Georgian Railing Restoration
A railing we restored last year after a car drove through it.
The car did some serious damage, hitting with enough force to tear the wrought iron top bar and one of the backstay joints as well as pulling the leaded in vertical bars out of the stone. In addition several of the decorative castings were broken.
We restored the railing using the same traditional methods it was made with in the first place as well as having replicas of the castings made in cast iron.
Despite the sorry state we found the railing in were quite happy with how they turned out.
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#blacksmithing #forging #forged #handforged #heritage #restoration #georgianarchitecture #craft #cork #madeincork #madeinireland
Traditional joinery
A few clips from the making of the simple handrail we recently posted.
This shows each step of traditional mortice and tennon joinery with a slit and drifted hole.
First is the butchering of the tennons to isolate material, followed by the forging down of this isolation to the desired diameter. The shoulder of the transition is then cleaned up using a monkey tool.
The hole which receives the tennon is formed with a slitting tool under our hydraulic press giving it a nice swell either side of the hole.
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#blacksmithing #forging #forged #handforged #joinery #traditional #handmade #toolsofthetrade #tooling #craft #cork #madeincork #madeinireland
Fully Forged Handrail
A simple but effective handrail we made and installed last November. We used the simplicity of this piece to take the time to use only traditional forging techniques in its construction.
Process vids to come !
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#blacksmith #blacksmithing #forged #handforged #bespoke #craft #handcrafted #joinery #handrail #ironwork #madeinireland #madeincork #cork
Keeping Cork's Crafts Connected ⚒️🇮🇪
"You take care of your Tools, Your tools take care of you" 🔨🤙🏽
Giving Cork Something to Celebrate this week by Sharing the Story of how we've reconnected two Historical Crafts on the banks of the River Lee. My Coopering Tools you see me use on here or on the bench, I am Very Proud to say were Hand Crafted and Fire Forged in Cork by @leesideforge
Blacksmiths and Coopers going Hammer and Tongs used to be a Sound that Reverberated through our Streets, in our Docks and Distilleries as it was being passed through Generations of Families. This Rythem slowed down to a feint beat this past Century but through Passionate Determination and Perseverance, both Trades are turning back up the Volume and making our presence known in a City that is Booming.
The Bais in Leeside Forge and Myself have Family Connections within our Crafts going back Centuries in this County. We are all very Proud to be doing What we Love and the fact that we get to reconnect the Trades in Cork City the way that we have is something very important to us and the people who came before us.
A quote I heard recently is
"By Hammer and Hand, All Things Stand"
and Please God our Crafts will continue to Stand the test of time under our Care.
📸 @maxbellphoto
#cork #craft #community
#cooper #blacksmith #connected
Tús ré Nua
Dawn of a new era
The culmination of 6 months working with @michal_balik_halvonik on a co-creation, this art deco inspired mirror represents our collaborative effort as part of the @homofaber fellowship program.
Over a thousand hours of forging, machining and fabrication, as well as 325 individual parts have gone into the making of this 2.7 x 1.3m cheval mirror.
The mirror, along with 22 other co-creations, is now on display at the House of Switzerland, @prohelvetia_design , during the Salon del Mobile, @isaloniofficial , in Milan. Located at :@casadegliartisti_art .
The amazing photographs courtesy of @roland.paschhoff
Homo Faber Fellowship is presented by @homofaber in partnership with @jaegerlecoultre and local members of the Michelangelo Foundation’s international network: @contemporaneadeartesyoficios@theocharakis_foundation@ceartept@cyprus_handicraft_service@dccireland@inmaofficiel@now.nowerzemioslo@institutsavoirfairefr@norgeshusflidslag@qestcraft together with academic partners @essecbs and @passaaofuturo
#HomoFaberFellowship #TheFutureIsInYourHands
#fuorisalone #fuorisalone2025 #milanodesignweek #designweek #designmilano #eventimilano #salonedelmobile #salonedelmobile2025 #houseofswitzerlandmilano #blacksmithing #forging #forged #handforged #handmade #artdeco #cork #madeincork #madeinireland
Homo Faber Fellowship
A long overdue post about the return of the very talented @michal_balik_halvonik to our workshop as part of the Homo Faber Fellowship a program run by the Michelangelo Foundation.
This unique 7 month experience pairs up master artisans with emerging talents in craft. This year featured 23 duos from a wide range of craft disciplines.
For the last 6 months Michal has been involved in a variety of the work we do from forging to restoration to machining and fabricating. He's also had the opportunity to make himself some nice tools ! We're very sorry to see him leave but sure he'll be going on to bigger and better things.
During his time working with us we have also produced a collaborative piece which will be unveiled at the Salone del Mobile in Milan next week. For now here's a sneak peak.
The Fellowship is presented by @homofaber in partnership with @jaegerlecoultre and local members of the Michelangelo Foundation’s international network: @contemporaneadeartesyoficios@theocharakis_foundation@ceartept@cyprus_handicraft_service@dccireland@inmaofficiel@now.nowerzemioslo@institutsavoirfairefr@norgeshusflidslag@qestcraft together with academic partners @essecbs and @passaaofuturo
#HomoFaberFellowship #TheFutureIsInYourHands
Thank you @leesideforge for giving me a tour of your forge this morning! I got to see firsthand the hard work, skill and craftsmanship that is put into all of their steel work and ironwork ⚒️🔥 Thank you for choosing @black_bee_apiaries pure Irish beeswax to finish and coat your work also! Looking forward to seeing the all the amazing work that comes from the forge in the future! Thanks to Gus and James for letting me film and capture some moments of their trade this morning too 🤙🏼
#leesideforge #blackbeeapiaries #blacksmith #beekeeper #irish #cork #beeswax #steelwork #ironwork #craftsman #ireland #bees
Froe
Another woodworking tool we've recently made, a froe is used to split wood along its grain.
This is done by hammering the back side of the cutting edge into the piece of wood in the direction of its grain and using the handle as a lever to pry the wood apart.
Forged from one piece with a wrapped and firewelded eye.
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#blacksmithing #forging #forged #handforged #handmade #toolsofthetrade #tooling #toolmaking #woodworking #craft #cork #madeincork #madeinireland
One last pair of dividers
The second of the couple of pairs of dividers we made for another Irish based cooperage and with that the last of the batch of coopers tools we made last year.
Getting to make all the custom tooling was definitely one of our favorite jobs of last year as it was a nice break from all the restoration work we had on. Looking forward to doing more of this kind of work in the future.
Hand forged and filed to finish.
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#blacksmithing #forging #forged #handforged #handmade #handfiled #filework #cheekychamfers #toolsofthetrade #tooling #toolmaking #cooperage #woodworking #whiskey #craft #cork #madeincork #madeinireland
Three Leaf Wing Dividers
A pair of dividers, one of a set we made for another cooperage based in Ireland.
Used to lay out the lid of barrels and casks.
Hand forged and filed to finish
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#blacksmithing #forging #forged #handforged #filed #filework #tastychamfers #handmade #toolsofthetrade #tooling #toolmaking #cooperage #woodworking #whiskey #craft #cork #madeincork #madeinireland
Coopers Hammer
The coopers hammer is a straight pein with a wide round face.
The straight pein was used to form the barrel hoops into a conical shape so as they would fit up against the barrel staves better.
The hammer was forged from EN24 tool steel
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#blacksmithing #forging #forged #handforged #handmade #toolsofthetrade #tooling #toolmaking #cooperage #woodworking #whiskey #craft #cork #madeincork #madeinireland
Rivet Snap and Monkey Tool
The rivet snap (left) and the monkey tool (right) are both tools used in the riveting process of the hoops that hold a barrel together.
The money tool is used once the rivet has been inserted through the two ends of the hoop to drive the two faces of the joint tight together before the rivet is peened over.
The rivet snap is used once the rivet has been peened over free hand to form a clean domed head on the rivet.
These were both forged from tool steel.
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#blacksmithing #forging #forged #handforged #handmade #toolsofthetrade #tooling #toolmaking #cooperage #woodworking #whiskey #craft #cork #madeincork #madeinireland
