Adelaide Blacksmith, Andrew Hood, uses traditional and modern techniques to create beautiful wrought iron and hand forged products from steel. He specialises in custom designed and manufactured wrought iron using blacksmithing techniques which date back centuries. Your hand forged wrought iron is guaranteed to be made in our Adelaide Hills blacksmithing workshop and not in an overseas sweatshop or factory. Andrew’s wrought iron pieces have gone to cities all around Australia including Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Hobart as well as many country regions.
Bespoke wrought iron…
Bespoke: Definition
- made to the customer’s specifications (esp of clothing, furniture, computer program, etc)
- making or selling such clothing, furniture, etc ⇒
a bespoke tailor,a bespoke web designer
Nothing is mass produced and each piece is custom made for clients with attention to detail being given to every individual item. Commissions are taken for pieces to your design or we can make something for you. For more information about our design service click here.
What do blacksmiths make?
When iron is heated up it becomes very pliable like plasticene. As such blacksmiths can make pretty much anything your heart desires. We can help you with:
- restoration of ironwork,
- reproduction or contemporary wrought iron design,
- wrought iron furniture,
- Estate gates,
- wrought iron staircases & balustrades,
- wrought iron fences,
- or anything else you can imagine.
Our goal is to meld your dreams into reality
Wrought Iron Designs…
With the ability to design and manufacture, we can interpret your own design or work with you to design something which will be structurally sound and suit most budgets.
We can work from doodles if needs be!
We can work from photos, sketches or drawings. We’ve even worked from doodles, so you don’t need drawing skills to show us the type of wrought iron design you’re dreaming of.
Click here if you’d like to learn more about Custom Designs
Styles of wrought iron
Each blacksmith has his own ‘style’, just as artists do. Styles are also typical of eras and place of origin. For example, Art Deco wrought iron is symmetrical and geometric. Victorian ironwork, detailed and ornamental. Both eras can have different styles depending on which country they were made, and for whom, e.g. the gentry or poorer provincial regions. For example:
French Provincial Wrought Iron
Simple scrolls and shapes. Usually made by the farmer or local blacksmith who also made utilitarian objects like farming implements. Fashion may or may not have an influence.
Victorian English Wrought Iron
Far more ornate and intricate in keeping with the Victorian style of ‘excess’. Usually made for the rich gentry by a blacksmith specialising in ornamental iron work.
Styles in each country vary and influences of each can be seen in different parts of the world. French, Tuscan and Spanish styles appear in Mediterranean and American regions. The influence of Moroccan and Arabic styles is also evident across Europe in areas occupied by the Ottoman empire. This makes it really confusing when talking about styles, as a French Provincial piece originating from c1900 France will be different to mid 19th century French Provincial ironwork from Algeria (from the French Foreign Legion) or New Orleans – both of which had French settlements and work described as “French provincial”.
Is wrought iron expensive?
never be too scared to ask for a quote … wrought iron can be made to a budget
Many people think wrought iron is out of reach, it’s too expensive. Even the smallest piece of wrought iron adds value & character to a gate. Don’t just dream, never be too scared to ask for a quote. Even a small touch of scrollwork can add a touch of elegance to a wrought iron gate. Items can be made to a budget, using traditional or mixed manufacturing techniques. Farmweld’s professional blacksmithing workshop can cater for large commercial wrought iron projects as well as small.
We can build to suit your budget just by varying the techniques we use. Traditionally handforged items look stunning however they’re the most labour intensive. The cheapest to dearest options are:
- Combination pre-fabricated components & modern welding techniques.
- Combination of traditional hand forged work & modern welding techniques.
- Traditionally black smithed, ie entirely hand forged the old fashioned way.
Personal on-site quotes are available by appointment to customers in the Adelaide CBD, or within 50kms of Birdwood, South Australia. However as ask that you first make an appointment to meet with us and discuss your needs.