Steve

Thank you all of your generous and considerable hard work on the Heartland Hammer-In over the years. The Heartland in Topeka, Kansas was an outstanding and very successful educational event for the ABS. Sally and I enjoyed attending and working at them on several occasions.

Wow Steve - we sure appreciate you having set these up. For me, I will be damned sad if some other date and location can't work. I look forward to this event all year ever since you started having it.

What would need to happen to get it going somewhere else? I really enjoyed the first year when you had it at your place.

Thank you Steve for being such a great host in the past few years. I was thinking about trying to make the drive this year too. I'll have some good lifetime memories from the two years that I did get to go. It's too bad that it isn't going to work out anymore.

Sorry to hear this, but I totally understand the reasons behind it. I was heavily involved in the Southern Alberta Hammer-In, and kept in close contact with Jim Clow (the host). I saw him put in literally MONTHS of work and untold dollars out of his own pocket on this event (which I know he never got back). I completely understand why he (and others in the same position) reach a point where it simply isn't worth continuing.

Personally I've hosted ONE Hammer-In at my own shop.... and it was by invitation only. Even with that I spent months on prep work, spent a ton of money, and the worst part.....months afterward getting everything back in order, and fixing things that people had broken (and not told me about). Although its a lot of fun, and educational, After that experience, I will never host another "open" event at my shop.

Thanks to all for the comments.

It’s not that I want to quit the Heartland. I wish for it to continue and I intend to discuss the probability of it with others who may be able to offer suggestions. But it will need another date, as the traditional date is no longer good.

The tooling as mentioned, is also an issue. I no longer have the help from others and the equipment available to load and move the trip-hammer and hydraulic press that I once had. Loading anvils, forges and belt grinders is taking a toll on my old man’s body.

As a businessman, time spent organizing the Heartland is an untenable expense. It takes about a month of my shop time each year to make arrangements, create flyers and event schedules and deal with the financial paperwork. A good businessman would look at this expense and declare it to be excessive.

The Heartland isn’t dead; but it is on life support.

Ed Caffrey and Steve Culver make some excellent points and their observations and experiences should show our members how much work and sacrifice is involved in organizing an ABS Hammer-In. In addition, we have also unfortunately lost our very popular California Hammer-In and Alberta, Canada Hammer-In from our schedule. We need more members to volunteer and work at these essential educational events. We are an educational non profit organization and need volunteers to carry out our mission.

Steve,

Living in Kansas City, I can help. I’m available any weekend except, 11/11 – 11/22 and can take a vacation day if needed. I’ve attended the last 3 Hammer-Ins and found them to be inspirational.

Trip-hammer: I’ve enjoyed watching the demonstrations but do not feel its necessary for a quality learning experience. I like seeing the hammer pound the steel on the anvil, only speaking for myself.

I can bring an anvil, forge, and grinder. Also, I’m proficient in Excel, Word and PowerPoint.

Email [email protected] cell 816-718-7936