Pictures of Interest

We saw this firepot and the cast iron "Cheeks" for sale in the vendor area outside the Helfstyn Castle (Czech Republic) during our 1999 ABANA tour.
I am still kicking myself for not buying one at the time. The cost of the firepot assembly was about $150 USD at the time and they told us it would cost another $150 USD to get it shipped to the USA.
I should have taken pictures, but I did not. Later in the tour, we visited some shops that used these setups and I have a few pictures that show portions of the system. That circular clinker breaker seemed to break up the clinker into dust, which was easily removeable by opening the gate.

I finally found a picture of the actual firepot and here it is.
If anyone reading this knows how I could get one, please let me know!

Here's a newspaper article where the reporter took a picture of the chest I am (slowly) making. I didn't find out that this had been taken or published until about a year after it occurred. When I heard about it, we went to the newspaper's office and were able to buy a copy of that issue of the newspaper for $1.50.

A few images of me as seen by others

Randy Purchase, a Guild of Metalsmiths member drew this and gave it to me about 10 years ago. I put in on my calling card.

Some years ago, my wife and I demonstrated old time crafts to the 3rd graders of the Northfield MN schools. We used a couple of buildings at the Bauer "Little Log House" threshing show grounds for the demonstrations. This drawing was sent to me by one of the teachers.

Luckily for us blacksmiths, the local newspapers like to do "human interest" stories about threshing shows. The noisy activity of the blacksmith shop often "brings 'em in". This is a typical shot. ---me, again.

I retired from 32 years with 3M company in 1996. The guys I worked with had this poster made for my retirement party. I must have mentioned something about my future plans when they commissioned the drawing.