ausfire Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 OK, so somebody wants you to make a praying mantis. Started with a railway spike - drew out the middle section and forged the triangular head shape. Spot welded eyes with the Mig, forged the wings from light flat bar and the legs from 6mm square. The big front grabber legs were forged in one piece from 12mm square - spikes chiselled in. Nails for the antennae. The last pic shows one I made from junk - an old spring-handled chipping hammer body, plier bits for front legs, old reo for other legs, a shovel handle for wing covers and nail feelers. I prefer the forged ones - by the time you search around for the right bits of junk, it's faster to forge them. I tried a few of different sizes. Anyway, here's what they look like: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 These are great! Thank you for sharing. The chipping hammer body on the last one has given me inspiration. I have a couple dozen of them salvaged from the scrap bin where I used to work ;) Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Very cool, I like them. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted December 17, 2014 Author Share Posted December 17, 2014 Thanks Scott. Yes, those chipping hammer handles are useful for all kinds of insect bodies. I wish I had more of them. (I guess the shape wouldn't be too hard to forge by wrapping some 6mm bar.And thanks Frosty - I guess where you are, you would be hard pressed to find a real mantis as a model! Lots of 'em here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 They are great subjects! You have done them justice! I have seen hordes of tiny ones on my place. One fall I found one that was over six inches long! I had not realized that they could grow to such dimensions!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndChanceCowboy Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 Wow, that's really awesome. Love the attention to details n very gifted. Frosty just has to worry about those steel eating termites up there.smile. Hard to believe how many skilled smiths there are out there today. Really enjoy the pictures guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapartoz Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 fantastic work . Christmas presents for all the relatives Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kustomsteel Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Beautifully done! You really captured the essence of the Mantis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfDuck Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 They are going in my picture morgue. Well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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