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John D. Harvey || Blacksmith

Artist blacksmith in Rhode Island

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John D. Harvey [ Instagram || Facebook || Twitter ]
South County, RI

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Before this Covid-19 crisis kicked in, I spent som

Before this Covid-19 crisis kicked in, I spent some time at @thesteelyard rehabbing several of their student-abused forging hammers.

Honestly, I'm fine with being on my own. But one of the things I've truly missed is spending time at the Steel Yard and chatting with all the yardies.

#blacksmiths #blacksmithing #blacksmithlife #blacksmith #JDHmetalcraft #artistblacksmith #hammer #forginghammer #blacksmithtools #blacksmithtool

This is something that I'm announcing but only gen

This is something that I'm announcing but only gently promoting, because I'm still learning about Patreon. That said, if you want to get in on the ground floor of supporting JDH Metalcraft in its infancy, then you can. Currently, there's only one $3/month membership level that will provide behind-the-scenes content, early releases, and more personal interactions to my subscribed Patrons. It's a work in progress, so please be gentle with me as I learn how to navigate these new (to me...) online tools.

Also, these are weird and financially challenging times for many. I have zero expectations with regard to who signs up now or who cancels a subscription in the future.

To become a patron, go to Patreon.com and search for "JDH Metalcraft". After that, follow your nose.

#patreon #blacksmithartist #artistblacksmith #blacksmithing #blacksmith #blacksmithdesign #blacksmiths #blacksmithlife #blacksmithart #JDHmetalcraft #blacksmithdesigner

A pickup truck might be a good idea...

A pickup truck might be a good idea...

Now that I have a shop of my own, I'll be more act

Huge thanks to Bob (aka @bisonforgeco) for helping

Huge thanks to Bob (aka @bisonforgeco) for helping me get this drill press out of my car *and* drop off a post vise. Visit his IG to check out his hand-forged knives.

Like many of the best people I know, I met Bob through #maker classes at @thesteelyard. Thanks again for the help and the vise, Bob!

#blacksmith #blacksmithlife #blacksmithing #blacksmiths #blacksmithdesigner #JDHmetalcraft #blacksmithartist #artistblacksmith

My sister Sharon's dog Bennie. PIC 1: "Is that th

My sister Sharon's dog Bennie.

PIC 1: "Is that thing in your hand for me?"
PIC 2: "I'm pretty sure it's for me."
PIC 3: "GOT IT!"

Another day of Rhode Island beaches with the famil

Another day of Rhode Island beaches with the family.

Post Christmas dinner walk on the beach in Little

Post Christmas dinner walk on the beach in Little Compton, RI.

#littlecompton #rhodeisland #beach #newengland

Here we have a very special variation of my tentac

Here we have a very special variation of my tentacle bottle opener made for @hillview_wm as part of the @fwtpodcast Treasure Trade (#FWTTT). This particular opener is made from wrought iron sourced from Providence, RI. It came from a derelict building that was built sometime in the late 1920s (possibly very early 1930s). So, this iron would have been contemporary to the period in which H.P. Lovecraft wrote his more famous and tentacular Cthulhu mythos stories (“The Call of Cthulhu”, “At the Mountains of Madness”, “The Shadow over Innsmouth”, and The Shadow Out of Time”, etc.). So, considering the vintage and source of the metal, it’s got some heritage and history attached to it.

Also, this is the very first time that I’ve worked with wrought iron. It’s very different from mild steel and is in some ways a bit less forgiving. My first attempt failed badly. This second attempt turned out fine, but it took longer to etch than I expected. All that said, I’m happy with the grain exposed by the etch.

I have enough of this particular wrought iron to make two more of these. I already have plans for them.

This was forged at @thesteelyard.

#blacksmithdesigner #JDHmetalcraft #blacksmithart #artistblacksmith #blacksmithdesign #blacksmiths #blacksmith #blacksmithartist #blacksmithing #blacksmithlife #wroughtiron

My first time forging bronze at @thesteelyard almo

My first time forging bronze at @thesteelyard almost didn't end in tragedy.

Almost.

It's fine. I learned a lot. I want to do more.

#blacksmithdesigner #JDHmetalcraft #blacksmithart #artistblacksmith #blacksmithdesign #blacksmiths #blacksmith #blacksmithartist #blacksmithing #blacksmithlife #bronze #forgedbronze #forgedleaf

A downside to being a ronin blacksmith is that if

A downside to being a ronin blacksmith is that if I forget to bring to the @thesteelyard a critical tool or starting stock for a project, it's a huge loss of productivity to go back to my storage unit to get it. Particularly after the forge is lit and going good. Anyway, I started last night being pretty annoyed with myself.

So, I did one thing that had to get done quickly (the tentacle bottle opener in this post), and had to put off another time-sensitive project that will hopefully be finished tonight. We'll see.

I filled out the rest of my night with an experiment that was going great, until it suddenly wasn't. I guess that's why it's called an experiment.

#blacksmithdesigner #JDHmetalcraft #blacksmithart #artistblacksmith #blacksmithdesign #blacksmiths #blacksmith #blacksmithartist #blacksmithing #blacksmithlife

This is a tease. I am teasing you. #blacksmithdes

This is a tease. I am teasing you.

#blacksmithdesigner #JDHmetalcraft #blacksmithart #artistblacksmith #blacksmithdesign #blacksmiths #blacksmith #blacksmithartist #blacksmithing #blacksmithlife

So, this is covered in awesome sauce. For the pas

So, this is covered in awesome sauce.

For the past two years, I've participated in the "Fools with Tools Treasure Trade". This is a holiday gift exchange taking place within the @fwtpodcast maker community (and graciously and efficiently organized by @craftswithellen). Every year, you put your name in the digital hat and everyone is assigned a fellow maker for whom you make a gift and send it to them. The fun part is that nobody reveals who they're making a gift for. And you don't know who is making your gift until it lands on your door.

Last night, I got my gift from the incredibly talented @lcvdos out of London. This is a custom, tentacle-themed blacksmith marking tool with an assortment of marking "leads". I'm truly amazed by the craftsmanship. I'll be using this for years! I mean, I was impressed with the packaging, let alone the gift itself.

Thank you, Laurin, for the brilliant gift! It was fantastic to meet you at Makers Central last year in England. I hope to see you again soon.

#FWT #fwt-podcast #FWTpodcast #FWTTT #FWTTT2019

The beat goes on. Fifty of these proto-tentacle bo

The beat goes on. Fifty of these proto-tentacle bottle openers forged so far. Hoping for another 15 or 20 tonight. After that, I move on to getting them finished.
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#blacksmithdesign #blacksmith #JDHmetalcraft #blacksmithartist #blacksmithing #blacksmithlife #blacksmithart #blacksmithdesigner #artistblacksmith #blacksmiths

Curious about blacksmithing but have no clue where

Curious about blacksmithing but have no clue where to start? My forged bottle opener course at @thesteelyard is designed for absolute beginners. One night; 3 hours; $80. And you leave the class with everyone's most favorite tool!
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#blacksmithing #blacksmith #JDHmetalcraft #blacksmiths #thesteelyard #thesteelyardri #blacksmithclass #blacksmithclasses #blacksmithingclass #blacksmithingclasses

My time in my current shop space is coming quickly

My time in my current shop space is coming quickly to a close. This means that I'll soon lose access to a power hammer. So, I'm doing tapers and tops for tentacle bottle openers until I run out of either time or round stock, whichever comes first. After that, things will move a bit slower on production. Maybe a lot slower.

Anyway, for the next few days these are getting done at a good clip. The 'after' photo includes the production from a half night the night before as well last night's full shift. Just in case you noticed the math doesn't add up and wondering how I'm getting my starting stock to mate and make babies...
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#blacksmithing #blacksmith #forge #forged #JDHmetalcraft #blacksmiths #forging

I've been cleaning out / rearranging my storage un

I've been cleaning out / rearranging my storage unit to make room for shop gear while I look for a new blacksmithing space. So, I'm coming across stuff from my proto nerd days.

Of course I played Dungeons & Dragons. But it's amazing how much I loved Gamma World considering there were few books and materials associated with it. Then again, I've always been a sucker for post-apocalyptic stuff.
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#gammaworld #rpg #gaming #nerd #protonerd #tsr

In college (1987), a buddy gave me this and said "

In college (1987), a buddy gave me this and said "I think you'll dig it." Actually, I devoured it in a night.

I'd never read horror before, and this book put me on the road to eventually writing horror. I don't write fiction anymore. Blacksmithing is my creative outlet. But I still remember how much I loved this book the first time I read it.

I own many @stephenking books. This is really the only one that I want to get signed eventually.
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#book #books #shortstory #horrornovel #horror #StephenKing

MIG welding tentacle sucker beads on this run of b

MIG welding tentacle sucker beads on this run of bottle openers at @thesteelyard. Still hunting for new shop space and moving out of my old space, so all actual forging / production work is moving slowly. I apologize for any delays.
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#blacksmithing #blacksmith #forge #bottleopener #JDHmetalcraft #blacksmiths #forging #forged

BLACKSMITH SHOP SPACE NEEDED! I'm losing access to

BLACKSMITH SHOP SPACE NEEDED! I'm losing access to my current forging space by the end of November. I'll be forging at @thesteelyard in Providence, RI, as a stop-gap until the end of January. But I need a more permanent solution (hopefully) before then.
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I'm willing to rent shop space in an existing shop, but I'm not sure I have a lot of options there. So, putting together my own shop looks like the more likely solution.
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MY NEEDS:
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-- LOCATION: Providence, South County, or East Bay in Rhode Island. Fall River, Swansea, and Seekonk in Massachusetts. I forge at least 3-4 nights per week plus weekends. Driving hours from home/work to get to shop space isn't logistically feasible. I'll look at places further out, if the space is especially appealing.
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-- SPACE: Industrial. 400 to 500 square feet is ideal. Certainly willing to look at a bit larger or smaller. I'm not a historic/reenactment blacksmith. Museum spaces aren't going to work.
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-- SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Everyone loves a blacksmith until they become your neighbor. I'm looking to run a coal and gas forge, as well as a power hammer and possibly other machinery (grinders, welders, etc.). So, that means heat, dirt, smoke, and noise. Sometimes great quantities of all three. Many "artist spaces" in old mill buildings will want nothing to do with me.
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-- BONUS: 220 Volt, tri-phase power. I can live without it, but it would be nice.
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I had a strong prospect for space that fell through this morning. So, it's time to cast out a wider net.
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Please forgive the disruptions this causes to my work/orders. In addition to looking for a new home, I need to start moving out of my current space. It's ... a lot.
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You know, a smarter guy would have taken up knitting and leather crafts...
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#blacksmithing #blacksmith #forge #blacksmithshop #JDHmetalcraft #blacksmiths #forging #forged

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