Located at 2132 E. Arizona St., Metal Inc. — a community metal studio that rents out fabrication and blacksmithing space to people who wish to make metal projects — is only a stone’s throw away from the Market-Frankford El. On a quiet evening you can hear the sound of sledgehammers pounding red-hot metal and the buzz of tig welders breaking the precious silence between passing trains in the Kensington night.

Metal Inc. occupies the legendary Phillips Metal shop where master metal worker Robert Phillips crafted pieces of metallic art that you can find all across the city. The shop has changed names in recent years and current co-owners Joe Campbell and Vinny Gasper are now using the space as working metal shop and community artist studio.

“We wanted to offer a space that was a stepping stone between a traditional makerspace and getting your own shop,” Campbell said. “We try to have a community aspect about it, everybody helps out.”

There is a lot of history in their shop, especially dating back to Phillips, the previous owner. According to Campbell, keeping the tradition of blacksmithing and metalworking alive is a fundamental part of Phillips’ legacy. “We want to get the [metalworkers] who are retiring, but still want to teach and connect them with the younger generation [of fabricators],” Campbell said. “With apprenticeships, they always say, each one teach one. This is kind of how blacksmithing has survived over the years.”

Some recent notable work to come out of Metal Inc. includes the signage at the Fringe Arts Building, metal trees at Independence Beer Garden and the tree screens and umbrella dividers outside of 30th Street Station.

While the guys at Metal Inc. make big things out of metal, they want you to make big things too. “Anybody in our studio gets to use the same equipment we purchased for ourselves,” Campbell said. That includes several welders and a furnace for blacksmithing in the same way it’s been done for hundreds of years.

“You get to use a professional fabrication and blacksmithing shop. You can to do whatever you want… you get to make your dreams happen,” Gasper said.

I met Metal Inc. members Abraham Pardee and Daniel Widolff as they were forging an axehead. Both have degrees of fine arts in metalworking.

“With my direction and [Pardee’s] help, we’re going to manipulate the hot metal into the shape we desire,” Widolff said standing behind an anvil. The metal piece he was working with was buried in smoldering coals.

Pardee carefully watched his partner shape the metal and looked for a few quick taps of Widolff’s hammer on the anvil to signify he’s ready for help. Widolff placed his hammer on the rapidly cooling axehead and Pardee struck it with a carefully placed blow of a sledgehammer. It’s was one of those relationships that requires no verbal communication to get the job done.

Metal Inc. is a for profit shop, but Campbell and Gasper hope to one day be able to establish it as a non-profit and offer more classes to the public. They’ve applied for a Knight’s Art Grant and are looking into possibly opening a woodshop next door.

The folks at Metal Inc. aren’t the only people blacksmithing in the Riverwards; The Sculpture Gym at 1834 Frankford Ave. is another space where a new generation of curious people can take classes on blacksmithing and metalworking.

The Sculpture Gym was founded by Darla Jazkson. She’s a sculptor most widely known for her portrayal of animals through casting. She’s also a skilled blacksmith and welder. After graduating from school, Jackson found getting access to welding equipment and space to use it was difficult.

Her dream of having a multi-use community fabrication space became a reality when she was one of four people chosen to receive a Knight’s Art Grant in 2010. Since receiving their grant money, The Sculpture Gym has grown to include 25 full-time members. If you don’t want to become a member, you can also get day passes to use their equipment under the guidance of professionals.

Student David Corrie was taking his first class on blacksmithing when I stopped by The Sculpture Gym. Some of the classes they offer include how to make knives, bottle openers and hooks.

“[The Sculpture Gym] is a homage or tribute hearkening back to the neighborhood’s origins,” Corrie said.

It is wrong to assume blacksmithing and welding are male-oriented industries. I caught up with Jackson as she taught a blacksmithing class of nearly all women.

“Typically shops are seen as a space ‘for guys’ and I like to be able to turn that idea on its head,” Jackson said. “Often people will come in and ask who the guy in charge is and there is nothing better than the look on most people’s faces when I answer ‘me.’”

Jackson also described her disdain for what she calls “Women’s Classes”: “I detest when places offer ‘women only classes’ because it implies that this class is somehow different — usually perceived as a watered-down version — for girls, with pink hammers and gender-specific tools,” Jackson said. “Here, that is not the case. There are no classes ‘for girls.’ Everyone is taught the same here.”

Jackson sees a shift in how people are thinking about material possessions and believes people would rather own their own creation. “There’s been a nice shift back to people doing things themselves,” Jackson said. “I think people are less excited about Target and Ikea, so I think the community appreciates having a space to do this.”

To learn more about Metal Inc., visit their website @ http://www.metalincorporated.com. To learn more about The Sculpture Gym, visit their website @ http://philadelphiasculpturegym.com.