A update well needed

First I'd like to say sorry for that lack of posts I've done and I felt its time to update everyone on the past couple of weeks.

First off my new power hammer is awesome!!! I went up to Didbrook to see it working and also to see how I'd get it back to Bristol. It will have to be dismantled in to three pieces so it can be brought back, which brings me to the second update. I'm still in the process of negotiating for a workshop space but I hope to have it all settled in the next week or so. Until I have a workshop space the power hammer will have to remain in Didbrook.

Another bit of news, I had to move all my stuff out of storage as it became to expensive so I found another place to store all my equipment until I had a workshop. The one catch was moving it all which wasn't much of a problem until it came to the fly press, last time I transported it, it took four people to get it in to the back of a car. So transporting it wasn't going to be easy, without the help we couldn't get the fly press could go in the car so I came up with the idea of using a sack truck to transport it around I have to admit it was alot easier said than done (I forgot how heavy it is) but long story short I ended up sack trucking it from the storage to my house which could have been the death of me.

I know its not alot of news but I have been working hard to get myself set up and its been alot slower than expected. I hope to be posting on my blog more often now.

Thanks for your patients  !..!,

A Jump in to the deep end with a big purchase.

Well I can say that the past week has been very interesting and I have lots to talk about. First I will start by saying that my trip out looking for a future workshop was quite positive after talking to the owner of a large area of unit buildings he was confident that he could find me a space by the end of the week for a good price. So I hope to have that sorted out very soon because I will need it after my latest purchase. I've just spent £1,250 on this helve power hammer which I found on ebay, its somewhere in the middle of Gloucestershire. To me this is a very important purchase and is also the most I've ever spent on ebay haha!

  

Over the next couple of weeks I will be planing to go up and have a go on my new hammer before it is dismantled and ready to be taken back to Bristol to which I hope to have a workshop for it to be set up in, which is going to be the hard part but I'm so excited at the moment this was a huge step to take as well as a huge investment. This is it, be a Blacksmith or fail trying, do or die time. 

This wasn't my only purchase of the week I like to poke my head around all the local car boot sales as you never know what you'll find and I managed to find a little gem, a bouncy castle fan. I've been looking for a fan to blast air into my forge and I was told that these are a great for starting out with. Yes I will need to adapt a way of connecting the two together as well as adding a way of controlling the power of the blast of air but this can be done very easily. I will be sorting all that out when I have a workshop space.   

Other purchase I made was this amazing looking bench pillar drill, Its a very old vintage drill which has had some modern touches made to it over the years I was told that it was over 70 years. I picked it up from Bargoed, Caerphilly which is west of Newport on top a very tall valley. One of the additions that I really like is the grind stone attachment for sharpening the drill bits, its fantastic and works beautifully!  

 

There are still a few more pieces of equipment that I need to get hold of and the most important on that list is an anvil once I have this and a workshop to work in I'll have all the basics to get me started.

Fingers Crossed!!!

On Sunday I will be looking at some possible workshop spaces right here in Bristol and not to far form my house which is very lucky but I'm not celebrating just yet as I still don't know what size they are and what the rent will be. All in all though I'm keeping my fingers crossed that one of these could be my future workshop, so I'll hopefully be posting some good news next time so please keep your fingers crossed for me.
Thank !..!,   

Guitar Hook design 1

I spent the day working on a design for a smaller guitar hook which I knew was going to be a challenge from the word go but I already had a few ideas on where to start. After a long day I had not only a maquette but a full scale drawing of the design too. Its feels so good to be getting back into the design element and knowing that soon I'm going to be back in the forge making this into a product for someone. I'm also really pleased with the design, its 13x13 inches and I think it will frame really well on a wall.
Hope you all like it, comments would be great. !..!,

the full scale drawing

additional scale drawing 

third scale maquette

Hard work paying off

Its been a busy couple of weeks for me, contacting people and getting out there to try to find a workshop space and outlets to sell my work and now its finally starting to pay off. I may have found some places that will exhibit some of my guitar hooks but best of all I have my first order!!!

A music shop I know very well has asked for a small designed guitar hook to have in the store with a few pictures of the my other works to have around it to help boost interest in what I do. It may not be much but its a small step forward, so I'm going to spend the next day or two getting a great design down with a Maquette and full scale drawing, so hopefully I'll be able to get back to mid Wales very soon to get forging again. !..!,  

Society Of Designer Craftsmen

Today I received a letter congratulating me as I have been accepted as a member of the society of craftsmen and my details will be added to the societies website, this will all provide great opportunities for me in the future. !..!, 

Last Day in Buchan's Workshop.

Well I've been here in mid Wales for about a week and now sadly it has come to an end because we finally finished all Five vessels. After and elven hour push yesterday, finishing all the drilling and riveting them all together and seven hours today tweaking everything, its a huge relief now its all done in time. Although tweaking can seem like it will never end, you know its the final step and by the time we finished cut brushing the last vessel both myself and Nick were to tired to celebrate. I feel that I have learnt a lot about using time efficiently and planing a course of action while doing this job plus its been great to team up with Nick. I hope to return to Mid Wales very soon and continue to work with Nick in his workshop creating some of the designs I have for a new guitar hook and guitar stand. Until then I will return to Bristol and continue to look for my own workshop space. !..!,  

Two of the final vessels.