2006 MSU Iron Pour

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: The largest non commercial furnace in the US

: Another view

: Pre heating the furnace to 2200 F

: Pre heating the 1500 lb. crucible

: Using Chuck’s optical pyrometer_ 2800 F, pour temp is 3200f

: Mixing the clay plug for the crucible stopper

: Breaking the plug to start the pour

: Another view

: 1500 lbs. of molten cast iron ready to fill the molds

: Skimming the slag

: Moving the crucible over a mold

: The first pour, a 750 lb sculpture

: recharging the furnace

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Open Invitation

The next GCBA meeting will be held September 26th at John's school.

The school is in Robert, LA, on the corner of Hwy 445 and Chappepeela Road; approximately 3.5 miles north of the Hwy 190 and Hwy 445 intersection. Please ensure you do not park on any of the grassy areas without permission from John.

Meeting will begin at 10 AM. Lunch will be available at a cost of $7.00. Mr. Dennis Rohner will be cooking up something great for us. Soft drinks and water are provided to everyone at no cost. It is going to be HOT, so please stay hydrated.

Iron in the Hat will commence at approximately 2pm. If you have ANYTHING (does not have to be blacksmith related) you wish to donate, please bring it. If you have been blacksmithing in this heat, please consider bringing some of your items to our Show and Tell Table.

If you plan on forging please bring eye protection and wear closed toe shoes.

For non-members, these meetings are open to the public at no charge. It is our wish that you come to a few meetings to see if you like the idea of learning to be a blacksmith. If you do decide you want to learn, we hope you then become a member and continue to come and enjoy. Tools can be checked out (borrowed) for those that do not have their own tools. Again we provide the tools in hopes that you get into blacksmithing and start acquiring your own tools as you develop. Cost of membership is $25 a year paid in January of each year. Anyone joining during the year, the cost is adjusted to the months remaining within the year.

For more information and directions, click here.

October's Meeting in 2014

John Perilloux demonstrated how to craft tenons with a guillotine tool at October's meeting. To read more and view videos of the demonstration, click here.

Discoveries

Glen Wesley, a longtime member of the Gulf Coast Blacksmith Association, has been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS).

As the disease progressed he began having difficulty feeding himself. He asked Sid Gale to help him design a device that would enable him to continue feeding himself without assistance.

They discussed it, made a few sketches and headed out to the shop. Discover how they designed and developed an Assisted Eating Device.

The 2012 Brian Brazeal Tool Workshop in October was a huge success. Watch as he makes tooling and forges a hammer head from round stock.

Chuck highly recommends Peter Ross' insightful Keynote Address at the 1998 ABANA Conference on the emergence of "machine mentality" over "hand mentality".

Ross was the Master Blacksmith at Colonial Williamsburg from 1979 to 2004.

See our coverage of Fire in the Swamp 2012, a one-stop shop for demos on forging, iron and pewter casting, and pottery crafts.

Did this creature crawl out of the bayou behind Buddy’s shop? See Sid Gale's Gator, featured at our February meeting.

GCBA provided demonstrations at the 2012 Arboretum Day.

A leaf key ring begins at the end of a bar.

Watch Brian Brazeal show us how it's done at our January meeting.

See Phil Love demonstrate the craft at Colonial Day, an annual event at St. Edward the Confessor School in Metairie.

Students dressed in period costume and took part in various events reminiscent of early America life.

Watch our GCBA demonstrators do their magic at the 26th Scottish Highland Games & Celtic Music Festival.

Discover some very interesting metal art at one of the most unusual festivals in the country, the Bush Tractor Festival.

Chuck recommends the article Of Iron & Stagecraft by Trenton Ty, from the current edition of The Iron Trillium, a publication of the Ontario Artist Blacksmith Association.

Let renowned metal artist Valentin Yotkov introduce you to the ancient art of Ornamental Chasing And Repoussé: The Magic of Sculpting in Metal.

This excerpt from his upcoming book is an excellent primer on adding Repoussé and Chased items to your work.

GCBA President Chuck Robinson was profiled by the Picayune Item newspaper in an in-depth article, Local Blacksmith, Chuck Robinson, on the Art of Blacksmithing.

Read the Craftpersons Profile of GCBA Chairman Larry House in the Folklife & Folk Artist Directory of the Mississippi Arts Commission.

Read the biographical article on GCBA member Glen Wesley, featured in Neighbors—The Lifestyle Magazine.

Check out Tim LeMien's creative restoration of an antique fire pot.

Check out our unique collection of Period Sketches, Paintings and Photos depicting blacksmithing throughout history.

Discover The Legend of The Iron Worker and King Solomon and the extraordinary metal engraving by John Sartain depicting the blacksmith who challenged the great artisans at the dedication banquet of the Temple of Jerusalem.

Browse our collection of Vintage Art styled after the classic American poem, The Village Blacksmith, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Check out our ABANA page for links to current ABANA News Topics and sections of the ABANA website most relevant to GCBA members.

Chuck Robinson recommends the new Bronze Casting Manual written by Olivier Duhamel of New Zealand, on low-cost bronze lost wax casting of small projects.