DVD's & CD's

Keeper of the Gate   The Life and Works of Philip Simmons  Master Blacksmith

Philip Simmons, now the most celebrated of Charleston ironworkers, was born on near-by Daniel Island in 1912. A Charleston resident since 1919, he attended local schools but received his most important education from local blacksmith Peter Simmons, who ran a busy shop at the foot of Calhoun Street. Here he acquired the values and refined the talents that would sustain him throughout his long metalworking career.
Moving into the specialized field of ornamental iron in 1938 , Simmons fashioned more that two hundred decorative pieces of ornamental wrought iron: gates, fences, balconies, and window grills. The city of Charleston is truly decorated from end to end by his hand.
In 1982, the National Endowment for the Arts awarded him its National Heritage Fellowship, the highest honor that the United States can bestow on a traditional artist.                                                                                                                

John Michael Vlach, author, Charleston Blacksmith: The Work of Philip Simmons

Pieces of his work were acquired as well by the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, and the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico. 1995 Emmy Award

The video tape first aired on NBC in Charleston, 7:30 pm on June 9, 1994, the 82nd birthday of Philip Simmons.

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Mokume Gane In the small Shop

The classic step by step instructional presentation    2 Disc Set

Here is the clssic and complete "how to" guide for creating quality diffusion bonded mokume gane. Using tools you probably already own, Midgett takes you through the process he developed and shows you how to make beautiful mokume gane on a small scale. Sections include cover appropriate metals for mokume, diffusion theory, and building what Midgett call the $10 Gas Kiln. Also demonstrated are step by step instruuctions on laminating a mokume billet, making it into sheet and a variety of pattering techniques.

Disc 1: Chapter 1: Introduction to Mokume - Chapler 2: Metals - Chapter 3: Tools - Chapter 4: The $10 Gas Kiln           Chapter 5: Pouring the Ingot - Chapter 6: Metals Compatibility    

Disc 2: Chapter 1: Pre-lamination and Firing - Chapter 2: Preparing the Roll - Chapter 3: From Billet to Sheet -        Chapter 4: Patterning

Two hours eighteen minutes  

Bobby Hansson is a photographer, filmmaker, tinworker, blacksmith, author, and teacher. For fifty years he has brought his unique and quirky whit to his wide range of endeavors. This DVD includes an overview of the man and his work, along with more than 300 embellished envelops by Bobby and his friends, interviews, musical instrumentsm and a general introduction to Hanssonology.

Running time approx. 70 minutes

This documentary film details the process of smelting iron ore into metal and then forging it into an eighteenth century-style axe. These blacksmiths demonstrate every step in the centuries-old bloomery smelting procss.

DVD Aproc\x. 52 minutes

Blacksmiths Shelton Browder, Ken Koons, Steve Mankowski, and Lee Sauder take you on the journey of finding ore, making charcoal, building a furnace, smelting the ore to iron, converting the iron to steel, and finally forging the axe.

About 40 years ago Clifton Ralph was intorduced to forging with the power hammers of the steel mills of Gary, Indiana. It was love at first sight and it has been his occupation and interest ever since. Now in over ten hours of video he introduces himself to those who have not met him and discusses the tools in his shop where he continues to do industrial blacksmithing.

You will learn from this master:

~why a tool is made the way it is and how it is used

~how a power hammer is set up to oerate effectively

~and safely tips that can save you from serious injury

Dozens of tools are discussed and demonstrated.

Included are also brake patterns for both a 100# & 250# power hammer.

Power Repoussé

"Using Power Hammers and Hand-Held Air Hammers" creating large and small copper bowls, leaf forms, a picket and more.......

Total Run Time: 1 hr. 15 min. with menu access to individual chapters.