Hi all,

I've just finished installing my first ironwork job and wanted to share some pictures.  Admittedly there wasn't a lot of smithing involved here, almost everything was done cold.  There are a lot of details here that I'd sort out if I were doing the job again, but overall I'm really happy with the result.

The job was new candelabra for our local church for their annual Christmas carols by candlelight event.  The arrangement they had been using was made by a local farmer and was definitely showing its age (lots of tobacco tins, bits of fibreboard and ad-hoc clamps involved).  The job was made more challenging by rules that no changes could be made to the fabric of the church building without approval from the diocesan chancellor.  Fortunately, there were anchor points at the tops of the arches and holes already drilled in the window sills that could be used for mounting.

I'm really pleased with what I've achieved - I hope you like it too.

These window-sill fittings were the first to go in.  I'm looking forward to seeing these lit at night from the outside.

These four chandeliers were next to go in.  A dozen candles on each one.  These are probably the best of everything I've done, but I still wish I'd fish-tailed the ends of the scrolls.  There's a slightly complicated system of hooks and loops so that you can lower them about three feet for easier replacement of candles.  We've done it with them lit but it's slightly hair-raising and I think in the end we'll light and snuff them in-place.

Last to go in were these sconces on the pillars.  The sconces are fitted to ratchet straps (like you'd use to tie down the load on a trailer) by poking a soldering iron through the strap to make a sealed hole, then putting a pop rivet through each hole with a washer on the outside.  Ten sconces per strap.  I was worried that these would flap around a bit, but the straps ratchet up very tight with almost no stretch and hold them very solidly.  These were the first of the pillar straps to go in; each pillar gets another strap set about the top of the straight section of the pillar with another ten sconces.

And this shows everything together, as well as the Christmas tree which went in last weekend!  In all, 132 candles (four more than the previous arrangement!) mounted around the nave of the church.

They look great

Nice work. It makes me happy to see a blacksmith getting work that will be enjoyed by the community.

Pnut

I would agree and probably more work will come of it

A nice very clean job.   Hopefully all the candles will help warm up all that stone too!

Very nice work, looks very professional 

Not only nice work but that is a gorgeous Church. Would love to see more of that stained glass. 

One of the things i loved about being stationed in Europe was getting to see all that old architecture. We have some pretty cool stuff here in the states but nothing like some of the old monasteries, convents, and castles across the pond.  

Very nice is an understatement, and the use of ratchet straps for the pillar's is ingenious indeed.

Beautiful work Tom7! Please take another pic when all the candles are lit and the electric lights are down low. And I second BillyBones' sentiment - beautiful church!

LittleBlacksmith, good to see you posting again and good to see more of your stellar work!

As requested, see below.  For those interested in the church, it is partly 15th century, but largely torn down, rebuilt and expanded by the Victorians.  It's nowhere special - a small village church in Somerset.

I disagree. That is indeed somewhere special.

Those pics are like stepping back in time. I love it. 

Nailed it, well done.

Excellent job Tom, clean humble and lasting. Perfect.

Living where I do a 100 yr old building is rare, they usually burn down much sooner. I savor every glimpse of old stone architecture I can get. Were I to travel to your half of the planet I'd probably spend all my time examining old stone and wood. Thankfully there are old pubs so I wouldn't starve.

Thanks for the look.

Frosty The Lucky.

Good work, realy like it. 

Beautiful work, sir. Well done!

Mr. Tom 7,

One word describes the work and over-all esthetic,

SPECTACULAR.

Well done,

SLAG.

Outstanding work, both in aesthetic and ingenuity.  Are these just for the Christmas season and come down after 12th Night or do they stay up all year?  Please tell us the name of the church and the village if you can.  I have spent some time in Somerset and may have been through or near this place.  I have always loved the Summer Country.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

very nice

Thank you for sharing those photos. Just BEAUTIFUL!  And yes, it's special. And you had a hand in making it so.

I really do like the old stone architecture. Even call it ancient by our American standards of what is considered old.

Beautiful!