Oleh’s Urella

When I recently reviewed the images I took at the ABANA La Crosse conference in 2002 I saw the folder for Oleh Bonkovskyi.  Incidentally, I have seen his first and last names spelled in a variety of ways.  When I arrived at that conference I almost immediately visited the gallery and was impressed with the pieces he had on display so I resolved to spend time watching him demonstrate.  I had seen his younger assistant, Sergij Polubatko (again, spelling uncertain) at the Flagstaff 2000 conference. There are both, now, well known Ukrainian artist blacksmiths.

I did enjoy watching them work, took a few pictures and their creation, Urella, was the only piece I bid on in the auction and was lucky to get it.  His work has appeared in the Anvil’s Ring on at least two occasions.  In the 1998 Spring issue on pages 36 and 37 there are four variations of the same candlestick theme displayed in Urella.  Additional pieces of his work were in the Fall issue of 2001.

I had been intending to write something about this for quite a while but when I stumbled onto the following two archival links it sealed the deal.

http://www.bgop.org/newsletters/2002-01.pdf   The Blacksmiths’ Guild of the Potomac helped to arrange for Oleh’s 2002 USA visit:  And in the issue which followed the conference 

http://www.bgop.org/newsletters/2002-07.pdf  there appeared an image of my Urella.  So, I decided to post a couple of images of Urella today, although they aren’t of professional quality.

I found some additional information about Oleh and will post the link although I don’t have any personal connection to the events.  The site said, in “2007 and 2008 Oleh Bonkovsky and Charles Hughes preformed demonstrations for the Pittsburgh Area Artist Blacksmith Association at the shop of the association's President, John Steel.”

http://hughescchd1.com/about_us

I was fortunate to pass Oleh after the auction and we posed together.

Urella today without the usual blue and yellow candles symbolizing the flag of the Ukraine.

The touchmark.

The Boone-Broussard Grille

I was looking at one of the few pieces of demonstrator-made ironwork which I have collected.  I really was interested in this piece, bought it at the auction - somewhat over my budget - but have no regrets.

This grille was covered to some extent in this post.

http://persimmonforge.blogspot.com/2011/12/buying-my-little-giant.html  It was made by Mike (Smyth) Boone and Wendel Broussard at the IronFest Blacksmithing Regional Conference, Grapevine, Texas June 1-3, 2001. The conference also featured Frank Turley and Jeff Mohr.

It was terribly hot.  I spent most of my time watching Mike as his work was closer to the type of work I was doing than Wendel’s chasing and repoussé.  They both did masterful work and I really liked the finished piece and was lucky to get it at the evening auction.  The next morning Mike also gave me the concept drawing done by Robin.  I have enjoyed these things  for over 12 years now.  

I think we owe a lot to these talented artists who are willing to travel and work in difficult and unfamiliar settings to help educate the rest of us.  Hat’s off to them.

You can still find the link promoting the conference here.  http://www.oldworldanvils.com/ironfest.html

Poor Design

Here is a quick example of poor design.  It may not be intrinsically bad design, but is problematic in it’s particular environment.  I acquired some tractor seats at at scrapyard and decided to make three chairs for the studio.  I chose the scroll foot design because I knew that by tweaking the scrolls it would be easy to get all four feet touching the floor in a stable configuration.  So far, so good.

What I failed to see coming was how the scroll being open at the top it was a perfect design for snagging extension cords and other things.  As, I was still building workspaces in the studio, I did have occasion to use extension cords with some regularity, so I had opportunity to prove the design to be a nuisance.

Everything in the workspace is well settled now and I haven’t used an extension cord for quite a while.  The hoses on the torches are well away from the chairs and the shop vac gets used infrequently so the problem seems to have gone away even though I never corrected the chair feet.  Sometimes just ignoring a problem long enough can seem to work.

Quality Ironwork

The metaphysical exploration of the nature of quality was the theme of Robert Pirsig’s novel Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_and_the_Art_of_Motorcycle_Maintenance  I read the book a couple of times quite a few years ago.  I was intrigued by the notion that being open to using all our potential tools rational and romantic and not being uncomfortable with aspects which can seen contradictory can open creative insights and increase our enjoyment of the world.

I think something in that applies to the design process in ironwork.  Whatever the piece, sculptural or functional, the physics must work and the aesthetic impression must work.  I’ve never done a piece of public art so I wouldn’t know how to approach that.  My work has been making things for my own use and picking the ones I really like and creating versions for others to consider.  Those are the item which stock the gallery.  Additionally, I make things which clients request.  The first part of that equation is coming up with something which appeals to me and working until it also is what works for the client.

Usually when I get a project request from a client I can get to work on it and complete it in a fairly direct progression by working its components into the already flowing stream of work.  Occasionally, a project gets hung up in the first stage - I can’t figure out how to do it in a way which pleases me.  One project I have started on a number of times making progress here and there but have never been able to tie it all together.  I still have all the test pieces, notes, etc.  I don’t want to turn out something which I don’t like even though it might be acceptable to a client.  It is an irrational obstruction and maybe I should let go of it.  I recently read, in Wired Magazine, a quote attributed to Sheryl Sandberg  about obstacles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheryl_Sandberg  She said something like “When you encounter obstacles, and there will be obstacles, make sure they are external.”

I have another fairly large project hung up just because of my inability to clear enough space for it and also because it was designed when I had a regular assistant.  Now it seems much harder.  Not having enough space is an external problem.  Seeming too hard is an internal problem.

Back in the late 60’s or early 70’s, when our boys were young,  I read a book, Parent Effectiveness Training. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Gordon_(psychologist)  One of the useful concepts is the necessity of figuring out “Who’s problem is it?”  If I get hung up on the “what I think is quality” side, that’s my problem.  Maybe I should just push on and complete something and see what the client has to say about it.  If they are happy, that’s really more important than me being happy.

I have thought about quality and value a lot lately and I will try and remember some of these ideas each time I return to one of those hung up projects.  Maybe I will have a new perspective and make progress.

Texture and Patina

One thing said about craft masters is that they are in control of their tools and techniques. That is what skill is all about. But when it comes to the issue of surface patinas watch out.

Early on in my metalworking experience I was visiting with an artist who said he never agreed to create an exact color surface for a client even if they had the target example in hand. Under no circumstance would he accept an color image. At the time I didn’t think much about it but it wasn’t long before the complicated relationship between the alloy, the surface texture and the finish chemicals sunk in.

My first work taught me something about the differences which can result from fire scale effect differences between the coal forge and the gas forge. The “tooth” and gross texture differences between hot wire brushing, pickling, planishing, sanding and tumbling are remarkable.

One of my first really difficult struggles came when working with a sheet of hot rolled A36. Apparently the alloy differences in the surface made it almost impossible to get an even color with hot waxing. I think that may have been when I started experimenting with spraying Minwax polyurethane instead of rubbing with the paste wax.

More recently I have seen a similar problem with creating a rust patina with hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide on A36. If the pieces are from two different batches of A36 the problem is magnified.

The chandelier and pendant images illustrate the color variation due to (in addition to the camera) the different metal stock alloys in the tube, sheet, flat bar, balls and chain, and the surface texture differences between the glass sockets and the smoother tube.

Now that I am aware of some of the potential bummers I have somewhat more control of the process but, really, I don’t mind the help of some serendipity.

http://www.persimmonforge.com/

Buying My Little Giant

I recently put my 50 pound Little Giant up for sale and when visiting with a prospective buyer I recalled something which struck me funny and I have retold the story a lot of times.

I was in Grapevine, Texas June 1-3, 2001 attending the IronFest Blacksmithing Regional Conference when I saw a 50 pound Little Giant chained on a vendor’s trailer. I had never used one but was interested and I lingered for some time studying it and trying to determine it’s condition. I was startled by a fellow who came up behind me and put his hand on my shoulder and said, “That the one you want.” “Really”, I said, “why?” He replied, “Because it will kill you instantly - no suffering.”

Well, that wasn’t exactly the encouragement and advice I was looking for. Eventually, I met Mike George from Alva, Oklahoma who owned the machine and was offering it for sale. I explained that I didn’t know much about them and he explained he didn’t know much about that particular one because he hadn’t done any rebuilding but had just confirmed the motor would run it.

After a while we worked out an arrangement in which neither of us had much to lose. I’d pay him when he delivered it and If I tried it and wasn’t satisfied he’d take it back and pick it up and repay me. Everything worked fine and that was the beginning of a nice friendship and ten year of enjoyment using my Little Giant before I started making my own power hammers.

It was also a very enjoyable conference, a bit hot, but Frank Turley, Mike Boone, Wendel Broussard and Jeff Mohr gave nice demonstrations and I learned quite a bit and was lucky to buy the Boone-Broussard collaborative grille at the fund-raising auction. It’s a really nicely executed piece and I’ve enjoyed having it on the wall in our entry hall where I see it every day.

http://www.persimmonforge.com/

Unconscious Design

Every designer must settle on some methods of imagination which usually works for them. I have become comfortable with a method which relies a lot on my unconscious processes.

While writing this I came across this note which I wrote in 1997.

“I think most of us agree that there is something we call “the back of our mind.” If I can’t figure out how to do something or I can’t remember something I once knew I can rely on coming up with the answer if I pose the question clearly and relax and go confidently on to other things. When the answer has been prepared it will push out into consciousness. It is not a mysterious thing. It is how mind works.

I put a lot of trust in it. When an answer pops up it is pleasing to see how the process is so dependable. You say, “Sure but what you don’t remember is the times that noting ever came back up.” Perhaps. I just figure that those questions were determined to be unproductive and the unconscious trash-canned them for me. Thanks.”

I picked up two commission projects this week which will take some planning. Right away I made notes about the plans and did a little research. I set up folders to collect more material as it came in. Now with that much preliminary work done, I will move back to current work. I anticipate that periodically things will occur to me which will move these new designs along, Somehow that skeleton will flesh out and soon a satisfactory conclusion will appear.

Sometimes jobs come with a lot of instructions and specifications in which case it’s mostly a construction challenge. The opposite type , complete artistic license, job presents more of a design challenge. I usually enjoy both types. In the final analysis it’s just about solving the clients problem.

I’ll come back to the design theme from another angle later in “Making work tell a story.”

http://www.persimmonforge.com/

Fire in the Hole

I like to use solid rivets. Emphasizing the joinery sometimes seems to dress up a piece which may otherwise be rather plain. They are a traditional or classical element whose use goes back to the Bronze Age.

Their nearly universal use in blacksmith tongs illustrates their advantage in being easily removable permitting repair and modifications.

If you do an image search for a rivet hammer, handheld type, not the air power hammer type, you will get the typical light cross peen variety. I’ve got a couple and rarely use them for anything especially rivets. A ball peen works best for me, at least in forming a rounded head. A flatter face is better for flush rivets or flat, low profile, ones. Maybe that’s what the rivet hammer is good for. The light weight which favors quick high velocity blows does make sense.

I only recently learned that in store-bought rivets the formed end is called the factory end and the one I form by upsetting, bucking, is called the shop end. That makes sense too. The shop end is also called the buck tail which seems to take a little more imagination to make sense. I suppose the factory end is the head and the shop end is the tail formed by bucking.

When bucking the factory end is supported by a rivet set to keep it steady and to preserve the head radius. I make mine by heating a block of steel and hammering in a carbon steel ball part way or using the press to do that. Various radius impressions can be done in a single block or individually. Incidentally some people seem to call the tool a rivet snap.

For most rivets I cut the shaft so the material available for upsetting is about 1.5 to 2.0 times the shaft diameter.

I usually slightly over-drill the rivet hole or slightly oversize the diameter with a punch or drift.

The out of usual context of this title occurred to me as I was heating a tenon in the process of peening. The punched hole was intentionally slightly larger than the diameter of the tenon so assembly would be easy but a tight fit was the goal. Directing the torch flame down the hole heated the base of the tenon, or rivet, so the following top blows would upset the shank to pretty well fill the hole. The next heats are directed at the tip of the tenon so it will mushroom to cover the hole and capture the bar. This is a small detail but sometimes important.

Another detail to consider with tenons, or rivets, and their corresponding fit holes is to make them both out-of-round, in other words, oval. There is extra rotational stability with this shape. Of, course it requires making an oval drift to prepare the holes. I’ve mostly used this on small items like delicate feet on small trivets.

In the process of making a lot of botanical stems I use a lot of 40d and 60d common nails. I use a cold stock shear to cut off the heads and gripper section. This leaves a lot of flat head rivet material. Common nails are tough and soft - I’m guessing about 1010 carbon steel alloy and work nicely as rivets.

I’m in the process of reworking some old inexpensive tongs which I picked up years ago in flea markets to form some more useful ones. I’ll likely have to make all those larger rivets myself. Fortunately I have some old rivet headers which I also found back in my flea market wandering days.

http://www.persimmonforge.com/

Milwaukee Points of Interest

By coincidence I left for a short vacation the morning after the September 11, 2001 twin towers attack. One of the places we visited was Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum in Milwaukee. Built in 1924 in Italian Renaissance style it displays some of the historic ironwork from the Milwaukee studio of master blacksmith Cyril Colnik. I think the collection was well worth seeing as was the recently constructed Neptune Gate at the garden entrance. http://www.villaterracemuseum.org/collections.html

The next day we visited the Milwaukee School of Engineering, MSOE, where Lauren was working on her engineering degree. She introduced us to a recently donated art collection which was being temporarily stored in the student union. This was the fabulous Grohmann collection. I later was given a copy of the book, Man at Work: 400 Years in Paintings and Bronzes: Labor and the Evolution of Industry in Art, which beautifully describes the art work. The collection now has new museum quarters which I have not yet visited.

From the books rear cover: “This volume presents the Eckhart G. Grohmann Collection at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. The collection consists of more than 400 paintings and bronzes, depicting work and industry. It comprises a time span of 400 years and allows a comprehensive insight into the history of individual labor, trades, industry and technology as interpreted by a large variety of artists in many countries. This volume is directed to those with an interest in the historical evolution of human work.” It is also available on a CD. A significant portion of the art is related to iron production and blacksmithing.

I recommend that artists and blacksmiths put these museums on their “points of interest” list when they are traveling in the area.

http://www.msoe.edu/about_msoe/manatwork/museum.shtml

http://www.amazon.com/Man-Work-Paintings-Evolution-Industry/dp/B000E4KV1U

http://www.persimmonforge.com/

What is a blacksmith?

Someone once told me the world was divided into two types of thinkers, lumpers and splitters. That was the opinion of a splitter.

Thinking about classification of crafts and trades I always had in my mind that the name of the largest set was “metalworker” and the subsets were “blacksmith”, “machinist”, “Goldsmith”, “Tinsmith”, etc.
Then there were the subsets of blacksmithing such as Farrier, armorer, bladesmith, etc.

I tried out some Wikipedia searches to see how others thought about this and was somewhat surprised to find that the metalworking article had almost nothing to say about blacksmithing and was almost entirely about what I think of as machining. My thinking was refined a bit more when I checked out the bladesmith article and noted the contemporary distinction between bladesmith and knifemaker.

The question, “What is a blacksmith?”, or “What does a blacksmith do?”, and many related forms of the question often comes up at demonstrations. The answer is usually tailored to the imagined sophistication of the enquirer. But, what about the blacksmith? How does he or she think about how they are defined?

For me, the craftsman is defined by the tools and processes of the craft. The blacksmith uses heat metal with fire and shapes it with hammer and anvil and other forming tools.

Given the way our minds work, we often think in terms of bipolar opposition or contrasting pairs, synonyms and antonyms. So what best contrasts with blacksmithing? I think it is machining. That goes along with how I’ve thought about this ever since I heard an instructor say, “Blacksmiths move metal while machinists remove metal.”

As a practical mater, I announce myself as a blacksmith, yet I frequently use the tools and processes of the machinist, so maybe, to be honest, I should just say I’m a metalworker. My approach to work is to get it done “by any means necessary.” I think it’s good practice to give credit to the source of an idea or a phrase but do I have to say I borrowed that one from Malcolm X who borrowed it from Jean Paul Sartre?

Check out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut. Blacksmiths produce objects such as gates, grilles, railings, light fixtures, furniture, sculpture, tools, agricultural implements, decorative and religious items, cooking utensils, and weapons.
Despite common usage, the person who shoes horses is a farrier, rather than a blacksmith. Many farriers have carried out both trades, but most modern or engineering smiths do not...............The term "blacksmith" comes from the activity of "smiting" iron or the "Black" metal - So named due to the color of the metal after being heated (a key part of the blacksmithing process)..............Forging is the process in which metal is shaped by hammering. Forging is different from machining in that material is not removed by it; rather the iron is hammered into shape.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machinist
A machinist is a person who uses machine tools to make or modify parts, primarily metal parts, a process known as maching. This is accomplished by using machine tools to cut away excess material much as a woodcarver cuts away excess wood to produce his work

http://www.persimmonforge.com/

Bill Fiorini

My wife checks all the e-mail and reads the newspaper and clips what is important for me to see. Today, sadly, she gave me an e-mail from ABANA saying Bill Fiorini Passed Away on 4 Jun 2011.

I only met him once at the Rocky Mountain Smiths conference in 1999. I didn't have much experience at the time and wasn't really interested in blades or Damascus pattern welding but I found his presentation compelling and I watched it all and a lot of what I still know about those things came from his demonstrations. In my estimation, he was a masterful craftsman, artist and teacher and the craft will miss him.

There are some photos of Bill demonstrating at the Houston Area Blacksmith's Association in 2003 at -
http://www.habairon.org/Hammerfest/bfphotos/index.html

Another link at American Bladesmith Society -
http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/index.php?/topic/297-passing-of-master-smith-bill-fiorini/

http://www.persimmonforge.com/

Creating a Rust Patina

A sealed rust patina, I find very appealing and it can be especially useful in outdoor applications. I plan to use it on the outdoor sunflower sculpture on which I am currently working.

In this project I have used the usual 14 gauge material to built the hollow formed stem components but they are not yet fully assembled. Up to this point the pieces are less than 5' in length, which is the maximum my tumbler will accommodate.

I decided to go ahead and start the rust patina process and let it work as I studied how to complete the project and to store all the pieces outside which gives me that much more shop working space and lets the weathering work on the patina naturally.

The surface was cleaned with a degreaser such as acetone or lacquer thinner after tumbling. Then I applied muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid) with a chip brush and immediately sprayed the surface with hydrogen peroxide in a plastic spray bottle.

This will usually produce some rust color almost immediately. I'll return to check on the progress every few minutes and probably brush with the acid another time or two over a half hour period. By then the surface usually looks pretty evenly rusted and after that I use only the peroxide spray another couple of times. I leave the pieces outside to weather until they are ready for final assembly.

The last step will be to apply a sealer when the project is finished and the patina is evenly established. I will use fast drying satin polyurethane as the base coat. Several additional coats of the same can be applied or another type of satin sealer which is compatible with it. I have experimented with several finish combinations to find what works for me and what doesn't.

http://www.persimmonforge.com/

Finding a Niche

When I became interested in blacksmithing and started my first first forging efforts I had no sense of direction to the work. I was only interested in acquiring capability in general. As time went on and I accomplished more work I continued to cast a wide net and attempted to make many different things. Eventually I could make a lot of things but none really well.

This wasn't a bad strategy for a beginner in my situation where there was no living-breathing instructor, only books. Progress depends mostly on practice, anyway, I think. My further experience path was directed by the specific projects which clients requested. Some proved more satisfying than others and I started narrowing the vision of which things I wanted to do and which I didn't. By concentrating on the most interesting types of work I improved my skill in those areas and the overall satisfaction of the creativity increased.

Large architectural work is not for me. I mostly work alone and don't have the strength of youth and endurance necessary for heavy projects. I prefer smaller projects involving natural forms particularly botanical elements. I incorporate many different kinds of them into various sculptural decorations.

Currently I'm working three projects which employ forging and fabricating hollow forming techniques which I have developed over the years and enjoy using. One is a large sunflower sculpture which will hang on the outside west wall of my studio. The second is a large pair of interior doors which present a woodland scene. And the third is three runs of grape vine hand rail. All include stem, trunk and vine elements up to 3" round. Obviously, solid stock can't work in those applications because the weight would be enormous. I have encountered this design problem many times and find the hollow forming an ideal solution. The closed shape lends great strength with little actual mass.

I can briefly describe the process as follows. Mostly I use 14 gauge HRS sheet but sometimes 18 gauge if even lighter weight is required. I request the steel supplier shear the 14 gauge into pieces 2' to 3' in length and about 4" in width. This size is easy to work given the tools I use.

The first step is to run all the sheet through the coal forge to fire scale and anneal. Next I run the stock through the tumbler with steel aggregate for about 20 minutes. This knocks off all the scale and leaves the surface with a very fine pitted and planished texture which will eventually be the "tooth" which holds the finish in place.

The second step is to heat the sheets again in the coal fire and boldly texture the surface with one of a number of bottom dies I have made for the power hammers which produce specific bark patterns.

Next, I use the flypress with a bottom trough die and top ball die to bend the sheet into the desired radius of concavity needed for the fabrication of the final form. If the sheet is 4" wide and the final form is a branch about 1.25" in diameter (4/pi) I can completely close the tube by switching the top ball die to a top trough die. I don't strive to create a symmetrical pipe as some undulation will be desirable in the finished product.

Finally I place the tube in the post vise and close the seam with a MIG weld bead then fuse the seam with the oxy-acetylene torch and run the finished piece through the tumbler again.

The final structure will require some tapers and bends rather than just single diameter tubes. Tapers are formed by cutting the sheets into elongated trapezoids which are then tubed. Bends can be complicated but often require removing and replacing various geometrical areas.

I find this building process fascinating and I am happy that I have found this niche technique. To each his own.

http://www.persimmonforge.com/

Inventory Time

At year end, when the hustle and bustle of the holidays is past, it is time to focus on preparing for tax season and also plan the work schedule for the coming year.

Optimistically, Betty will put all the income/expense records in order and I will concentrate on the inventory. I once dreaded this chore even when there was much less accumulation to account. Now I find some enjoyment and satisfaction in the process and it has become much easier.

From my perspective the least useful goal of the inventory is to satisfy the accountant who will then satisfy the IRS.

One of the most helpful activities is looking at each thing and making a status decision. “Is this useful and should be kept?” “Should this be sold, gifted, converted to something else, etc?” Clearing away less useful items opens more work space and the less the clutter the easier it is to find the things I really need.

In most cases it has been a year since I last really took specific notice of each item. In most cases there is no change in the status. Occasionally there is an “ah-ha” moment where I have a new insight about how to do something or use something in a new way.

In the early years there were a lot of discovery moments, “Oh, that’s where I left it!” Thankfully, most of that experience is a thing of the past.

The biggest change in the inventory this year will be in equipment. I replaced a MIG welder, bought a used compressor, built a hydraulic forging press and an electric reversing bar twister, and two heavier spare tire power hammers and a number of dies. I’m selling my 50 pound Little Giant. The metal and consumable supply stock has remained rather stable in recent years.

This is also the time to reflect on what has been accomplished in the past year and plan what I want to do this new year and even further into the future.

2011 will necessarily a lot different from 2010. I will not have the assistance of a very capable certified welder friend whose youth and strength I came to rely heavily on for several years. He has moved California and, optimistically, better job opportunities. I’m going to adjust the scale of my work to match my own physical capabilities. I’ll have to improve my TIG skills too.

http://www.persimmonforge.com/

Hurry Up Jobs

My operational intent is to work on commission projects on a first-come-first-served basis. In practice it is hard for outsiders to see this working.

Usually several projects are in varying states of progress simultaneously and each will take a different length of time to complete. I move from one to the other in what I judge to be the most efficient manner, but, interruptions do occur.

Breakdown of some essential piece of equipment is sometimes a problem but can largely be mitigated with a good redundancy plan. I’ll write about that in a later post.

I am most likely to take on interrupting work if the request is based on a safety issue. For instance, twice this year I have had to do handrail projects because the homeowner was concerned about a fall risk.

In the fall I have a period in which my schedule is frequently interrupted by a chimney sweep friend. He is an expert on fireplace safety and when his customers start calling for inspections and cleaning he starts showing up with urgent requests for firebacks and smoke guards and other items needed for fire safety. So again this seems like a legitimate excuse to accommodate his schedule so I don’t sense any conscience conflict.

However, I feel like I’m stepping out onto the slippery slope when people, usually friends, call and request something for a birthday, anniversary, of holiday gift. So far, I’ve always caved into those request too. Fortunately, these items are ordinarily small things and sometimes I have some completed items from which they can choose.

Finally, here comes the Christmas season. The Arts Council features an “Art Gifts” display, there is a “Holiday Gift Shop” run by a consortium of regional artists and there is an “Artists Open House” weekend gallery shortly before Christmas. All these require production of an inventory of items appropriate to the gallery.

After the opening of the new year there is a three or four month period of calm when I can get a lot of client work completed. I’m really looking forward to that now.

http://www.persimmonforge.com/

Cracked Fingers

Maybe I’m just abnormally clumsy or inattentive but I think I manage to acquire at least one minor wound a day a welding splatter burn, a burr cut, a bruised thigh just at anvil horn height, whatever. Thankfully I’ve never gotten seriously injured but the injury squeamish person might argue that’s just a definition of terms issue.

Those are random and quickly resolving unpleasant nuisances but cracked fingers are an enduring aggravation. I was going to take a picture of one of the cracks but I found a nice illustration on a better looking finger at this URL.

http://www.planetfear.com/blog.php?id=77

It is even more disturbing that I can’t seem to figure out exactly why this happens.

The cracking season begins around Halloween and lasts until just about income tax filing time - half of he year. The splits develop on the tip of some fingers at the tip of the fingernail on the side nearest my little fingers and are more prominent on right, dominant, hand.

Maybe this is a genetic thing with environmental overtones. One of my sons, a working carpenter, shares the pain of the finger splits so we can compare and share our experiences.

So, what can be done about this malady? I have some suggestions based on my experiments. First, I think keeping the nails trimmed short and well manicured can help. Second, Using skin softening products on the calloused areas on a regular basis, daily or more often. I carry a Chap Stick tube in my pocket. I keep a couple of jars of Udder Balm in the studio and a plastic tube of Gold Bond Ultimate Healing lotion in the pickup and at my computer work station. I believe all these products, and probably many which I haven’t tried, help heal or prevent the painful cracks, but I haven’t found a real magic bullet so I’ll be dealing with this until the trees leaf out next spring. Worse yet, Chapped Lip Season is coming soon too and will run almost as long.

http://www.persimmonforge.com/

My "No Risk" Policy

At the beginning of every commission project I feel it is important to gain the confidence of the client and, as much as possible, put them at ease about the process. Most of the people I deal with know little about ironwork or the commission process.

Most of the projects I contract can be completed for less that $1,000.00. I’m not really into the business of larger architectural work which would typically run a lot more and in those cases I would work out a step by step approval and partial payment arrangement.

A lot of my projects contain elements, particularly botanical elements, which could be used in other projects so they are not stringently dedicated to a particular work. Therefore, quite often, I can tell the clients if they aren’t pleased with the end result, they don’t have to buy it. I’ll start over and we’ll get it right. I believe I can sell their intended work in another venue or I can salvage components to use elsewhere even it it’s just for a studio illustration model. That gives them a “no risk” entry point.

My best advertising comes from word of mouth recommendations from clients so I want them satisfied. So far, I haven’t had a client reject a piece of commissioned work.

There is a flip side to the “no risk” notion which occurs to me. When I make a new style something or a new type something there is a learning process and it may take several tries to get a design which I find really appealing. Along the way there are those prototype pieces which are good enough to put out for sale but only time will tell if they are popular and will sell for what I think they are worth. From time to time I look over what has been shown a couple of times and hasn’t sold. I can’t really know if it’s just not appealing or the price is too high so to gain further insight into the issue I’ll donate the work to one of the community charity auctions and see what it brings. For me that makes the process of developing new work a “no risk” deal. Either I can sell the piece or I can help raise money for worthy causes and I learn more about the art ironwork business all at the same time. There is no way to lose if the end result must be income or charitable donation and always the entertainment and enjoyment of creative work.

http://www.persimmonforge.com/

Working Fast

Getting client work out the door and billed quickly is the engine of cash flow.

I came to the conclusion early on that with the type of things I was doing I couldn’t get along without a power hammer if I wanted to make money. I didn’t know much about them but took a leaf of faith and bought a 50 pound late model Little Giant from a friend. I then went to Sid Sudemier’s class in Nebraska City to learn how to rebuild them.

It has served me well and I have have done a couple of rebuilds and made various modifications and still use it every day. However, if I were starting out today I would build a spare tire power hammer (STPH).

At the 2008 BAM conference I bought a set of plans from Clay Spencer (designed by Ray Clontz) then went home and built mine with a few variations. It works very well and has a number of advantages over my 50 pound LG. It hits straight down not with the slightly glancing blow delivered by my LG. But probably more importantly I can fix everything myself quickly as nearly all the parts can be found locally.

Another aspect of working efficiently revolves around the most efficient way to heat what I’m working with. I found there were distinct advantages to making both a coal forge and a gas forge. I use the coal forge for working stock with large mass and stock that requires higher heat or is too awkward for the gas forge.

I use the gas forge when I need to work many small pieces simultaneously. I make a lot of small leaves and other plant parts to use in botanical sculptures. These are laser-cut blanks of usually 12 gauge 1011 steel. I can put 10 or twenty into my gas forge at a time and don’t fear losing any to oxidation.

After using a rectangular gas forge for several years and being frustrated by it’s fixed 6” square inlet I decided to make one of loose firebrick so I could shape the chamber to suit what I’m working with. It’s a bit slower to heat up because it doesn’t have the reflective refractory lining but I think the flexibility offsets that disadvantage. I still have the old forge to use if it seems a better choice. My propane tanks and forges are equipped with quick-connects so switching is easy.

Another part of working quickly is avoiding as much effort as possible in removing fire scale and that is where my tumbler comes in, and that’s a future story.

http://www.persimmonforge.com/

What Women Want

Perhaps the most legendary American artist blacksmith associated with the resurgence of interest in the field of blacksmithing was Francis Whitaker. He apprenticed under the great Philadelphia artist metalworker, Samuel Yellen, and, in Germany, with Julius Schramm.

He returned to the United States and executed his talent first in Carmel, California, where his friends and clients included many well-known figures, then relocated and established his mountain forge in Aspen, Colorado. In the final chapter he moved to Carbondale, Colorado, and made a living/working agreement with The Colorado Rocky Mountain School. They built a teaching smithy and his living quarters and he worked and taught there until the end of his life.

I have felt many times that I have benefited from extraordinarily good luck. My meeting with Francis Whitaker qualifies as one example.

In the very early phase of shifting my “retirement business” plans from woodworking to metalworking I learned of ABANA and subscribed to “The Anvil’s Ring”. I felt excited to learn of living-breathing-teaching artist blacksmiths and an upcoming conference offered by the Rocky Mountain Smiths at Carbondale in August, 1996. I eagerly mailed my registration.

The event gave me a great deal of stimulation and satisfaction. I had no idea at the time of the importance of Francis Whitaker or that this conference would stand as his last teaching event.

A noon break offered an opportunity to buy some of his books. I picked out his Beautiful Iron and The Blacksmith's Cookbook . Then I had the opportunity to sit down with Francis and visit while he autographed the books. He asked a few questions about my background then proceeded to do his autographs. He then rather pointedly asked if I knew about Cyril Colnik. Luckily, I recently watched a television documentary about Colnik, a German immigrant blacksmith who became locally famous in the Milwaukee area in the early 1900’s.

Francis seemed very pleased that I recognized his name and asked what I knew about him. I told him what I knew and he seemed impressed and became very affable. He went on to ask, “Son, do you plan to make any money doing this?” I replied, “Sure, I hope so.” Then he said, “Well then, you’d better make what women want because men will come to your shop and admire all your tools but the woman will say, ‘I’d like to buy one of those.’” I took his advise seriously, as I think he meant it, and and it has worked well for me. The preponderance of my most satisfying work comes from the requests of women.

http://www.persimmonforge.com/