Productive workshop weekend in Varkaus (Esa)

Dragonbane Diary
Sunday, January 29th, 2006
Varkaus, Finland

Most of the workshop participants arrived during Friday between 15.00 and 22.00. Three from the Upper Savo area, three from Jyväskylä, three from Turku, three from Hämeenlinna, two from Helsinki and two from Punkaharju. Two locals from Varkaus also participated. We also had help and support from smith Tommi Laine and ceramic artist Leena Mäki-Patola. Jorma Pesonen who helped with the carpentry facilities and the Swedish Elementary School of Varkaus who provided us lodgings also deserve our thanks.

The work was done in three places: at Tommi's forge (horn scales) and in the Kommila part of town where the carpentry class and the Swedish Elementary School are.

At the school we made birchbark works (5 scrollholders and two large baskets). The work was done by Anni, Emmi, Esa (team leader), Juho, Panu and Susanna. Siri also worked at the school doing a small tapestry. The tapestry was half finished. Sanna worked with Siri during Sunday since she fell slightly ill during Saturday and was unable to join others at the forge. She made a prototype about the lamp planned for the witches during this time.

At the forge a great number of scales for horn-armour were made. One sample armour vest was made and all of our horn plates were used. Forming them took the entire weekend and the full effort of Aava, Alex, Sanna, Tapio (team leader) and Veli-Pekka.

Notes: We need a lot of additional bullhorns and when we get them, the facility we use to form them should have multiple bandsaws, sanders and towerdrills.

At the carpentry class pretty much all required gameboards for the Dragon and the lambs game were made as well as four sets of wood pieces for the wax tablets. Henri (from Hämeenlinna), Henri (from Varkaus), Miika, Pasi, Trina (team leader) and Vilma did this.

The basic foodstuff was provided by the project and the actives did the cooking in the midst of other work.

During Sunday the first people left around 13 o'clock and the last leaving checks were finished at 20.30.

I had the impression that all participants left in good spirit and they are interested in doing additional work for the project, preferably in workshops.

Tommi Laine will provide us with eight getharian style travel axe heads in the near future. Tommi is also interested in making the braziers. Leena Mäki-Patola is available for a large scale pottery workshop if warned two weeks prior to the workshop.

Esa Arbelius
Workshop overseer