The frame was designed by George Dixon. The design was unique in that the stock was 1/4" x 1 3/4", very wide for the thickness and some of the scrolls were edge bent and the top and bottom scrolls were twisted in the middle of the scrolls to change planes. All the stock was heated in the fire at least twice to get the scale texture George wanted.

The team was picked by Francis, Tom Clark and I at the Rocky Mountain Smiths Conference in 1996.

All the group (except Jeff Mohr) met at Francis Whitaker's shop in 1997 at the Rocky Mountain Smiths Conference. We did the full size layout on a 1/8" sheet of steel and practiced some of the techniques needed to make the parts. Work was divided mostly on where people lived, Doug, Jeff and I were able (and needed) to get together the most. Dan Naumann did the top and bottom finials, Cathi Borthwick did the side finials, Carl Grainger did the center plate. Doug Merkel, Jeff Mohr and I did the frame parts. James Honig did the collars and connecting plates and got the rivets.

The frame team went to George's shop a couple of times to work on techniques and test pieces and did some of the work there and then came to my shop to do most of the actual work. The layout sheet went with us. It took several test pieces and trial scroll forms to get the scrolls exactly the right size and all four frame pieces the same length.

Clay Spencer