Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2004
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Last Saturday was Daniel Boone's Pasture party. Daniel Boone the 7th is a direct descendant of THE Daniel Boone. Dan is a very well known artist blacksmith and active in the Central Virginia Blacksmith Guild. His shop is almost like a museum of Americana signs and stuff. The hot shop is as immaculate as a surgery. He has tools, tools, tools! Every single one is clean and in its place or rack. There were coal forging out in the old smithy, Dan doing some ornamental work in the main shop, and a fellow doing miniature forging making a 2" floral arrangement.
This years pasture party was cold and had light rain all day … just like normal. It didn't keep the crowd away, with what seemed to be the biggest crowd ever. The Iron in the Cup items numbered in the hundreds. There was a variety of pretty much everything out on the tables to win. There was a huge tent over the tables to keep the goodies dry.
I ended up winning a foot pedal operated forge blower, a 24" long gas fireplace burner that I will install inside a wood stove in the new shop, a hat and shirt from the blacksmith guild, and a sign timer ( for my neon sign that will be over the shop), and something else???). Steve won all kinds of forging stuff like buckets of horseshoes, bundles of steel, a bucket of hammer handles, a hammer, etc..
As usual, the day started with the "Shooting of the Anvil". The 9AM shot wasn't as high as normal. Even though they put a canopy tent over the anvils until they fired them, I think the powder got damp sitting outside for a couple hours. But, they made up for it on the next two shots at noon and at closing with freshly poured powder.
I brought up my Naval Signal Cannon. There were two Civil war howitzers there, too. After shooting the anvil, they shot the two guns about 30 seconds apart, and then I set off the signal cannon. Everyone jumped back when that thing went off. Just because it is portable and has a 1.25" bore doesn't mean it ain't LOUD. At the lunchtime shot, a whole crowd gathered to hear it go off. It was louder than the howitzers.
The tailgaters were there with pop-up tents to cover their truck beds and you could get most anything you wanted … some of it was even useful. I picked up a monstrous post vice that weighed around 70 pounds for $40, and another farm milk can for my house for $2. I also got some antique electrical and radio stuff for free … because I was the first person who knew what it was.
The BBQ lunch was super, and the blacksmiths friendly and chatty. All made for a great day. It started raining in earnest just as we were getting ready to leave.
I'll post some photos later on.
This years pasture party was cold and had light rain all day … just like normal. It didn't keep the crowd away, with what seemed to be the biggest crowd ever. The Iron in the Cup items numbered in the hundreds. There was a variety of pretty much everything out on the tables to win. There was a huge tent over the tables to keep the goodies dry.
I ended up winning a foot pedal operated forge blower, a 24" long gas fireplace burner that I will install inside a wood stove in the new shop, a hat and shirt from the blacksmith guild, and a sign timer ( for my neon sign that will be over the shop), and something else???). Steve won all kinds of forging stuff like buckets of horseshoes, bundles of steel, a bucket of hammer handles, a hammer, etc..
As usual, the day started with the "Shooting of the Anvil". The 9AM shot wasn't as high as normal. Even though they put a canopy tent over the anvils until they fired them, I think the powder got damp sitting outside for a couple hours. But, they made up for it on the next two shots at noon and at closing with freshly poured powder.
I brought up my Naval Signal Cannon. There were two Civil war howitzers there, too. After shooting the anvil, they shot the two guns about 30 seconds apart, and then I set off the signal cannon. Everyone jumped back when that thing went off. Just because it is portable and has a 1.25" bore doesn't mean it ain't LOUD. At the lunchtime shot, a whole crowd gathered to hear it go off. It was louder than the howitzers.
The tailgaters were there with pop-up tents to cover their truck beds and you could get most anything you wanted … some of it was even useful. I picked up a monstrous post vice that weighed around 70 pounds for $40, and another farm milk can for my house for $2. I also got some antique electrical and radio stuff for free … because I was the first person who knew what it was.
The BBQ lunch was super, and the blacksmiths friendly and chatty. All made for a great day. It started raining in earnest just as we were getting ready to leave.
I'll post some photos later on.
