2023 Winternights Viking Festival Updates
We will be posting updates here, on WNF facebook page, and on LSF pages until event.
We now have access to a pickup truck which we will be using to get clay soil and coarse sand for building both this year’s furnace and forge. We will be getting these materials and holding a cob brick/ puddling party hopefully weekend of Sept 17th
Work is beginning in earnest now on preparing grounds and events for this years festival.. We are modifying the way we build the Viking furnace.. Instead of using a large multifaceted /sides soapstone, which we believe led to cracking of last years, we have high temperature ceramic tubes on order..
Another Viking culture learning event for this year will be navigation on open seas before compasses.
Check out the WNF facebook page for updates on all activities fb.com/winternightsfestival
We just updated the Winternights Viking Festival website to reflect this year’s festival information. Currently we know ‘Sons of Odin’ and ‘A Touch of Glass and then Some’ will be returning. If you are a vendor / presenter / educator that matches our venue please contact us and join us this year.
09/10/2023 – This year at our annual Winternights Viking Festival we will again be smelting iron ore into iron.. Our last two attempts did not go as well as we had hoped but we have made improvements based on what we learned.. We will be making a major change this year that should allow a good smelt..
Instead of making the furnace over several days to a week we will be making ‘mud bricks’ first and then using mud mortar to construct it.. This will allow the furnace to be fully dry and partially cured before smelt day..
We mention this now because as part of learning and fun activities the foundation is planning on having at least one ‘mud party’.. A large tarp with clay dirt, straw, and water with ‘stomping of the mix’ and also ‘forming mud bricks’ for drying on wood slabs..
We will post day(s) this will be occuring and if you might be interested .. please let us know..
9/12/2023- Two big pluses today – First the ceramic tubes for the air inlets to furnace and forge arrived intact.. Second – we were able to borrow a pickup truck to get clay soil with.. It is nasty stuff as in lots of clay but it also has rocks mixed in so it can’t be used immediately as is.. We would like to thank and acknowledge Havens Trucking in Wantage for providing it as no one else within an hours drive had any. Thanks for helping support our festival.
9/15/2023- Rough Sifting of Clay pile has begun : Shovel onto metal mesh. Rake what goes through to side. Pull what didn’t off into pans. Repeat. This is 1/4″ mesh. When have enough will do the same process but using 1/8″ mesh.
9/17/2023- We want to have enough of everything ready to mix so we do it all in one shot on same day.. We know the ratio for making the cob but that doesn’t tell us how much.. Mom was right ‘math’ would come in handy later on … short version – subtract area of inside of forge(ID) from area of outside (OD) of forge and multiply that by the height = total ci / cf of material. Divide that by ratios and we know how much of everything we need (plus add extra for safety lol).
9/22/2023- Month til festival .. rain this weekend .. cob puddling mud stomping next weekend (9/30) to make bricks for forge .. still need coarse sand (working on local source).
9/22/2023- Quikrete responded quickly to our ticket on where to find coarse (concrete) sand since nothing was coming up in searches (only not available). Seems Athenia Mason Supply in Wantage has it. We called and then went over .. they were very courteous and helpful .. also the price definitely didn’t waste donation funds .. THANK YOU Athenia! – We now have all the ingredients we need to build the forge
9/23/2023- We regret to announce that members from NH and PA holds may not be in attendance this year .. in part due to rising fuel and other costs. Other members including president of US holds still intend to be here.. the foundation wants to be open and honest with who and what will be at the festival..
9/25/2023- Rain get it out of your system .. fortunately it currently looks good for our clay/mud stomping furnace brick building party next weekend. This is intended also to be a learning class. Yesterday we reached out to Darrell M. of Wareham Forge in Ontario,Ca.. A specialist in the Viking Age, creating reproductions for Museums and re-enactors.. He responded immediately. We will be sharing and learning from him in building our furnace and smelting ore. He also works with DARC (Dark Age Recreation Company) in Canada .. we may be able to get several pieces to add to our collection and show at this year’s festival.
9/26/2023- LSF will be holding building and learning this Sat and Sun at Nordic House. Project/Process is making Viking age cobb/clay furnace.. Puddling cob and making bricks to build it up with .. 11 am to 4:30 pm both days .. ok to arrive and leave to fit your schedule ..
9/30/2023- Weather is not cooperating so far.. cloudy was supposed to by gone early am.. its noon and has started raining again..
Don’t you need water to make mud?
Yes but we need to be able to control how wet it is and can’t with this.. Also we need to dry out more of the clay and sand first as then its easy to mix it evenly.. This week’s weather has not allowed that.. Not a total waste yet.. Before it began raining again we dug up an area where we will be placing the furnace.. Raked it out and applied some play sand over it. Hopefully tonight and tomorrow will be clear and dry..
10/02/2023-
Sunday was a beautiful day for stomping clay with clear skies, lots of sun, and temps way up. Surprisingly no one came to learn, have fun, help. The day was very productive though as all of the clay/soil we had previously sifted with 1/4” grating was resifted using 1/8” screen. Whatever didn’t fall through has been spread around the area the furnace will be.
The sifted material has lots of what looks like pebbles and of course fine powder in it.. All the same light grey color. We now have about 3.4 five gallon buckets of it. That equates to 2.5 CF of dried clay. Began testing it yesterday for actual clay content using a mason jar with water. After vigorous stirring and shaking it appears all of the pebbles were just mini clumps of dried hard clay as the water dissolved them. Its been settling for about 15 hours now and looks like its going to be close to 90% if not 99% grey clay … WOW We still have the massive pile of clay soil that has not been sifted at all to use .
Today’s task once the sun has risen enough to dry all the condensation off the tarp is to open, spread, and dry out the concrete sand for mixing with the sifted clay. Hope to begin mixing and stomping with water and possibly begin forming of tiles to use as inner liner of furnace today.. Weather looks good for most of week.
