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P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
35 years ago today Mark Laidlaw joined the team at Ratho Byres Forge as a 16 year old, a valuable asset to the running of the forge who keeps us all from going round the twist, cheers Mark 😎😍
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Sweet apples, created by Craig, to finish off the ends of a couple of handrails he has been working on, galvanised and ready for painting. #rathobyresforge #scottishblacksmith #forgedhandrail #artistblacksmith #appleseason #goodenoughtoeat
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Crathes Castle walled garden panels looking as though they have always been there. 😎 #crathescastle #rathobyresforge #scottishcastle #banchory #tomorrowsheritage #artistblacksmith #scottishblacksmith #ukblacksmith #walledgarden
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Fabrication and painting in the forge today. Benches for Greenlaw Mains, Penicuik & the Hopetoun House entrance gate repair and extension.
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Hopetoun House gates are now both repaired. Now to cut them apart and extend with wrought iron by 450mm to prevent the overthrow being whacked by a high vehicle again! First leaf extended, Vicky carefully painting all the joints by hand before it is spray painted. Mark & Colin have the second leaf apart & are prepping for extending the bars.
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Smooth teamwork from Colin, Vicky and Mark, good use of the induction to heat the rivets and slick tooling by Pete to head the rivet under the press.
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Chocolate bullion!!
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
From 1893 to 2023 😎 Loving the wide variety of work in the forge this week with the following three commissions. A repair of a large set of gates, forged in 1893, for Hopetoun House, a simple gate and panel fabricated this week for a client in Stirling and large posts, part of a public art entrance to a park in Penicuik forged and fabricated over the past few months, ready for installation in 2023. #rathobyresforge #artistblacksmith #southqueensferry #penicuik #forged #edinburghblacksmith
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
All shiny! The posts and panels are now back from the galvanisers, almost ready to install at the entrance to the park at Greenlaw Mains, Penicuik. #rathobyresforge #artistblacksmith #babablacksmith #forged #penicuik #livingheritage
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
This weekend 97 Edinburgh venues are part of Doors Open Days! Celebrating Living Heritage, the artist blacksmiths look forward to welcoming you to Ratho Byres Forge where the fires will be lit and the anvils will be ringing. Please share 😄 . . . . #rathobyresforge #blacksmith #DoorsOpenDay #livingheritage #forge #babablacksmith #artistblacksmith #openstudios #edinburgh #edinburghblacksmith #getithot
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Come visit! Ratho Byres Forge are opening the doors as part of Edinburgh Doors Open Days 2023 over the weekend of 23rd & 24th September 2023. We look forward to welcoming you to the forge next weekend. 😀
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Ooops! Carrying out major repairs to the Hopetoun House entrance gates.
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Repair day 🤩 A lovely bronze fish requiring new plumbing.
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Solar charging station working well today 😁☀️
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Yeah! Another one ready to install 🤩 The CorTen sculpture representing the three bridges crossing the Firth of Forth is complete & now standing in the yard to allow the ferrous patina to develop on the CorTen prior to installation at Hawthorn Gardens, South Queensferry. #rathobyresforge #southqueensferry #bridges #artistblacksmith #corten #ForthBridges #babablacksmith #ukblacksmith
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Work is progressing on the CorTen structures which represent the three magnificently engineered bridges that cross the Firth of Forth. We are the facilitators on this project, designed by an Edinburgh based landscape and environmental design company problem solved by Pete! #rathobyresforge #artistblacksmith #southqueensferry #bridges #corten
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Rivitting the Forth Rail Bridge.
Part of sculptural piece we are currently working on representing each of the three bridges crossing the Firth of Forth.
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
All set up ready to make some noise at New Hopetoun Gardens, see you there!!
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
A lovely clematis design by Pete. The addition of the forged clematis detailing to an existing gate is to prevent people reaching through the bars to open from the inside. #rathobyresforge #artistblacksmith #scottishblacksmith #forged #handdrawn #problemsolving #Clematis
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
The dream team!! 😎 The first big sentinel post with panel standing in the yard. Part of an entrance feature for Greenlaw Mill, Penicuik. #rathobyresforge #scottishblacksmith #dreamteam #artistblacksmith #penicuik #gatewayfeature
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Riveting 😎🔥
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
A squish & a squash & with clever tooling a clean easy sweet rivet head 😍 very lovely 😎
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
A wee bit of TLC maintenance today, re setting the hammers to make them perfect 🤩
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Fun in the Forge, Friday with Lewis Evans 🔥 an American student visiting the forge.
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Yeah!!!! 🔥Team work with the dream team 😎 Craig, Mark & Lewis forging the elements that make up the posts for the Smashing Fibres gateway. #rathobyresforge #forging #penicuik #teamwork #dreamteam #hot #yeah #artistblacksmith #scottishblacksmith
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Lewis & Craig texturing the uprights for the Stamping Fibres Gateway. #rathobyresforge #scottishblacksmith #papermill #penicuik #Gateway #forged #texture
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Training the next generation of smiths. Welcome to the newest member of the team here at Ratho Byres Forge. Murray Holmes has joined us as a Historic Scotland Craft Fellow for the next year. Supported by Historic Scotland, Murray will work as part of our team gaining invaluable skills as an artist blacksmith. #rathobyresforge #artistblacksmith #historicscotland #craftfellow #blacksmith #scottishblacksmith #skillstraining
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
We are once again exhibiting over the summer at New Hopetoun Gardens - Edinburgh. The exhibition, featuring various scottish artists runs from 1st July - 31st August 2023. Well worth a visit, not only interesting artwork, great plants but also a wonderful cafe! #rathobyresforge #artistblacksmith #newhopetoungardens #artinthegarden #forged #gardencafe #sculpture #treatyourself
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Work has started on the next interesting commission. A series of entrance features, seating and bollards for a new housing development in Penicuik. Fun forging this week with tapers and complex little brackets to hold the pillars together. #rathobyresforge #artistblacksmith #scottishblacksmith #penicuik #handforged #funforging #publicart
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Hot forging day 😎 the youngest & oldest of the Ratho Byres Forge team 🤩
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Getting the job done, speed painting today 😎
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
From blacksmithing to ships chandler, never a dull day 😎
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Installation day!! “Make A Wish” being installed near Bilston 😎
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
We were sent this gorgeous photo by a client today. A pair of pond covers we made 2 or 3 years ago to give the frogs some protection from a visiting heron. The marsh marigolds and the fresh spring leaves giving this quiet garden some stunning spring colour. And the pond covers most have done the job as I'm told there's lots of frog spawn this year.
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
A straightforward few hours removing the gates from Hopetoun House's main entrance. All the right gear make for a smooth, safe operation. Now we just need to repair the damaged caused last summer by a rather tall lorry. Photo P De Sallis.
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
First blank finished, one down one to go. Then finally we'll be able to get on with the actual job😁
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
So, Pete & Craig, with assistance from Mark have forged 2 chunky lumps that started off as 180 x 170 x 150 left over from a past job, forged down to approximately 300 dia round and 60.mm thick, now on the lathe being turned. Thanks to Craig for the video 🤩 #rathobyresforge #industrialforging #toolmaking #chunky #artistblacksmith #petewantsabiggerhammer
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Concentration! Craig taking the big lump down a bit further. Whats it gonna be? 😎
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
YEAH!!!
#rathobyresforge #industrialforging #toolmaking #artistblacksmith #yeah #chunky #ferrous
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
YEAH!!!!
#rathobyresforge #artistblacksmith #chunky #toolmaking #industrialforging #yeah
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
The Bullrush handrails are coming together nicely. Craig is tig welding the bullrush elements in place today.
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
The Dandelion Clock is almost ready for its new home. The CorTen slab is developing a rich patina contrasting well with the polished forged stainlesss steel seeds. Looking forward to seeing it finally installed 😎 #rathobyresforge #artistblacksmith #dandelion #makeawish #corten #stainlesssteel #publicart #ferrous
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
A very Happy Easter to all our Facebook followers from the Ratho Byres Forge team. 🐣
#anvilsurfing #easterchick #rathobyresforge #happyholidays
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
No forging in the shop today, but lots of blacksmithing stuff happening 😎 #rathobyresforge #edinburghblacksmith #fitforacastle #artistblacksmith #ferrous #MakeAWish #forged #publicart
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Ferrous Patina developing nicely on the CorTen dandelion slab. The stainless Pappus are off to be polished. Really looking forward to seeing the two steels working together once polishing and patination are complete. #rathobyresforge #dandelion #corten #artistblacksmith #makeawish #ferrous #edinburghblacksmith
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Craig working on a jigsaw repair job on the bench today. A very old gate with wrought iron frame and cast iron infill. The post the gate was hung from was walloped by a delivery truck & the owners would like it returned to its former glory. #rathobyresforge #edinburghblacksmith #castiron #repairs #repairgate
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Swaging balls!!
#rathobyresforge #artistblacksmith #bespokemetalwork #forged #swage #getithot #induction
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
How many wishes in a dandelion clock?
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
Forging wishes 😘 #rathobyresforge #forgedsculpture #wishes #artistblacksmith #scottishartist #dandelion #corten #stainlesssteel #makeawish
P Johnson & Company at Ratho Byres Forge
A successful install today for a lovely client with a mill race running through the garden to the old mill. Railings and gate to protect the drop. #rathobyresforge #teamwork #artistblacksmith #bespokemetalwork #forged #designedforyou