Decorative Hardware

 Ah, summer vacation at last!  It was no doubt the happiest time of the year for me and a couple of neighborhood friends.  The three of us refered to ourselves as the “gang”, and rightly so, for we were always together through thick and thin, work or play.  So what were a couple of 12 year old boys planning for this years summer activities?

 We decided that a “gang” needs some sort of a clubhouse.  Then one of us came up with the idea that maybe a treehouse was just what we needed.  Hands down, no doubt, what a brainstorm of a plan!  So with all of us working hard for what seemed like weeks, our hideout began to take shape, and soon became the envy of the neighborhood.

Doing my part, I designed a way to lock/unlock the door to our new hideout that could only be opened from the outside of the fort using some pulleys, rope and a rustic looking towel ring for the hand grip, that I had kinda borrowed from my moms bathroom.  Oops!   We now had the fort of all forts!  And one angry mom!

The techniques of blacksmithing can be divided into 4 separate categories.  These categories are forging, welding, heat treating, and finishing.  Although we can look at these as separate categories, a combination of these processes are required to create any one product. Some examples include wrought iron gates, grills, railings, light fixtures, furniture, sculpture, tools, agricultural implements, decorative hardware, religious items, cooking utensils, horse shoes and weapons.

Forging, also known as Sculpting, is the process of using heat to make metal more pliable so that it can be hammered or shaped into the desired specifications.  During this process it is important to attain the required temperature before beginning to shape your metal.  The correct forging temperature is usually characterized by a yellow-orange glow from the metal to be worked. A number of different methods can be used to sculpt the metal, some of them are drawing, shrinking, bending, upsetting, and punching.

Welding is the process of Joining two separate pieces of metal.  Forge welding is a very difficult technique to master and should only be attempted by master blacksmiths.  Modern welding techniques are much easier to use and can be much stronger is done properly.

 Heat Treating is a process used to infuse the iron with carbon molecules to strengthen the iron. Steel is a form of heat treated iron. The slower the iron is cooled the more carbon is allowed to be absorbed and the more brittle the steel will be.  High carbon steel is much more brittle than low carbon steel.  High carbon steel is commonly used for tools and heavy equipment because it will not bend easily allowing for sharp edges to remain sharp longer and heavy loads to be moved without distorting the shape of your tools.  Low carbon steels are more commonly used for things that need to be more flexible and not break such as steel cables.

Finishing is a general term used to describe the final stage of creation.  In this process abrasive files, papers, and stones are used to remove rough edges, wire brushes and wheels are used to polish surfaces, and finally paints, oils, waxes, and heat is applied to achieve the desired look and protect the metal from corrosion.

There’s this place in the far north that I have always wanted to visit.  It’s a little village dedicated to the Christmas Season that runs the entire year.  Both children and adults love visiting this wonderland, and I promised myself that someday I would too. 

The time finally came and soon I was walking through its streets admiring the tiny shops all decked out with red and green colors along with silver and gold tinsel hanging on every window and door.  This one little coffee shop caught my attention, so I walked in, sat down and enjoyed eating a homemade pretzel while sipping on some hot chocolate.

Pictures of santa hung on the walls with a Christmas tree beautifully decorated in one of the corners of the dining area. Even the toilet paper holder in the bathroom was shaped like a candy cane!  I often thought how nice it would be if the Christmas spirit that this little town showed, could be displayed a little in everyone of us throughout each day of the year.

Blacksmithing is arguably the single most influential proffession in history.  Ancient man used primitive methods to shape the first iron tools, thus bringing mankind to a new era, The Bronze Age.  Since that time, most major inventions have been built upon our ability to shape and change metals.  Throughout history metal has been the number one choice for creating everyday things that we use. 

The everyday things that we use may have changed, but the medium has not.  We no longer need swords or arrowheads, sheilds of spears,  but there are a number of things that we do need: Automobiles, silverware, factory equipment.  True, these more modern metal objects are not made by traditional blacksmithing methods, however the modern pocesses were inspired by these traditional methods. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find anything that is made with traditional methods, however, the artistic appeal of this long streching history is not entirely lost.  One of the most commonly forged items today is decorative hardware for your home.  One can find everything from forged cabinet knobs and pulls to forged iron door hardware online. We dont need to lose touch with our primitive past.  Bring this artistic beauty back in to your home and dont forget where we came from.

I guess my curiosity was getting the better of me.  For about a year now I had been walking to the university every day since parking there was always a problem.  I would always walk by this one area of town that was a good part industrialized, and so I could hear all sorts of different sounds coming from the machines that made them.  But there was this one particular sound that was different than all the rest, for it had sort of a beat to it.

It came from a large metal type pole barn that had the business name of “Iron Man” written in big black letters displayed above the front door.  This time instead of walking by like I always had done, I decided to check out just what was making that rythmatic pound.  I walked straight to the front of the building and after knocking on a heavy metal front door, was soon greeted by a large bald-headed man wearing a thick leather apron that covered half his body.

After greeting each other, he proceeded to tell me that he was a professional blacksmith that had been taught by his father years ago.  I couldn’t believe the beautiful pieces of handcrafted iron that came from the blows of his hammer.  Each piece was so unique.  His bench was filled with wrought iron cabinet hardware that would make any door or set of drawers stand out above all others.  His display also included exterior gate hinges and rugged cane bolts.  He was truly a gifted craftsman in a forgotten trade.

While sitting in my friends home one day, I couldn’t help but notice all the wonderful piece’s of southwestern art that she had adorned her family room with.  There was a beautiful native American throw rug beneath a rustic coffee table that was made from mesquite wood that she had picked up from Mexico, along with some bronze sculptures of song birds that often frequented her backyard.  But the mural on one of her walls stood out above everything else.

 Oh what a piece of art indeed!  She had it done by one of the local artists in her area using different hues of brown, yellow and orange.  You couldn’t even notice the switchplate for her lightswitch since it was so well camouflaged under the painting.  I wonder what I should do with the switchplates covers in my home?