I am starting to pack for my trip to Haystack and I feel like I am packing for an expedition to the far side of the world. I have done a lot of traveling in my life - I have gone backpacking for several weeks; I was a road warrior while I worked as a consultant and I would be gone for several weeks; I have gone to the wilds of Scotland for almost a month and yet this trip is throwing me off my game.

In the information packet we were sent there was information on what to bring with us which fell into 3 categories: Tools, Materials & Supplies;  Bedding; and Clothing & Personal Items. It is the Tools, Materials & Supplies that are causing me the most worry. 

Most of the classes I have taken within the past two year, for metals work, have been within driving distance so I can load up my car with the stuff I needed and I did not have to worry about not having the right things with me.  There have been a few classes I have taken that were multi-day (Metals Week and Chasing & Repousse) where I knew people were coming in from across the country. Since I knew some of these people I was always willing to tell them that I had such-and-such tools or supplies so they could leave theirs at home.

But now, I am the one flying across the country to the class and I don't know anyone else who is attending who might have an extra of whatever we need to bring so I don't have to shlep is across the country.  We don't have to bring *EVERYTHING*  as I would like to assume that the workshops have several of each of these things but there is no guarantee that there are enough for everyone and that means that there will be time spent waiting for a tool to be freed up.  

So what is on this list? There is copper sheet in 18 and 20 gauge, some silver casting grain; Heikkie Seppa's book Form Emphasis for Metalsmiths; solder; shears; scribes; solder picks; flux brushes; pliers including parallel; hand files; tweezers; layout tools like a sketch book, manila folders, pens, rulers, markers,; safety glasses; earplugs; apron; and your favorite hammers. Luckily the information packet has marked some expendable supplies as being available to purchase there so I will not take the following item which were on the list: grinding, sanding, and finishing supplies; flex shaft wheels, solder and my big hand files.

My favorite hammers?! oh, boy I am in trouble. I have tried to pare down my selection and so far I have NINE (wait make that 10 as I missed a forging hammer) and I want to take more. This is a course on moving metal so having MY hammers is really important to me and btw, I now have over 40 hammers how do you pare down the list

And considering you are off in a remote corner of Maine it is not like you can dash out to a store and pick up a few things.

So what do you take and what do you leave behind? 

I have a few days before I ship my stuff to Haystack so I welcome your suggestions - Tell me what you would do! 

Here are a few items that I am finishing up. It feels good to be back in the studio and being creative.

• The first picture show Cross Forged Sterling Silver Drops.  It is hard to see but there is a hammered texture to them. Simple but elegant.
  
• Graduated Forged Wires.  These are made using Red Brass and my next pair will have an extra drop on each side and be out of silver.
  
• Shibori Bracelet #3. This is not done yet. I still have a lot of filing and finishing to do along the framing wires and then I have to form the final shape. I have not decided about adding a patina or leaving it plain.
  

Over the past few months I have written about how it is important to strike the metal on the stake in the correct manner. This implies that you are not only striking the metal at the correct angle but that the stake is at the correct height for YOU.

Deb and I have been working on both of these subjects because I have had issues with them but mostly having my stakes at the correct height. My set up has been clamping my stakes in my vice which is bolted to my work bench. This put the striking surface of the stake at the height of my chest which is way to high for me. I resolved this by standing on a sprinkler box to raise me up but I was not quite at the correct height many times – for the stakes from Potter USA I was a bit too low and for the Dixon stakes I was a bit too high. I was never JUST RIGHT

As more time went by I knew I had to get a stump to mount my stake holders on.  I looked at getting a real wood stump and then mounting it on wheels but because my primary workspace is in the house on the second floor, I was not too keen on hauling a big hunk of wood up the stairs; I use the garage for things like drilling, buffing and grinding but not for raising unless it is very hot and the electricity has died. 

Then one day while browsing through the Rio catalog I saw a modern Anvil Stump – laminated wood with adjustable aluminum legs. The picture not only had an anvil mounted on it, there was a stake holder too.  It was the price that dashed me – 295 smacker-oos! I added it to my list of items I wanted to purchase [and as we all know that is almost everything in the Rio catalog] but I figured it would be several months before I got around to ordering it since I still had to pay for the tuition for Haystack but there was airfare to get to Maine well.

In April I bit the bullet and decided that I had better get the stump – I wanted to do some raising but I was nervous about doing it because I knew my current setup was not the best.  I then started to search the web for a better price. Since this stump is actually made for Farriers, I figured there might be a blacksmith or farrier shop that had it for a bit less. It took a few hours of comparisons of not only base price but shipping as well but eventually I did find a good deal and I ordered it and it arrived about 5 days later.  After sitting in the box for a few days I unpacked the stump and moved it upstairs into my work area. Then I had to mark the positions on the stump where I wanted my two stakes mounted and my husband did the drilling and screwing down of the holders plus he also vacuumed the floor when he was done.

I have a stake in each holder and this past Sunday I was working at the stump on another Shibori bracelet – forming the cuff. I have not adjusted the legs yet because I am experimenting with my rolling chair height to see it I am comfortable sitting while doing my raising as I normally stand.

Here are a few pictures showing the stump with my stake holders. For your information the legs do come attached and are adjusted via screws with an allen wrench and it comes with 4 ‘L’ plates and screws for locking down an anvil.

Update: July 23, 2011Since people are asking - I found the best price for the stump at  www.well-shod.com