[TheForge] suggestion for abana and local blacksmith groups.

[Dave Mudge]

What great ideas....
Since ABANA is an all volunteer organization,
I assume that you guys are volunteering to put this program together.
First you will need to establish exactly what results you want to
accomplish.
Next you will need to write an unbiased guideline for the participants to
adhere to.
Then you will have to decide where this competition/demo is to take place
and how many potential buyers will be attending.
*The 2006 ABANA conference in Seattle is just around the corner.
After that you will need to invite all the various companies to participate
which of course
means that they be willing to enter into a competition in the first place.
They will have to send
their team and demo equipment to the location at their own expense with no
guarantee of any sales.
Perhaps you can find some volunteers who are also professional videographers
that would be willing to
produce the video of the competition. That would be cool. You could write up
a feature story that
we could run in the Hammer's Blow and I could even get it on the ABANA web
site.
I suggest that you form a committee and get started ASAP. You will be
shocked at how much time
and energy it will require to get this done.
Oh, if you would like to see this at the 2006 conference, then you will also
have to present the idea
to the conference chairman at the next board meeting in November, so that
they can plan it into
the program. Scheduling, you know.
An easier, but not with the same results as a computation, idea would be to
present a list of these companies
to the conference chair for them to be invited to participate in the trade
show as vendors at the 2006 conference.
dave m





----- Original Message -----
From: "Andy Vida" <osan at netlabs.net>
To: "terry l. ridder" <terrylr at blauedonau.com>; "Sponsored by ABANA"
<theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2004 10:48 AM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] suggestion for abana and local blacksmith groups.


>
>
> "terry l. ridder" wrote:
>
> > there would also need to be an objective way to score the quality
> > of the cuts.
> > how much cleanup work is required?
> > warpage?
> > deformation?
>
> Also absolute thickness of material that can be cut and
> what the quality is like.  Thinnest material the torches
> will cut and the quality there.
>
> What is the potential for precision in cutting?  Can the
> torch be used with mechanized cutting machinery?  What is
> the flame front like?  Does it obscure the cut line or is
> the line clearly visible during cutting such that the user
> can see where they are going?
>
> Ergonomics of the torches themselves.  How easy is it to
> change tips?  Can they be changed without tools?  Can they
> be safely changed "hot"?  Does it require special tools or
> standard wrenches?
>
> What is required for standard maintenance?  How is the torch
> built and what are the potential dis/advantages when something
> major must be repaired?
> >
> > cutting speed vs thickness of metal would be a good test.
>
> Fuel consumption v. thickness.  As claimed on the
> Petrogen page, the thicker the cut the more economical,
> which seems very plausible to me.  But is it actually
> true?
> >
> > an good all day demonstration would benefit everyone.
>
> Video-captured, multiple cameras, professionally edited and
> produced.
> >
> > would be nice to video tape the complete demonstrations and make the
> > video available either for download or on a cdrom/dvd.
> >
> > i would be tempted to arrange a demo in northern illinois but i have no
> > idea how many blacksmiths/metalworkers would be interested in attending.
> > depending on the number attending may require a different location to be
> > used.
>
> Asking here is a good place to start.  Put out a call to the
> local groups and ask for responses, giving plenty of lead time,
> like three months, but not much more so people don't forget.
> >
> > it would be nice to have a ballpark number of attendees to give the
> > potential demonstrators.
>
> That's what RSVP is for.
> _______________________________________________
> Manage membership or unsubscribe at:
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
> theforge mail list group photo site is
> http://www.photoaccess.com
> Login:  blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
> password:  anvil
> ___________
>