[TheForge] U don't need no stinkin power hammer...?

[Saint Phlip]

On 3/16/07, ries <ries at riesniemi.com> wrote:

> In terms of demos, I often learn a lot from demos of people doing
> things I would never do myself in a million years. The basic
> techniques are cross transferable, and the tricks people invent to
> make a colonial oil lamp might be just what I need to make an art
> deco stainless steel fence.
>
> I dont discard knowledge just because they are doing something I
> wouldnt think of- in fact, thats kinda the point of a demo.
>
> So while I love big machines, I also watch hand forging demos, and
> learn from them. And repousse demos, and knifemaking, and so on, even
> though I am not planning on doing either at this point.
>
> ries

I fotta agree with you Ries. While I have ne particular interest in
power hammers, being of the firm opinion that if whatever it is is too
big to get pissed at, and pitch through the window, I have no business
working on it in the first place ;-), I very much enjoy seeing what
other people are working on. I thoroughly enjoyed you demo/slides at
Seattle, Ries, not because I ever intend to do public art (that'll be
a cold day in Hel) but because looking at what you've done gives me
ideas for my projects. Yes, I will generally spend more time watching
demos that are of direct interest to me, but I'm also interested in
picking up ideas and techniques I can teach to my students.

One idea I picked up was watching the guys using strikers. It occurred
to me, that using strikers might be an interesting way to teach.
Unlike most of you, when I do a lot of my smithing, I'm surrounded by
enthusiastic beginners, who may not quite want to do a project for
themselves, but who would be thrilled to be able to say, "I helped
make that". Consequently, I've been analyzing projects where I might
be able to use strikers, and teach them how to do it.

-- 
Saint Phlip

Heat it up
Hit it hard
Repent as necessary.

Priorities:

It's the smith who makes the tools, not the tools which make the smith.