I attended a fabulous course this weekend at NAIT,
Helped by Edmonton based Blacksmith Shawn Cunningham of Front Step Forge, the teacher of Japanese sword blade forging was David Goldberg of Gold Mountain Forge.
I can’t post any specific details, and actually, I was asked not to post anything at all, but I hope my blurry picture is acceptable. I just give my recommendation that, what I saw, were things I’d never learn on youtube or websites.
I bought some of Shawn’s welding flux, and made some useful notes about vermiculite and Super 3000 cement. I took a few pictures of NAIT equipment that I lack, and should try to get something similar:
For me, as a beginner, I loved seeing: water on the anvil, brushing crusty slag off surfaces of metal, sprinkling flux into folded metal once it starts getting hot in the forge, how Japanese hammers keep your hand farther away from the hot metal, quenching temperature of water and oil.
July 2, 2013 update. Via Kijiji, today I drove to Lavoy, AB to an antique store and picked up about 5 sets of tongs and a couple unusual hammers. (and not shown, a couple iron Ladles, that could melt lead, or spread water onto an anvil.) Here’s what I’ve got so far:
Here’s a store on eBay that sells some hardies that I haven’t seen before. I wanted save this link.