Frosty Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Bryan: Yeah, 14 ga. is a structural weight of steel, jousting armor didn't have breast plates that thick. Normal mistake, I think most of us have made it once at least. I'm with Vaughn on buying the grapes from King, I just didn't think of it. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K. Bryan Morgan Posted October 18, 2014 Author Share Posted October 18, 2014 Ok then I'll look them up and see how fast they can get them here. I can always rivet them on as well. Small copper rivets. I wonder if they have grapes with a 90 deg bend in them? No they don't but that's alright. I found something that will work fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 I think copper and iron really go well together. You could also give the grapes a bit of copper wash by soaking them in some acid that has dissolved copper in it. Then wire-brush the high spots to leave the copper in the valleys..... Am I the only one that gets excited thinking about projects like this? So many things to do, so little time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K. Bryan Morgan Posted October 20, 2014 Author Share Posted October 20, 2014 Oh wow Vaughn, that's a great idea. I'm going to the Alaska Steel here in a couple of minutes and will be getting more flat bar. I mucked up the first attempts and used up all my stock. That's ok though I can use it for something else later. I think I've changed the design like five times. I spoke to Robert, the gentleman I'm making this for, and the date has been set back to another two weeks. I am glad for the extra time. So the new elements will arrive in a few days. In the mean time I will be working on the rack. As soon as I get some pieces put together I'll start posting pictures. I'll have something in the next couple of days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 here I was thinking that if you did ball bearing grapes you could colour them gold and or purple in the oven with temper colours... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 there is a blacksmith named Gordon Williams his work if forming grape leaves for the King one is life like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K. Bryan Morgan Posted October 21, 2014 Author Share Posted October 21, 2014 Thomas, temper coloring them would be a good effect. I can see how that would look good. But he did specify black iron to me. So I'll get them hot texture them some and let them cool. I think just before they get cool enough to touch, wipe them down with beeswax. Since this is food gear we decided on that. Francis, I got some of the stamped ones. I feel that the forged ones would be way to heavy and I can't weld a lick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 OR you could buy copper sulphate. You can also attach the positive lead of a battery charger to the grapes and the negative to copper in an electrolyte solution and electro plate them. If you use copper sulphate for the electrolyte or add a few % sulphuric acid it'll plate a treat. Raise the grapes to black heat and brass brush them, like highlighting the leaves we made back when, just don't stop at highlights. Bummer you couldn't make it down for Gordon Williams clinic, not that we talked about grapes but he's a great guy. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george m. Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 One issue I would have to resolve if I were doing this project is whether to raise the grapes in 14 gauge hot or cold. Blacksmiths go to hell for hitting cold iron and 14 gauge is pretty thick to work cold. I've done some similar things hot against a soaked wet stump. You get steam and smoke but I can't think of anything that gives a bit when you hit it that isn't flammable. If you have a swage block with a hemispherical depression you may be able to use that but I'm not sure if doing the 2d depression beside the 1st would distort the 1st. Let us know how it goes and, if you can, post pics or a video. Depressingly, George M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Depressingly? George: Don't worry, 14ga. CR sheet is steel so you can beat it cold without tempting Satan, just remember to charge enough. For a bottom die wrap a piece of round stock around a mandrel of the desired diameter. Laid flat it will make a dandy bottom die for grapes, etc. and no smoke or steam. Would that be a plus or minus in your shop? Risking repeating myself (like THAT never happens) 14ga. is too heavy to work cold except for large radius forms, though a person can turn a bead with practice. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K. Bryan Morgan Posted October 22, 2014 Author Share Posted October 22, 2014 Heading into the shop here in a minute. The elements I purchased haven't arrived yet, but I can still get the frame work done. So I'm moving forward with that. I'm going to post some picks. Video would be something I may do in the future, but now I don't have a video camera. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george m. Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Dear Frosty, A pun on depressing the metal to form the grapes. Also, I was a fan of Tom Swifty jokes when I was a wee tyke. I guess that I've never met an adverb I didn't like. GM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Dear Frosty, A pun on depressing the metal to form the grapes. Also, I was a fan of Tom Swifty jokes when I was a wee tyke. I guess that I've never met an adverb I didn't like. GM Gotcha! My mind always thinks in puns but I've learned to be careful of expressing such, too many people are TOO serious. Dad had a box full of Tom Swift books and I used to write spoofs in typing class instead of practicing. The teacher loved a good spoof so I didn't suffer like I should have. One of her favorites was a spoof of "Tom Swift and the Electric Boat." I have, "Tom Swift And His Rocket Ship," within reach. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george m. Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Dear Frosty, One that I recall from the original Tom Swift series from the early 20th century was "Tom Swift and His Electric Areoplane." As I recall, the original series was better than the ones published in the '50s. Did you know that TASER stands for "Tom Swift's Electric Rifle" with an A added for consistency with normal English spelling? In at least 1 episode TS had an electric rifle which stunned evil doers. Trivialy, George M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Dad's tom Swift books were from I think the 1930's, the one on my book shelf is from the 50's. I just Googled Tom Swift and it seems the series started in 1954 and ran till 1971. Wow, now I'm wondering if my Sister still has any of my boxes of books stored somewhere, it'd be fun to find out what the copyright dates are on Dad's copies. I remember Tom's "Electric Rifle" but not much of the story. Rereading Tom's Rocket story I can see why they didn't really stick in my memory. I learned to read when Mother introduced me to sci fi so by time Dad gave me his Tom Swift collection I'd been reading Heinlein, Clark, Asimov, Harrison, etc. for years. I DO recall Tom was a real pioneer using electricity and it shows in today's civilization. I hadn't heard the Taser connection but you can buy Electric fire places and wood stoves almost anywhere now. Didn't they try a not so successful Tom Swift TV show in the early 50's? A-N-D Google tells all: <a data-ipb="nomediaparse" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.tomswift.info/homepage/tvpilot.html%20A%20one%20show%20wonder%20pilot%20only%20in%20the%201980" href="http://www.tomswift.info/homepage/tvpilot.html%20A%20one%20show%20wonder%20pilot%20only%20in%20the%201980" s%20and%20i%20never%20saw%20it.%20"="">http://www.tomswift.info/homepage/tvpilot.html It was a one show (pilot) wonder in the 1980's. Gee and I missed the one only airing. <sigh> Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caladin Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 I,know its too late, but you can pick up a wooden calling block, and ball punches to go with it cheap at Rio grande jewelry supply, metal ones are a bit more, but you can do,18g in the wood (cold), That said, if you had a welder, weld a bearing on a bit of rod and bang it into a stump to make a depression and you can do an amazing amount, (or a ball peen) as a teen I made a complete set of (medioche) sca armor with not much more(a vice and a jig saw in fact) Various sized ball peens make various sized depressions... Might be nice for grapes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caladin Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Calling block was supposed to be calling block...will not let me edit it now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 You mean a Dapping Block? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K. Bryan Morgan Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 Well after a couple of setbacks I'm back on this project. I totally have no idea what I'm doing. So I'm going ahead anyway! I found out that I had the Alaska steel cut the stock to short and have to do it in two pieces riveted together instead of one long piece and riveted at one end. Live and learn. I know what to do next time. And now that I'm sitting here thinking about it. I just cut a piece to short again. Dag nab it! I'll make it work. So, first the frame pieces then the legs. I need to get my propane tank refilled, it freezes up after about an hour now. Makes the shop nice and warm though. Ok back at it. I'll post some pics later this evening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.