Blacksmiths?

Ginja Ninja

Well I'm a hobbyist blacksmith and just said I'd ask here as farmers would be fairly close to metalwork[in general] If any of you would know of any blacksmiths?[in ireland] I can't find any decent info

Also,it's handy thing to have lads.My forge is made of a brake drum from a Transit and about 8 ft of piping and a welder.I've made pins for all our gates that can't fall out and a "lickproof" latch for a calf pen.

I'll put up some photos if anyone is interested[or I'll shut up if your not]

maidhc

Would you not be better off with a lathe and a decent welder?

Certainly I use the services of a local engineering shop quite a lot, and I think they have replaced the blacksmith in Ireland.

Ginja Ninja

I've an arc welder a bench grinder and an angle grinder.Blacksmiths have moved into modern ages too you know .But there's still plenty you just can't do any other way.And add to the fact its FREE[I'm a bit of a Tinker when it comes to spending money when I can bodge it myself]

Casinoking

I only know of one blacksmith, well knew he'd be getting fairly long in the tooth by now so don't know if he's still operating. I'm sure there are a few still knocking about, but not for general repairs. I'd say they're into more specialist work, gates and railings and the like, both new and repairing old ones.

JohnBoy

post up some pics definitely.

I do lots of small bits of fabrication too.

westwicklow

JohnBoy wrote: »

post up some pics definitely.

I do lots of small bits of fabrication too.

+1

Casinoking

I think most of us do some fabrication, but that's not exactly what I'd call a blacksmith!!

Ginja Ninja

What WOULD you describe a blacksmith as?

JohnBoy

Casinoking wrote: »

I think most of us do some fabrication, but that's not exactly what I'd call a blacksmith!!

Agreed, never claimed to be a blacksmith, just that I enjoy metalwork, sorry


to answer the ninja's question I think smithing is defined by the use of the forge.

anything else is metalwork/fabrication/machining etc. but smithing is the working of metal heated in a forge.

Post up pics of your forge, what are your heat/air sources

www.shopfloortalk.com might be of interest to you.

Casinoking

JohnBoy wrote: »

Agreed, never claimed to be a blacksmith, just that I enjoy metalwork, sorry


to answer the ninja's question I think smithing is defined by the use of the forge.

anything else is metalwork/fabrication/machining etc. but smithing is the working of metal heated in a forge.

Post up pics of your forge, what are your heat/air sources

www.shopfloortalk.com might be of interest to you.

Exactly my thinking, a blacksmith is someone who uses a forge to heat and shape metal. Using a welder, drill or angle grinder is cheating!

vincenzolorenzo

westwicklow wrote: »

+1

+2

blue5000

I used to do a bit of it, hard to get time now though

Check this site out
www.iforgeiron.com

The uri hofi stuff is well worth a look

Run_to_da_hills

Where do all the travellers get their horses shoed?

Casinoking

By a farrier I suppose, same as everybody else

ironfighter

I may be to late for your request
Don't believe there are no Blacksmiths in Ireland and fabrication is the way to go it most certainly is not,contact the Irish Artist Blacksmith Association St Johnstown Fethard Co Tipperary

Sam Kade

There is at least one blacksmith in Ireland. He's only used for tourism purposes though. He's in the forge in killarney Muckross farms. He is English and pretty good at shaping metal and shoeing horses.

spoutwell

We used to have a forge that my dad worked in years ago. We still have a shoeing flag for putting rims or channels on wooden wheels , but that's getting more into coachbuilding.
There's a hell of a lot you can do with a grinder and a welder but when it comes to bending heavy iron, I miss the forge (where the roof has caved in and the electric bellows is no longer fuctional).

RuralNetwork

There is a blacksmith in Clonmel, Tipperary that always seems to be busy and time I pass. Alot of gates and stuff but I have seen him shoeing horses & ponies from time to time.

forgingfool

There are around 150 to 180 working forges in Ireland today. I have one of them in Co. Sligo and I'm very proud to be a Blacksmith. The main benifits to forge work as appossed to fabrication is firstly design, we tend to make one off's for our customers that you cant find anywhere else. Durability, because of the forging proses our work tends to be at least five time more durable then fabricated work. Lastly (though I could go on and on) restoration, If you have iron work over sixty years old it is most likely forge work, the only way to repair it and keep it structure integrity is to have it restored by a competent Blacksmith.

KoNiT

I see the opening poster is in East Mayo

There's an old forge in Tooreen, 4 miles north of Ballyhaunis, it was restored a few years ago

forgingfool

Restored, but is it being used? There is no use restoring things to leave them empty and unused. It would be better using that money to support working smiths and restore the mountain of neglected ironwork here in Ireland, which is a huge part of our heritage. You hear people talk a lot about how impotent our heritage is here and how we are so proud of our self's. Then thy go and mutilate our built heritage. Just take a look around you at iron work which had been badly restored or left to rot or even worse just had some galvanized crap welded onto it. What a mess!:mad:

grump

their are at least 50 smiths in ireland that are registered with the irish artist blacksmith asso could be up to the same again who are not registered

grump

Sam Kade wrote: »

There is at least one blacksmith in Ireland. He's only used for tourism purposes though. He's in the forge in killarney Muckross farms. He is English and pretty good at shaping metal and shoeing horses.

a farrier shoes horses

forgingfool

Blacksmiths sculpt metal into gates, railings and tools, sculpture, all maner of things. Its a little insulting to mix them up with just shoeing horses which is more about the skill of knowing horses feet and animal husbandry.

Farriery is a noble profession but it has nothing to do with blacksmithing.

Indubitable

forgingfool wrote: »

Blacksmiths sculpt metal into gates, railings and tools, sculpture, all maner of things. Its a little insulting to mix them up with just shoeing horses which is more about the skill of knowing horses feet and animal husbandry.

Farriery is a noble profession but it has nothing to do with blacksmithing.

Sam Kade said he shapes metal as well as farriery so perhaps he is both?

forgingfool

kingofthe3rdyrs wrote: »

Sam Kade said he shapes metal as well as farriery so perhaps he is both?

No I don't think so. In order to master ether craft you need to dedicate your self to it. Farriers make very, very good money so why would he be demonstrating in that setting? My guess is he is nether farrier or blacksmith just a chancer who knows very little about both. Next time someone goes and sees him they should ask to see his qulifications from the farriers association. If he hasen't got one I'd go nowhere near him with a horse.

forgingfool

Here is the new Irish Artist Blacksmith Association website:

http://www.irishblacksmiths.com

This will give you a good view into the work and scope of blacksmithing in Ireland and the world today.

lillywhite09

saw something similar on here re:blacksmiths, i was wondering if anyone had any pics of old blacksmiths at work or pics of old forges. i only know of one and its up in donegal, will be goin up soon and can take some pics if anyone is interested, its closed for years and everything inside is just as it was before the old man [blacksmith died] r.i.p.

lillywhite09

just realised this thread is not in use since 02/10 lol, ah well maby somebody out there is still keeping an eye on it, hope so,

haybob

Does anyone know a blacksmith in clare who could turn a scythe for me

blue5000

only one I know is Peter Collins between Scariff and whitegate

thecelt

Anyone still posting on this old thread.

lab man

fair old thread

thecelt

Jut hoping someone might see it and share their experience of getting into this area!

vincenzolorenzo

There's been no posts for almost 9 years, probably safe to say no one is still posting on it!

blue5000

I'm still here. Even started a bit of iron ore smelting last year;)

We had someone making a gate with rivets recently in the guntering thread.

SuperTortoise

Lost art, would love to try my hand at it, blacksmiths are like hens teeth now.

TheFarrier

Not quite what you’re after but here’s my portfolio of handmade horseshoes that were a required part of my final exams to become qualified as a farrier. Long hours in the forge to make these to standard

wrangler

TheFarrier wrote: »

Not quite what you’re after but here’s my portfolio of handmade horseshoes that were a required part of my final exams to become qualified as a farrier. Long hours in the forge to make these to standard

Saw them making horse shoes at the Highland show last week, There was a time limit so they worked bloody hard to have it done within the time.

Who2

There’s a couple of blacksmiths around Cavan that I know of. Most of the ones I know are related and it seems to be passed down through the generations. I go to one of them to get bespoke items made every so often and it’s a pure art watching him work, but like everything people aren’t willing to pay the true cost of making properly forged work.

Base price

A neighbour of mine in NCD is a blacksmith although he doesn't live here anymore. He move to the other Irish capital :rolleyes:
AFAIK he made the entrance gates for Swords Castle, Santry Demense etc
http://www.markkeelingblacksmith.com/

TheFarrier

Base price wrote: »

A neighbour of mine in NCD is a blacksmith although he doesn't live here anymore. He move to the other Irish capital :rolleyes:
AFAIK he made the entrance gates for Swords Castle, Santry Demense etc
http://www.markkeelingblacksmith.com/

I’ve seen a bit of his stuff online that’s different gravy altogether

Serious craftsman

thecelt

blue5000 wrote: »

I'm still here. Even started a bit of iron ore smelting last year;)

We had someone making a gate with rivets recently in the guntering thread.

Have you made anything interesting blue5000?

Base price

TheFarrier wrote: »

I’ve seen a bit of his stuff online that’s different gravy altogether

Serious craftsman

About 15 years ago (when he was still living beside me) I brought him a crow bar that I had bent the point of whilst breaking through concrete. He sorted it out for me a cut in a diamond shaped tip to stop the point from curling again. It still works to this day although the operator isn't as fit as she used to be.

thecelt

It might be madness but tempted to try getting into blacksmithing, even if just in my spare time.

Would luv to be able to spend time with a blacksmith who might be willing to share some knowledge!

Am living in Kerry .

blue5000

thecelt wrote: »

Have you made anything interesting blue5000?

Last time I lit the fire was to straighten the frog of a plough. I learnt most of what I know from Eric O'neill, Killuragh Craft http://www.killuraghkraftworks.com/

He gives courses in Limerick

Gawddawggonnit

blue5000 wrote: »

Last time I lit the fire was to straighten the frog of a plough. I learnt most of what I know from Eric O'neill, Killuragh Craft http://www.killuraghkraftworks.com/

He gives courses in Limerick

Fiskars?
Bodies on them were made of chocolate.

blue5000

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

Fiskars?
Bodies on them were made of chocolate.

No Ransomes, they are well worn on the bottom before I got them.......some lad with a County was ploughing with it before me:(

Gawddawggonnit

blue5000 wrote: »

No Ransomes, they are well worn on the bottom before I got them.......some lad with a County was ploughing with it before me:(

I’d nightmares about Ransome ploughs.
We’d scn bar point Ransome ploughs back in the day. It could be perfectly set up before lunch and when you’d return it would be totally undone...piseogs! Oh how I hated them!!
County tractors came well after the scn bar points. On rocky ground they were hardship with small 2wd tractors. I can’t imagine the damage with a County.

I remember ploughing conacre that was absolutely rotten with scutch. The plough would make a hissing noise cutting through the roots. Before glyphosate. I think those days you’d spray TCN onto the roots to control the scutch and couldn’t grow barley afterwards...and now they want to ban glyphosate!

Edit. We had a forge that we used principally for joining two old bar points to make one ‘new’ point. A forge was fair handy in fairness, I must ask is it still there.