Don't know about you, but I can't wait for the Ozark Conference to come
around again. I've been scrounging around in the rustiest parts of the
state to build up my inventory so I can do some serious swapping when
the tailgates let down in Potosi.
	With warm weather here I have found a few days to do some forging.
I sent the wife and kids out of town for the weekend and made a spoon
for the last meeting trade item.
	I also got my half-barrel slack tank fitted with a lid, forged some
butterfly hinges to go with it and made a rams head to lift the lid
with. It looks real nice and keeps the kids from playing in the water.
Only one problem.
	I've had it outside soaking in the rain and now that I have it where
I can use it it leaks.
	I picked up a real nice round Champion forge with a strong blower
on it from an old man in Mt. Vernon, Mo. So far I've ony used it to
start the charcoal for the grill but it should make a good
demonstration forge.
	On my last trip tothe St. Joe area a man told me about getting water
from a blacksmith's slack tank to treat his poison ivy. He swears it
works great.
	I've heard a lot of miracle cures attributed to quench water but this
was the first time I've met someone who has tried it.
	It's amazing the difference in prices I am seeing on blacksmith tools
in different parts of the state. I picked up a traveler in Joplin for
$10. In Sedalia I saw the same thing for $37. South of St. Joe there
were two travelers, one for $95 and the other for $125!!!
	If you really want one of those two I will save you a trip to St. Joe
and sell you mine for that price.
	In southwest Missouri I saw the most expensive pair of tongs I have
ever seen outside of Bill Gichner's van -- $45, and they were junk.
Near Weston Mo. I saw the world's record most expensive Buffalo drill
-- $250, you get it to turn.
	By the way, there is a hand crank drill in Sedalia for $14, and this
one turns!
	By the time you read this the conference will be just about here and
it will be time to hink about what BAM is going to do next. We've had a
great winter with the First Fires workshop and the trip to the Metals
Museum, not to mention a couple great meetings.
	It would be a shame to lose momentum just because it's 100 degrees
out!
	Personally, I would like to see an intermediate workshop and a
knifemaking class like they had in Illinois in April. We've talked
about doing a frying pan workshop, a tong making workshop, anvil and
power hammer rebuilding workshops.
	I would also like to get in on another treadle hammer building,
though I think first we should do the tool workshop for those who
already have hammers. If we make more treadle hammers we should do one
to donate to the John C. Campbell Folk School. According to Bob
Alexander, they need one.
	Any requests? Let President Pat know.
	My thanks to the folks who contributed to this issue, especially Tim
Underwood, Doug Hendrickson, David Hoopes, Gena Briggs and Bob
Alexander. I had enough material to just about fill this thing without
trying and it was all good stuff.
	Please keep it coming.

' Jim McCarty