Spring Hammer-In, May 1, 2021
Demonstrator Line-Up

Jonathan Nedbor
I have been working with metal since 1971. Starting as a jeweler, then learned welding and in 1973 discovered blacksmithing. My work is varied, fireplace equipment, furniture, architectural work. My shop Canal Forge is one of the few remaining working blacksmith shops in the Hudson Valley. A major focus of my ironwork is researching and reproducing the historic hardware found in the Hudson Valley of New York.

Jonathan will demonstrate a way to make scrolls with multiple ends. The demo will be about forge welding, scroll forming and layout. The approach used is simple and can be applied to other projects.

Jordan LaMothe
Jordan LaMothe began pursuing his interest in blacksmithing at age 14, taking a class, reading books, and setting up his own forge in his parents’ barn. His interest in making hand tools led him to make his first knife two years later, and knives quickly became his primary focus. After receiving his B.A. in music from Williams College, Jordan began bladesmithing full-time. He makes a wide variety of knives and swords, from “user” knives for the kitchen and field to presentation blades, and teaches regularly at several craft schools. Jordan earned the Journeyman Smith ranking in the American Bladesmith Society in 2018, and was a champion on History Channel’s bladesmithing competition Forged in Fire, season 4, episode 7. See more of his work at jordanlamothe.com and follow him on instagram @jordanlamotheblades.
Demo: Forging a Hand Axe
A hand axe is a valuable tool for anyone who spends time in the woods, from campers and hunters to trail crews. In this demonstration, Jordan LaMothe will forge an American-style, polled hand axe with a mild steel body, a forge-welded eye, and a high-carbon steel bit. The final product will be a 1.5 - 2 lb. axe head that is ready for grinding and heat treatment. Jordan will also bring several examples of finished axes to display.

Tim Miller
Timothy Miller began blacksmithing and working metal in 1991.  He has been a member of NBA since 1994.  He graduated SUNY New Paltz in 1998 with a degree in Fine art metals.  In 1999 he started his own shop.  At this time he began making metalsmith forming stakes and other tools and has continued to this date.  In 2007 he partnered with his sister and became Spirit Ironworks.  Since going into business together we have pursued both forged and fabricated projects. In 2010 he studied with Wendell Broussard and learned the basics of "French style Repousse.  In 2012 we completed the first of four "liberty Bell" sculptures for Artist Jeff Koons. These sculptures are nearly exact replicas of the bell as it was displayed in the 1960's including a 56 LBS. hand forged genuine wrought iron clapper. 
For the demo I will be demonstrating the basics of "French style repousse".   I will discuss the basic tools and materials used.  This type of repousse is done using hammers and stakes and does not involve the use of pitch or chasing tools.  I will make a simple husk form out of sheet brass that can be used in ornamental iron work.  This style of repousse often used in traditional European style work to add additional decoration to scroll work and other forged elements

Chris Doherty
Chris Doherty has been wielding a hammer since the late twentieth century and has been working and teaching at Brookfield Craft Center for many years. He is an enthusiastic supporter of the craft and has been an active member of the NBA for many years.
Chris will demonstrate a durable high gloss finish for hand held projects, using only boiled linseed oil and a heat source, with a discussion of preparation for finishing and long term maintenance.

Page Steinhardt

Page Steinhardt has been a bladesmith for almost 4 decades, and has been a regular at the New England Bladesmithing Guild Ashokan Seminars since 2005, and has demonstrated centrifugal lost wax bronze casting of guards and fittings. He is also the Season 4 Episode 6 Forged in Fire Champion Bladesmith, and was a bladesmith/competitor on the History Channel show "Knife or Death"
Page will demonstrate forging a basic hidden tang hunting/utility knife. This classic design, while deceptively simple has been the basic form for small knives for over 1000 years, and is still common today. While the demo will be a drill/burn in with a wooden handle, it is also applicable to horn and antler handle materials. The demo will demonstrate how to forge and flat grind , then accurately heat treat simple carbon blade steel without fancy equipment, and get into the basic metallurgy of how the hardening and tempering process works (and how to avoid the most common mistakes)