Q U A D S T A T E C O N F E R E N C E 2 0 0 8
September 26 - 28
Miami County Fairgrounds
Troy, Ohio
R A I L T E C H B O U T E T, I N C.
Friday Night Demonstrator
Railtech is a division of DELACHAUX S.A. founded more than one century ago. The experience they have gained throughout the world has led them to become highly specialized in rail welding and position in all fields of track activities. The team doing our demonstration specializes in training RR crews on the safety and procedures of using their thermite welding equipment and materials. They are excited, as this will be their first time to explain and demonstrate the product to the public.
All necessary safety procedures will be followed!
P H I L C O X, Hamilton, Missouri
Power Hammer Techniques
Phil's background in working with metal began in the late 60's as a machinist, and soon moved to building engines and chassis for race cars. In the late 70's he resumed his life-long association with horses and did his own farrier work and that soon transitioned into general blacksmithing and a strong interest in using and rebuilding power hammers.
Phil demonstrated with a 25# Little Giant at the 1988 ABANA conference and had the honor of demonstrating on a 25# hammer at the 100th anniversary for Little Giant earlier this year. Over the last ten years he has worked on hammers one-on-one with Tom Clark, Clifton Ralph and many others. Phil looks forward to sharing what has been shared with him to anyone who wants to listen. We will have a variety of hammers and hope his demo works as an interactive session with you on how to set-up, forge, use tooling, maintain and repair your hammer.
D O U G N O R E N, Springlake, Michigan
Scagel Knife
Doug's family owned a pattern and foundry business so he grew up around forges and metal. He studied metallurgy in college and understands what metal can do. His interest in history has had him involved in every aspect of it - from making fine furniture, hand carvings, harness making, building a cast iron wood stove, post and beam construction, to restoring antique cars. He had a pioneer blacksmith shop and started making knives with his Boy Scout troop in the 1970's. Doug and his wife Gwen have four children and seven grandchildren. His son Matthew has made several knives himself.
One of the reasons he really enjoys making knives is because it combines all kinds of mediums. As well as steel, he uses wood, ivory, bronze, leather, copper, nickel silver, sterling silver and even stone in his knives. He loves the camaraderie of the people he has met in the knife world and the feeling of "Family" each time he goes to a show or meet. "We really try to help each other."
Besides being influenced by Scagel and making his replicas, he loves the challenge of making large English Bowies like those made by Joseph Rogers. Last year he won the Antique Bowie Knife Association's award for the best bowie knife displayed by a Master Smith. He also won second prize in a competition held in France with the theme being, "The Knife Through Time". He's the only American in the history of this competition to win this coveted award. Doug Says, "In knife making, every day is a new challenge and a learning opportunity."
Doug's demonstration will start with the History of Scagel then move to forging and building a complete Scagel Knife. He will include discussions of the Hunter, Camp, Bird and Trout designs while grinding, heat treating, finish grinding & assembling the knife complete with handle.
B O B A L E X A N D E R, Desota, Missouri
Traditional Hardware
Bob has spent 23 years of his life as a carpenter and has always enjoyed woodworking and furniture making. Around 1992 he took on the additional interest of blacksmithing - first as a hobby, then a career when he opened a shop in 1995 offering clients work from colonial to contemporary. Bob has studied with Clay Spencer, Doug Hendrickson, Jerry Darnell, Tom Clark, Uri Hofi, Joe Miller, and other renowned smiths. He has demonstrated at local clubs and hammer-ins and also is instructing several classes at John C. Campbell Folk School.
We have asked Bob to focus his demonstration on hinges, latches, and traditional hardware that would be found on hand crafted trunks and chests.
D A R R E L L M A R K E W I T Z, Orangeville, Ontario, Canada
(www.warehamforge.ca)
Iron Smelting
"I have been a blacksmith since art school in the late 1970's. I worked at an 1850's living history site in the late 1980's, then established the Wareham Forge as my full time business in 1992. I have a second aspect as a well known specialist in the Viking Age, designing museum programs and training staff in presentation techniques. As a teacher I have been running courses here at my shop and at remote locations for over 15 years. I have presented workshops, lectures and demonstrations specifically to the blacksmithing community at Caniron 4, Caniron 5 , ABANA Alfred NY, Folly in the Forge (Traverse City MI) and through OABA here at home. Hundreds of copies of my educational DVD's are in the hands of beginning smiths world wide. I have been extremely active on the internet, with a long standing (since 1996) web site and an active blog."
The demonstration will cover the construction of a simple smelter, then move through the correct sequences leading to the creation of a workable iron bloom. Observers would learn enough to undertake a similar smelt at their own home workshops. Friday afternoon will be discussion and construction of the smelter and preparation of the raw materials. Early Saturday he will fire the smelter and maintain the process through extraction and basic processing of the bloom.
Audience participation will be encouraged throughout both days. More information is available at Darrell's web site www.warehamforge.ca.
R O B B M A R T I N 'T H A K', Floradale, Ontario Canada
(www.thak.ca)
Armor
Robb began his career as a blacksmith in 87, when he took a forge course at the Forge & Anvil Metal studio in S,t Jacobs, ON. Since then he has focused much of his work on armor but has also pursued several forms of blacksmithing. His business, "Thak the Blacksmith & Armourer" provides blacksmithing supplies to Canadian smiths. Robb also teaches a variety of blacksmithing and armour courses, along with making a wide variety of custom work for customers worldwide. Both blacksmithing and armoring are one form of sculpture in his perception. Consequently, much of his work crosses over these boundaries, each discipline contributing to the other with interesting results.
Robb will be demonstrating the construction of a greco-roman style breastplate from a single piece of mild steel. This muscular breastplate will also include decorative details including a face embossed into the chest. This will be an all day demo with a lot of rough shaping happening very quickly (1st hour) the rest of the time refining detail. As the work progresses throughout the day he will be stopping momentarily to respond to copious questions and explain his specific tools, techniques and thought processes as the situation dictates. Robb looks forward to providing some high intensity education and entertainment to his fellow smiths. Visit his web site at www.thak.ca.
G L E N N H O R R, Berkeley Springs, West Virginia
Dragon Head Forging/Air Tools
(www.glennsforge.com)
Glenn has been creating hand-forged metalwork since 1977. After working in forged metals for 31 years, the design possibilities of decorative functional work still seem endless. Always enjoying making things with his hands, Glenn's interest in metals and forging began in a high school shop class. He is primarily self-taught and continues to add to his repertoire of skills by attending blacksmithing conferences.
Using traditional techniques, Glenn creates functional and decorative work in steel as well as copper, brass, and aluminum. He enjoys working with materials that are so rigid in one form, yet yield to hammer and anvil when heated in the forge. Metal can be moved into different shapes and textures, and he likes to reflect this fluidity in his finished work.
Known for his attention to detail and fine craftsmanship, he has been commissioned to do many architectural projects. Glenn creates a wide range of hardware for homes--anything from fireplace equipment to door hardware and railings, gates. He also enjoys working with individuals, designers, and architects on special commissions. Visit his website: www.glennsforge.com to see the scope of his work.
At Quadstate this year Glenn will be using a hand held air hammer (sometimes called a zip gun often used in the auto and aircraft industry) with the common .401 shank tools. He will demo upsetting, cutting/slitting, dragon head forging using the air hammer. also how to make the working ends on a .401 blank tool shank. Visit his website at
www.glennsforge.com.
J A C K B R U B A K E R, Bloomington, Indiana
(www.jackbrubaker.com)
Plant and Floral Forms
Jack has been a full time professional blacksmith since 1970. He started working by himself as a "back to the land" smith without electricity or running water relying on tradtional techniques. Since then he has had as many as ten employees in his Southern Indiana shop. Jack has a production line of art nouveau inspired candle holders that he wholesales to shops across the country. He also does custom work of all sorts and has done design work for other smiths. He is a past president of ABANA and a co-founder of IBA (the Indiana Blacksmithing Association). Jack first demonstrated for the Quadstate 30 years ago and has been back to demonstrate several times since then.
Jack's demo this year will be hot forming and forging bold plant and floral forms for furniture and architectural installations including using pipe and angles, die formed shapes, and hand forging. Finishing techniques for clear and opaque finishes for steel and patina colors and patterns on copper and alloys. He will discuss how he draws up initial creative ideas and expands them to full size drawings, then develops them on to finished pieces. More information on Jack's work can be found at www.jackbrubaker.com.
L O R E L E I S I M S, Charleston, Illinois
(www.blacksmithchic.com)
Hands-on beginner instruction
Due to the great response from last year, we have talked Lorelei into again handling the basic/beginning station at Quadstate '08.
Lorelei is the author of "The Backyard Blacksmith - Traditional Techniques for the Modern Smith", an introductory blacksmithing text written for the novice who has always had an interest in the craft, but is unsure where to start. She is currently working on her second book to be published later this year.
At this year's conference, Lorelei will be demonstrating and instructing two beginning sessions in the U-Forge area. She will cover some of the basic blacksmithing techniques presented in her book - fundamentals which can be used to create useful items for your home, garden, and gift giving.
Lorelei discovered blacksmithing after her formative years studying sculpture and metal-smithing at Eastern Illinois University. In 1993 she opened Five Points Blacksmith Shop. Specializing in creating hand-forged ironwork. Some of her public art installations can be viewed at the Omaha Botanical Gardens, Fordham University, Eastern Illinois University, and the Illinois Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site.
Information about the book and a portfolio of her work can be viewed at www.blacksmithchic.com.
OPEN DEMONSTRATION AREA
We will have an area set up, and invite participants, to give a one-hour demonstration on any technique or special project they want. The forging station will be equipped with a power hammer and we will try to furnish any additional equipment needed. We request that anyone who is interested in demonstrating at this station contact us with your ideas. Please sign up on the registration form as early as possible since space and the number of demonstrations will be limited. Demonstrators will be compensated.
SATURDAY EVENING FORGING COMPETITION
Our team of devious minds has come up with another simple project that will include teamwork, basic forging and design. All necessary tools will be provided. Cash prizes will be awarded.
