Black Fox Metalcraft Blog

Why do Inns and Public House Have Iron Signs

Wrought iron and metal signage is a common sight on farms not just because of the intricate craftwork that goes into their construction or how beau...

The golden age of Signwriting

By the mid 18th century, many cities such as Glasgow and London banned swinging shop signs, as their size had escalated to the point where they wer...

How can women in the UK get into Blacksmithing?

Though I went to an academically quite good school, there was absolutely no opportunity to try anything practical like blacksmithing, and metalwork...

Tree Planting

In march this year we planted 110 cell grown trees on the plot of land where we will eventually be building our straw bale home and new workshop fo...

Why does it take 4 weeks to produce a weathervane?

All of the weathervanes, signs and other metalwork you see on this website are designed here in the Scottish borders. Sometimes i draw in a sketchb...

Why our weathervanes and hanging signs are TIG welded

TIG stands for Tungsten Inert Gas. Tungsten refers to the non consumable electrode within the torch. Inert gas just means a gas that doesn't react ...

Custom Weathervane Fixings

Certainly not the most exciting blog post I've ever written, but actually a pretty important one. Fixing your weathervane in the best possible way ...

Why are Black Fox weathervanes powdercoated?

I wanted to write a series of blog posts explaning the technical side of creating weathervanes and swinging signs, so our customers know exactly wh...

Juggling family life and creating weathervanes - how it works for us.

On the website it says that the business is 'run around family life', so I thought I'd write a post about what this looks like day to day, and how ...

Tips For Creating The Perfect Customised Metal Business Sign

A sign is the first thing customers notice about your business, and it’s a chance to make a statement and reflect the brand and character of the co...

Tips For Arranging And Locating Your Summer Hanging Basket

When positioning a hanging basket it’s important to consider the aesthetics and also the optimum location for the plants to thrive. Here are some h...

Positioning And Fixing Your Bespoke Metalwork Weathervane

To make the most of your bespoke weathervane from both a practical and a decorative perspective, it’s important to consider the placement and fixin...