(Job/Training Thread) A Job of Mace Making

by **David Arnim** on August 2nd, 2015, 6:46 pm

Timestamp: 2nd of Summer, 515 AV

David Arnim stood by the long tavern like counter within the Arma'Drex Smithy. Standing behind it he glanced at the impressive array of weapons that were for sale. Though none of them were of his make yet as he was just an apprentice at the moment. He hoped to eventually be good enough to have his creations on display and perhaps even for sale. For now what he practiced on tended to get tossed into the scrap for reuse later. David had been looking forward to this day, as yesterday Haiduk had informed him that they would work on a different sort of weapon today. So he stood there behind the counter dealing with customers waiting for Haiduk to be ready. Stretching a little with an exhale he noticed the front oak door open as a customer walked in. Peering through the entry way he watched as the man walked over to the right antechamber were the armors are kept. David was about to go and see if he could be of any assistance when Haiduk entered the room. He was quiet as ever which also translated into how he taught David. That was with as few words as possible and a lot of showing. Perhaps it was the best way for David to learn, though he wouldn't know as it was the only way he had ever been taught. Having come out of the tunnel he walked over to David."Right, time to teach you the basics of how to make a mace head." Haiduk said to David motioning for him to follow. At that David would give a nod and a smile before following Haiduk down the tunnel that lead to the large shop. David was rather excited to be learning how to make a mace head. Though it sounded kind of easy David had learned nothing is ever as easy as it sounds.

Once in the work shop Haiduk went and put on his leather gloves with David following suite. With that Haiduk lead him over to a work table which had some metal casting sand, two wood boxes of some sort, a flat wooden stick, and a mace head."I want you watch what I am to do very carefully, take notes if you have to." Haiduk said to David."Of course." David said with a nod as he watched Haiduk go to the other side of the table. Haiduk took the first wooden box which had a bottom to it unlike the other one and began to shovel the casting sand into it which was kind of sticky. Each time he threw some in he would pat it down with the wooden stick making sure it was compacting. He would also use his hands to press the sand down. He did this for awhile until the sand practically reached the top of the box. This is where he really began to pat it down and used the stick to scrape off any loose sand.

Haiduk then took the mace head and put it dead center of the sand pressing it face first causing it to indent. Having pressed it in he began to move the sand around making sure that is was pressed right up against it everywhere. SHifting it around and removing more loose sand. It was very clay like in a way though not entirely. Having made sure the mace had was in there good he place the other box on top. On the sides were tabs which he clicked together using metal pins making the boxes stay together. Now putting the metal tube in the center of both boxes on top of the mace head he began to place the metal casting sand into it again. Pressing the sand down with both his hand and the wood stick e made sure the sad was very compact. Once having filled it up, patted it down, and ensured the sand would stay in place he waited a few moments before pulling out the metal tube.

With the metal tube out he took out the pins holding the two together and very carefully removed them from one another placing them side by side. Carefully he then removed the mace head before using a knife to carve out an excess channel. With that the mold was ready and he placed the two boxes back together pinning them in place. Haiduk then motioned David to follow him over to the forge."Right you know the drill, man the bellows." he said to David who gave a nod. Haiduk proceeded to take some iron and put it into the furnace before motioning for David to proceed. Pumping the bellows the room began to heat up very quickly even more so then what it was like before. Wiping the sweat from his brow David kept going as Haiduk watched and waited for the iron to melt. This would take some time and a lot of elbow grease.

After some time Haiduk would raise his hand signaling for David to stop. David would then step back and watch as Haiduk took some metal working tongs and grabbed the furnace with it. He would then carefully walk it over towards the mold they had made and carefully begin pouring it into the hole on the top. After a moment the contents had been poured in. He would then go and put the furnace and tongs back wit the forge."It will take some time for it to cool and solidify, so lets use that time for you to give it a try." Haiduk said to David who gave a quick nod."I will do my best as always." he said before he himself walked over to the table."I am sure you will." Haiduk said crossing his arms and carefully watching the apprentice.

by **David Arnim** on August 2nd, 2015, 7:50 pm

David stood behind the table as his mentor Haiduk watched him with crossed arms. Grabbing the necessary supplies being the two wood box frames, metal casting sand, a flat wooden stick, a metal tube, pins, and a mace head he set up his little work station. Standing there for a moment David began to fill the box with the sand like how Haiduk had shown him. However on the first time he didn't really pat the sand down to very well. THough made sure to make up for it with an excesive ammount of patting down the next few times. It was messy but David continued on trying to replicate what he had been shown. Using both the stick and his and the sand ended up very uneven on the top by the time he had filled the thing. Patting it down further and smoothing it out with the stick he grabbed the mace head.

Shoving the mace head face first into the sand he pressed until e was certain he had made a good indent. Leaving te mace head there he began to compact the sand around i to make sure a good form had been made. With some sloppy cleanup work and smoothing out he placed the box frame on top pinning it in place. David then proceeded to put the tube in place though it took him a little bit longer as he couldn't properly balance it right the first few times. Though when he fixed that issue he began piling in and pressing the sand. Upon filling this part of the pinned together boxes up and he patted it down really hard and smoothed it out before removing the tube with slightly shaky hands.

With that he gently as he could seperated the two boxes first by removing the pins. Setting them apart he removed the mace head and sat it asside before carving out a kind of lopsided excess channel with a knife. Now that was done he put the two boxes back together pinning them by the tabs. With that done he began walking over to the forge with Haiduk following. He would then grab some iron and the furnace. Putting the iron in the furnace he would then put it into the hottest part of the forge with the metal working tongs. David then proceeded to man the bellows and from there would pump them super heating the forge. From where he stood he would pump and endure the extreme temptatures until he was certain the iron had melted.

by **David Arnim** on August 2nd, 2015, 8:01 pm

David waited and watched and eventually decided that the iron had indeed melted. Quickly as he could he stopped manning the bellows and grabbed some metal working tongs. With them he took out the furnace and then walked it over to the mold he had created. Stopping in front of the mold he positioned the furnace and then slowly albeit a little shakily poured the hot molten iron into the mold. When he finished pouring David brought the furnace and tongs back to the forge and put them away. COmming back to the table he looked to Haiduk who gave a nod."Good, slow, a little sloppy, but good." he said before walking over to the table."Now for the rest." he said looking to the one he had been making. Haiduk proceeded to tap the sides of the box now that the liquid metal had cooled and solidified.

Taking out the pins that held the two boxes together he lifted and tilted both and knocked some sand out. Separating the boxes he knocked some more sand out by tapping the boxes. He kept doing this until it all had fallen onto the table. The sand produced steam as it hit the cold air but only for a moment. Using a pick and some tongs he took out the new mace head and began cleaning it up. First picking out the sand that had collected on it and then dunking it in some water. Haiduk then began cutting off the excess parts using a powerful pair of cutters. After that he went to the grinding wheel and grinded off the rest of the excess before he smoothed the whole thing out.

With that he had finished making a light mace head which would later be fitted to a handle and likely sold off."Right, think you can follow that part?" he askede David who simply gave a smile and nod."Pretty sure I can." he said playing along jokingly. All he had to do now was wait for the one he had made to cool off.

by **David Arnim** on August 2nd, 2015, 8:40 pm

David looked at the box having waited for it to cool remembering how long it took for the one Haiduk had made to cool. Whilst he waited Haiduk had resumed working though returned once it was time to take the mace head out of the mold. At the David took the box and very carefully began tapped the sides with his hand. Though when he first did it was to weak so he tapped again though a bit harder this time. After that he took out the pins holding the two boxes together and tapped the box yet again. After that he began to tilt the box and tap the sand out before separating it and began to tap and dump the sand onto the table. After the boxes had been emptied he sat it the two box halves to the side and went through the sand. After a moment of searching the hot sand he found the mace head and grabbed it with his thick gloves. It was warm through the gloves but did not burn him. Taking a pick e removed bits of sand that clung to it.

After a moment of picking the sand out he walked over to a water bucket. Dunking the mace head in the water bucket a few times he eventually got the last traces of sand out. Walking back over to the work table he grabbed some metal cutters. Soon e took to cutting off the jutting out excess metals including the excess canal that had been made. Unlike Haiduk this took a lot of effort on his part and wasn't easy. After a lot of tries and work he had managed to cut the excess iron off.

Walking over to the grind wheel he sat down and began kicking the pedal to the wheel causing it to begin spinning. Putting the mace head to the grind wheel he began to grind off any excess the metal cutters were unable to get to. Sparks flew as he did this and he squinted his eyes. With a sweaty face he finished looking at the mace head. Now was the time to grind it further so that it could be polished. Putting it to the grinder again he began to smooth the mace head down.

by **David Arnim** on August 2nd, 2015, 8:44 pm

When David had finished smoothing the mace head out he got up from the grinding wheel and walked over to Haiduk. Haiduk had been watching very carefully and taking note of David's progress on this little project."And finished, all it needs now is a good polishing." David said to Haiduk as he handed over his work. Haiduk proceeded to examine his work and gave a nod here and there. This continued on for a bit before he looked back to David."Your work with the grinding wheel is getting better, but your skill with the molding is still sloppy. With time that should get better though." Haiduk said before walking over and placing the mace head in the scrap pile to be melted back down into ingots later."That is all for today David, return to the front counter." he said prompting David to nod."Will do." David said before returning to the store area of the smithy. He spent the rest of the work day at the front counter of the weapon side of the store. Dealing with customers and going about normal business as usual.

After the work day had finished David would gather his things collect his pay and return home. However on the return home he would jog. Jogging from the smithy to the Kuahala Estates were his cottage was at he returned home having gotten work done and even exercised. Now entering his home he put away his things and got his waterskin.

David had skipped out on exercises this morning so this evening was a good time as any to make up on that. Walking to the center of the room he looked up to the ceiling beam. Jumping up he grabbed onto the ceiling beam after a couple of tries. David proceeded to do pullups 24 times counting each one as he brought himself up and down. Bringing his chin above the ceiling beam each time as he did down. Like other times he struggled to bring himself up and then let himself down a little to quickly. However he kept at it until he stopped at the 24th time and let go. Catching he breath he went and sat down.

David would then get back up after having drank some water and go to the center of his cottage before beginning to do jumping jacks. Each time he went up and then landed during this he counted and did this until he reached 42 jumping jacks. When he finished that he bent over and placed his hands on his knees before catching his breath again and drinking some water. Davids would then get onto the ground and start doing push ups. His arms weakened from the pull ups he counted up to 32 push ups before stopping and having there catching his breath. When he had been doing the push ups e struggled on the way up and then also let himself down a bit quicker then he should.

After he had rested again David would flip over and bend his knees before doing sit ups. Using his abdominal muscles he brought himself up and down 31 times and each time he did so it got harder and harder. This was his routine now in order to stay in shape fully. After he finished at 31 he got up and sat on his bed where he drank some water, caught his breath, and then got some food to eat. For the rest of the day he relaxed.

by **Ssezzkero** on February 23rd, 2016, 7:42 pm

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