That we have just totaly skipped over fall here in minnesota. Still totaly green foliage now is covered in snow. LOl!!! Not even enough leaves to think about raking. Wonder how long it will stick around for.

The leafe blank for the bowl I am making is now cut out and I have all the cold texturing and thining of edges to do. Luckily that part I can do inside. Well if it stays like this I won't be able to get anything more done outside. LOl.

I have plenty to get done indoors anyways.

This last weekend was the first intermediary class for the guild of metalsmiths. I really enjoyed it. We are making a decorative gate that will include; forgewelding, colloring, tennoning, splitting, drifting, punching, upsetting and more.

This coming weekend I am looking at going camping again with my girlfriend. I have thursday and friday off this week and hope to be able to accomplish a lot on those two days.

Pictures of the blacksmithing things I have been to lately coming up when I can get around to sorting through them.

Well I enjoyed my weekend camping with my girlfriend at glacial lakes state park. We wound up walking something like 16 miles over the whole weekend. It was lots of fun. Then as soon as I got back to work from the weekend I caught whatever was that has been going around and still have a little crud left from that. Now I am back to forging some tools and making a commissioned bowl for someone at work before it gets to cold out to work. This next weekend starts the intermediary class that I am taking through the guild of metalsmiths and I am excited for it I have tons of tools I want to make and some changes to some of my previous tools. Mostly on the hammer end of the tools which reall consists of some indexing that should make it easyer to hold and use the tools. I have done some more work on my hammer handles making them more comfortable and better for me to use. My first hammer head is just about ready for heat treatment. Its around this time I really start to wish that I had a indoor shop. The days are now almost dark when I get home and cold. Makes working outside a more difficult proposition.

The buckskin has all been trimmed and soon I will glue them into hide sacks and hopefully smoke them.

The commission and the buckskinn I have to get done before it gets to cold out to work. SHoot I need to strain out the bones I was cleaning while it still is warm enough.

So much to do and my fall rush to get things to a stoping point before winter forces me inside has begone. Heres to hoping that I will get them there.

Lots of fun tons of stuff done and now I am off to go camping. Lots of pictures from the fall conference for the guild of metalsmiths. Had tons of fun. Got two new books and plenty of other stuff. Hoping to smoke as many hides as possible this weekend.

Well I am now on vacation or will be in aproximatly 25 minuets. I will be off for a week and a half. During that time I have: 2 hides to brain and soften and 2 more to soften, many small animals to skin, and hopefully some blacksmithing/metalworking in there somewhere. Hopefully I will be able to get some rest as well.

Its great to get paid for time doing stuff I love and not stuff they want

In two weeks time the Guild of metalsmiths will have their Madness/fall conference and I am looking forward to another fun time of seeing others work in the gallary and watching demos to teach us more things

I have been coiling up alumanum wire for my girlfriend and her mother for rings so they can practice some different chainmail weaves. I have almost finished fabricating up the cutting machine.

I have to decide what air flow I want and eather make it or buy it now for my coal forge. The piping off the bottom of the fire pot and the thing to force the air into the fire is really all I have left till I can use my coal forge. I am so excited

Sadly my propane forge is falling apart. I will soon have to remake it. I have many ideas on ways to improve it and hopefully I will be able to without much trouble.

One of my guildmates was kind enough to give me a car axle and help me make 4 hammer heads (two of which were for him) Now I only have to forge the faces on one of them, heat treat them, and handle them.

Working on making a hot punch with my makers mark in it to make signing things a little easyer. Punch shaft has been made now to file and grind out the mark relife on the end.

Started making a pair of scrolling tongs that are going to have welded reins on them. To be finished when my coal forge is all done.

Waiting on electrical stuff for my grinder.

3 blade blanks made now when I have time to forge them into blades and make an oil tube for quenching them.

More stone points coming soon.

The first five hides have been brained and softened ,but two of wich I think I can get softer so will take them back through the softening stage, and just awaite smoking. I have 3 racoon hides that have yet to be softened, as well as one cyote face. I have now, with some help from my girlfriend and her plugged nose, fleshed and put 4 more deer hides into the solution. In about 2 to 3 days I will have to grain them and membrane them. Still so many hides still waiting in freezers. One like fourth of a hide is in the solution being made into bark tanned leather in my basement. I hope to work on more deer hides this weekend if the weather is nice. Thinking one of the deer hides I have yet to grain and membrain might go to make leather and one more to rawhide.

Many sculls and bones sitting in the water. I will have to pour them through a screen soon and change the water when I have time.

I have some cattail fluff I have to decide what I want to insulate with it. Maybee a jacket...hmmm...or a vest like thing sence it is boyent and warm.

Cracked my first knife Yay thats over with now the anxiaty is gone and I will be much faster with my next one
Still need a few peices for the setup I am getting together to heat treat my knives.

Working on making a fire piston. I have split it out, drilled the hole using and bit and brace and now have only to make the piston shaft round and clean up the working part and try it out. Then I will carve the outside.

I have been working on processing the bark and spinning it into single ply cordage.

Need to curry my bark tanned leather more.

Started carving the bowls edge. It has been some slow steady work.

Head peice still in planning stage.

still learning new knots. Planning to make a bola when I get some rope made.

I was given 3 metal planes of verying sizes and have to clean hone and tune them. I finished sharpening them. I need a peice of glass to make a lapping table with to work on them. As soon as that is done then I can continue work on the 3 low tables I have been working on and actually make them flat. Thinking I might have an alternative for glass for the lapping table. Time will tell.

I also have some painting to do on a very large peice of artwork I have been working on for like 6 years or so. I really should get on that.

I have a long list of things to forge and am slowly ticking them off as I go. Some tools, some decorative things from books and other sources as well as from my own imagination are on that list, and it just keeps growing. Sounds like if they accept the pricetag I may have to make 2 candy dishes.

Hoping to go camping again soon and hopefully smoke the hides at the same time.

Going to the minnesota renfest on the fifth of september to walk around and see all the fun sights and drink some good mead.

I signed up for an intermediary class offered by the guild of metalsmiths and that will be going on in october and november, and I am pumped to be in another class. I do enjoy them so much.

I saw a smith that had layed out all the steps to the chex style candle holder made from 1/2inch round stock and it got me thinking. I might make a display that shows how it goes from 1/2 inch round rod to the finished candle holder. Don't know how many steps I would do it in but I thaught it might be a nice peice to have with at demonstrations, showing how much the metal can be changed in shape and form.

Dies for my guilitine tool are on my list of to do things

My frame for softening hides has become old and splintered and has almost broken apart. I bought the timber to make a new better one and have only to decide what fasteners I want and then put it together. This design is going to be a two in one self standing frame. I also now have the last peice for a fix job of an old swing bench that we made for my mother when she was alive and now needs some repair. Will be doing that as soon as I can.

My girlfriend is making her first wearwolf costume and has asked me to help her with sertin parts of it. Should be fun. I have started some work on a few of the things she has talked to me about.

ahh learning is so much fun

Well thats all I can think of for now.
Hope everyone is having fun, keeping busy, and staying in trouble......I know I am