Score big @ Fayette Auction

Up bright and early to attend an auction in Fayette Missouri.  Here's a few things from the sale.

An awesome metal lathe.  It worked off of a small line shaft. It sold for $700

This camel back drill dress went for $125 to the same gentleman that bought the lathe. I was happy to hear he was going to use them both and not scrap them!

What a neat tripod.  If I could only find a blacksmith to make me one.

More goodies, I loved the men working sign but missed seeing it sell. 

Oil cans, two of the many boxes. 

#1 regret of the blacksmith, is that he didn't buy this sweet little square forge. It was made as a table top model.  It sold for $40.

This Peter Wright anvil was 124 pounds and sold for $275.  It's new home was the original owner's grand daughter!

A vintage mouse trap!

Nice old grinding stone.

One BIG horseshoe!

This vintage farrier's box also went to the grand daughter. It sold for I think $225.

And the WIN of the day!

This is what it must have looked like new.  The blacksmith found it in an 1892 catalog. We met the grand daughter who gave us a little history on this forge. It originally was in the blacksmith shop downtown Fayette.  (We were in the 300 South block at the auction.)  So at some time her uncle had it moved to his place when the shop closed. She has promised to email us a picture of the shop. 

#2 regret of the day, gas forge.  Seems he was too busy with his purchase to notice this was being sold right next to him.

The tongs were sold separate from the forge. Fellow BAM member Dan bought those. His help in dissembling the forge and loading it was greatly appreciated!!

So we loaded everything we had bought, paid up . . . 

and then went back and bought more!

What a bargain it turned out to be. $41 dollars worth of treasures. 8 boxes of "you can't live without" things.


It was a great day in Fayette, topped off by a great dinner. 


To read more visit Osage Bluff Quilter, if you didn't arrive here from that site.


And keep on hammering!

BAM conference 2012

Let me take you on a walk through the conference this year.

Allen from Astragal Press always brings the best books.  The books are of interest to everyone, from blacksmiths, bee keepers, wood workers, antique tool collectors, to quilters like me!  This time he told me that he found me through my blog.  Come to find out, his wife is a quilter!  I won a book and an Astragal Press T-shirt in the iron in the hat drawing! Here's a cool video I found of Astragal Press on U tube.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=564w7g_VtWM

Walt Hull and Bob Ehrenberger forging.

You can buy homemade soap from Phil!

There is always an informal gathering going on somewhere.

Iron in the hat run by Karen is always a big hit.

A tribute to Lou Mueller.

Men (specifically George in this case) in kilts is always a 'good thing'!

An auction item I didn't win.

My blacksmith made this pipe tomahawk from an old wrought iron gun barrel for the gallery.

A Doug Hendrickson frying pan (Peola Valley Forge). It was sold later at the auction.

Meat skewers made by Jim Ratliff.

Iron antlers made by Burton Mannell.

Impression of an Impressionist by Smyth Boone, one of the demonstrators this year.

Fireplace tools made by Marty Finley.

Cattails made by the late Ed Harper, bird bath added by Nancy Gentzsch.

BAM trunk made by Pat McCarty.  Once again sold at the auction bringing a great donation.

Copper boxes by Don Neuenschwander.

Awesome forging done by the late great Joe Wilkinson.

Another item by Joe.

Cattails by Don Nichols.

Dipper and anvil made by Phil Cox (also known as the "Master Bean Chef").


It was another great conference!!!

The Ringing of the anvil

This past week, the blacksmith and I attended the annual Blacksmith Association of Missouri conference. 

Friday night was an emotional night for us.


In the last two months we have lost three of our members. 


At the end of the night, all those in attendance were asked to walk past one of the two anvils set up and strike it one time for each member that died. 


To see and hear nearly a hundred people walk in silence, pick up the new hammers, and hit the anvil three times brings me to tears now as I write about it, just as it did that night.

Rest in Peace

Joe Wilkinson

Ed Harper

Dave Shepard

You will be missed.


And at the fundraiser auction on Saturday night, my blacksmith purchased one of those hammers. It will always have special meaning for both of us.