Category: Blacksmithing

Caleb Nolen, Ploughshare’s blacksmithing teacher is planning a trip to northern Sweden to attend training at Gransfors Bruks. Gransfors makes hand forged axes using traditional blacksmithing methods and is well known for the quality of their axes. Gransfors was founded in 1902 and is family owned.

Caleb will be attending an eight day blacksmithing class that Gransfors offers on tool making and axe forging. The class covers tool forging, forge welding technique, and forging of the axe. This is an excellent opportunity for Caleb to expand and strengthen his blacksmithing, tool making, and axe making skills by learning from some of the best axe makers in the world.

Caleb is developing tool making classes and curriculum for Ploughshare and will incorporate his new skills and knowledge into these new classes so that others can also benefit.

 

Caleb Nolen, our blacksmithing instructor at The Ploughshare Institute, won best of show in the 12^th annual Texas Furniture Maker’s Show with his hall table. The Texas Furniture Maker’s Show is a juried show that features the work of the finest furniture makers in Texas.

The sides of the piece are hand forged in a serpentine shape that runs in fluidity to the bow front, bringing your attention to the center oval, which showcases a cluster of hand forged roses.

Caleb fashioned each rose and its stem from a single piece of steel. The leaves are individually shaped then forge welded to the rose stem. On either side of the oval is a hand hammered copper rose.

Mortise and tenon joints with hand-hammered rivets hold the table together, and the top is made of figured mesquite.