How my Demo went

I asked you all about what to demo and got a great response. Thanks.

Here is what I did.

I started with a Rococo leaf (you can see the one I did at

then go to new projects and look at the leaf detail that has a comment on it). I explained our templating process, cuting, chasing and then sculpting. Second was my method for pennyroll scroll (also called hapny, half penny, snub-nosed and who knows what else). I formed one from 3/4 stock. Next was a quick leaf demo in the power hammer. I recently had to develop a new pattern for morning glory leaf because I just made a chandelier with morning glory vines and flowers. It was great because the chandelier was hanging from our span crane in the shop while the demo was on. I hardy cut the leaf from the bar and used a cross pein on the back of my main forging hammer to do a heavy upset on the end of the stem. I ended the morning session with a bitch session about pre-made components. I lost about half my audience cause people don't like to face hard decisions about craft and also my employee Josh was discussing how to swing a hammer at his forging station. I felt it was time to start complaining because the main magazine here in the states is the Anvils Ring and there are about 20 ads each magazine that are selling pre-made scrolls, pickets and what not. I am personally opposed to this as I see it degradeing the craft and educating the public to want more crap.

In the afternoon we astarted by discussing how to go about designing with architects and designers. We made suggestions about how to change the designs we recieve from customers into something that is blacksmith friendly. We find that customers design using methods that are friendly to the fab shop. We are trying to encourage smiths to go the extra mile and change desings from weld joints and collars that do nothing to tenons, rivets and collars that actually hold two or more bars together. After this I forged a ball with hammer on the anvil in 1" stock. I followed it up with a larger ball of 3" stock formed on our sahindler 110lb air hammer. It is a one heat process and really caught the attention of the folks at the demo. Finally I took a peice of plate 4" x 4" x 3/4" and did some free forging in th air hammer. I actually made a cool guy with a 3" ball for a head who now resides on one of the tool shelves in the shop.

All in all it was an OK demo. We didn't make a finished piece like years past but I felt that i gave the guys (and one or two girls) a few of my tried and true methods. I hope we made folks think more blacksmithy and less like forge/fab with our joinery talk. I really hope we inspired people cause that was the point.

Thank again for your input.

Andrew