This past summer the Guild was contacted by the Endview Plantation caretaker Dave Purschwitz.  He wanted to know if we could make 15 strap hinges and 3 barn door hasps.  He wanted them made           traditionally because they were going to be used on a barn that the plantation had recently constructed.

 

                                   

 

               Steve La Paugh lived close by the Plantation so he took some pictures and measurements for reference.  After talking to some of the members we decided that this was a good project for the guild to take on.  I set up a work day, asked for volunteers and ordered the steel.  When the work day arrived the temperature was in the high 90's.  That didn’t slow us down it just made us sweat more.

                                                                                                            

 

         

                                                                          

            We started making the hinges first.  There was some debate where we should roll one end or forge weld the end. We went with the rolled end because it closely represented the type of hinges they would have used during that time period.

           Making the rolled end came first, and then we would fuller the ball end as we drew down the strap working from just aft of the ball end to the rolled end.  To keep track of the length we measured it against the template hinge.  Laying the hinges flat on the anvil face we trued them up.  Then we hammered some texture marks into the entire strap.

          Nathan and I took on the challenge of making pintles.  First we had to make bolster block to make the pin before we made the pintle.  Using 3/8 round stock that was cut to allow for a rivet head to be formed.      Second we made the body of the pintle.  Started off with 3/8 square cut to 6 inches, folded it in the middle to form a closed “U” shape. Once the “U” shape was formed you inserted the pin, flux and forge welded it all together.         

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

              Then with a flat taper, we drew out the body to a point approximately 7 inches long.  Steve matched up the pintles with the hinges, cleaned and prepped them for delivery.  Steve also made 3 hasps with staples in the traditional method.