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July/August
The Virginian
2009
Volume 4, Issue 4
Blacksmith Guild of Virginia, 6720 Military Road – Amelia, Virginia 23002
http://www.blacksmithguildofva.com
Sarah L. Tanner-Anderson, Editor
July Meeting with Jerry Darnell by Peyton Anderson, President
July ended up being our last meeting in Crewe, and
we had a great demo to end our stay! Jerry Darnell did an
amazing job showing us several styles and techniques with
traditional joinery. It was a hot day, but we all had a great
time. Jerry took the time to tell us all about his common
sense approach to blacksmithing: we should overlook the
fads and popular hammer styles, and do what work best for
YOU! Jerry has been doing this forever and has had no
trouble with the way he hammers, stands, etc. His hammer
is a standard small size cross pien….not a Hofi style, or Tom
Clark, etc. (though I do love using my Tom Clark…and I am
convinced it has helped me greatly!) I tend to listen to these pieces of wisdom from people like Jerry
because his knowledge and experience surpasses those fads and latest crazes in blacksmithing and
delves into the core of what is important. The tools do not make the blacksmith…the work and
attention to the work is what makes us better!
Jerry is a retired school teacher and it certainly showed in his
use of the blackboard to explain and draw out each step before
doing it. It gave us a better understanding of what was going to
happen so we could focus more on the smaller aspects of the
techniques shown. Jerry is one of the best in the country and it
showed!
Thanks to all for bringing in items for the Show and Tell
table…it was our biggest spread to date! The Iron in the Hat was
huge too! You guys are awesome!
See page 3 for Vince Nakovics’s article, “Jerry Darnell’s Demonstration”
Blacksmith Guild of Virginia Page 2
August Meeting with Jim Slining by Peyton Anderson, President
August was our first meeting back in Amelia. Jim Slining “did the
honors” of being our “Homecoming”
demonstrator. He worked through an extremely
hot day making all sorts of items and explaining
his philosophy of forging. Being a former
Colonial Williamsburg smith, his knowledge,
stories, and expertise were all very informative.
Jim made a tasting fork before lunch
which was a great addition to the Iron in the Hat
table. He then moved into making a hammer the
“old way.” He took wrought iron to make the
body of the hammer and forge welded on a
piece of tool steel. The tool steel came from an
old file that he folded up and welded together.
After welding on the face of the hammer, he
moved to the pien. In no time he had roughed
out a nice tack hammer read for heat treat,
finish, and a handle. After making the hammer,
he showed us the ease of making a pair of
tongs. All in all, Jim was able to guide us
through several projects – all using traditional-
style methods with the explanation behind it.
For those in attendance, we had a
wonderful time and a great spread on both the
Iron in the Hat table and Show and Tell Table! Thanks to all who
participated!
MEMBER’S CHOICE DEMONSTRATIONS!
Okay everyone – this is your chance to have your voice heard and to have a
stake in some of next year’s demonstrators. This year, we have had some
of the best items I have ever seen in the Iron in the Hat and also on the
recently added “Show and Tell” table. We have seen some of our members
work first-hand on display and maybe even in our hands after a lucky ticket
was drawn. We have set aside specific months next year to allow our
members to demonstrate their skill for us. The Blacksmith Guild of Virginia
is known for the top-notch people that come in every month, and we all
think some of the membership deserve a shot at being in that class of
people. So…this is your chance to tell us who it is you want to see demonstrate for the Guild next
year. There is a ballot box out at the meetings where you can drop in the name or names of those
you want to see demo. I will approach the top five vote-getters and see if they would volunteer
their time to put on a demonstration for us. They will receive something in recognition for
demonstrating for the Guild…that will be a surprise!
So Vote today by email, phone, or at the next meeting!
Blacksmith Guild of Virginia Page 3
Jerry Darnell’s Demonstration at Blacksmith Guild of Virginia Meeting by Vince Nakovics
Well what can I say that hasn’t been said before? Jerry Darnell made making Bean Strap Hinges,
Morovian Hinges and the several pintles that go with them look so easy even I felt like I could tackle
them! It is always wonderful to watch someone who has truly mastered the art of doing something.
They make it look so effortless, so precise with every blow, it really is just great to watch and
hopefully learn a thing or two or three or… I want to thank Jerry Darnell for being so willing to share
with us his expertise and talents.
This is just some notes that I took during Jerry Darnell’s demonstration. Remember that had you
been there you would more thoroughly relate to these semi decipherable ruminations. On with the
details:
The Bean Strap:
For an 18 – 22” start with 1-1/4” x 3/16” x 26” L pc. Reduce, fuller, about 1” from end to about ½”
and then round on the horn; widen the bean and then set the cusp, use fairly hard hits. If the cusp is
not set properly now, you will not be able to get the steel to move in the proper direction to complete
the bean and your strap will look more like an oval on the end then a bean. You want to ensure that
you have a nice rounded corner in the cusp and that it is pointing back to the strap.
Take note: make your Bean larger than the strap width, this is a sure indication that you
hand forged your strap and it was not laser/plasma cut from a piece of material and then
forgery forged to give it the look. Also look for a thicker neck to the bean. This thickness is
derived from the fullering down and also serves to make that section of the strap as strong or
nearly as strong as the wider part.
Jerry answers a question about his tools; “My tools are not pretty, they just get the job done”
-Jerry uses a light hammer “I can use a heavier one, I just never saw any reason to”. I didn’t get
around to asking Jerry the weight of his hammer, but from its size I would say about 1-3/4 to 2 lbs.
-Smaller hinges 18” or less usually require only two heats to forge. (Please remember that’s if you
are as adept as Jerry is at making hinges.)
-Larger hinges/straps need more heats thus more money, larger hinges (18” & up) usually require 3
(more as the length increases) heats; one for both ends and one for the middle section of the
strap.
- Taper the strap about 8 – 9” back. Now you can continue widening your bean. As your bean
begins to take shape you need to heat it and ever so slightly to keep your cusp set and to draw it
back towards the strap. Continue to widen your bean to your desired width. You can also widen
your bean from the backside at this point. Remember to use the front, back and side edges of your
hammer in this endeavor. “Never go to the edge of the bean when widening it”. ONLY work the
edge when you are touching it up and finalizing your chamfer. If you keep your edge touched up
and neat while working you will not need to do any filing when you are done.
To make the strap installer friendly; cup the bean when you are done. This prevents the bean from
lifting up off the wood.
The Eye:
I am assuming that everyone reading this knows how to weld an eye, to some degree or other and
will not belabor those points.
Tool Tip: Ever struggle with getting that nice tight corner in the eye of a hinge, Jerry showed
us how it was and is performed with a fairly simple tool. I’ll explain it here; take a piece of
steel somewhat wider than the strap you are making at least ¼” thick. Next make a nice
Article continued next page
Blacksmith Guild of Virginia Page 4
“Jerry Darnell’s Demonstration at Blacksmith Guild of Virginia Meeting”– continued from page 3
square corner on it allowing enough material to make your barrel for your pin, meaning that if
you are going to use a 3/8” pin then you should have a 3/8” rounded profile on top of your ¼”
flat with a very square corner.
You can now make the square corner on your eye. Leave enough length to make your barrel and to
be welded on the back. After heating, place your corner in the corner of the tool clamp in your vise
and bend around the tool. Reheat use your drift and then complete the weld with a drift in place and
your corner tight against a sharp edge of you’re anvil.
- There was a discussion about welded versus wrapped hinges regarding their strength. Jerry
pointed out that today almost all hinges are wrapped. In years past wrapped hinges were usually
European. The Europeans wrapped them 1-1/2 times so that when they drifted them they would
pull against themselves. Some Moravian hinges were wrapped, but most were welded.
This type of weld will more than likely push the flux and up your arm, so don’t be surprised. Always
weld the inside corner 1st, then work towards the tapered edge and outside edges. Now heat and
finish dimensioning your barrel and edges. You want nice flat and square edges so that it rides nicely
on your Pintle. Use the drill press to clean your barrel. This will ensure that the barrel operates
smoothly on your pintle.
The Welded Pintle: (Drive type)
Jerry shared with what he uses to make pintles; ½” square w/ 3/8” pintle, 3/8” sq. w/ 5/16”, ¼”
sq. w/ 3/16”, and 5/8” sq. w/ ½”.
Jerry starts by putting a chisel point on his stock. It is very important to pay attend to the angles
that you work your point at; 60 d. between body and hammer, 30 d. between material and anvil.
When you are done your point should look a little like a wide spear tip. Next put 2 hacks (on the
anvil’s edge) about 1-1/4” back on the material. These hacks or indentations are where your pin will
be welded in place. Remember; you must ensure that your material is shorter than the
circumference of the wrap. This will prevent a rim bound weld which will eventually come loose. You
want to stretch the material around the pin when you weld it.
At a welding heat dress your welded pin and wrap in the vise, this welds your pin securely and
allows you to dress up the shoulder where the strap will rest and rotate on.
Now if you are wondering how to hold onto a pintle while working it, you will have to make a
special pair of tongs to do so. Jerry uses old horseshoe tongs that nobody wants and you can get for
a buck or two at any flea market (well maybe not now that the secret is out). Simply cut out the
center for the size pin you are working. Of course you can make them completely yourself start to
finish.
Ensure that the pin is straight and the shoulder is nice and flat and at 90 d. to the pintle. Don’t
forget to put some barbs on the drive shaft to hold it fast in the wall.
Jerry recommends: that you supply a tool to keep the pintle straight when your customer is
driving the pintle into the wall. This tool consists of just square pc of material shaped like a “j” and
fitted tight to the pintle drive shaft to prevent it from twisting when it is hammered in place.
Jerry also covered the following hinges and pintles: Cockshead, Monrovian, Ram’s Hinge, Tailed and
Stand-off Pintle, and tools and secrets of making these more successfully. Due to the amount of
information these topics will need to be covered at some later date. Hope you find these notes
helpful in remembering the processes.
Blacksmith Guild of Virginia Page 5
Steve’s Awesome Hammer by Steve LaPaugh
It all started when Mike Tanner had a $15 air cylinder for sale at a monthly Guild meeting. I
bought it as soon as I saw it and that started me on the quest to find all on the material I needed to
put together an air hammer similar to the one featured in the ABANA booklet, also $15. Mike
Tanner and Grainger’s ABANA Relationship Manager, John Cosenza were the major sources of parts
with a little help from York Bolt. I bought the steel from Mike Tanner’s leftover stock at a very
good price. The valves, silencer and UHMW polyethylene bearing material came from Granger at a
discount with free shipping the next day. I used a TBG 2”curtain weight for the cylinder mounting
plate and a 1” weight for the hammer guide plate. The base plate is a 15”x3 ½ channel with RR
fish plates to spread the load from the center of the channel to the flanges. The upright and
spacer is made from a 6 foot piece of 5 ½” x 10 ½” wide flange I-beam with a 5/8” thick 10”x 18”
hammer guide plate attach with skip welds. I made the guide spacers and adjustable guide mounts
out of oak, cut and ripped to suit. Lateral adjustment was achieved by cutting from the outside
through to the holes to create slots with my band saw.
Slide Assembly Bottom Die Slide Assy. with Top Die
Shots of the hammer almost ready for action!
The adjustable mount for the pilot valve was made my cutting a slot in a piece of ¾” x ¾” box
section using three thin cutoff wheels stacked together on a 4 ½” angle grinder using a piece of
flat bar stock for a guide. I drilled and tapped a 3/16th inch witch slides in the box section and can
be tightened at any location vertically.
Article continued next page
Blacksmith Guild of Virginia Page 6
“Steve’s Awesome Hammer” – continued from page 5
While I was grappling with how to weld up concentric
pipes with a piece of 3 inch bar stock in the center, Mike
Lambiase gave me a tower made up of 4 long and 4 short
pieces of 1 ¼:” bar stock that he had welded together for
a hammer but not used, thus, ended my concentric
welding problem. I smoked in a lot of 5/16th inch E 6011
welding rods. After getting by left arm sum-burned from
the welding arc on
the first day I
remembered to wear
a long sleeve shirt while welding and when soaked with
sweat, as I had to turn off the air conditioning and turn on
the exhaust fan for welding, the sparks didn’t burn any holes
in my sleeves or gloves. One useful feature of making the
base out of channel is that I can roll a home made “Johnson
bar” under the anvil end along with the wheels I put on the
other end to move the hammer around in the shop. When
the channel is flat on the floor the wheels do not touch the
floor but when I lift the anvil end with the Johnson bar, the
wheels on the back contact the ground and lift the back of
the channel off the floor and allow it to roll freely. I don’t
plan to move it much, but with limited space in the shop, it
has to “live” just behind the forge. So when at the forge,
the anvil is at my
left and the
power hammer is
at my right. Very
convenient, but in order to pull down my attic star-
way, I have to roll the hammer out about a foot or two,
and return it when done. After forging with my new
hammer today, it did not walk at all with the channel
on the concrete. The total cost of purchased items for
the hammer came to $462 and change including four
cans of gray shop paint. The most expensive item was
the purchased steel, followed by the ball, check, pilot,
and directional control valves. I run it off my shop air
system set at 100psi. It is supplied by 5hp motor with an 80gal receiver. I have a moisture
separator in line with the pressure regulator and no lubricator. I also run the UHMW hammer
bearings dry also. I may give some thought providing some means of periodically adding a little air
tool oil to the upper end of the air cylinder. It was a lot of fun to assemble the hammer after
completing the scavenger hunt to acquire all the material. It has been a fun month or two in the
forge without lighting a fire!
The Man! The Legend! The Man and Legend with his Machine and very 1st Project! Awesome!!!
Made inexpensively and works great!
Blacksmith Guild of Virginia Page 7
The Yesteryear School is dedicated to offering unique and
quality learning programs with the best blacksmithing
instructors in the world. The school facilities are professionally
prepared and designed to compliment any level of blacksmith
while providing a variety of learning opportunities in the craft.
Upcoming Class Offerings
November 13-15 => Forge Welded Bundle Projects with Brian Brazeal
December 5-6 => Fun in Forging: Creating a Fireplace set (tools and stand) with Mike Tanner
To register for classes or for more information, visit www.yesteryearschool.com.
Recent Projects by Members
By: Wade Brooks
For the James Monroe Museum
Wade runs a school out in Mathews VA where he teaches
everything from welding and blacksmithing to other
crafts. He is a true artist with a passion for the arts.
Check out his site: www.artisticdesignstudio.com
A note from Fred Holder, former publisher of Blacksmith's Gazette
I quit blacksmithing in 1988 when my shoulder gave out from the hammering. Finally, in December
2006, I stopped publishing Blacksmith's Gazette. Now, I've finally decided to start getting rid of my
many books on blacksmithing. I've set up a page on my More Woodturning web site to list the
blacksmithing books. That page can be reached at the following URL:
http://www.morewoodturning.net/BlacksmithingBooks.htm
At this time, there are only a few books listed, but I will be adding to the list over the next week or
so as I have time. I would appreciate it if you would share this information with your group.
New Member looking for some tools! I am looking for an anvil over 100# and am on a
low budget. Anyone selling it can call: Matt Gail at 540 368 3125 or email me at:
mattgail@hotmail.com
Blacksmith Guild of Virginia Page 8
President’s Corner
by Peyton Anderson, President
It really feels good to be back home in Amelia! I think the Blacksmith Guild of Virginia fits better at
Yesteryear Forge/School in Amelia instead of the industrial setting in Crewe. Earlier in the year,
our numbers went down some with the move, and the down-home blacksmith feeling went away,
too. Now that we are back in Amelia, we are also going to start offering hot dogs to purchase for
lunch, and the bathroom facilities will be a lot more convenient.
Our focus is always on the membership, and we most certainly listened to the overwhelming
majority of you that preferred the original site. The forge where the meeting were held has been
extensively renovated to become the Yesteryear School of Blacksmithing. Mike has moved
Yesteryear Forge back up the hill to the original location with his extensive collection. All the
forges are now down in the building, where we met in a better layout not only for our meetings,
but also future classes!
Come back "home" to Amelia for the next meeting!!!
Forge On!
Peyton
ABANA Insurance News
ABANA is pleased to announce that we have made arrangements for our members to
participate in a healthcare insurance program being offered by Transamerica Life Insurance
Company and Ameritas Group.
Providing Select Medical Benefit Plan for ALL of Our Members
Guaranteed Acceptance
Call (866) 893-1167
*Open Enrollment
October 1st to October 31st, 2009
*After October 31st, 2009 existing members will not be allowed to participate
until our next open enrollment one year from now.
Visit abana.org for more info…
SIGN UP: www.abana.org or at the next guild meeting!
Blacksmith Guild of Virginia Page 9
ABANA Conference Info
The 2010 ABANA Conference Committee is pleased to announce the first group of confirmed
demonstrators. We are working behind the scenes to secure additional demonstrators to
round out the conference.
JOE ANDERSON (of NC) will do one demo on forged kitchen ware and 2 sessions on sculpture
MARK ASPERY (of CA) will do tool-making demos.
GERALD BOGGS (of VA) will do a demonstration; subject TBD.
DAN BOONE (of VA) will do 2 demo sessions on dragon’s heads and his other products
DAN AND JUDY BOONE will do a round table talk and question session on how they market their
wares (other panelists TBD).
PHIL COX (of MO) will do a session power hammers on getting the most out of them including both
mechanical and air hammers, he will also cover tips on checking used hammers and rebuilding
them
DAN NAUMAN (of WI) will demonstrate repoussé
DARRYL NELSON (of WA) will do a demonstration forging of animal heads.
STEVE PARKER (of IL) will demonstrate power hammer tools and forging; he and Phil Cox will do
separate demos but they will compliment each other
TOM LATANE (of WI) will lead the “Meticulous Metalsmiths” forging a lock during the conference.
MARK ASPERY will run the “Green Coal” teaching station, with DARRYL NELSON and GERALD BOGGS
helping him.
We are working on getting AMIT HAR-LEV and TSUR SADAN (of Israel) but this is not yet confirmed.
ABANA members get BIG discounts from several suppliers:
http://www.abana.org/resources/discount_program.shtml
Discounts with Grainger:
http://www.abana.org/resources/grainger-program.shtml
AND INSURANCE OPPORTUNITIES:
http://www.abana.org/resources/Insurance-program.shtml
We have our very own LINDA TANNER to thank for all these above benefits!!!! ABANA is paying
you back for your support. If you are not a member, then let’s get you signed up!
See page six for more ABANA conference news!
Blacksmith Guild of Virginia Page 10
Blacksmith Guild of Virginia Page 11
The Slacktub: Upcoming Guild Events
September Meeting: Mark Aspery
Yesteryear Hammer-In
Date: September 5, 2009
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Location: Yesteryear School of Blacksmithing
15421 Five Forks Road
Amelia, Virginia 23002
Demonstrator: Mark Aspery
Lunch: Brunswick stew
October Meeting: Dale Morse
Date: October 17, 2009
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Location: Yesteryear School of Blacksmithing
15421 Five Forks Road
Amelia, Virginia 23002
Demonstrator: Dale Morse
Lunch: $ Dollar Dogs $
Directions to Yesteryear School of Blacksmithing
From 360 east or west turn across from Goodman Truck & Tractor onto business 360. Go to the first
road on your right and turn right. Continue to the stop sign and STOP. Then go straight through the
intersection and proceed approximately 2 miles. Yesteryear Forge is on the right up on a hill – look for a
brick house and a black anvil sign in the front yard.
***Be careful with directions from MapQuest – they will send you through the town of Amelia, which is
extremely confusing! ***
Don’t forget to bring a chair and something for Iron in the Hat!
Remember that pets must be on a leash!
Blacksmith Guild of Virginia Page 12
Blacksmith of Guild of Virginia “Show and Tell”
Do you have something you would like to share with other members? Blacksmith
Guild of Virginia thinks that showcasing members’ work is very important. With this
in mind, we are having a monthly “Show and Tell” area at each Guild meeting. Here
are some photos from members’ work on display at the July and August meetings:
Thank you to all who participated in the July and August Show
and Tell! Consider bringing your hand-crafted pieces for the
next Show and Tell at our upcoming Guild meetings.
Blacksmith Guild of Virginia Page 13
Newsletter submissions
If you would like to submit an article for the monthly newsletter, submissions are due no
later than the 15th of each month.
To truly express the unique and varied voices of our organization, we’d love to hear from
you. Events, trade tips, or anything else related to blacksmithing is welcomed and encouraged!
Email articles to editor@blacksmithguildofva.com.
I look forward to hearing from you! - Sarah L. Tanner-Anderson, Editor
Calling all members!
We are requesting submissions for the Member Gallery. The Member Gallery is a place where you
can send in photos, and they will be listed by your name, forge name, or business. This is an
opportunity for you to have photos of your shop, tools, demonstrations, and products on the World
Wide Web. This can help you by directing any of your customers to view your work. It is also a
great tool for all of us to see other people’s forges and works. One of the greatest ways of learning
is by showing, so show us your stuff! Submit photos by email to:
president@blacksmithguildofva.com or snail mail to: 6720 Military Road, Amelia, VA 23002. Thank
you in advance for your participation!
Please note:
The Blacksmith Guild of Virginia mailing address has changed.
Please use the following for correspondence:
6720 Military Road
Amelia, Virginia 23002
Check us out on the web!
www.blacksmithguildofva.com
Blacksmith Guild of Virginia Officers
Peyton Anderson, President; Mike Tanner, Vice President;
Linda Tanner, Treasurer; Sarah L. Tanner-Anderson, Editor
Blacksmith Guild of Virginia
Application for Membership
Name: Telephone:
Address: Email:
What are your blacksmithing interests (knife making, traditional, reenacting,
artist, etc.) and how long have you been blacksmithing?
Any additional comments:
Disclaimer: I acknowledge that the activities involved in blacksmithing are
potentially dangerous, and I voluntarily accept any risks involved. I absolve the
Blacksmith Guild of Virginia, its officers, members, guests, demonstrators, and
hosts of liability for any accident that may occur at any of its
meetings/demonstrations. I take full responsibility for my safety and the safety
of any guest that I will bring to any meeting/demonstration.
Mail completed membership applications to our office:
Blacksmith Guild of Virginia
6720 Military Road • Amelia, Virginia 23002
