Quad State Roundup Blacksmithing Conference 2011

As usual Quad State was a fantastic get together for Blacksmiths.  It is the last weekend in September each year in lovely Troy, Ohio.  Good demonstrators, good facilities, and great camaraderie!

Four of us went down from the Cooperstown area to the event.  It was a good road trip, in part because I got a new Toyota RAV4 two weeks earlier.  The trip sure broke that in and got rid of the new car smell!  Once there we went to most of the demos, and picked up lots of ideas and new techniques.  We saw some great ironwork being made.

We saw a lot on neat old tools.  This bridge anvil is more ornate than was usual for an industrial tool.

There were several smiths that brought their own portable demonstration rigs.  This one was very compact, and had a neat linkage that turned the rotary bellows by pulling a handle like a bellows!

We ate well.  Even if it was possum stew.

Of course we bought lots of tools!  Hammers old and new, files, books, chisels, bottom tools, and flatters!  The little truck had a full load coming back!

My thanks to the guys that went with me.  We had a great time.