09/25/2026
Andrew Frazier began coppersmithing in 2012 as an apprentice at a handmade lighting company, where he learned sheet metal techniques from master craftsmen. He later studied metal spinning with a practitioner trained by Terry Tynan, one of the most widely respected manual metal spinners in the field. In 2022, Frazier established his own business and expanded his repertoire to include hand hammering, a technique he taught himself through instructional videos and extensive hands-on experimentation.
An increasingly rare tradition, coppersmithing requires a broad range of specialized skills such as hand hammering, forging copper wire into chains, soldering, and shaping sheet metal with shears, brakes, rollers, and metal spinning tools. Copper's durability and longevity make it an environmentally sustainable material, especially for outdoor use.“If no master coppersmiths are around to complete [repairs], then the sustainable advantage has disappeared,” Andrew explains. “Coppers durability contributes to houses lasting more than 100 years.”
As part of the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program, Andrew taught his wife and business partner, Jellique Frazier, the skills of the trade. Jellique had previously made smaller items such as garden mushrooms and jewelry and was eager to expand her abilities by learning metal spinning and the traditional techniques used to hand hammer cups. “I love the functional and decorative aspects and want to develop my skills to bring more of my art into reality,” Jellique explains.
Together, Andrew and Jellique travel throughout the Southeast to promote traditional coppersmithing. “We strive to bring sustainable, handcrafted products back into style,” Andrew says. We hear countless stories of how people’s grandparents worked with copper in various forms. Many people find a link to their roots through the work that we do.”
We visited Andrew and Jellique in May as they shaped rain chain bell cups on a recently acquired P. Pryibil heavy-duty metal spinning lathe.
