March 2006 Saltfork Craftsmens Meeting

I attended the March 2006 North-East regional meeting of the Saltfork Craftsmen Artist-Blacksmith Association at Dan and Pat Cowart's house. It was a fairly casual affair. Mike Sweeney brought a chunk of exotic metal and forged a rough knife blade using Dan's power hammer. After this, Mike and Mike made a scrolling tool but they were not especially hapy with it. Jim Caruthers made 2 napkin rings and gave them to Pat Cowart. Jim Caruthers then made a bottle opener, and even added a collar with help from Ed Brazeal. Ed made a collaring tool right there on the spot! Jim Caruthers took some time towards the end of the meeting to give a lesson to a college student and I. We made a J hook that you nail into the wall to hang a hat or coat on. Tracy (Dan's son) stood by and helped me through the project.

After it was all over, Dan loaned me a portable hand-crank coal forge! Look for more about that in my next blog.

Here are the pictures:

Photo	Comment
	Mike Sweeney's Anvil + Stand + a Chisel Protection Plate
	Mike Sweeney - heading his knife stock
	The gang watching Mike work! - part 1
	The gang watching Mike work! - part 2
	Mike Sweeney drawing down his knife blade
	Jim Caruthers ready to bend some napkin rings
	Jim C - napkin ring - bending
	Jim C - napkin ring - ready for final alignment
	Jim C - starting on the second napkin ring
	Jim C - starting on the second napkin ring
	Jim C - at the coal forge
	Jim C - napkin ring - measure twice, bend once
	Jim C - napkin ring - scrolling
	Jim C - napkin ring - scrolling
	Jim C - napkin ring - scrolling
	Jim C - bending
	Jim C - trueing up the decorative scrolls
	Jim C - napkin rings finished!
	Jim C - bottle opener - design drawing
	Jim C - bottle opener
	Jim C - bottle opener
	Jim C - bottle opener
	Jim C - bottle opener
	Jim C - bottle opener
	Jim C - bottle opener
	Jim C - bottle opener
	Jim C - bottle opener
	Jim C - bottle opener
	Jim C - bottle opener
	Jim C - bottle opener
	Jim C - bottle opener
	Jim C - bottle opener - putting his touchmark on
	Jim C - bottle opener (before the collar)
	Jim C - bottle opener (before the collar)
	Jim C - bottle opener (before the collar)
	Jim C - bottle opener (before the collar)
	Ed Brazeal - making a collaring tool
	Ed Brazeal - making a collaring tool
	Ed Brazeal - making a collaring tool
	Ed Brazeal - making a collaring tool
	Ed Brazeal - collaring test and adjustments
	Ed Brazeal - collaring test and adjustments
	Ed Brazeal - collaring test and adjustments
	Ed Brazeal - collaring test and adjustments
	Ed Brazeal - collaring test and adjustments
	Jim C and Ed B - bottle opener - adding a collar