Copper Elf

Today The Elf was really proud of his friends at Stanwick Lakes. Thanks to the two wonderful heritage team leaders facilitating the project, Dr James Dilley and a team of volunteers set to making their own bronze, casting it into tools copied from archaeology, used these tools to dig out two huge logs into canoes in the style of those found at Must Farm and today, after a year of hard work, launched them on to Solstice Lake. It was very fitting this lake was chosen as 3500-4000 years ago, long before the lake existed, this spot was part of a sacred Bronze Age landscape where they buried their dead in barrows. One barrow escaped the quarrying and can be seen on the Irthlingborough side of the lake as you walk around.

Well done my friends, well done!

It's really impressive what Dr James Dilley and a group of volunteers have done at Stanwick Lakes with two big logs and a collection of bronze axes and adzes.

Stanwick Lakes to host Bronze Age replica boat launch The boats are created with replica tools and fire and no one knows if they will float.

Another War of the Roses alms dish, this one has the Lancastrian Crossed Feathers of Henry VI

This is something cool! It's not often I get action shots of my work but here are some. It's a small copper kettle being used to make 17th century ice cream. Thanks to the kettle's owner for sending the photos. Here he is making the first recorded English recipe for ice cream: mace and orange blossom, Charles I's favourite.

11th June this year was a very important day of The Elf and today the paperwork arrived confirming it. I have be afforded the honour of being appointed Yeoman of the Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers Alias Wire Workers of the City of London.

I would like to thank you all for your support and encouragement in my endeavours in my trade; without your belief in what I do this would never have been possible.

Alms dish in gilding metal, 29cm diameter punch embossed with the Sun in Splendour badge of the House of York.

Another weekend of Blacksmithing Introductory Days at Stanwick Lakes finished. The anvils tidied away, the hammers hang silent in their racks and the fire has burnt out. If you would like to be here when the flames are roaring and the hammers sing on the anvils visit https://stanwicklakes.org.uk/traditional-crafts-courses/ to book your blacksmithing day. Plus there are loads of other crafts days available there too!

Last week The Elf had the honour of welcoming the Clerk of the Worshipful Company of Tinplate Workers Alias Wire Workers to the manufactory. Accompanying him was a metallurgy student and Yeoman of the Company starting his adventure in modern tinplate. Both were keen to see the traditional techniques being keep alive in this little corner of Northamptonshire.

Yesterday The Elf was at Stanwick Lakes in the Iron Age settlement blacksmithing with a ground forge blown with bag bellows.

Ever wondered what processes went into making your Copper Elf ladle? In this video you can watch the Elf use his vintage and antique tools to make a copper ladle from start to finish. No talking or music, just the sound of the tools.

Making a copper ladle with vintage hand tools This video shows the process of making a copper ladle with traditional methods and vintage tools. This ladle has a forged steel handle. The copper bowl is fi...

The Elf is back teaching heritage blacksmithing skills at Stanwick Lakes on the 7th, 8th and 9th of June

Today has been mostly a cup day in the manufactory.

The Elf has been doing some filming with ITV at Stanwick Lakes about tinplate, tinsmithing and his lessons there. The article was broadcast yesterday and is now available on ITV-X

The heritage metal worker hoping to revive a dying traditional trade - Latest From ITV News Watch the latest from ITV News - Tin-smithing used to be popular in the 18th century, but there are now only five practitioners left in the UK.

If you fancy trying blacksmithing for the first time or having some basic skills tuition to improve your hobby the Elf has some places available at Stanwick Lakes next month; 7th, 8th and 9th June. Stanwick Lakes is in the centre of England in Northamptonshire and is an amazing place. In the Bronze Age it was a sacred site (one of the barrows still exists), the Romans built a large villa there with mosaic floors (on display in the visitor centre) and the Anglo-Saxons settled very near by. Now the site is a SSSI covering 750 acres with 7 miles of walks around the lakes. At Stanwick the Elf will teach you all the basic skills you need to start your blacksmithing hobby with four items you take home to impress your friends and family. The day is in a large workshop with up to four guests each day. It is a light hearted fun time making amazing memories. Couples or the whole family are welcome!
Book Now at : https://stanwicklakes.org.uk/traditional-crafts-courses/

One of the nicest parts of the Elf's working cycle are the visits to the charcoal burners in their woodland. The best visit has to be the spring visit. Couple of hours chatting in the fresh green with the May sun shining; setting the world to rights and catching up on the last few month's news.
(Sorry about the reflections from the windscreen. I was just leaving had to take a photo to share with you all; it's a magical place made more magical by the peacocks that roam the woods)

In this video The Elf is making a wall sconce; the same as made by Anabel & Tom on the radio last week. This is a "quiet" video shot in the Elf's manufactory, just the sound of the tools. The Elf finds it relaxing.

Making a tinplate candle sconce This video shows the process of making a simple wired candle sconce from tinplate using traditional tools and methods. Such sconces were common during the 18...

The Copper Elf on the BBC website, all about tinsmithing.

Tinsmith from Stanwick fights to keep his craft alive John Wills is part of a project designed to bring the traditional art "back from the dead".

Yesterday morning was a bit of fun at Stanwick Lakes. The Copper Elf was interviewed by by Annabel and Tom from BBC Radio Northampton about tinsmithing and the classes he runs at Stanwick. If you want to hear the interview it is being broadcast tomorrow morning between 7:40 and 8:40 (Thursday 2nd May). If you are not in the area it is on the BBC website at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0hpwwd2

It has been an interesting week in the Elf's manufactory; testing and repairing old tools and working out patterns for commissioned pieces.

It started on Monday with testing out the vintage (maybe antique) foot bellows, they worked but with some issues so are with a leatherworking friend being fixed up. Then came the Goodell-Pratt No 8 drill press. This is working fine but needs a couple of parts to finish it off properly. I had a Katso hand crank bench grinder on order but it was dragging it's feet arriving so refurbished a vintage hand crank bench grinder. It has no maker's marks just "45" on the casting inside and on the clamp. It works lovely and smooth and will be used for polishing mops. If anyone knows the maker of age of this grinder please let me know. Obviously the next day the Katso arrived. Compared with the vintage it is awful but a very usable machine and will get a lot of use. It did get a lot of use on Friday when I was teaching chisel, punch and drift making.

Possibly the best thing of the week was for one and a half days I didn't turn on the electric in the workshop.

Last weekend the Elf was teaching traditional tinplate work at Stanwick Lakes. The group made candle sconces and cups. One member of the group came along with a photo of her grandfather, Mr A Smith, the last tinsmith in Stratford-upon-Avon.
If you would like to have a go at tinsmithing the Elf is back at Stanwick Lakes in August and October running three more one day workshops. Visit https://stanwicklakes.org.uk/traditional-crafts-courses/ for availability and booking.

It is very unusual to have action shots of the my market pitches, but here are some! Thank you to Andy for the pictures and thank you to all the customers that dropped in on us.

TORM is open all this weekend. Pop along to Sports Connexions, Ryton-on-Dunsmore to visit the Elf and all his fellow makers of amazing things!

Yesterday was a day of polishing and packing ready for tomorrow.

It's TORM time again! Find the Elf in the main hall (the hall on the right with the bar upstairs) at stall 14-2 (the far end against the wall).

The Elf has been a bit quiet here for a while because he has been very busy over winter. He has been busy creating an introduction to tinplate work class at Stanwick Lakes. This was a start from scratch; getting the tools together, lesson planning and a test run with a group of Stanwick Lakes volunteers.

If you are interested in having a go please visit https://stanwicklakes.org.uk/traditional-crafts-courses/ for the details. The next available lesson is August 11th and then October 19th & 20th.

It was wet today at Stanwick Lakes today (nice and dry and warm in the forge though). Carpark and visitor centre are dry and with a pair of wellies it's still a lot of splashy fun there. Just be careful of the deep lakes.

Update - whilst we are still keeping an eye on things, our paths are looking a lot less wet. Wellies required! 😊

! Visitor Information !

Please note, this weekend (10th & 11th Feb) many paths at Stanwick Lakes are impassable due to flooding and high water levels. Some path edges are obscured by deep water. Please be warned of this potential danger and take EXTREME care. We advise that you do not walk through flood water.

The Visitor Centre, café, main central play area and carpark are open and unaffected. Should you need any information during your visit, please ask a member of the team at the welcome desk within the Visitor centre.

The team is monitoring site and have put lots of signs out where possible, but things do continuously change. Please also understand that water levels can continue to rise for some time after any rain has stopped. Stanwick Lakes is a wetland site and is part of the Middle Nene catchment. You can check for flood alerts from The Environment Agency here: www.check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/target-area/055WAF129TMN

We have a "NEWS FLASH" on the homepage of our website, which you can check for the latest updates before you plan your visit - www.stanwicklakes.org.uk