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Drawing board

Home ⟩ Journal ⟩ Drawing board

9th December 2012

I have spent lots of time at the drawing board recently, fuelled by 6 music and good coffee. Amongst other designs here’s a gate proposal I am particularly pleased with. I am always reminded how important drawing is in its ability to quickly convey an idea, making your mistakes in pencil is a lot easier than hot metal.

forged gate design

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jamespriceblacksmith

believer in less is more, likes considered details, designs and well made things.
We finally installed this handsome pair after a fa We finally installed this handsome pair after a false start last week. Thankfully now fitting like a very symmetrical glove. A ridiculous amount of work went into these considering their size. Designed by @stephenlangerarchitects and made extremely carefully by us. A timeless addition to this beautiful Georgian Manor House in the Sussex countryside and jeez what a front door!! #georgian #handrails #perioddetails #wroughtiron #frontdoor
It’s a wrap on this one….. a forged pedestal base It’s a wrap on this one….. a forged pedestal base with tenoned construction. This piece goes with the recently completed trestle table shown in the last slide. Soon to be fitted with a round oak top before heading to the alps ⛰️ #pedestaltable #forgedfurniture #iron #table
Dawn journeys this morning, we headed eastwards to Dawn journeys this morning, we headed eastwards towards Cambridge to assemble our recent tree seat project. Great to see this in situ in a stunning garden by @valentinawyattgardendesign. Not to mention an extremely good flat white and slice of homemade walnut cake from our client 👌🏼…..we return to Sussex restored. #treeseat #gardenseating #garden #gardendesign #ironwork
“ U “ fire basket…….bendy, understated and with so “ U “ fire basket…….bendy, understated and with some nice detailing. Heading up north just in time for some chilly nights 🔥 . This one’s bigger than it looks , all out of 25mm round. Expertly made by Patrick #firebasket #fireplace #ironwork #bendy
I’ve been in deep on the toolmaking today. Recreat I’ve been in deep on the toolmaking today. Recreating a period fitting for a project. First up I made a sinker as accurately as possible that matched the sample. 2 chunks were then forged down as swage blanks and the sinker embedded into these like a sandwich between slices of bread. The newly forged swages were then ground up and case hardened…… this enabled a roughing out swage to do the heavy lifting and a finishing swage to add definition to the edges. A few heats and the results were spot on, super crisp forgings that look more like they’ve been made on a lathe than a power hammer 👌🏼
Small in size but big on complexity this pair of G Small in size but big on complexity this pair of Georgian style balustrades have just left us for shot blasting. Designed by @stephenlangerarchitects for a grade 2 listed Manor House in East Sussex. This handed pair should fit in perfectly once installed. #ironwork #georgian #blacksmith #architecturalmetal
The wishbone table heads out the door tomorrow to The wishbone table heads out the door tomorrow to furniture makers in Surrey for a 2” slab of English Oak before eventually travelling to its new home in Switzerland. Nearly 2.5 m long, with tenoned joinery and forged from chunks of 60mm square this piece will last generations. #wishbonetable #customtable #bespoketable #forged #iron
How do you make a security grill not like a securi How do you make a security grill not like a security grill……a bit like this perhaps? A combination of matt white paint and a playful yet traditional design helped soften the look of a new addition to this period property. Fitted this morning this one joins two others we made a few years ago, necessitated by a recent break in attempt. All fire welded and made properly 🫡 #blacksmithdesigner #ironwork #securitygrills #architectural
Two minutes down the lane from our forge you’ll no Two minutes down the lane from our forge you’ll now find these two. A reminder that It’s always very nice to make local work! Super easy install this afternoon as the posts had already been installed by the clients contractors who are busy making a new swimming pool that these now help enclose. This design is a homage to an earlier gate we made for clients in Primrose Hill some years ago. #gates #ironwork #gardengate #blacksmith #forged
Beautiful homes deserve beautiful railings 👌🏼…. F Beautiful homes deserve beautiful railings 👌🏼…. Fantastic weather in Sussex today as Patrick and I finally fitted this project at @gatewick_gardens in Steyning . I asked our Client, Guy, when the gardens would be complete for some photos and he casually remarked about 10 years 😂. Luckily these chaps are built to last so I’ll be back in about a decade . #gardens #georgian #metaldesign #forged #ironwork
Finally assembly of our project for @gatewick_gard Finally assembly of our project for @gatewick_gardens , checking for perfect alignment 👌🏼before it heads off for galvanising next week. What’s shown is half of the railing. Two mirror imaged 4m lengths with gently curved returns on either end. These will eventually sit either side of a stone path overlooking a lake. Uprights have all been fire welded with a riveted connection on the overlaps all TIG welded to the top rail, super tidy 😎 #gardens #railing #ironwork #forged #bespoke
Rivets and a bit of Tig…… finally beginning the as Rivets and a bit of Tig…… finally beginning the assembly of these railing panels with swept curved ends. These forge welded railings have been commissioned for @gatewick_gardens in West Sussex , eventually these will be galvanised painted a rather lovely shade of blue. As ever an understated classically inspired design doesn’t mean a simple construction. Details are everything. Resolving the joins on these took a bit of head scratching but we got there 👌🏼
Same dance 🕺 new party 🍸 ….. after a year of immer Same dance 🕺 new party 🍸 ….. after a year of immersing ourselves in 316 stainless it’s pretty great to be back forging the ferrous stuff……8 metres of forged railing for @gatewick_gardens , forming part of a comprehensive restoration of a Sussex house and the creation of a stunning new garden in Steyning, West Sussex. #bespoke #railings #forged #metaldesign #iron
Great to see this one in featuring in here …. @hom Great to see this one in featuring in here …. @homesandgardensofficial
Our insta output has been a bit subdued for much o Our insta output has been a bit subdued for much of this year….we’ve had lots going on but have been unable to share the fruits of our labours due to NDA’s covering our current project. All rather frustrating, and I look forward to the return of normal service in 2026. In the meantime shout out to my friends @tmstudio_ @antoniamaddenlewes for recognising the extra festive functionality in our ring door knocker 👌🏼#doorknockers #iron
One door knocker, three finishes…… our effortlessl One door knocker, three finishes…… our effortlessly simple Ring Door knocker available from our website. Bronze versions available order. #doorknocker #doorfurniture #knocker #architectural #hardware #door #metaldesign #blacksmithdesigner #iron #bronze #zinc
Press tooling for yet more stainless parts….. all Press tooling for yet more stainless parts….. all for our current bronze gates project. All tooling laser cut as well as a rather effective cutting jig that allows for super accurate feather edge saw cuts at precise widths. As with so much tool making it’s hours of development and over before you know it….. #tooling #hydraulic #pressed #stainless #metaldesign #satisfying #jig #blacksmithdesigner #gates #gate #architecturalmetal #design #craft #bespoke #gardengates
Our adventures in the land of stainless continue w Our adventures in the land of stainless continue with a new iteration of this tool. Works flawlessly and well worth a morning to make . This time hairpins with a pretty tight ID of 47mm. 6 gates underway all 316, Bronze thermal spray. #gates #metaldesign #blacksmithdesigner #gate #bespoke #details #architecturalmetal #iron #wroughtieon #craft #gardengate #stainless #stainlesssteel
Making one of our Edge handrails this morning, for Making one of our Edge handrails this morning, forged in stainless, beautifully simple with a slight fullered texture. Hot punched on edge the ‘hard way’ with little room for error. So much so that using the hydraulic press isnt an option with these. Love this design. This one will be in patinated bronze as with the original. Swipe to see process……#forged #blacksmithdesigner #handrail #process #bronze #hardware #architecturalmetal #architecturaldetails #iron #metaldesgn
One of our Rivet fire bowls after blasting and pat One of our Rivet fire bowls after blasting and patination . Supplied with a bespoke stainless Plancha grill ready for a client in the midlands. #firebowl #grill #plancha #firepit #firepitdesign #gardendesign
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James Price Blacksmith

James Price Blacksmith Ltd is an award-winning forge specialising in bespoke contemporary metalwork. From our workshop in East Sussex, we provide expert design and installation services for clients in Brighton, London, and throughout the South East UK

The Workshop, Highbridge Lane, East Chiltington, East Sussex, BN7 3QY

01273 890398

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