CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR - SALTRAM HOUSE PLYMOUTH NOVEMBER 23 2013

Last minute addition to my good friends Mr and Mrs Chadwicks lovely Glass work stall at Saltram Christmas fair. We decided last minute to put a few pieces of forge work in to see how they sold. No problem with the selling, just the scared people trying to sell!!! We started the morning like scared Rabbits frozen in front of car headlights!! By the end of the day we were a little too confidant. Good day and a very good learning curve. It is one thing hiding in a workshop and another dealing with the general public!!

RECYCLED HORSE SHOES - DOOR KNOCKER

 What to do with a bag of used horse shoes?? Had a look on Pinterest and found all sorts of novel uses!! Not my cup of tea, but I am sure some people like this kind of stuff.

 Now I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy making this!!

Finished knocker with punched fixing holes!!

RECYCLED DOOR HINGE - CANDLE HOLDER

Playing around with some old scrap, found two Door strap hinges. This is the smaller of the two forged into a candle holder.

SMALL COKE FORGE - HAND BUILT

 Small forge all ready to go, the dodgy looking bloke in the photo is Harry, a good mate from the College of Art. Managed to find an Alcosa hand blower on e-bay for £80. Blower is a bit ropey, we have already stripped it down once, and will need a another strip down as really difficult to turn.

Not the easiest thing in the world to light, normally two attempts and a whole lot of frustration!!!!
once going we have found that a little Air pump the same as the ones used for inflatables give an excellent fire.

Hence the coffee can lid and a whole lot of tape!!

Biggest problem with this forge is time, or lack of it on my part!!

Sometimes there is only an hour spare, and the time it takes to light, it is just not worth it. Gas has solved that problem, for the odd hour but has worked out to expensive for learning with.

YET ANOTHER BOTTLE OPENER

Once you make one for somebody, everyone wants one!! Not complaining having had a 12 month lay off any metal bashing has got to be good!!

Not all bad though a good chance to use lots of different techniques!!

WORKSHOP NEARING COMPLETION...............................................................

                        At long last some progress, and the some order. New gas forge and a pillar drill!!

Still no electric, so being careful with the extension leads!! Absolute big thank you to Stu Palmer and his Dad for the Pillar drill, life is a little bit simpler with this bit of kit!! Gas forge has made life a lot simpler and certainly healthier. As time is not always on my side the gas forge is a blessing, sometimes you need to make something with only 30 minutes, it was taking that long to light the coke forge sometimes longer and a whole lot of frustration!!

 

 

 

STAINLESS STEEL FORKS

Back in February I managed to blag a couple of hours with friends in their glass workshop. Really enjoyable making beads, well trying to make beads and some fused glass plates. Although not really for me, the whole experience was very worthwhile and you never know I might have another go soon. Anyway moral of the story?? I found some old forks whilst clearing out the original workshop, me being a mini hoarder could not possibly throw them away, so a use had to found. Result..............

Why not make some small plate holders for the fused glass. Here is the result. Nothing special, and a pain as I was using the left overs of an old Mapp gas bottle. Interesting to forge and quite a bit different from mild steel, but the result was pleasing.
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FORGING FAWKES NOV 4TH - 5TH 2011 PLYMOUTH COLLEGE OF ART

JON SNOW (WINDYSMITHY)

RICHARD WOOD

LISA HARRISON (SMYTHICKFORGE)

JOFF HOPPER (METAL PIG FORGE)

THEME OF THE FORGE IN WAS SOMETHING TO WEAR - NECKLACE MADE BY LISA HARRISON

DAN 3RD YEAR DEGREE STUDENT FORGING A BOW TIE!!!

WINNING PIECE BY JON SNOW - BLACKSMITHS APRON COMPLETE WITH FRINGE!!!!!!!

BRACELETS BY JOFF HOPPER

UNFORTUNATELY MY ENTRY A BELT FELL TO PIECES JUST BEFORE JUDGING. BELT WAS ALL BUT MADE,  HELD TOGETHER BY A PIN THAT CONNECTED THE BUCKLE TO THE BELT. I MANAGED TO LOSE THE PIN  IN THE WATER TROUGH, MUCH TO THE AMUSEMENT OF THE JUDGE BEX SIMON. I THINK SHE IDENTIFIED WITH MY FRUSTRATION, AS IT WAS JUST BEFORE JUDGING THERE WAS NO TIME TO FORGE ANOTHER!!!!!!!!

BOTTLE OPENERS

CLICK TO ENLARGE PHOTO Having a play with some square bar

BACK ONLINE AT LAST

At long last back online. New computer, so hopefully I can get back to writing a little about my journey so far. A little update - Forge is now almost complete. Will a forge ever be complete????? Lots of recently acquired gear and a lot of luck. Hopefully some photos soon, but first I have to get my head round uploading and finding them.

ANVIL IN PLACE

At long last the Anvil has landed!!




Doors should be in tomorrow, then at last we can think about lighting the fire!!

Hoping I remember what little I know!!!!!!!!!!!

WORKSHOP DOORS

Making the second door!! 6 mm ext ply and 2x2!!

A COUPLE OF PHOTOS OF WORKSHOP NEARING COMPLETION

Will take some when Anvil and forge ready for use. I have also bought a small stick welder and leg vice, as well as a few sets of tongs.


Starting to get a workshop together, so well happy.

WORKSHOP NEARLY COMPLETED

Workshop nearing completion!! A whole year has now passed since I last forged.
Just the doors to build and hang then we can let good times role!!

AT LAST AN ANVIL

Anvil picked up last Saturday. (Hopefully have a picture soon)

Took two of us to shift it, so it got to be up around 150kg mark and in good nick, so pleased as punch.

Just need somewhere to work. Have use of 20 ft shed space,but need to do some work first to get the shed up to speed. New roof and some of the structure needs repairs.................................................................

Need some good weather and some time off work!!!

BUYING AN ANVIL TOMORROW

Can't wait, counting down the hours as my new baby arrives, well new addition as it is second hand!

Through a friend i have managed to source an Anvil so hopefully i can continue my learning.

The current owner reckons it is in the region of 150kg, so i can't complain and it is coming from a Local

Farrier who obviously cannot cart around an Anvil that size in his van. I have looked for a time on e-bay but

most of what i found in an affordable price range was either right up north or impossible to pick up as i am

down in sunny Devon. Also a lot of what i found was being sold by clueless folk who stick these wonderful

tools in the garden as blooooooooooooody ornaments, worse still they paint them pretty colours as well.

Most bizarre was that in three months i never came across one decent condition and sized Anvil in the

west country, second week of January i find four in the space of two days!! All four were close by as well,

I decided to break my e-bay cherry and place some bids, with a day to go the Anvil i am buying crops

up locally, and would you believe i am winning all four bids and seriously starting to worry!!

Hopefully have a picture in the next couple of days of the Anvil !!

HAPPY BASHING

What can happen in a year

Nearly 12 months since last post, so whats the problem?

Well...............Where do i start?

First we got Fucked over by the Art college, all in the name of money!!

In my eyes we had an amazing set up, brilliant lecturer and a great bunch of tech staff. Our lecturer Richard Wood worked tirelessly to set up evening classes and support everyone from the evening beginners through to the 3rd year degree students. A unique facility which is now sadly lost to the world, reduced to a pile of rubble as soon as the last bell went. The steel form work is already making progress and not long before the latest money making structure will be presented to the people of Plymouth - albeit minus the trainee Blacksmiths and  Hot Metal sculpture students.

What made our facility unique was not only the equipment, and we were lucky- but the people.

A great and friendly bunch - Joe the manager, Melissa and Steve  and of course Richard.
Not only is there now no where to study in Plymouth but no where in the south west. Nearest college is Hereford. We have a small unit in Plymouth called Flame works, but sadly at present it would be out of my price range.

 The remaining degree students have 6 hours a week forge time at Flame works. Now that is pretty shit if you paid your monies to a College on the understanding that you were to study and use the range of facilities you first saw when you signed up, and started to dream about Hammer and Anvil!!

Well that was the start!!

I have a backlog of stuff to post, and lots of photos. I might even have some photos of the workshop before it was demolished.

We found out in may that the facility would be closed. Last session to be held a week before the Summer show.

If i am correct the last people to use the facility was myself Harry Chadders and Tech Steve. We managed to bag a three hour session one evening a couple of days after the close, because we missed a session due to amount of bank holidays last year. It was an emotional session on the whole.
Richard spent the duration trying to sort stuff out, but really he was walking around totally gutted and the three of us spent three hours making Snails. Snails???? Well we figured Snails would be therapeutic. Richard looked on amused he even said " two years and you spend your last ever session in this wonderful facility making bloody snails". I can see his point totally, but we were content.

Now the next part!!!!

After session it was straight to the boozer for another session, to be honest in hindsight i didn't really realise that evening how much of an affect the loss of the best thing i have ever done in my life would have.

Fast forward three hours...................................................

Home from the pub and a crate of Doom Bar waiting in  the kitchen, i thought well Fuck It, i may as well carry on, and totally drown my sorrows!!  Then the Missus decides to tell me our 8 year engagement has finished and she wants me out of the house!!!!! In all honesty things hadn't been great for a couple of months and i knew it was on the cards. But why choose the night that college finished for good. Ah a women's scorn!! I ma sure the moment was well thought out, anyhow she denies that she chose that moment....................

Reminds me of a line from New Order song.......

So fast forward six months and where am i? That's a good question. Well she had her way, i have moved out of our house, i have visitation rights to my beautiful dog but that is it really................

Moved in with my father who just happens to have a massive garden, Started a 3d practice course at the same college, which worked quite well because the main emphasis of the course is furniture, and all along i have been hoping to achieve enough forging skills to combine wood and forged metal in furniture...................................................................................................................................................

Sounds good eh........Wait for it.................10 weeks in and the college strikes again!!!!!! They pulled this courses as well..............Journey 0 v college 2

So here we have it a year on no college,missus,blacksmithing,house,dog all gone.................................

However we will rise above this and forge on. Got an Anvil lined up(150kg), borrowing a forge of Harry whilst he is away, and some kind soul long retired has agreed to let me have his welder!!

So when up and running Happy days will be here again! Even better if i had my Dog along side!!

So a bloody big Thankyou to the good guys and girls of the Hot Metals dept (deceased), for all that i learnt and the good times we had at Anvil........

I have some stuff to post from the previous six months and hopefully i will be up and running and able to continue my forge training. I will continue to post my progress!!!

FORGED DOOR FURNITURE

 

 

 

Although the last photo, the handle was the first to be made. The middle was textured with the power hammer, a piece of machinary i have grown rather fond of!!!!!!


Had some fun with these as they were part of the bedroom project. My goal was to handmake everything in the room starting withe the bed.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH AN AMAZING GATE

As a student of Blacksmithing, to come across such an amazing piece of work, and actually be able to talk with the maker proved to be a highlight of last years Forge In at PCAD. The gate was designed and made by Joff Hopper who runs Metal pig Forgehttp://www.metalpigforge.co.uk/ a nice guy to talk with who also happens to be quite Humble when given compliments about his work. This gate actually won Joff Hopper the award of National Champion Blacksmith

 2007. The detail and craftmanship has to be seen to be believed.

I love the door latch, the free flowing forged uprights providing the gate with structure and enough tension for the forged latch to operate.

THE REAL OXY POST : OXY- ACETYLENE

Previously i wrote one line describing my frustration with Oxy - Acetylene, if any body actually reads this crap they must have, in all probability, more than a passing interest in Smithing.
So the question remains why do i manage to frustrate myself with two cylinders and a bloody torch!

Well believe it or not the answer really is quite simple - I CAN NEVER REMEMBER HOW TO TURN THE DAMN THINGS ON.
Now before you start believing the author of this post to be completely stupid, which in part is true, i can do most things, i can cook bloody well, gut a house and re build it, make furniture and produce functional items out scrap material, but i can't for the want of trying ever remember how to light the damn torch.

Now like most folks at Plymouth college of Art, i have a sketch pad. In the front of my pad secured with multiple staples lies a set of instructions on operating Oxy equipment and lighting a forge with above mentioned. Now i will admit to being shown once or twice but most visits to the college workshop result in at least one forge blowing and normally two sometimes three. Seeing as most of our work at present is achieved using a forge, i have found Oxy amnesia wholly unsatisfying, until last week when i had to admit it wasn't just Oxy amnesia that i was suffering, it was fear as well. Not fear of an explosion , but fear of someone, anyone finding out they had an Oxy fraud in the workshop. So i swallowed my pride, i didn't have a choice to be honest, Mr Wood had kindly let me come in on a Thursday to catch up, as that damn inconvenience that goes by the name of JOB had managed to rear sharp claws and mess up a perfectly good Tuesday college session. After listening in on a first year Degree talk which was very interesting Mr Wood gave me the nod to light a forge. Now here was the problem, with  two options. Light the forge with sticks and paper or light with Oxy. If i was to try and light with sticks and paper i would probably fail to light a cigarette, let alone a forge, or should i fumble around with the Oxy and hope that someone i know comes to my rescue? Second option !!
In walks Second year Ryan, (who is actually holding the torch in the above photo, i decided to chop him out just in case he didn't want to be seen or associated with a blog post about Oxy incompetence)   A quick call for help, and a little memory jog and we are up and running. Later that day i re- lit the forge after lunch, confidence was that high i even lit a forge a passing lady, now that was confidence.

What is the point of this post, well after the half term break i needed the oxy again this time for some wrap work on a since binned door knocker, could i light it NO. This time the problem was not how to turn it on but the fact that the last user had probably not closed all the valves and i could not figure out for the want of trying where to start from!!