Badges Issue

[Gene Chapman]

The badges issue brought some heated discussion at the Goeduck Tribal council, it's giving me a spliting headache

For someone who hates badges, you sure have enough of them.

What am I suppose to do with all these people who want to be members of the N-TMs? We need a badge program.

[Gene Chapman]

The one in the middle is a bronze small version of the Lewis and Clark medals that were given to Native Americans during expedition. They used to sell the at Ft Clatsop.
The anvil medal with minature knives, I made just for fun.

Badges, medals, medallions, pins, good question?? The Goeducks just make their own as they go along, we try to stamp a date in each time we have a full moon hammerin, when we run out of room new different medallions are forged, at least thats the way it's been for two years.
The Goeducks have one rule, there is no rules. That proably doesn't help the tribal cause, but we make all our functions fun.

By the power vested in me, I do hereby proclaim the Goeduck tribe, in charge of the offcial Neo-Tribal Metalsmiths badge program. We'll need the first 1000 by the end of the month. Thanks guys, the money will go to a good cause. We're going to build a Neo-Tribal Metalsmiths museum. The badge program will give us the money to buy knives from our members. Just think, we'll be raising money to buy our own stuff. Until we have the money for a building, we can keep it at all my house. What should I charge for admission?

Now let's see... if the Goeduck tribe makes 1000 N-TMs badges a month, at say $15 a pop, that's $15,000 per month. You take that and multiply it by 12 and you have $180,000. per year. Just think what we could do with all that money.

Hey, I know... we could make a video ducumentary about the Goeduck tribe and the making of the badges, and sell it too. You guys won't get rich, but you will get famous.

Let's here it for the Goeducks!!!

[Sweany]

Take two aspirins and ccall me in the morning

Have a beer!

[Gene Chapman]

The medallions are forged about two dozen at a time, then I'm ready to do something else. I use a flap nylon inpregnated sanding wheel to clean scale off, then use bobbing compound on a cotton buff to shiney them up a bit. Doing it this way leaves dark oxides in the bottom of most stamped areas for a nice contrast. Tried the ferric cloride routine but like the above method better.

Just like leatherwork but about 1500 degrees F hotter, I forge from orange right down to black until the piece work hardnens.

Will post an image of some of the tooling and buffs. Can't work this week, got an ooowwwieee.

Goeduck tribe has a hammerin tomorrow night, I'll just sit and take care of the groceries, ale and tell some tall tales.