Zach has been a member of MABA for a few years now. MABA is the Michigan Artist Blacksmith Association. For those of you in the Michigan area who are interested in blacksmithing it is a wonderful organization. They have meetings once a month at different areas around the state. At each meeting they have raffles, demonstrations and a pot luck lunch. The artistic talent is amazing and the people are wonderful. They also put out a bi-monthly magazine called The Upsetter. Visit their website at http://www.miblacksmith.org/
To raise money for the organization they raffle off a handmade toolbox. All throughout the year the toolbox is carried to each of the meetings and the blacksmiths of MABA donate handmade tools such as tongs, clamps and other smithing goodies to the "toolbox". At the MABA Christmas party the box is raffled off to a very lucky blacksmith. Because blacksmithing tools are not easy to find this collection is a very valuable prize to any aspiring blacksmith.
This year Zach is making the toolbox. The box itself is made of poplar and the handle and brackets are hand forged steel. The corner brackets are hand forged, decorative and will keep the corners from getting damaged. He also forged the nails that hold the brackets on and the box together. On one of the end caps for the handle he hand chiseled "MABA 2010" and on the other side an outline of an anvil. If you are interested in purchasing a ticket for the toolbox and tools, please visit MABA's website http://www.miblacksmith.org/ and contact any of the officers or feel free to attend any monthly meeting. Visitors are always welcome. To see some of the hand forged items that Zach makes visit our Etsy website http://www.jenniferannmurphy.etsy.com/.
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