Doc Price Forgin Pictures

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WillC

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Well I had an absolutely fantastic weekend at Doc Prices in Plymouth. Joined by many friends and made some new friends. A huge thanks to Grace for bringing us all together, Doc for being brave enough to host us bonkers lot and Hank, Ed and Matt for traveling all the way over to pass on knowledge and bringing all the powder goodies. Will be making a return visit for sure around Blade time next year:D Much much fun, so thought I would share some pictures.
Talks and Demo on some advanced Mosaic techniques and Powder steel work.



Time to have a play, everyone got the chance to make up a powder billet, or get on with their own projects. There was so much going on in the workshop it was quite boggling to take it all in at times.



Docs workshop is littered with sculpture interest and history.
Powder forges with a different feel to layers, more spongy must be carefully consolidated in the press before forging with any zealous.

I had a quick play with some layers to start with.
Doc and John,

Grace has much patience, this will be in the middle of a can of steel I suspect with contrasting powders, the leaf is made up with pure nickel sheet.

Ian and Tim, Tim has helped me no end with my ht oven and some clever gas burners.

Me making a first weld on a powder billet.


Hank had a different cool shirt every day.


Docs shop in the heart of Plymouth club land. His tatoo shop is out front.


Sculpture on Docs 3cwt Massey power hammer.

My billet in assembly

Doc and the lovely Jo Jo

Doc Price, mega star.:D










On day 3 we got a little piece of each of our billets. John forged them out a bit to fit in a 100mm can.

Grace fills the billet of billets with powder.

As the plymouth street fair is just getting started and most importantly the famous annual pole dancing demo just out front, time is of the essence. We have precious few minutes to forge the billet of billets.:laugh: Me and John step up to the challenge.


Welding the billet, with just minutes to spare.....

Gotta love a 3cwt massey for forge power, 1 heat down from 100mm to a neat 49mm square. Hammer is king.:D

And we made it for the show, will post updates on stuff I made as it evolves and gets used over the next few weeks.

Motley Crew, some had vanished home exhausted after 3 full on days forging and evening antics, we had lost Ed temporarily , maybe he was having a lye down... I would certainly have been ruined by the last day if he had not introduced me to the wonder of Barrokka fizzy goodness.....but a group-ish shot:):)

Thanks All:)
 
x2. Looks like a great event. It's nice when people share knowledge like that and help bring along new(er) craftsmen.
 
Wow, looks like great fun. I have demoed with Doc, Ed, Hank, and Matt. Me and Ed were the first to pioneer powder metal damascus and the use of nickel sheet with it. The first time we tried it, the powder Ed bought was a barrel of reduced iron, the same stuff they put in corn flakes. I met Grace at her first blade show several years ago now. All of these guys and Grace have contributed much in the modern development of pattern welded steels.

Hoss
 
Thanks Guys, glad you like the pics. Devin it was humbling to meet Ed and Hank, I did not know Matts work but spent a good deal of time talking with each of them about their work. In the talk they talked a good bit about the source of various patterns and their founders and credit where credit is due. It was very interesting and an education on the history of modern damascus, your name popped up a good few times. :groucho:
I will continue to take an interest in learning who did what. I've always felt it is fine and great to take influence as long as credit is given. After all not all make financial gain/survival by pattern development. Was great to hang out with these fellas anyway and all nerves quickly fell away and I have certainly made some new friends there, I really enjoyed my first deluge into powder, though my patterns came out a little muddy, these things take practice:) I have no idea what powders I can source in the uk, precious few I suspect, though I have found somewhere that sells iron power, manganese, carbon and some alloys so maybe I can make up my own mixtures. Or take the plunge on importing from your side of the pond.:)
 
Here are the 3 billets I was working on two powder and one layers. The Powder ones are not quite as crisp as I expected. I suspect there is a lot of art in placing and containing the powders so they do not move and fog boundaries. But Im going to keep squaring these to four for a while and see how it evolves. Interesting anyway and will deffo use the material for bolster stock or blade stock with a different edge material. Will keep you updated and to the group billet of billet which Grace has hold of, I look forward to seeing that one.



 
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