[TheForge] Simple, intriguing demo?

[Bruce .]

In a week, NJBA will be demonstrating at the Newark Mini MakerFaire.  (Look
it up if that means nothing to you.)

I want to come up with some simple demo that will show what blacksmithing
is good for -- to an audience that probably has no interest in traditional
forms and motifs, joinery, etc.

My thoughts are three-fold:

(1) To demonstrate that forging involves radical change of the shape of the
workpiece.  Normally I'd make a 3" piece of 1"x1/4" into a spoon about 10"
long with a 2"+ bowl, but I doubt that would interest this crowd.  I love
the illustrations of the projects in Lillico's book (bell cranks, various
locomotive parts, etc.) and may try doing one of these on a miniature scale
(he starts with 2" stock or larger!).  They involve considerable
drawing-out, but I may have a helper.

(2) To forge metals other than steel, such as bronze or aluminum.  I have
little practice with these, but have worked them in the past.

(3) To forge a piece in black iron, then brush it with a brass brush.  This
might catch the interest of the steampunk crowd -- which seems to overlap
the Maker crowd.

Now those are all well and good, but are only VERY general descriptions.  I
could use some specific projects to try.  Since this will be outdoors in
daylight, I won't be doing welding, but may punch and rivet, as mechanisms
will interest this crowd.  I'd love to do a twist then use it for something
functional -- like turning linear motion into rotary motion -- but I expect
I'd need to practice to pull that off, and I just don't have time.

Feedback welcome ...

Bruce
NJ