Hand-Forged Ornamental Garden Gate with Scrollwork Commission

We are commissioning a hand-forged decorative wrought-iron gate for the entrance to our garden courtyard and need an experienced blacksmith to take on the full project from design through installation. The work begins with an on-site measurement of the opening, followed by a design sketch showing the scrollwork pattern, finials, and overall silhouette for our approval before any metal is heated. Once the design is signed off, the blacksmith hand-forges each ornamental scroll and leaf element at the anvil, fire-welding or riveting the pieces into panels rather than using bolt-on decorative stampings.

The frame itself needs to be engineered for real-world weight and swing: heavy-gauge box or solid bar stock for the perimeter, properly sized hinge pins set into reinforced posts so the gate does not sag after a season of use, and a hand-forged latch and lock mechanism that operates smoothly from both sides.

Before delivery the finished gate should be cleaned, primed, and finished with a weatherproof coating rated for outdoor exposure through freeze-thaw cycles and full sun, since it will stand uncovered year-round. We expect a realistic timeline covering design approval, forging, assembly, coating, and on-site hanging, with photos at each major stage. Please share examples of comparable garden gates you have forged previously, your approach to post-mounting on masonry or wood posts, and your estimated schedule for a project of this scope.