Artist Blacksmithing explains the fundamental techniques of working with hot iron and steel, and suggests how those techniques can be used creatively in designs. Set in his own workshop, it is a rare opportunity to see a leading blacksmith in action. Peter Parkinson has long been an inspiration to blacksmiths: his enthusiasm for the craft alongside his recognized talent makes him an exceptional tutor. In this film, he brings his own insights to the craft while explaining both the processes and pitfalls. Chapters cover: Using the forge, safety * Tapering, drawing down * Upsetting * Spreading, use of hammer * Hot cutting * Punching * Twisting * Bending * Joining processes * Toolmaking * Finishing

Parkinson
Total Running Time: 154 minutes (2 DVD's)

Item #: DVD17

Hershel House
90 min

This is the first in a series of three vidoes by Hershel House.  An educational and entertaining look into this interesting craft, suitable for beginners or experienced smiths. Blacksmithing since the 1960s, Hershel House demonstrates basic to more complex techniques in a logical progression. Includes a bonus segment on tuning a gunlock. This tape features famed buckskinner knifemaker and gunsmith.  It shows the basic skills including building a proper fire, forging, brazing, welding, tempering, hot cuts and hot filing.  An excellent presentation.

Item #: DVD13

Hershel House
90 min

This is the second in a series of three videos by Hershel House.  He demonstrates more skills and advanced techniques required to master blacksmithing.  More basic to complex projects with Hershel includes forging an eye, s-hooks, forging tongs, a grease lamp, ladle and a Kentucky belt axe. Hershel teaches with humor and lots of good information on useful techniques for the beginning to intermediate blacksmith.

Item #: DVD14

Hershel House
120 min

This is the third in a series of three videos by Hershel House.  Hershel demonstrates how to cold forge, make stamps, gravers, an awl, boot scrape, trivit, latch and hinge.

Item #: DVD15

Continuing in the vein of its companion video, Leaves and Flowers, this DVD demonstrates some insect and bird motifs that can be used and adapted for whimsical decorative work and garden-themed pieces. Epps is shown creating critters such as a scorpion, a garden snail and a dragonfly, as well as a hummingbird and two types of swans. These projects range from the extremely simple to the complex , and offer a quick way to add lots of ornamental appeal to a decorative project. Some of these items are used by the artist at demos as quick crowd-pleasers as well, taking only two or three heats to complete. A brief "chalkboard" segment enhances the viewer's learning opportunity by outlining the steps in creating each item, and enhanced video and sound make Epps' instructions clear and easy to follow. A must-have for the hobbyist or professional!

Bill Epps

Running time: 37 minutes

Item #: DVD8

A Course in Basic and Intermediate Blacksmithing

This is the companion video to "the blacksmithing bible", A Blacksmithing Primer. The author of the indispensable reference book appears in these videos, teaching the standard techniques that all blacksmiths must know to master the craft. This is a must-have for every blacksmith's video library! You will learn how to organize your shop, build your first fire, hold and use your hammer, choose your stock, make tools for any job, forge weld, make scrolls, hinges, how to make animal and human heads and much, much more. Randy's simple, straightforward and humorous approach to learning to be a good blacksmith is as much a part of these videos as it is his book. Shot and edited in the same clear, user-friendly style you have come to expect from Love of Art Productions, you will enjoy watching Randy demonstrate all the techniques close-up, just for you.

This is a three tape/ DVD set, with almost 6 hrs of learning. You won't find a better resource for the beginning and intermediate blacksmith.

Randy McDaniel

3 DVD's, Running time: 6 hours

Item #: DVD4

MacKay

192 pages, 8-1/2 x 11 (Paperback)
Heritage blacksmith Don MacKay, was inspired by a lack of blacksmithing
books dedicated to the beginner-where important elements are taken for
granted because they forgot what it was to be a beginner. MacKay stresses
the importance of using sound ageless technique without the need for modern tools. Section 1 covers the Aspects of Blacksmithing, such as shop set-up, blacksmithing tools, building a forge, fuel and design and looks at three shops that predate the 20th century. Section 2, Techniques and Procedures, delves into hammer technique, heating principles, forge welding including a new technique of forge welding: the round scarf. Section 3, has 21 progressive lessons with photos and articulate descriptive step-by-step instructions. Section 4, References, brings together essential information ranging from forge welding flux recipes from the 1800's, tables on metals, etc.

For the past 22 years, MacKay has used ageless techniques and worked daily with period tools either in an 1843 blacksmith shop located at Jones Falls, Ontario, or on the road with an 1800's portable British military forge traveling to various cities, towns and villages throughout Eastern Ontario. 21 lessons and over 100 pictures and diagrams.

Book is also available on CD, allowing you to print out pages for separate use.

Item #: CD795

Jeff Mohr
22 min

Jeff began his career in the arts and crafts business in 1976. Jeff apprenticed traditional broom making from a Carolina craftsman for a period of one year.

He learned the different styles of tying brooms and creating unique wooden handles. In this tape he shows how to tie broom straw on to forged handles.

Item #: DVD10

Tom McCreight demonstrates many of the basic techniques of jewelrymaking, including piercing, soldering, forging, stone setting and cold connections. Close-up photography and onscreen graphics makes this a wonderful way to learn.

McCreight

80 minutes

Item #: DVD3

Throughout this video you'll see the different finishes used on Goehl's sculptures. The chapters are laid out so you don't have to go searching, you can go right to the sections you want." Using some scrap metal, learn how to make a tool so you can mount your electric drill in a vice which will keep both hands free for wire brushing or buffing.

Goehl
Running Time: 71 minutes

Item #: DVD38

Used in the jewelry industry for hundreds of years, where it is known as a screw press, the fly press is becoming an increasingly popular tool for the blacksmith. This machine allows the smith to accomplish many operations on cold steel that could formerly only be done "hot". Obviously, this is a great advantage in increasing speed and precision in your work. In "The Fly press", you will learn to evaluate used fly presses, what to look for in a new press, how to make tooling, and much more. John also demonstrates many common blacksmith operations on the fly press such as making tenons, veining, straightening stock, bending precise circles and hot stamping. All of these techniques are shown to you in the exceptional way that Love of Art Productions has come to be known for-clearly, up close, and easily understood. John Crouchet says, "if you're working cold you may be making money!" What a novel idea!

John Crouchet

Running time: 42 minutes.

Item #: DVD5

This DVD is the first in a series featuring Mesquite, Texas blacksmith, Bill Epps. A nice introductory collage of images, underscored by folk music and a quote form Longfellow's "The Blacksmith", gives the viewer a clue that these videos are going to be different from most of what's out there on the how-to market. In this video the viewer learns the steps in creating several novelty animal heads out of square stock and a novelty horse out of a horseshoe (Epps began his career as a farrier). The artist also discusses ideas on applications for the items shown.

A "chalkboard' segment introduces each item, breaking down the process of creating the heads and showing how the shape of the steel should change in each step. Epps includes tips on technique, including a discussion of the molecular structure of steel and why a smith makes his steel "square, then round", and how to use a cross-peen hammer correctly. Forge-welding can be clearly seen in the making of one of the pieces, and Epps gives tips to the beginning blacksmith on how to get a good forge weld.

Bill Epps

Running time: 32 minutes

Item #: DVD6

Forging a one piece copper rose using hand and power techniques. Step by step from blank size to finishing. Bonus toolmaking, the chisel, a forged gouge (used in making the rose).

Har-lev
Running Time: 60 minutes

Item #: DVD49

Amit Har-lev demonstrating basic hand forging techniques using the Hofi style hammer.

Har-lev
Running Time: 100 minutes

Item #: DVD50

Amit Har-lev demonstrating basic power hammer forging techniques on the Big BLU Power hammer.

Har-lev
Running Time: 100 minutes

Item #: DVD51

Copper is one of the most malleable of the metals and also the most forgiving. The tools Goehl uses are rather primitive. Learn how to make the forming mallets, and what he uses for planishing. You will learn two techniques to form bowls. Whether it's a copper bowl, an abstract sculpture or any piece formed into a shape that comes out of your mind, you can do it with the tools and techniques shown in this video.

Goehl

Item #: DVD37

Uri Hofi forging dozens of elements using the Hofi die system on the Big BLU 110. Step by step descriptions. Over 40 elements are explained and forged.

Hofi

Item #: DVD52

Goehl explains the tools that he uses, how to use them and show the basic tools one needs to get started. There are cheap imported tools and then there are top quality tools. Both have their uses, but the trick is in knowing which one to buy for a particular purpose and this video covers that. Materials are thoroughly covered: such as copper, brass, tubing, hot rolled and cold rolled steel along with RG45.

Goehl
Running Time: 60 minutes

Item #: DVD47

Third in a series, this video features Bill Epps, a Mesquite, Texas blacksmith, demonstrating some of the techniques for making flower and leaf motifs for decorative projects. There are 5 leaves and 5 flowers demonstrated, including several ways of cutting veins into a leaf, folding and shaping the leaf form, and specific blossoms such as a rose, a morning glory, a dogwood blossom and a calla lily. Epps shows how to achieve surface texturing on leaves and petals to give a more naturalistic finish to the product, and discusses the merits of giving just the inference of a specific species, rather than trying for exact replication. The use of the guillotine tool, or top/bottom fuller, is shown. Applications for the individual items shown are discussed, and the viewer is encouraged to find his or her own ways of using these beautiful decorative details. Skilled photography and editing, and a working knowledge of the subject matter are evident in this video, as in all the others by Love of Art Productions. The professional or hobbyist blacksmith will want to add these techniques to his or her repertoire.

Bill Epps

Running time: 52 minutes

Item #: DVD9

This video is the second in a series released by Love of Art Productions. Making Tongs shows the blacksmith making three different styles of tong joints with three different tong heads. First we see the Twisted Joint/Scrolling Head tong, then the Traditional Joint/ Wolf-jaw tong and finally the "Champion" Joint /Bolt Head tong. Epps also shows a variety of other specialty tongs he has made, and discusses the importance of a blacksmith being able to make his own tools. Tips such as how to quench moving parts will help the student blacksmith avoid frustrating mistakes in his own shop. The viewer sees the artist using a power hammer in this video to draw out tool handles, as well. As in the first video, Forged Animal Heads, the directors use careful editing, good voice-over enhancement and a "chalkboard" segment before every piece demonstrated, to help the viewer duplicate Epps' techniques. Good production value and Epps' casual country wit make this a video that every smith will want to have in his or her how-to library.

Bill Epps

Running time:32 minutes

Item #: DVD7

Caffrey will show you some of the most common Mosaic Damascus patterns. The information is designed to be easy to understand, and will allow you to take the "next logical step" towards producing your own Mosaic Damascus. Ed covers how to create a radial pattern, a basket weave pattern, a jelly roll pattern, and how to do an "accordion" fold. Also provides a recap of tools, safety, and etching as explained in the previous two videos. For advanced knifemakers and shows methods using a forge and a hydraulic press.

Caffrey
Running Time: 109 minutes

Item #: DVD32

Trees can be used in scenes or as stand alone wall sculptures, whether in groupings or individually. You can take some of these trees that would be fitting for a casual setting and produce a tree or trees that fit perfectly into a formal setting. These trees also work well for offices and conference centers. Also included is how to make two tools that you can use while making the trees and also for other sculptures. One tool is a small parts leverage bender. An oxygen acetylene torch and the ability to braze are the main requirements for accomplishing these projects.

Goehl
Running Time: 75 minutes

Item #: DVD48