Frog Valley Metal Shop

Mark, our main blacksmith, comes from a long line of blacksmiths and metal workers dating back to the 1700's and has kept that tradition alive since he was a child.For 9 years here at Frog Valley, he has been creating unique blacksmith items and reproduction pieces. With the addition of Angela several years ago, he has been able to expand the shop and now offers a complete line of hand-forged iron-works including hardware, fireplaces sets and log racks, fences and railings, furniture, lighting and much more.

Frog Built Power Hammer

Our pride and joy. We built this 7 foot tall monster power hammer from scrap iron and collected junk. A true Junk Yard Hammer (JYH) with parts from 3 different scrap yards and the front springs off of a 1979 Jeep CJ5 in my yard. Inspiration comes from the now famous "Super-Rusty" of the Appalachian Blacksmith Association fame, only bigger.

It has a six inch stroke and a 75 pound hammer of 2 inch square bar that hits at a rate of up to 182 strokes per minute. Interchangeable bolt on dies make tool changes easy. It really has made our shop more productive and saves us all a lot of labor and elbow pain.

This pic is older and shows her sitting outside near where we assembled her, awaiting the expansion to the shop to be completed. Since then the framing for the addition is up, with a tarp up to keep things drier. We are having to build around her, since our discovery upon completion that she was too tall to move inside the old part of the shop. Since her work is primarly the heavier stuff, she sits next to our coal forges and the 200# Fisher Anvil where we work on larger pieces.

Frog Built Power Hammer

Fairbanks 25#

Fairbanks 25#

This new to us but very old Fairbanks 25# power hammer has been rehabilitated and repainted and moved inside the shop. It me two weeks to rework her, two more weeks to rearrange the shop to fit her in and pour a concrete foundation for her and another week or so to hook up the new line shaft to power her.

Because so many of our tool were originally built for flat belt drives we have converted (or reverted) to an overhead drive system amd reconnected our tools to run the original way.

200# Fisher Anvil

This interior shot of our forge shows the two propane forges and the Peter Wright anvil. On the left you can also see a nice little combination vise anvil that we use frequently and in the background you can see my grandfathers 1950's drill press that we continue to abuse.

200# Fisher Anvil

Peter Wright Anvil

This Peter Wright anvil resides next to our propane forge rigs and is also a much loved tool. You can hear this one ringing through out the valley when we are working.

Fisher & Norris
40# Anvil

Another Fisher and Norris anvil, this little 40 pound piece great for the small hooks and delicate work that we create. She lives next to our coal forge as well, on the opposite side from the big Fisher.

Fisher & Norris 40# Anvil

Anvil & Hardy Tools

The photo left shows our Peter Wright Anvil with some of the handmade hardy tools that we created for her. (Yes, children, it is a "hardy hole" not a "hidey hole".)

Coal Forge with Fire

This old coal fired forge was aquired about 10 years ago. We found her in a junk pile, rescued and rebuilt her. She has endured rough and frequent use here at Frgg Valley Forge ever since.

This little girl now has the company of a second shop built coal forge with a larger firebox and a tiny little portable coal forge that we use for demonstrations outside of our own shop.

We don't have any photos of the new additions yet but promise to post them as soon as we do.

Micro & Pig Forges

These homebuilt propane forges are lovingly referred to as "the pigs" due to the rounded look that they have. The mini forge is about 5 inches across while the larger forge with its pass through for long work is about 14 inches across.

Micro & Pig Forges

Propane Forges and Tools

My inherited tools are a testament to the quality of American craftsmanship during that era. They are solidly built, easy to maintain and repair and just keep going. All of my grandfather's tools have outlasted the tool purchases of my own lifetime.

Bandsaw & Hacksaw

These cutting tools, an Excelsior power hacksaw from about 1925 and a modern metal cutting bandsaw allow us to cut metal up to about 5 inches in diameter out of stock up to 25 feet long. We cut thousands of feet of steel a year with these tools, they are the starting point for most of our metal working.

Bending Jig

This small but heavy homemade bending jig, with its movable pins and forms, is used to create and recreate repeatable shapes for some of our production work.

Atlas Lathe

This Classic Atlas Lathe from the 1940's has been in service for over 60 years and will probably outlive everyone here. Metal turning is often required in a general blacksmith shop an this little gem has proved to worth it's weight in gold( well its weight in iron anyway)


Home • Find Our Work • Contact Us • Our Friends • Studio Tour • Links Frog Valley Artisans, Ltd. 82 Powerline Lane Lane, Berkeley Springs, WV 25411 Tel: (304) 258-3541 • Fax: (304) 258-8059 Frog Valley Artisans, Ltd. © Copyright 2008

	Frog Valley Forge
	THE METAL SHOP Mark Schwenk, Blacksmith & Metal Sculptor
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