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Partly cloudy. High 82F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..
Variably cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Low 68F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Connor Miller and Nick Mace of Bear and Barn Owl Blacksmithing make a nail header on Tuesday at the Orleans County 4-H Fair.
Connor Miller and Nick Mace of Bear and Barn Owl Blacksmithing make a nail header on Tuesday at the Orleans County 4-H Fair.
Connor Miller of Bear and Barn Owl Blacksmithing make a nail header on Tuesday at the Orleans County 4-H Fair.
Connor Miller and Nick Mace of Bear and Barn Owl Blacksmithing make a nail header on Tuesday at the Orleans County 4-H Fair.
Connor Miller and Nick Mace of Bear and Barn Owl Blacksmithing make a nail header on Tuesday at the Orleans County 4-H Fair.
Connor Miller and Nick Mace of Bear and Barn Owl Blacksmithing make a nail header on Tuesday at the Orleans County 4-H Fair.
Connor Miller of Bear and Barn Owl Blacksmithing make a nail header on Tuesday at the Orleans County 4-H Fair.
Connor Miller and Nick Mace of Bear and Barn Owl Blacksmithing make a nail header on Tuesday at the Orleans County 4-H Fair.
ALBION — The sound of hammer hitting metal rings out as heated metal glows orange and takes shape.
Nick Mace and Conner Miller are demonstrating blacksmithing this week throughout the Orleans County 4-H Fair, 12690 route 31. You can find the blacksmiths of Bear and Barn Owl Blacksmithing by the Beadle Heritage Building — across from the rabbit and poultry exhibits — pounding metal out.
Bear and Barn Owl Blacksmithing have just started this year but Miller has been blacksmithing for three years; Mace has been practicing the trade for five years.
“It’s a lot of delicate work,” Mace said. “It’s not just hitting hard.”
Since the fair started they’ve pounded out S-hooks and a nail header. They also are making homemade nails.
Blacksmithing has changed a lot from the past — evolving from the process people might otherwise see in old cowboy movies. Propane fires allowing for instant heating or cooling, along with modern tools such as a grinder, have made the work a lot quicker and easier. For pieces which need a lot of grinding, such as knives, hand grinders are a godsend.
“You’re constantly learning,” Miller said.
The duo will be active at the fair from noon to 10 p.m. today through Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. They will do live demonstrations each day.
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