[TheForge] Dan Nauman BigHorn Forge

[Larry Brown]

I have always looked at the articles in the ring as something to strive to 
bring my smithing level to. I believe the concentration should be on 
forging and the skills and processes involved with it from small to large. 
I like the Blow as a medium for beginners and with information to help 
refine skills already acquired.
Information on fabrication can be found by subscribing to the fabricator, 
NOMMAs publication.
That being said, there is a mixing of the two as the Fabricator has more 
articles on forging over the years and the Ring shows fabrication.

I see no harm in using welding to make jigs for blacksmithed work as the 
jig is just that, not the finished product.
What I make in a year can be from totally hand forged to totally 
fabricated. I do a lot or welding repair work to equipment and trucks etc, 
so not much smithing there.
I tell the customer what they are getting and I try to determine what they 
want. Most wanting forged work want it to look that way and are not 
concerned with how I get there as much as the cost, but I do not call 
something with any welds all hand forged and an item with any welds visible 
or not I refer to forged and fabbed.

I watched the Gallery as a volunteer at the Alfdred Conference years ago 
and was appalled at the amount of welding and bad welding I saw on the 
items displayed. This is not a new statement or problem.

As an Editor for NJBA I know that editors have to construct a publication 
from what they receive from outside sources as we are editors not the sole 
authors. I look to fill a newsletter with what I feel is related 
information, if what is available is a stretch I might still use it if need 
be. I get very few articles submitted to me. I am sure the Editor for the 
Ring would love to give priority to blacksmithing, but are the only items 
submitted a mix of forged and fabbed? If so I am sure that is why it is in 
there.

Larry Brown


At 04:39 PM 2/5/2014 -0600, you wrote:
>Dan is a friend of mine and would like feedback on a piece he wrote about 
>ABANA. February 5, 2014 ABANA Members ABANA Board AR Editor HB Editor Dear 
>ABANA Members, ABANA Board, and ABANA Editors, Based on recent articles in 
>the “Hammer’s Blow”, that have nothing to do with forging, but 
>rather promote the use of electric welding to either produce a project in 
>its entirety, or to produce a jig,