By Peter A Renzetti
“I’ve seen it before!”
“There’s nothing new in forging!”
“It can’t be done!”
Many will say any of these phrases when told there is a new technique in blacksmithing – but when it comes to the technique described in this book – they would be wrong! I was wrong! - but I have seen the light.
I have been a craftsman in metal for almost the entirety of my life. I have used and practiced both traditional and contemporary methods of working all types of metals (iron, steel, tin, monel, copper, gold and silver). I had my own blacksmith shop for 38 years (1970-2007), fourteen of those years I hosted the Samuel Yellin Metalworkers Company. During that time, we did an amazing assortment of creative metalwork in the Yellin tradition. I am also very proud to be one of the original founders of ABANA (Artist Blacksmith Association of North America). So, you can see why I normally answer the announcement of new “anything” in blacksmithing with skepticism – but this is the real deal.
What you are about to read is a description of a very exciting, inspiring, and motivating journey to discovery. This book describes in intricate detail the techniques used in thin-walled tube forging to create sculptural elements. The resulting sculptures are complex objects that were inspired by tapestry and embroidery designs. This book provides descriptions and pictures of the custom tooling and machines used in this technique. It also has detailed descriptions of the techniques and procedures themselves.
This book will open new horizons in metalworking. In all my years of metalworking, I had not encountered anything similar to this technique ever before. I believe this technique will become applicable in many of the metalworking arenas (blacksmithing, architectural metalwork, jewelry, sculpture – just to name a few). One of the challenges of forging solid material into delicate shapes is that the metal can only be displaced and not compressed. In this technique, using hollow tubing, the material can compress and displace to where there is space (ie the interior of the tube). In the cut away photos you will be able to see where the wall material goes and what happens to it in the process. There is a HUGE difference between working with hollow material as opposed to solid material.
Bruce Jarrell and David Hammer were the primary experimenters in this brave new direction (with a little input from yours truly). These gentlemen happen to meet in 2016 at an annual hammer-in and were instant friends. At the time, David was developing his small, versatile air-operated power hammers. And Bruce was forging both solid and tubular material in his shop. At the end of the hammer-in, Bruce invited David to his shop to see “what’s going on”. After just a few visits, the collaboration between these two innovators was ignited. David created the first (of three) power hammers that featured a two-station design. This unique power hammer then allowed Bruce to exponentially expand his tooling and forging techniques. At some point along the way, I became a regular visitor and collaborator in the Jarrell shop. Over the subsequent years, David created two more power hammers – each generation becoming more complex with more control features. Our collaboration is alive and well today– and continues to develop us as smiths and the field of tube forging.
I will delay you no further – please enjoy this book! I am honored and privileged to have been (and continue to be) part of this discovery. It is a continuing process as we learn more everyday – and I think we are only at the beginning. There seems to be no limit to the forging of thin-walled tubing.
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