ATTENTION: Due to an injury Paul White will not be able to demo at the conference. James Davidson (president) will be demonstrating folded axe construction.

Sorry for the extraordinarily late post but trade item for Haverhill is a leaf. I have been experiencing an excessive amount of work and family travel and that fell through the cracks.

Demonstration: 

  Practicing blacksmithing as a hobby since autumn, 2014, James Davidson, UMBA President, has always leaned heavily towards tool & hardware making and has long held a dream of forging his own axes, hatchets, and hammers. A handful of failed attempts at the punched-eye method over the years resulted in kicking that can down the road a bit. A recent vacation to Sweden and Denmark in March, 2025 resulted in a very fortuitous visit to famed YouTube Creator, Nils Ogren whose specialty is forging axes of the traditional Scandinavian style. During this visit, a thorough discussion on the subject provided the impetus to finally give it another try, however, using the folded method as opposed to punching the eye. Shortly after returning from this vacation, a small proof-of-concept hatchet was forged with a crucible steel bit welded in and the dream is finally bearing fruit.

    The demonstration proposed for the UMBA Spring, 2025 Conference will begin Saturday morning with a brief discussion on the tools and skills needed to forge axes of the traditional folded construction. Following this, all the steps of forging folded axes will be demonstrated and discussed until finally, a completed hatchet head, having been heat treated and ground has been produced and is ready to be fitted to a haft (handle). It is likely that this first segment will take the entirety of the first day leaving the completion of the haft fitment and closing remarks for Sunday morning. The conventional UMBA Conference events including an auction, tailgating, show and tell, and Trade Item will, of course, continue, and lunch will be enjoyed at the nearby saloon.

Admission:      

$20 for Saturday // $30 for Friday & Saturday

Trade Item: 

Flower

Demonstration: 

Derek Melton, season 5 Forged in Fire Champion will be our demonstrator

Saturday: Full Day

Morning Session (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM)

1. Open with Short Talk: The Business of Blacksmithing (9:00 AM - 9:30 AM)

• My philosophy on running a small blacksmithing business.

2. Steak Turner Demo (9:30 AM - 10:30 AM)

3. Meat Fork Demo (10:30 AM - 11:30 AM)

4. Audience Q&A / Break (11:30 AM - 12:00 PM)

Lunch Break (12:00 PM - 1:00 PM)

Afternoon Session (1:00 PM - 4:30 PM)

1. Bottle Opener from Blanks (1:00 PM - 2:00 PM)

2. One-Piece Coffee Scoop from Blanks (2:00 PM - 3:00 PM)

3. Spatula Demo (3:00 PM - 4:00 PM)

4. Wrap-Up and Open Discussion (4:00 PM - 4:30 PM)

Sunday: Half Day

Morning Session (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM)

1. 1/4-Inch Necklace Cross from Copper or stainless (9:00 AM - 9:45 AM)

2. Audience Choice Demo (9:45 AM - 10:30 AM)

3. Final Q&A and Farewell (10:30 AM - 11:00 AM)

4. Pack Up / Informal Discussions (11:00 AM - 12:00 PM)

Admission:      

$20 for Saturday / $30 for Friday & Saturday

Lunch:

Potluck: bring a dish to share

Midwest Fire Fest is a celebration of art created with fire, heat, and smoke in Cambridge, Wisconsin.

Trade Item: 

Miniature blacksmithing tools

Demonstration: 

Tom Willoughby:
Tom Willoughby has been a farrier for 33 years. In that time, he learned the intricacies and characteristics of steel and how it moves. Although he has been working with steel for over half his life, he has been an artist his whole life. Tom can make words come to life in a song. He also has turned blocks of wood into intricate and beautiful works of art. He has spent countless hours working at and perfecting each talent. 
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Although he has had a workshop for years, Tom officially established Willoughby Forge two years ago. He built a shop to house the coal forge, plethora of tools, several anvils, the Big Blue air hammer, and a large work table. Magic happens in this work studio as hand drawn ideas come to life in either steel or wood, or a combination of the two mediums.

Admission:      

$20 for Saturday // $30 for Friday & Saturday

Lunch:

Potluck: bring a dish to share

Trade Item: 

Bread Knife or Wire Cheese Slicer

Demonstration: 

Member Variety Show: Select members demonstrating their works and methods: Subjects include Quick Crucible Steel Making, Bronze / Aluminum Casting, Hand-Forged Utensils

Friday Workshop:       

Woodworking & Blacksmithing  Demonstration w/ Mike Garrett & Andy Svoboda

Admission:      

$20 for Saturday // $30 for Friday & Saturday

Lunch:

Potluck: bring a dish to share