NRBA Spring Conference 2019

NRBA Spring Conference 2019 - Paul Garrett demonstrating, at Joel Machler's in Belgrade, MT May 17 - 19, 2019

Joel and Lisa Machler hosted their third NRBA conference, May 17 - 19, 2019 at their shop in Belgrade, Montana. The guest demonstrator was not a stranger to us, he had been with us once before at Joel's first conference 9 years ago. Paul Garrett the resident artist blacksmith of the John C Campbell Folk School. He demonstrated and taught Arts and Crafts style metalworking at the conference. Precision, attention to detail and craftsmanship are vital elements of this style. After creating the tools, Paul demonstrated a candle holder, door hardware and a lamp with a mica shade.

Shaping and forming iron has always been Paul’s favored means of artistic
expression. The unlimited possibilities of the material, together with its’
strength and durability, make it ideally suited to his style.

“I love fire, and I like being able to use it as a tool to shape the iron. I also
like the fact that there is almost nothing wasted in working iron. Even the
smallest bits of scrap can be put to good use.”

Paul is an accomplished metal artist and is currently the Resident Artist in
blacksmithing at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown NC where
he maintains private studio space. He designs and creates a variety of
public and private commissions, a small line of production pieces, and
teaches classes in blacksmithing.

Shunning the disposable trends of modern design, Paul prefers to create
pieces today that will be just as beautiful tomorrow, and durable enough to
span generations. His combination of styles, and old and new world
methods are inspired by both Renaissance and Medieval iron, the historical
Spanish influence that he saw while living in the Sonora Desert, and the
classic Arts-and-Crafts style.

A native of Montana and a resident of Arizona for many years, Paul now
calls the mountains of western North Carolina his home. Enjoying the
creativity and range of the local artists, and the students and instructors at
the Folk School, he says, “I am constantly inspired and challenged by the
broad range of talent and resources that I see every day.”

Paul has attended blacksmithing conferences in the Czech Rep, has
participated in the World Forging Championships in Stia, Italy several
times, and has co-taught a workshop at the Hans Böckler Schule, in Berlin,
Germany.

As a curtain-raiser, YouTube star Alec Steele, recently arrived from England, demonstrated forging a hammer.

Punching the hole for the handle. Hial Steele striking for Alec.

Beginning to forge the cheeks.

Forging the grooves behind the hammer heads.

Drifting the eye to size, over fuller-bars to protect an enhance the grooves.

Rounding one face of the hammer in a concave bottom die while keeping the other flat using a flatter top tool.

Next, Hial demonstrated forging a gate latch.

Hial punching an eye in the latch backplate. Alec striking.

Then, Frank Annighofer demonstrated elements from his just-completed Level 3 grille.

Demonstrating an edge-curved, double-beveled scroll.

Frank tweaking the scroll with a bending fork.

Having upset the end, offsetting material from which to forge the asymetrical heel tenon for the grille's outer frame.

The asymetrical heel tenon complete.

And, the main event, Paul Garrett demonstrating---first an Arts & Crafts style door knocker.

Beveling the edges of the backplate.

Chasing the intersections of the mullions to give a overlapped effect.

Drawing out a tenon.

Monkeying the shoulder of the tenon.

Trimming the tenon on the hot-cut hardy.

The bar, cut off; the tenon facing downward in a hole in the special vise jaw insert, the top hammered into a pyramid to be drilled to accept the door knocker ring