NEW - IVBA DEMONSTRATOR LISTING: If you are looking for a blacksmith to demonstrate at your local event, download this pdf document for a list of Illinois Valley Blacksmith Association members available for demonstrations.  Demonstrators vary in areas of interest, range of travel, fees required, and ability level.  Please contact demonstrators directly via contact information in Demonstrator Listing.  Download here.

IVBA SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING EVENTS

Last updated on April 9, 2008

Date

Event

Location

Contact

Feb 9th/10th

UMBA Winter Meeting

Trade item kitchen item

Bob Bergman’s Postville shop  Blanchardville, WI.

Pat Novak

(608) 856-0217

 

 

 

 

February 17

March 16

Hammer-in,

Ma & Pa’s Blacksmith shop

52 Van Petten Rd

Rock Falls, IL

Dave Brandon

(815) 359-4378

 

 

 

 

Mar 28

Mar 29/30

Beginners copper class

Advance copper class

Roger Lorence Shop

Belflower, IL

Roger Lorance

(309) 475-9012

 

 

 

 

March 29-30

Scott County Park Hammer-in

Larry Crow Demonstrator

Scott County Park, Long Grove IA.

Bob Tuftee

(319) 332-4800

 

 

 

 

Mar 28-30

 

Power hammer rebuilding seminar

Little Giant in Nebraska City NE. Cost is $95.00 per session

Sid Suedmeier

(402) 873-6603

 

 

 

 

April 12 & 13

New Salem Hammer-in

Elmer Roush and Lynda Metcalfe

Demonstrating 18th century stuff

New Salem Park Maintenance building, Petersburg , IL

Allen Ortery

bluestoneforge@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

April 19 & 20

2 day new member Training Class

Macoupin County Historical Society Carlinville, IL

Augie Schmidt

(618) 254-9235

 

 

 

 

April 26

Rose making workshop

Daryll Allen Instructor.

Macoupin County Historical Society Carlinville, IL

Augie Schmidt

(618) 254-9235

 

 

 

 

May 1, 2. 3

BAM Ozark Conference

Missouri State Fairgrounds

Sedalia, MO

Kirk Sullens

(417) 8638628

 

 

 

 

May 3rd

July 5th

Hammer-in/Open forges

Steve Knowles shop

1330 w. Grove road

Decatur, IL

Steve Knowles

(217) 433-2766

 

 

 

 

May 17th/18th

UMBA Spring Meeting

Trade item something with a petal

Matthew Edel Blacksmith shop

Haverhill, IA

Steve White

(614) 798-5401

 

 

 

 

May 24, 25

MCHS Spring Festival

Historical Society Grounds Carlinville, IL

Augie Schmidt

(618) 254-9235

 

 

 

 

May  30 -June  1

IBA Summer Conference

Fairgrounds Tipton, IN.

Don Nuenschwamder

(812) 448-2828

 

 

 

 

June 13-15

IVBA Summer Conference

IVBA Board meeting 4:00pm Sat

Central States Thresherman’s Grounds Pontiac, IL

Trish Springer

(309) 208-0952

 

 

 

 

Aug 2nd & 3rd

Hammerin’08

Roy Underhill

John Deere Historic Site

Grand Detour, IL

Rick Trehan

(815) 652-4551

 

 

 

 

Aug 9-10

UMBA Summer Conference

Mounty Bygd demonstrator

Fairgrounds, Edgerton, WI.

Carl Syburg

(262) 968-2474

 

 

 

 

August 9

Dean Coonrod Memorial

Pana Hammer-In

Kitchell Park, Pana, IL.

June Coonrod

(217) 562-2969


Contact Augie Schmidt for new event information at (618) 254-9235; email to Augie@peaknet.net; mailing address 424 Crestview, Wood River, Il. 62095-4053.

OPEN SHOPS
Open Forges at Mt. Vernon"s Pioneer Village blacksmith shop the 2nd Saturday of each month. Bring dish for pot luck lunch. The Sugar Grove Nature center shop is open the 3rd Saturday of each month. Lunch is on your own. The Carlinville shop is generally open for a work day every Wednesday from 10:00 to 3:00; open forge time is available too.


IVBA NEWS
NEW PUBLICATION! The Backyard Blacksmith, by Lorelei Simms. "Traditional Techniques for the Modern Smith" This book's detailed step-by-step full color exercises teach universal skills and techniques used to forge iron. There are more than twenty beautiful and functional projects organized by level of difficulty. 176 Pages paperbound. Price is $25. Lorelei Simms is a member of IVBA and owns and operates Five Points Blacksmith Shop in Charleston, Il. Contact her by email: lorelei@blacksmithchic.com or (217) 345-1159.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

IVBA now has the following videos available: Frank Turley New Salem Hammer-In (2003 Saturday session). This video shows many scroll ends, a hinge and a branding iron. Kirk Sullens UMBA Conference 2003. Topics include a frog, dogwood flower, pine branch and cone, elephant face hook, and copper alligator head and skin. Kirk Sullens January, 2004 at Scott and Tricia Springer Animal forms in sheet metal and tools for working sheet metal. From the Flames - April, 2004 DeWitt County Library Gallery Show with Mark Gardner, Mindy Gardner, Steve Parker, Betsy Poarker, Monte Campbell. IVBA 2004 Summer Conference with Bob Bergman on power hamer and basic forging techniques.(Available August, 2004) Each title is available as a DVD or VHS tape. The price is $15.00 each for IVBA members and $20.00 each for non-members, plus a $4.00 S/H fee per order. An order form is available: http://www.illinoisblacksmith.org/IVBAVideoOrder2007.pdf

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scholarships
From time to time special classes come along that charge a fee to attend. IVBA has generously provided scholarships to members to help out with a portion of the cost when needed. If you have been a lucky recipient of these funds, we'd like you to consider giving back to IVBA in these two ways: One, give a demonstration of what you've learned at that particular class and pass on the teaching tradition. Two, write an article about the class to submit in the Tuyere and or the web site. The art of blacksmithing is kept alive by those who care enough to pass it on.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

IVBA Membership: As an IVBA member, you can participate in IVBA Sponsored Classes, Workshops and Demonstrations offered throughout the year. You can attend and take part in the annual business meeting and be a part of the IVBA's future. You will receive a bimonthly newsletter "The Tuyere" free with your membership. "The Tuyere" provides information about:

· Past events
· Planned events
· Hints and How-to dos
· Book & Video reports
· IVBA officer and board member contact
· Annual membership list

 

If you have IVBA news & events, please e-mail: info@illinoisblacksmith.org