After what could of been a disaterous start to Jack's annual hammerin as HM Immigration decided to make entry difficult for the guest lecturer, Dr Mike Blue, and only after Mike promised not to teach anything, the Hammerin finally got under way...
Read on...
After a huuge build up, the hammerin started with what could've been a disaster, Mike (Mike Blue), after flying over from America, was almost deported! For being a teacher! Apparently, at the immigration/customs desk at the airport, Mike Blue said that he was here to teach & was almost sent packing, after negotiations with Her Majesty's finest, he was allowed to stay, phew!
So, Wednesday saw Mike, Patty, Emma & Mia (Mikes' wife & daughters) with Jack Jack, safely on UK soil.
Thursday rolled around, Colin KC turned up, along with our Mr Yarrow & we all went out for a drinky (Doc Price, Mastersmith & artist, was ensconsed in the hotel & joined us) Much frivolity ensued & the scene was set for Friday.
Most everyone arrived on Friday & the real work started: get the tatara built & arrange everything into some semblence of order.
The tatara (above) was built using firebricks, a uniquely British mix of fullers earth, sand & cement, a bunch of piping & a monster blower. The idea being that we would pile in the charcoal, ore & flux & the bloom (tamahagane) would collect at the bottom.
Other people had other ideas & soon the sound of metal being moved in interesting ways wafted over the garden.
People congregated around several areas:
the Tatara
the power hammer
the workshop, the archery range
& the food.
Friday saw much to do in the evening, we ate chilli, smelted iron (in the form of a thermite smelt) made a wootz cake & showed each other stuff
Sword by Britishblades member Owen Bush
Another Bush blade
Wootz persian style dagger by Colin
Many others brought stuff to see & do: Mr Yarrow organised the raffle (with many many donated prizes) Mick Maxen brought the bails of straw that proved wholly inadequate for the power of one or two bows;) Tiffers brought much leatherworking equipment & set about showing why she's one of our foremost leatherworkers, Doc Price brought along his portfolio of erotic steelwork (as well as an amazing, oosic handled axe that had to be seen) Grace Horne made cakes & brought her diddy folders, Rik had his darned padlocks to pick & many more besides.
Saturday saw the tamahagane smelt begin in earnest, much charcoal was bashed to size & consumed by the iron & stone beast, many other things were made & people generally had fun, the tatara was broken up in the late evening &, whilst not as expected, the bloom was pretty rich in steel:D
Top of tatara showing colours nicely
Taking the tatara apart, brick by brick
Owen Bush forging some of the resultant steel
Saturday evening saw The Curry being consumed, it was a mad, free-for-all & saw Mikes daughter Maya & Colin KC in a scene reminiscent of high noon with their respective Phals. Late into the night much food & drink were consumed & many tales were told.
The night of Saturday/morning of Sunday saw The Great Downpour of '07 which made Sunday a bit of a mucky day, it also saw the climax of the weekend with the cutting competition, many knives & makers saw blue water pipe, cans, cardboard tube & rope fall before them, but the stars were definitely Mike Blue (second with a knife of W2 forged on the day) & our very own Longstrider not only winning (curse him) but making an awesome showing by seperating 8 strands of 1" sisal from the motherload totalling 12.571 sq" Amazing!!!! (apparently the world record, with a cutting comp legal knife is 12.964 sq" (11 x 3/4" manilla))
Again much food & alcohol were consumed & the proceedings continued into the early hours of Monday morning.
Monday saw The Great Clear Up & the sad parting of many friends, Mike & family returned to the US & Jack Jacks garden returned to (near) normality
Thanks must go out to the long suffering Alison (Mrs Jack Jack) as well as the man hisself.
Thanks to Mike Blue, Doc Price, Mick Maxen, Owen Bush & others for showing us the way! Thanks to Ian (Longstrider) for agreeing to have both hands tied behind his back next year (to give us mortals a chance) & thanks to all who gave selflessly of their sobriety & lifeblood (in the case of Mr Yarrow:P )
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