Blacksmith - Hammering Out Ideas

The building project this weekend was great. There is something about that kind of early style timber framing that is incredibly satisfying - even though we are using chainsaws and modern tools (we're enthusiasts not experts) it still was great fun. As we were working, I kept glancing over at the six concrete footings where my forge is going to be. I can't wait to start that building project, but I realize it's down a ways on the list. I can see my forge at the longhall so clearly in my head that I can almost hear the anvil and smell the charcoal smoke. I can't wait. Maybe next summer I'll set up my travel forge rig for a weekend at the farm. It looked awesome at the Althing event and it would look equally so next to the longhall. Not quite the same as having my own actual forge building, but it would still be great fun.

My blacksmithing plans for this winter hopefully will be working on the locking and security hardware for the longhouse main doors. I have some plans that I'm keeping secret for now but I hope they turn out as I picture them in my head. I'm going to be working on these projects in my classroom forge since it is the only forge space I have right now (until my home smithy gets built - eventually), and it will have to be afterschool, so this could take me a while.

Our Longhall

The longhall has been under construction for several years now. In a hidden corner of a member's farm, we constantly are adding to our playhouse. It's rather drafty but dry. It has shutters, doors and newly added is a hideaway closet to stash modern items and safety equipment.

Today the first posts went up on the kitchen area. It will have a common area and beside it an area with a central hearth and bread oven so we can cook our meals on site. We've had to make certain adjustments due to our rather harsh and extremely varied climate, but we're doing our best to make it using 11th century techniques. We've also planned a forge for the blacksmith and a weaver's shed as future projects.