Northwest Blacksmith Association

Archive for Mentoring Center Demonstrator Galleries

Mentoring Center Update

We want to thank Lee Cordochorea for updating the NWBA community on the current status of the Mentoring Center! In his words:

“It occurs to me the general membership may be unaware of something which is obvious to those of us in the thick of things.

The Cowlitz County Fairgrounds (where our Mentoring Center is located) is currently being used as an emergency center. No one other than emergency personnel have access at this time. Even if we could maintain safe social distancing during M.C. events, we would not have access to the M.C. at this time.

The Digital Demonstrations are not, in any way, a “replacement” for hands on events. They are, however, a timely and helpful fill-in while we endure the plague of the century. I offer my thanks to the Board and the Events Committee for this interim fix!

In-person events will surely resume once the fairgrounds are no longer needed as an emergency center. I look forward to seeing folk at the M.C. in person once this pandemic is in the past.”

Many thanks for the update Lee!

 

Alair Wells June 2018

Mentoring Center Demonstration

Alair Wells: Tooling Up, Tools all of us should have in our shop.

Photographs by Dan Bowyer

Terry Carson April 2017

Mentoring Center Demonstration

Terry Carson: Handles, Hooks and Door Pulls

Photographs by Dan Bowyer

Mentoring Center Demonstrations

Berkley Tack March 2017

Mentoring Center Demonstration

Berkley Tack: Scroll Jigs and their use, and heat treating

Photographs by Dan Bowyer

Bill Apple February 2017

Mentoring Center Demonstration

Bill Apple: hammer handle install, hinges, and door pulls.

Photographs by Dean Mook

Andy Blakney January 2017

Mentoring Center Demonstration

Andy Blakney treated us to a great demonstration of production style hand forged tongs.  In just over 2 hours Andy forged 4 sets of tongs, 4 different bit styles. Look for an article coming out in the Hot Iron News 2017 Quarter 1, due out mid March.  

Photographs by Dan Bowyer

Mark Aspery Demo March 2016

Mark Aspery spent 4 days at the NWBA Mentoring Center in March 2016, 3 days were for a workshop, and the 4th was the day was our monthly demonstration.  Here are some photographs taken at the demonstration illustrating the forging of a Stag Horn Hinge.  For notes on the demonstration look HERE.

Arnon Kartmazov Demo Gallery September 2015

Arnon KartmazovTools, Tricks, and Hofi’s ergonomic forging method and its applications

Arnon’s demonstration covered many topics and techniques, he used a wide array of tools and showed a variety of applications the aggressive forging style he learned from Uri Hofi. As with most skilled demonstrators, what seems easy takes a lot of practice and hammer control. Using direct blows on the edge of the anvil, on a hardy tool, or under the power hammer one can achieve a lot of movement, which can cause a lot of trouble if the blows are not deliberate and precise. Here are  photos from his demonstration, with many thanks to Dan Bowyer for sharing them with us.  All photos copyright Dan Bowyer 2015.