SEE VIDEO BELOW:
A forged leaf in 45 seconds.?!! George from the Village Blacksmith demoed a quick leaf in under 45 seconds. Though it is slightly different than the leaf he teaches in his basic blacksmithing class, the core techniques are displayed raw, with hand hammering and then transitioning to the power hammer using an open faced dia.
Students are required to do all work by hand at the anvil during the class with veins hand chiseled in. The shape is then refined by filing and finished with a brushed brass technique. Students have the option to leave it as a forged element or turn it into a pendant, hook, or other functional item.
The leaf being demonstrated is the Village Blacksmith’s standard leaf used in several of their products including their very popular roses, wands and leaf pendants. Just as a chef uses the same ingredients for multiple dishes, the Village Blacksmith uses elements that they create in multiple products.
SYMBOLISM
In many cultures the leaf symbolizes hope and growth. “A blacksmith can forge an infinite number of leaves in their lifetime each one can symbolize their growth in the craft”- says Cramer.
PROCESS
In the video below George shows mostly the drawing process by hand. Drawing reduces the cross section and thickness of a material making essentially, making a taper. Two “drawn” tapers are formed, one at the end of the bar and one about 2” from the end of the bar in the middle of the mass. The corners are rounded and softened of the second taper to form the stem of the leaf. Next, the first taper is then “squared up” so the corner can be indexed into the groove of the dia.
VIDEO
A MORE THOROUGH LOOK
in the following video George demonstrates the entire process of heating using the induction forge, forging and dia work, cutting and showcases how the leaves are added as a decorative element. —->
HOW TO GET STARTED
Classes are a great way to get started. They are also a down and dirty preview to see if the hobby is for you without the expense of buying equipment and tools. It is a fast track to core technique development necessary to establish basic efficiency to get creating! To learn more about the classes and gift certificates Village Blacksmith offers click here: https://gloucesterblacksmith.com/collections/training-events
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