Wrought iron has made a big comeback over the past twenty years. People have a renewed appreciation for it's craftsmanship and beauty.

I talk to a lot of blacksmiths and many of them are inundated with orders from people who either want to repair old wrought iron fences and gates or want new ones made.

If you want to exand your skills into wrought iron work this book will be an invaluable addition to your library.

The craft of wrought iron work is a very distinct part of blacksmithing requiring some specialized tools and knowledge -and also some design ability. This book "Wrought Ironwork" by Fox Chapel Publishing is a great primer for working with wrought iron and it is a re-publication of a classic book by COSIRA which is the Council for Small Industries in Rural areas.

These techniques and tools were very much needed during the hey-day of wrought iron and now that wrought iron is back this book is an invaluable aid in working with the material.

This isn't however a basic blacksmithing book and that is explained in the subtitle "A Manual of Instruction for Craftsmen". It assumes you have basic blacksmith skills and tools.
If you are looking for a basic book on the craft Fox Chapel Publishing has the perfect book for you. It is "Blacksmith's Craft" and I have a review of that book right here

What's in the Book

This book is broken down in two distinct parts. The first part of the book starts out by showing us and explaining some of the tools specific to wrought iron and scroll work. These include scroll wrenches, bow pliers, the half-penny snub-end scroll tool and the leaf hammer and leaf tool among others.

Then the book continues into detailed step-by-step instructions on how to make some of the more popular scrolls including ribbon end, snub end, and fishtails. It covers things like Bevel scrolls and leaf ends, twists, collars, wavy bars, and water leaves. You get a fairly comprehensive look at how to make many of the standard scroll work ornaments for wrought iron structures. And it shows you how to make all these shapes step-by-step with photographs and illustrations.

The second part of this book is solid gold. It takes you from start to finish through the whole process of making an ornamental gate. this includes assembling it all together and creating the more challenging parts like the tenons, the latch, and the hanging.

The desire for wrought iron work has grown significantly over the past two decades. People have grown to re-appreciate it's strength and it' unique beauty. If you are looking to expand your blacksmithing skill set into this aspect of the craft this book is a definite addition to your library. You will get a lot out of it.

GET THE BOOK HERE:

This book is available on Amazon.com here: Wrought Ironwork

This book is one of a series of three blacksmithing books by Fox Chapel Publishing and COSIRA. Check out Will's reviews of the other two books right here:

Will's review of : Blacksmith's Craft - An Introduction to Smithing for Apprentices & Craftsmen

Will's review of: Decorative Ironwork - Some aspects of Design and Technique