Metal Sculpture & Carvings

This little guy followed me in from the shop today. I think I'll name him "Lil Scrapper". Lol!!!

OK, this is what I did with a dodgy pipe wrench. This grasshopper is Fuller character.

My first sculpture. Following on from my old thread asking "what animal is this?" (http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/42578-what-animal-is-this/) at the stage when I'd finished the frame. Commissioned in secret by a client for his wife's birthday, which is tomorrow. I installed today whilst they are en route to their holiday destination, (another surprise to the wife), and by request of the client I am emailing pics and a video of the bear in situ so he can say...look what's waiting for you when you get home. Mostly designed by me but with important input from the client. It has quite a lot of personal/emotional significance to the pair of them so I hope she likes it!

Between yesterday and today I built this classic V-twin Chopper complete with ape hangers, sissy bar, twisted girder front end with dual headlights, open chain primary, hard pan seat and super fatty rear tire....! Hey it's a Bolt head lol!

Has anyone made one of these crosses, or know how it is done? I would like to make one but cannot seem to get it right.

Just trying out an idea.

i was just wondering where ya'll buy rose blank cut outs for making roses. I don't need to buy them buy the hundreds, just individually. No, I do not have a plasma cutter, I do have an angle grinder but I don't think that's capable of cutting out rose blanks. I did see the video that TechnicusJoe made about how to forge a rose but it just seemed like a lot of work and I cant find any steel that large. Also if any of yall have any ideas of how to make rose blanks with simple hand tools, than that would also be appreciated. Thanks in advance! Littleblacksmith

At work I got a kid that loved my initial scorpion sculpture. I got him this year for our secret Santa. Limit is $20. But I have to. So he is a lucky boy. I been happy since my OA torch has been going.

It was nice to get back into the shop today after taking a much needed break. This is a piece that was requested by a very dear friend of mine. She asked for something that reflected her faith that she could hang on a wall. This is what I came up with. I cut the flower off a mangled up piece of something I found at the scrapyard.....worked for me lol! The painted flower made for an interesting contrast to the rest of the bare scrap metal.

Some of the stuff I am doing. The copper wire trees sell fast, and it is warmer in the house when it is cold outside. When it isn't cold outside I play with the forge, but the wire trees relax me, and help me figure a quicker way to make the flowers. With out a plasma cutter, my 20 gauge steel gets cut by hand with aviation snips, takes time. Trees range from 4" and 9" tall with out their bases or rocks.

Here's a pic of my lily

I am new to this forum and a blacksmith wannabe. Could you show me some of your "critter" projects that you've made? I do some welding and other shop type work, but tremors my hands are limiting me to smaller projects. Thanks in advance - Old Timer

A friend at work that bought a couple all thread snakes asked for a spider to go inbetween the snakes he put on an end table. I decided to try out a glow in the dark paint on it. if he dosnt like it it can be wire wheeled off and clear coated. ( didnt realize it would get a light shade of yellow green but hey, it's an experiment and he is a friend) also another bigger spider that still needs it's legs bent (ran out of Acetylene. ugh), and a cross I started saturday and finished up tonight.

With Xmas closing in I've had to really burn the midnight oil to get some projects done. I just finished up this last minute rush order "Man Cave Lamp table" for a customer as a gift to her business partner for his lakeside cabin in New Hampshire. I made it from reclaimed 1/2" rebar welded up to a 1/2" square rod base frame with forged tabs for mounting the top. The top itself is a 2-1/2 thick "live edge" winter cut slab of red maple which happened to come from New Hampshire that has air dried for two years. I created a scroll inlay with the guys credo on it then did an epoxy pour glass coat finish. It stands 32" tail. Only issue is my bride wants one now lol. Yep m…

This echidna has spines that used to be the pegs from a piano. The things that the strings attach to. We had a whole bunch of old pianos and I rescued these pegs after they were burnt. His body is a catalytic converter from our local mechanic. A couple of ball bearings for the eyes, some tappet rockers for claws and a brass air fitting for a snout complete the echidna. I took the photo on an ants' nest in our paddock. He's about life size and looks real from a distance as in Pic 1. This one is a lot easier to handle than one I made previously with nails for spines. He's going to be a present for our mechanic. I have free rein over his scrap bins and he often lea…

Well it seems like everyone fabricates a fire set. This is my take on a timeless classic. My bride has wanted me to make one and I thought Xmas was the perfect chance. This 36" tail 4 piece set (poker, broom, shovel and tongs) was made completely from salvaged scrap with a little forge manipulation right down to the 2011 Harley Davidson horn cover that doubled as the shovel. Even the broom was made from one of my old bench brushes that was tossed in a box years ago. The handles are made up of square rod I twisted up for the classic effect (l dig twisting metal lol) and then did some wrapping of round rod for an added flare. The base is a brake rotor and all the rings came…

Have to go see my cardiologist tomorrow and seeing she has given me the gift of life I thought it was the least I could do for her!

Hello all, been absent from the forum for a couple of years, decided to fire up the forge again and using my new welder to make a horse head for a good friend of mine. The shoes are all used from her farm and each is tied to a current or past horse she has owned. This is my first sculpture and I really enjoyed making it, I look forward to making more in the future. The eye is copper sheet TIG welded into the steel frame and the ears are forged from pieces of a large circular saw blade. I have already given it to her and she loves it, which is all I can ask.

Here is a commissioned owl that was asked for a while ago and needed before Christmas. done and done. I thought about a mouse in it's claws but this one is good as is. Next one, since I have atleast 1 or 2 more to make. I only made 3 or 4 different sets of eyes for this guy. one I liked more but it didn't work out shape wise. his head is built off of a bearing and spins fully around. hopefully my photography is better but I messed it up again. I've spilled enough beers, and stomped enough bulbs tonight. Jeesh......next time.... enjoy.

Here a Zombie Apocalypse Bone Crusher w/stand.....3 layer of steel forge welded to form its protruding center blade 24 inches long, 3 inches wide and 5.25 lbs. This thing is pure nastiness! I made it for buddies son who's into the Zombie thing (I have no clue). I did make it as a functional weapon. As the say on forged and fire "it will kill" lol! i posted it here because it's actually made for display and it's not a knife. I hope that's ok? See Frosty I'm back from the "normal" realm...lol!

A scrappers chess set, the board doesn't go well with the set but it's all I had to use. I'll probably make one out of wood at some point. I know Frosty, it's a little normal for me but the pieces just jumped out of the scrap pile so I made it. Winters coming, it will be nice to play a game or three by the fire.

Today's effort, "Bird on a Wire" wall hanging using the walls paint as the backdrop, scrap square tube, barbed wire and some sheet metal.

I had a bunch of old junk blades kicking around for years so they found they way out the the big shop today. I tried some heat coloring on the blades but even with my light tent it was hard to show.

So I was asked if I could make a hot pot holder in the form of a spider web complete with standoffs. I came up with this today. It's 12" Diameter and I painted it with 2000 Degree heat paint. I'll have to bake it tomorrow when it's dry. Her you go Frosty, functional art. Man this thing was a PITA to do. All the bending and cutting and then the welding and paint. Darn thing took all afternoon.

Slag and JHCC both suggested I try using different base materials so today I used both exotic teak wood and stones. Look JHCC slate lol....just for fun with the scrap sculpture....it has really nice movement as well...I'm happy with it. That last for the suggestions guys, I have a ton of ideas now. This stands 26" tail.