I was contacted recently by a homeowner who had installed a new sidewalk in his backyard.  The walking path had been wet and muddy, so it needed to be raised and a more solid walking surface installed.  The backyard is surrounded by an antique wrought iron fence and gate.  Unfortunately, the new sidewalk interfered with … More Gate Brackets for an Antique Fence

When faced with a new project, it can often be hard to find a place to start.  With time, the process can become more comfortable and less intimidating.  We must filter a nearly infinite number of choices down to a manageable workload.  Everyone has their own process; this is a brief window into how I … More Steps in Designing and Building a Project

I was recently approached about repairing the tongue of an antique toy wagon.  The customer had played with the toy as a kid and wanted their grandchild to be able to play with the same wagon.  The handle had been broken and twisted into a sharp shard.  I was able to remove the sharp piece … More Toy Wagon Tongue Restoration

We like to spend evenings sitting around a fire in our back yard. For a long time we only used a poker to adjust wood in the fire. I had seen some tongs for working in a fireplace and thought that I could change the design to fit our needs. I wanted a pair of … More Forging Fireplace Tongs

On weekends, I demonstrate blacksmithing in the Blacksmith Museum on the Farm at Prophet’s Town State Park.  This is a fun way of educating the public about the work that a blacksmith does as well as some dedicated time to practice new things.  Occasionally someone will ask about a repair or project that they would … More Wrought Iron Fence Repair

In my last post I wrote about designing a new coffee table.   The base was to be made in steel, replacing the current wooden base.  I have sat on the design for a while, going back from time to time to see how I feel about it. In both the original wood design as well … More Update of Coffee Table Design