Jun 19, 2017
Joseph Campbell is an architectural metal fabricator who owns
Metal Inc and the Metal Collaborative Studio in Philadelphia,
PA. You’ll hear Joe talk about the Metal Collaborative
membership, it’s like a gym membership but to a metal studio
outfitted with welding and blacksmithing equipment. It’s an
interesting business model that I wish would grow, giving competent
blacksmiths or metal workers a place to be creative and collaborate
with each other. He mentions what membership access gives you
and how much it costs. Joe also talks about his own private
and public commissions he has been getting through his metal
working business.
But first I want to thank our sponsor today and that’s Bob
Menard of the Ball and Chain Forge in Portland, Maine. He’s
been making a tool that allows a blacksmith to increase the weight
of their anvil by 30lbs and to make tools without the need for a
large swage block with pass through holes, it’s the BCF Anvil Block
and he’s been making them for 5 years in his forge in Maine.
It is a 30lb block of cast iron that has 2 square holes passing
through, 1" and 1 3/8". The size is 3 1/2" wide x 6 1/2" long
x 4" high, so it fits on top of the anvil face and firmly secures
to any anvil size with a top bracket and chains.
The current price is $200 including shipping in the continental
US. For more information contact Bob through email, ballandchainforge@yahoo.com.
Thanks Bob Menard and Ball and Chain Forge!
What We Talked About
- Joe talks about how his architectural metal business helps pays
the bills for the Metal Collaborative studio membership. Also, how
the collaborative nature of the studio lends its creativity to the
architectural side of the business too.
- Joe, Ann Klicka, Nick Eyre’s started a collaborative blacksmith
community from a local prolific Artist blacksmith, Bob Phillips,
after Phillip’s passing away about 4 years ago. Most of the group
disbanded and Joe wanted to continue his metal working business and
the collaborative metal studio concept.
- Currently, there are about 6 members of the Collaborative
studio. As of this recording, their rates for membership are
varied: $400/month for full-time access and storage, part-time
access and smaller storage space is $200/mo, and a day rate of
$75.
- Residing in Philadelphia has its perks as a metal worker, such
as seeing original works forged by Samuel Yellin.
- Joe has been inspired by some of Yellin’s work and techniques,
he submitted a design for a public city bike rack and incorporated
one of Yellin’s “lattice” slit and drift design aspects. The bike
rack design was accepted by the City and he has yet to make
it.
- Joe talks about insurance coverages and suggests that artists
look through ABANA and NOMMA
Guest Links
Metal Inc website - http://www.metalincorporated.com/about-the-metal-collaborative/
A Big Thank You to today’s sponsor – Bob Menard of the
Ball and Chain Forge, http://www.ballandchainforge.com/tooling_1?_rdr