Dragon Truck, Damascus Workshop 1982

[Gene Chapman]

This is Mark's Dragon Truck that hauled a 1 cord retort for making charcoal for a damascus steel workshop hosted by the Northwest Blacksmith Assoc. in 1982, nine attended the workshop, using charcoal for fuel. It had a cord of charcoal in the retort, then we made an additional cord during the week for the NWBA conference. My how time goes by, Hey any of you tribals making charcoal and damascus before 1982?
The truck had a propane burner and spark plug and would shoot a big flame out it's mouth for parades, we wern't all hippies but close to it.

This image is kinda fuzzy, playing with my new scanner that also does negatives and 35mm slides.

First one that identifies Gene Chapman gets a Goeduck medallion and a piece of pure copper like it was forged from.

Get it hot, hit it hard.

[AchimW]

....i would guess that you are the third from the right.



Achim

[Gene Chapman]

Guess again Achim, six more choices excluding that pretty woman, who by the way is an excellent blacksmith still forging today.

[Colin KC]

The good lookin' one, second from the right


edit: 'n if I get it right, I'll trade some 16mm cable for those goodies

[Don Cowles]

...the long-haired guy behind the pretty woman.

The fourth from the right.

[Gene Chapman]

Yeah, the good looking one second from the right, good pick Colin, email your address and will mail you a Goeduck Medallion and copper piece like it was forged from. 16mm cable sounds great.

Six of those folks are full time blacksmiths today.

In the old days at conferences we would roast a couple sheep or a big hog, or a whole spit full of beef roasts, everyone brought their special dishes, keg of blacksmith ale, but we got too large, about 450 members in the Pacific NW, we have a catered meal Saturday night before the auction now but still have a grand time.
It's next month, will take some pictures and post.



oakniron@centurytel.net

[Colin KC]

Sounds like you had a lot of fun Gene,
Whatever happened to that fire breathin' dragon?

You've got mail by the way

[Gene Chapman]

The smith that built it may still have it, he lives on a mountain in Moscow, Idaho, think he still is pounding iron but haven't seen him for several years.

will check my mail

[Gene Chapman]

The 1 cord retort is in the background, it had some kind of arrangement when it reached a certain temperature the smoke was recycled into the chamber to be burnt. One cord of wood produced about 55 gallons of creosote soup which was gathered in a 55 gallon drum. When the wood was charcoal it took about 3 days for the thing to cool down.
We used charcoal in coal forges to make damascus steel at the workshop. Had a lot of sparklers around with all the charcoal being used.

By Bernt Arms