September 3, 201213 yr I am going with my wife to New Orleans next week for a conference she has at work and will have four days to wonder around and see the sights. Having never been there, can anyone familiar with the city point me in the right direction to see some outstanding iron work. I know there must be some given New Orleans place in history. Thanks, Mike
September 3, 201213 yr The ironwork in the Big Easy is mostly cast...... :( , but I'm sure there are exceptions........ B)
September 3, 201213 yr There is some fairly nice hardware on their big nighttime wooden shutters. I was there is 1973 and went downtown to 2nd hand stores buying old hinges and bolts for about 75 cents to one dollar each.Those days are over. Everyone brags on The Corn Fence, which is cast, painted green and yellow, and garish.
September 6, 201213 yr As Mac pointed out, most of what you are going to see there is cast iron. Shutter and door hinges some are forged, some are welder creations made modern with pipe barrels welded to cut straps. I recomend you check out the fence at the Cabildo, in Jackson Square. hammered pointed pickets, and pierced rail . Tall and curved it is a nice bit o work. Suprisingly it is a modern re-creation as the Cabildo burned in the early eighties!
September 6, 201213 yr Some mood music for the Big Easy. enjoy your trip.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8u2GfNqaHo&feature=related
September 6, 201213 yr I doubt there is any real iron work to be seen, but I've always wanted to visit Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop. Pierre Lafitte ran a big easy blacksmith shop that was the legitimate front of the Lafitte brothers pirating enterprise.
September 7, 201213 yr You might find some WI at private residences in the area. Is the Big Easy plantation country? Anyway, it's a thought, if it's a dumb one, it's that darned TREE'S fault! <having an excuse is such a grand thing> Frosty the Lucky.
September 7, 201213 yr Frosty; it's coming on heating season again---are you taking precautions? The trees may be lining up another hit on you...
September 7, 201213 yr Author Thanks for all the replys. I will be staying downtown and wiil have plenty of time to walk around and look. I'll keep my eyes open. Never know what I might find.
September 8, 201213 yr Frosty; it's coming on heating season again---are you taking precautions? The trees may be lining up another hit on you... Yes I AM! Heck, I have to build a proper wood shed soon, the old one was more tent and is now more like a tarp. We're buying firewood now, Deb gets darned jumpy if I pick up a chainsaw and I'm not so comfy with one myself. Next time I start cutting trees it'll be after I push them over and pile them up with an excavator. Gotta LOVE an excavator with a thumb. They have the most heavily armored cabs of most equipment, it's really easy to flip a boulder with the bucket or knock something up high over on you. Armor is good, all you really have to worry about is tipping over so I wear the seat belt and now a helmet. Frosty the Lucky.
September 8, 201213 yr You might think me Crazy ! However, Find Lord Chaz Tours ( http://lordchaz.com/ ) and have fun Tell Him A Fellow from Tennessee Sent you . you will get to see all kinds of iron work as well as old castings and get the history behind it . Sam
September 9, 201213 yr Author Lord Chaz looks cool! Might have to forge me out a vampire stake and take it along with my hammer to defend myself !! Thanks for the tip! I'll check it out.
September 10, 201213 yr Wrought Iron Balconies in New Orleans http://architecture.about.com/od/periodsstyles/ss/creole_9.htm
September 10, 201213 yr the first photo is cast iron. Didn't bother looking at the rest. Aye many of the photos don't make a distinction. If you're a bit interested in the local history of blacksmiths in the area.. I found the link near the bottom interesting.. Sadly no real work photos, but it reminded me of that David Lee Murphy song - A little dust on the bottle. :P
September 12, 201213 yr Author I was wondering around the streets of New Orleans yesterday and did find some old hand forged hinges with forge welds where they were folded back and welded around the pin. It was hard to see the hammer marks because of all the paint on them. Also, found an old machine shop and it was real cool. It took up about half a block and the doors opened up on 3 different streets. I like all kinds of metal working and stopped to look in the shop. A guy was working a lathe by one of the doors and came over to talk. He told me what they did there ( general machine shop work mainly for the ship industry ). I asked him did they they do any forging and he said that two guys who did the forging work had got old and retired. He said that at one time they forged a lot of big shackles and hooks, etc. I asked him did they have any of the old tools around. He said that they sold a large forge and power hammer about two years ago!!! I hope it didn't go for scrap. I always seem to be a day late and a dollar short.
September 14, 201213 yr Author Sam, I am having some fun and seeing a lot of different things. I walked down Bourbon Street last night and seen something's that a country boy for Georgia couldn't believe . Guess I've lived a sheltered life.
September 15, 201213 yr OOOHH yes you have :lol: I spent a week In New Orleans, and some time on Bourbon St and the French Quarter it was wild the night time is the best . Sam
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