Waxy, Windy & Shiny

As usual the making of objects is way more fun than the writing about them, so this update's going to start in the now and slide backwards to our kingdom's spring arts and sciences event.

I just washed up and got all the last of the clay off my hands from making a ceramic bellows stone.   Most of these in this period were made of soapstone or shale that would over time flake and spall under the heat of the forge, but they were often still decorated.   The ceramic ones were often augmented with grog and other additives.   On a side note I am not ashamed to say that I will be pleased to try adding horse manure to some of my future molds now that I will have a friend with easy access to the goods.  This pattern is from a paper in which I can only read one word in ten, but metric measurements and a helpful article summary make a world of a difference when reading resources in another language. :)    

 Went hunting last week for a few more simple shapes and designs to carve. I'd say we're getting out of the season of bees wax carving unless I keep a bucket of ice water handy, it's just too mushy to work well for me.

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=85089&partId=1&searchText=strap+end+anglo+tinned&images=true&page=1 

This one below worked up relatively quickly and will be a good test run for 'filigree' to see how well it will fill.

I made a few little three sided scrapers/ borers to work on the waxes and these helped though I also used a fine knife an awful lot.

There it is, up in the top right on top of the photocopied template... I like them enough that I'm going to temper them so that they will keep a better edge.

And then.... There came a great wind... and it was good and it involved many, many many tacks (275+) and a fair but of hammering.  Really this is almost the kind of woodwork I could get behind.

I made pretty and fiddly handles. Nice, but good odds I'm just going to wrap them in leather for comfort. I was feeling the need to make the tools appealing to use, I find if I love a tool, I'm more likely to enjoy using it.

Temporarily wire is wrapped to a board that could be staked down. I'm not settled on how I'm going to use these, I'll do a ground level test run , and frankly if it works and all my helpers are comfortable it may a more period way to go about it than using a raised sand table.   Though I do suspect the latter to be more comfortable for working.  I have an old corner cabinet I made in grade 9 shop that has no home in my house and is really, really likely to make a very nice upright forge.  

Using door hinges as recommended for durability under *hem* volunteer 'usage'.

 Oh look! I finished some things.  :) Good thing too, I've begun converting my friends to be 'Camp Norse' and needed to loan out my old brooches.

A&S went well, good feedback from the judges and I picked Sylard and Ragnar's brains about the bellows.  It more or less boiled down to " Have you been to the DARC Website?"   "Yes..."  "Good, do that, the measurements should all be there"   Succinct and true enough.  I hope these pages help some one think they can take on these adventures too some day.  See, it's not too crazy.... right?