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Ironsmith

Manufactoring
Ironsmith bending iron at LOBMEYR

Sometimes the roughest materials make the most delicate things when shaped with love and care

Ironsmith at LOBMEYR
Heating a bar of iron

Every single bend of a chandelier’s frame has its own template the iron bar is bent along. All parts shaped this way shall look the same but retain minute differences that add to the character of a crafted chandelier.

Carbon flaking off an iron bar while bending
Carbon flaking off an iron bar while bending

The ironsmith or ornamental metalworker at LOBMEYR creates one of the most typical Austrian chandeliers namely the Maria Theresia Chandelier.


In contrast to common understanding, the iron is only heated up to prepare the chemical elements for a hearty bend. The actual bending, the cold-forge is done when the material has cooled down again.

 

In this image though the tip of the bar is heated white-hot for actual forging. The fineer details of a LOBMEYR chandelier.

 

Bending of chandelier frame parts over a template
Bending of chandelier frame parts over a template

The burnt carbon spectacularly flakes off the iron when carefully bent. This is marvellous to watch but also creates a lot of dirt. This is an essential part of a workshop, as the late Stefan Rath liked to point out, member of the 5th generation who managed the chandelier workshops for 40 years.

 

The artisan checks all parts against the drawing before welding them together. It are the minute differences we are after, not huge deviations!

Checking bent frame parts against the drawing
Checking bent frame parts against the drawing