Ian

Always good to see more Englishmen arrive, even better when they stay. There's a lot of folks from all over the world here to pick the brains of, enjoy yourself.

Those piccies look lovely John.

Great to get to have a brew and a natter today, always nice to put a face to a name and to know there are fellow tykes venturing south of the border I hope you or some of the lads can make it over to the shinding in August, I'll let you know if the fifth is a definite goer as soon as I can. It's not down to me but the 'powers' so it's anybodies guess. If we can myself and Sean will try and make it down for the Iforge weekend too. Funds and time permitting. Tomorrow we're off to do a demo at a local show and we've got two messages about other possibles as well. Things are starting to move, this is the one pace forward I was telling you about!

all the best

Hi John,
I've heard of the NHIG and support what they stand for (even knowing I wouldn't meet their standards just yet, still gives me something to aim at eh?) I've no transport but I'll speak to Sean and try and convince him it's something we should go to. It's be a great chance to meet Lucy and the family and have a look at Fire and Iron. If you're going it'd be a chance for me to fill you in on the trials and tribulations I'm going through in person, give me a ring tomorrow afternoon if you like and I'll have a definite answer (07899780703). Can't make any promises mind, like I say, not my van but I will do my absolute best.
Sunday we've got a demonstration day at a local event in London, looks like a busy weekend may be in store :D

Very nice stuff John, any chance you can show us the rivet header/snap you used for attaching the scroll. There's not a lot of room between the back of the rivet and the scroll and it'd be nice to see how you did it.

You'd be more than welcome to stop by my shed when you're back in blighty phil. It's central London, Stepney way. Send me a PM if you're interested

She'll be right Phil, Sheila's dig scars....
I'm with you 100% about not having folks sitting down near the anvil, either hand or power. Done it myself and ended up with a hot off cut sitting in my lap winking at me thanks to Brother Sean working six feet away. Lucky I had my apron on......
I'm trying to get hold of some decent polycarbonate or THICK perspex to make shields for when I start demoing at the farm or out in the wilds. H & S is bonkers over here at the best of times, when you throw ankle biters into the mix it's not even funny

Hi John, I'm really sorry, I've been so busy I haven't had a chance to log onto the site for ages and I completely missed this weekender. I'll try and see if we (myself and Sean) can make it over for the one in September (I looked on the guilds website) We might even try coming along to one of the shows the guilds at nearer to London before then.
If I get a chance I'll send you an email with a bit of a progress report regarding what we've managed at the Farm in Stepney, it's not been, nor is is yet, all plain sailing but things are moving forwards. We might be having the Farm relaunch in early August now, but that's to be confirmed. As I say I'll fill you in on the details by email. Sorry I missed what looked like a good weekend and please consider yourselves welcome to come up to the smoke to say hello any time you're in this neck of the woods.

Ian

You take off your glasses after a days work and the room gets noticeably brighter? You then have to blow on your glasses to make sure it stays that way. They make a crackly rasping sound when you put them back on? (fine grit really is a pain).

Latin fun:

Ad Malleus et Manus omnis artes statumen

There are a lot of things you can make quicker than trying to explain them Ian,

If I do a full length tapered twist for the body/tail, I find the worst bit is if you try and loop the tail round on itself, them diamonds don't like it.

Agreed mate, they have a tendency to try and warp/move so you lose the nice straight lines from the chisel. Thinking on it, would putting a twist into the tail as you looped it round on itself help? I'm thinking that your stretching the outside and compressing the inside so a twist might let you keep the lines in order by off setting that. I've got a dead clear image of what I mean in me head and can't explain it properly > Might just have to make one and try it for myself to see whether I'm talking claptrap or not...

Sorry John, I wasn't clear what I meant by a four way twist hammered back to flat. As you rightly say four cuts down the centre of the bar, twist a set number of times, flatten back to square, four new incisions down the new centres, then twist back in the opposite direction half the first number. I could have made one faster than trying to explain myself properly. LOL
I helped a student (Manni) make a dragon door knocker that had a tapering pineapple twist for the body and tail. Fun but quite challenging to make it look right.
here's the link: http://www.iforgeiron.com/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&section=viewimage&img=25319

If I was making that shape I'd forge it from square stock. Make a very short 90 degree bend in the stock. Forge down a shoulder right next to the bend, leaving the mass for the hammer head over the edge of the anvil and then shape that to roughly the shape of one side of the hammer, draw down the handle, then split the piece down the middle of the mass left for the head and fold out the two halves.

I don't suppose anyone has a source for these in the UK do they?

The fifth one along is something I know under two names. Pineapple twist or Dragonscale twist. I really like them, they're a four way twist hammered back to square, incised four ways again then twisted in the opposite direction. If memory serves you count the number of twists in the first direction then go half that number back? Last time I did one I just did it by eye, when the diamonds lined up I stopped. ;P

It could have been better but then again it could have been a lot worse. I agree that Monty Don is a bit of a tool but hey, he's helping to raise the crafts profile so don't burn his house down. I laughed at the bit where a hot cut was left in the hardy and was surprised that the cockney lad scored so poorly but one mans taste is not another's.
Overall it was an enjoyable show and entertaining, which is what telly is all about right?
John B, is that convention free or does it require a ticket? If I can make it over there (no transport per seh) I'd like to, if only for the chance to network and meet up with folks

He can at that, like a snake. All it takes is that little 'tch-psssh' you get when you open one of 'his' tinnies

Sorry to hear about Sue bloke, hope she's not too bad again, but please, nuff said with the "All fall down go boom" stuff. You ain't falling over cos there's too many ugly sods around to catch youse. You know where I am.

Uncy Chop Chop....
If'n youse quit or sell a single b---dy thing I will personally get on a plane, come round to youse house and boot youse around like a football or at least until youse get angry, get off your ar-e and start fighting back. Last time I checked you were Dale Russell, THE Dale Russell. My friend and one of the few blokes barring my old man (God rest his bones) who I'll admit I admire.

One of the MAIN reasons I'm still banging my head against the wall of bureaucracy here in London is because of you and the influence you had on me. I met a bloke who was like me, a battler, passionate about what he did and a b---dy good sort too. A bloke who humbled me by his openess and his generosity, by his skills (and yes you are VERY skilled) and by the way he could 'see' how things in iron were possible and how they could be done. A bloke who was always telling me to go for it, that I could do it and that they wouldn't beat me no matter what because I'd gotten iron in my blood and it never comes out.

SO DO YOU you daft old f--t!

What the heff and jeff is this? So your shoulders gone south and that means the butchers you guys call Dr's over there gets to carve you up, it a shonky deal, no ifs or buts but it can be fixed. If it can't then NO-ONE has a better brain to figure out a way round it than you mate.

You never struck me as a quitter mate, never. Hearing you talk like this doesn't sit well at all. If nowt else remember you are Dale Russell, and that means a hell of a lot to some of us bloke.

LOL, I was given the challenge to make an upset rose by Lina Sundin, a wonderful lady Smith, originally from Norway (who works in Orebro in Sweden). I asked her to show me how to make a rose and I think she was having a little fun with me. Took me a while but I did it and surprised her in the process.
The Farm project is still moving, myself and Sean are having a bad time with the weather at the minute so the actual building works are crawling along but we're making tooling and stuff so its not wasted time. We've had the first version of the contract to look at, and asked for a fair few changes to be made so it's a case of waiting for them to re write it and let us go over the next version. I'm pretty sure we'll manage to come to an arrangement that we're all happy with in time. Basically there's a plan to hold a forge in to coincide with the official opening of the forge when we've got the building finished. It's a bit of a piece of string question at the minute but I'm hoping it wont be more than another month or two. I'll be letting everyone know when we're ready so that as many folks as possible can make it over for the day. I'm really looking forward to it. :D

Some really lovely roses John Was anyone brave enough to try doing a rose from one piece of steel? I've done the russian style roses before at demo's, and found a way to make them a little less clunky by adding the lower leaves under the petals on the last wrap around, but only ever done one by upsetting and chiselling, just too much work and time for what you'd get for it. Fine as a 'done it' project but component roses like those are so much more economical in both senses of the word and they look lovely too. Great effort

LOL Frosty, I have no objection to a rambly style at all. I'm just as guilty of it as you are mate. As a quick update the contract was emailed to me yesterday. Very much written in legalise and something that I need to let a few people I know look at. Some things I know from my read through will definitely need amending before I sign it but on the whole it isn't as terrible as it might have been.
In between times progress is being made on the extension to the forge and I've had a chance to make a couple of things, including a nice cube twist candlestick. The reason for that being Sean has possibly found us an 'in' to a very exclusive designer store in London and they might well like to see some examples of what we can do. All things considered this year might turn out to be a pretty interesting one B)

to go at something "hammer and tongs" would mean really "putting the hammer down" wouldn't it?

Hello all,
Still trying to figure out the new site but I figured everyone would want to know how things went so I'm tacking this here. My sincerest apologies for not individually emailing everyone who sent (or is sending, or intends to send) letters of support. They were VERY useful in getting the Board of Directors to see the potential scope of what the Rural Crafts Centre and specifically the Blacksmiths Forge could offer.
So I guess you all want to know what they decided then...........drum roll...

YES!!!!!!

The fine details still need to be formalised and contracts drawn up but as far as it goes we have a green light! Thunderbirds are go!

Now of course the real work will begin but you know what? I don't mind in the least, not a jot. I spent over a year trying to save the Farm by getting involved in how it was run. There is an entirely new Board of Directors and they have the reigns of the Farm. Now I can help by getting the public interested in it again and by generating some of the revenue it sorely needs. It feels great to know that by doing what I do I can still help the place. I'd much rather work myself to death in the Forge than at a computer screen or a council meeting.

As I get chance I'll start posting again under the world tour section until something better can be sorted out.

Once again thank you to every single member of Iforge and to the Blokes and Gals who've helped me along the way. You know who you are


Ian

For a very first try (?) Those aren't too bad at all. If they work then they don't have to be pretty, make the next pair prettier, and the pair after that and so on. I'd suggest you go for a slightly thicker material to make the jaws of the tongs, then draw down the reins. I know it's a lot more hammering but then again it's all practice right? Failing that just make the bit and weld the reins on after with an arc welder or forge weld. Look at the BP section as well, a few good examples of how to make tongs. If you can't find them on here then try over the road at Anvilfire. Keep at it :D

Thanks mate,
I really need as many people as possible who are willing to take the ten minutes needed to write me an email. I hope to print them all out and come January present the Board with a nice big bunch of them to show just how much support the project I'm wanting to do has. Your letter (and everyone else's) will genuinely go a long way to helping me do this.
Everyone who posts here and who's read my blog has an idea of how much effort and time I've put into this dream I've had and it's finally coming down to the wire. I can't tell you how badly I want to do this and make it work, so come on boys and girls, get writing! PLEASE!!!
:D

Hi all,
well it seems to be coming down to it at looooooong last. I have been formally asked by the Board of Stepping Stones Farm (Soon to be renamed Stepney City Farm) to write and submit a final proposal for the Blacksmiths Forge I started on the Farm over a year ago as a volunteer.
This is meant to include a full business plan, projected revenue stream, the whole nine yards in fact.

As part of that I'm wanting to put together a presentation in which I would very much like to include some letters of support. I'm not asking people to recommend me specifically for the job (unless they've seen my work and want to) but rather to write letters supporting the 'idea' of a working forge and it's value to the general public and so on. I'm hoping a few of the blokes I met that remember me might chip in but the simple fact is the more letters I can get saying that a Forge is a worthwhile idea the better the chances that they'll give it a go. I'm hoping that it'll be myself and Sean who get the agreement to run it, but it will have to go to tender first so the more I can impress them the better.
If you look on my profile you'll find my gmail address, could you send your letters there so I can print them out?
It'd be great to throw a massive stack of them on the table at the end of the presentation with the words "Oh yes, by the way, these are letters from Blacksmiths around the world who also think this is a good idea".
The Farm has come a long way in the year or so I've been involved but it still desperately needs some sort of income that isn't tied up as a grant, so far my offer of 25% of what the forge makes is the only possible 'free' revenue maker the place has apart from chicken eggs and manure!
After some serious digging around I believe we (myself and Sean) should be able to put thousands of pounds into the Farms coffers, if we can convince them that this is a project that has real legs, your support might just do that.

Thanks to everyone at IFI for tagging along with my trials and tribulations so far, things are starting to come together!

OK, so a little background on the Farm to help anyone wanting to write a letter.....

The Farm covers 4.3 acres of land in the heart of London, (next to Stepney Green) in the Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is bordered by The City of London, the River Thames, and the East End (all within ten minutes walk of the Farm). It has been in existence for nearly thirty years and was originally derelict land after the Luftwaffe bombed the area during WWII. The local community took over the land and began planting vegetables and keeping small stock and from this it grew into what is now commonly known as a 'City Farm'. These are usually charitable organisations with a mandate to educate inner City children (and adults) about farming and rural life. Something that otherwise they would never experience. Stepping Stones has quite a lot of historical value given that there are several ruins on the land of archaeological importance including one of the oldest Non Conformist Meeting Houses (read: Church) in London, dating from the 16th Century. There are garden plots which the local community use to grow their own food and a wide selection of Farm animals from ducks to pigs and cows.

Essentially the Farm is a place for people to experience a bit of the countryside in the heart of the City.

The idea for the Rural Crafts Centre is to set up a series of 'demonstration' workshops where those 'rare' trades that supported Farming and rural life can be shown. These would be full time workshops (running as profit making businesses) with the workshops set out so that the general public can safely watch the tradesmen at work. The Forge is an intrinsic part of this broader idea and to the best of my knowledge none of the 17 City Farms dotted around London have a Rural Crafts Centre of any kind. Only one other has a Forge but that is run as an entirely private business and the general public are not encouraged to watch the Smith at work.. My idea is to set up three 'core' trade workshops (covering wood, stone/clay and Iron) with an additional open plan workspace for guest trades to come and present demonstrations and classes on a rotating basis. So one month it might be a Cooper, the next a Wheel Wright, the next a Thatcher, and so on while the 'core' trades provide constant year round courses and demonstrations.
Myself, along with Sean, would be the two full time Blacksmiths and we would run the Forge as a truly working forge, taking on commissions, making items for sale and so on. We would also provide demonstrations of Blacksmithing to school groups, and run courses for both adults and children and take on special needs/interest groups as well.

The broad aim for the R.C.C. would be to preserve and promote those traditional crafts and trades that are at risk of being lost in today's society.

My full name and contact details are :

Ian Stuart Lowe
C/O
Stepping Stones Farm
Stepney High Street
London
United Kingom
E1 3DG

email: ianstuartlowe@gmail.com

OK, so a little background on the Farm to help anyone wanting to write a letter.....

The Farm covers 4.3 acres of land in the heart of London, (next to Stepney Green) in the Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is bordered by The City of London, the River Thames, and the East End (all within ten minutes walk of the Farm). It has been in existence for nearly thirty years and was originally derelict land after the Luftwaffe bombed the area during WWII. The local community took over the land and began planting vegetables and keeping small stock and from this it grew into what is now commonly known as a 'City Farm'. These are usually charitable organisations with a mandate to educate inner City children (and adults) about farming and rural life. Something that otherwise they would never experience. Stepping Stones has quite a lot of historical value given that there are several ruins on the land of archaeological importance including one of the oldest Non Conformist Meeting Houses (read: Church) in London, dating from the 16th Century. There are garden plots which the local community use to grow their own food and a wide selection of Farm animals from ducks to pigs and cows.

Essentially the Farm is a place for people to experience a bit of the countryside in the heart of the City.

The idea for the Rural Crafts Centre is to set up a series of 'demonstration' workshops where those 'rare' trades that supported Farming and rural life can be shown. These would be full time workshops (running as profit making businesses) with the workshops set out so that the general public can safely watch the tradesmen at work. The Forge is an intrinsic part of this broader idea and to the best of my knowledge none of the 17 City Farms dotted around London have a Rural Crafts Centre of any kind. Only one other has a Forge but that is run as an entirely private business and the general public are not encouraged to watch the Smith at work.. My idea is to set up three 'core' trade workshops (covering wood, stone/clay and Iron) with an additional open plan workspace for guest trades to come and present demonstrations and classes on a rotating basis. So one month it might be a Cooper, the next a Wheel Wright, the next a Thatcher, and so on while the 'core' trades provide constant year round courses and demonstrations.
Myself, along with Sean, would be the two full time Blacksmiths and we would run the Forge as a truly working forge, taking on commissions, making items for sale and so on. We would also provide demonstrations of Blacksmithing to school groups, and run courses for both adults and children and take on special needs/interest groups as well.

The broad aim for the R.C.C. would be to preserve and promote those traditional crafts and trades that are at risk of being lost in today's society.

My full name and contact details are :

Ian Stuart Lowe
C/O
Stepping Stones Farm
Stepney High Street
London
United Kingom
E1 3DG

email: ianstuartlowe@gmail.com