Guild 2012 Summer Meeting and Photos

[RandyScott]

The Georgia Custom Knifemaker?s Guild 2012 Summer meeting was held Saturday, Aug 4th, at the shop of Dennis Bradley, aka Bradley Knives, Blairsville, GA.

About 20 members and spouses attended the social hosted by Dennis and Beverly Friday evening. It was a good time renewing friendships and visiting. For our entertainment, Dennis arranged for a good old fashioned mountain thunderstorm.

Saturday was a nice day to be in the mountains. It was a little humid when it warmed up due to the rain Friday evening.

The Board met at 8am followed by the General Meeting of the Membership about 9:30. Minutes on the Board Meeting will be handled in a separate email to the membership.

The General Meeting was adjourned. The Demo schedule for the day was as follows:

Dennis Bradley will demo hollow grinding and tapering tangs.
Paul Hamler will do a casting demonstration of a small miniature dagger in brass and give everyone one.
John Denton will give a talk on Bob Loveless and Loveless knives.

We had three new members join the Guild: Jesse Crump, Dale Kilby and Tim Spry. All three were juried in at the same time. Welcome aboard.. hope we didn?t scare you off!

Additionally, member Larry Akins had his knives juried in also. Congratulations Larry!

The demos proceeded quickly and were all completed prior to lunch.

Following lunch, we held the Iron in the Hat followed by the Scholarship Knife raffle. Warren Glover edged out Don Tommey and took home the knife. Did I mention that Warren was very pleased to take home that knife? It is a beauty!

Dennis told me that he counted about 55 noses during lunch. We had a nice sized crowd in attendance.

On behalf of the Board and the membership I thank Dennis and Beverly for hosting; thanks also to Ken Simmons for his role as videographer of the demos. Thanks also to Nola Costen for taking photos of the meeting.

And finally, thank each of you for your continued involvement in and support of the Georgia Custom Knifemaker?s Guild. My apologies if I missed anyone.

By the way and FYI: Our membership is at the 80 member mark.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the Fall Meeting of the Guild at.. well, there will be a new thread started with that info.


Randy Scott
Secretary

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The text describing the photo is below the photo.



Friday afternoon.... walking down the drive toward the house and this is the view that greets you! This photo doesn't do the scene justice!





The shop.









Our host, Dennis, cooking brats on the grill during the rain..




Friday Nite in the shop: Larry McEachern foreground, L-R Randy Scott, Charlie Mathews and Dennis Bradley.




Friday Nite Social: Dennis and Beverly Bradley foreground. Background L-R: Marsha and Aaron Brewer and Wayne Hensley







For some strange reason, it always gets quiet when folks are eating.



Saturday Morning: Sunshine and no rain!
L-R: Randy Scott, Secretary, and Henry Cambron, President; a quick presentation of the Board of Directors meeting to the membership and then we adjourned for the demos.



L-R: Larry McEachern, Larry Akins and Craig Schneeber. Larry was juried in today. Congratulations Larry!

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[RandyScott]

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Randy talking about the John C Poythress Scholarship Knife donated by our meeting host, Dennis Bradley.



Dennis Bradley during his demo of hollow grinding and grinding tapered tangs.






Paul Hamler kicking off his demo on investment casting. See my comments on the next photo.



I should have taken a photo of the contents of the case in the foreground. Paul Hamler does minatures. There are 1/3rd scale 'long rifles' and a Colt .45 ACP at 1/3rd scale. And, these are fully functioning too! Pauls demo'd investment casting, a process used in his creation of the 1/3rd scale pieces.









Folks watching Paul's demo.



A local videographer shooting Paul during his demo.





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[RandyScott]

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Paul discussing his process & techniques for a bronze pour/cast. Yes, the little pink objects he is holding were cast of wax from a mold he made from an original minature knife.



Paul preparing for a melt and pour.



The pour from crucible to flask. Isn't that color pretty?




Paul Hamler Demo'ing. The red 'table' is really a motorcycle lift pulling double duty as a demo stand. Objects on the 'table' are, left to right, burn-out kiln, crucible furnace and the vacuum casting device.




Folks in the crowd watching Paul Hamler's demo.




Paul Hamler Demo'ing: Crucible furnace is open and preparing to remove the crucible and its charge.




Paul Hamler Demo'ing: Preparing to pour the charge from crucible into the vacuum flask/mold.




Paul Hamler demo'ing.




The end result of a lot of work. The rough cast of thumbnail sized Romansque faces. The item is actually upside down in the photo. The right hand holds the sprue (for you bullet casters) or button. The main trunk descends, branches hold the faces. More work to separate the faces, clean up and remove the remaining investment, clean and polish the faces before their ultimate use.




John Denton, easily recognizable by his always colorful shirts, presenting his talk on Bob Loveless and Loveless Knives.


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[RandyScott]

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The John C Poythress Scholarship Knife by Dennis Bradley. Blade 440-C, white Corian handle, the GCKG name, logo scrimshaw and sheath by Dennis. Lovely!



Warren Glover holding the John C Poythress Scholarship Knife, with maker Dennis Bradley, that he got to take home!



Welcome our newest Guild members!
L-R: Tim Spry, Dale Kilby and Jesse Crump

Welcome aboard fellows! Glad to have you with us!


If anyone has photos they have taken and wish to share, either post them within the thread or contact me and I?ll arrange to get them posted.


That's all folks.. you missed a good meeting!

[Fiddleback]

Man, sorry I missed this.