Conan Sturdy-his real name… is a 40 year old Londoner originally from Camden Town. His workshop/metal invention studio is south of the river in Streatham. He studied his Art Foundation at City and Guilds Art School and BA in Industrial Design and Technology at Loughborough University. He has an in depth knowledge of steel and its capabilities. The workshop and his highly skilled team can quickly execute projects in 3 dimensions from sketches on scraps of paper or more detailed engineering plans. Past works include the bike bar- a ten man bicycle powered pub on wheels with vintage hot rod styling, a pair of 1 tonne hanging birdcage/kiosks for master chef’s John Torrodes restaurant in Spitalfields market, furniture for restaurants, bars and galleries as well as tonnes of smaller private commissions for people who appreciate an individual product hand made by an artist/blacksmith/craftsman.
His workshop is fully powered by renewable energy bought it from green sources and when its sunny by the 4 KW solar array up on the roof. He can design and make functional and more creative metalwork and furniture. Recently he’s been selling a lot of furniture and is developing a range of simple and minimalist furniture using steel as a frame and reclaimed materials such as scaff board, victorian floorboards, willow and bamboo grown at the workshop…
Conan likes experimenting with shape and form. Working mainly three dimensionally with a red hot forge, anvil and hammer… he does things by hand and by eye, finishing by touch and chance…. The hot metal has its own will and sometimes dictates the shape it wants to be become. Conan takes on commissions and also develops his own work. He can make things that look like they have grown organically out of the ground as well as more minimal simple designs.
Hi Conan,
I really like your website. I found an old pallet I have become attached to which I am hoping to turn into a kitchen table. I know what to do with the surface but struggling to find suitable legs. Wondered if you could advise, suggest or help? Not sure if this is the kind of thing you would help with as see you normally take on a full commission project.
Best regards,
Zoe
Hi Zoe, I could make some hairpin legs that screw onto the corner blocks of the pallet for £80, fixing place is about 100mm square and the chunks are quite solid… or we could make a complete frame with four straight legs?? would be cool to make a couple of drawers to fit inside the pallet ? complete table frame would cost £220
Hey
I need a branding iron for burger buns
How much would that be
Have u got a logo ? Or letters ? Can u email me pls conansturdy@mac.com
Hi , I would like to make arrow sign . Thanks
Have you got a sketch ?
Heyy i was wondering if you do something similar to work experience or like a workshop on blacksmithing techniques that i could maybe attend:) and possibly being allowed to try making a mini piece of my own.
Hi Nisanth, there’s a few places that do blacksmithing classes- West Dean College and Hereford college of technology are a couple. I’m not really set up for lessons
I have a couple of large spherical, thin brass lampshades from Morocco that seem to have been used as footballs by ground staff and therefore need some urgent knocking out. Is this the kind of stuff yuo could help me with?
Thanks
Hi Sean, shouldn’t be a problem
can you bring them to the workshop ? i can give you a price first if you send photos by email to conansturdy@mac.com….. shouldn’t think it’d take too long