accuracy and safe-ty of information provided, but the use of any material is solely at the user's own risk. Newsletter Policy Material is composed and written by the edi-tors except as indicated. Unless otherwise noted, material herein may be reprinted with-out written permission provided proper credit is given. This is YOUR newsletter and contri-butions are encouraged and needed. A SASE should accompany any material you wish re-turned. Any suggestions or comments regard-ing the newsletter are welcome. Send contributions to:
Jim Pigott 136 Munich Dr.
Madison, MS 39110 jpigott111@comcast.net
www.msforgecouncil.com
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