Blacksmiths?

Ginja Ninja · 26-08-2009 09:10PM #1

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 · 26-08-2009 09:13PM

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 · 26-08-2009 09:24PM

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 · 26-08-2009 09:27PM

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 · 26-08-2009 10:30PM

post up some pics definitely.

I do lots of small bits of fabrication too.

westwicklow · 26-08-2009 11:03PM

JohnBoy wrote: »

post up some pics definitely.

I do lots of small bits of fabrication too.

+1

Casinoking · 26-08-2009 11:07PM

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

Ginja Ninja · 27-08-2009 08:29AM

What WOULD you describe a blacksmith as?

JohnBoy · 27-08-2009 09:09AM

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 · 27-08-2009 10:45PM

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 · 29-08-2009 12:10AM

westwicklow wrote: »

+1

+2

blue5000 · 31-08-2009 04:54PM

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 · 31-08-2009 05:51PM

Where do all the travellers get their horses shoed?

Casinoking · 31-08-2009 08:07PM

By a farrier I suppose, same as everybody else

ironfighter · 12-11-2009 06:02PM

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 · 12-11-2009 07:09PM

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.

Ireland+Blacksmith

spoutwell · 14-11-2009 05:27PM

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 · 16-11-2009 08:12AM

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 · 29-01-2010 10:59AM

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 · 30-01-2010 12:53AM

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 · 23-02-2010 10:45AM

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 · 28-02-2010 12:21PM

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 · 28-02-2010 12:23PM

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 · 28-02-2010 02:09PM

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 · 28-02-2010 02:57PM

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 · 28-02-2010 03:13PM

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 · 06-03-2010 03:20PM

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 · 17-11-2010 03:28AM

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 · 17-11-2010 03:33AM

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 · 18-11-2010 09:38PM

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

blue5000 · 18-11-2010 10:12PM

only one I know is Peter Collins between Scariff and whitegate

Blacksmiths?

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