jmeineke

Actually now that you mention it, I do have some super sculpey around here somewhere. Thanks for the suggestion - I think I'll give it a try.

I've been kicking around a couple of ideas and yeah, that's one of them. I'm not sure I'd be able to pull it off, though. I've never even made a big one let alone a little one. I was reading another thread on combining copper and iron and was going to try to come up with something along those lines - I thought that would be a cool effect.

Okay, now I'm confused. It sounds like if I have an anvil with a badly damaged edge, it would it hurt to "touch it up" with HF rod (assuming proper pre-heat / post-heat and rod that matches the base metal properties) I've been operating under the principle that this was a big no-no because of the HAZ - that anything around that area would go soft. Is that not entirely true?

Lead? Didn't know that. Thanks. Not the best thing to make a rosary out of then.

Speaking of brass..... How tough would it be to make spheres out of it like I did with copper?

Thanks for the link. Question - the text says, "align the axis parallel to the flat side of the wheel and gently remove the sharp positive rake edge of the drill lips, equally on both sides." Instead of taking it to a grinder, couldn't I just do this with a stone and the bit chucked / spinning in the drill press, especially since I'm dealing with a 1/16" diameter bit?

Very creative. You've got me wanting to try it.

Those are very cool. How did you join them in the middle? Can you describe how you cut them (what with, how deep)? This is just a humble observation - the top looks to me to be a little long. Maybe it's just the picture angle, I'm not sure. I made some out of 1/2" bar recently too and did a bit of research before I started. What I found is that most consider the optimal proportions to be a 1:3 ratio like this: http://thecrossweb.c...dimensions.htm. I think those look really, really nice. Well done.

Thanks. That's all I have to work with right now. I'm going to give it a go with some small pieces and see what happens. I'll try doing it on fire brick.

You're in the right place - I'll be praying for you and your parents.

Very cool piece. How exactly do you do the copper like that?

Is it possible to apply copper to steel with a propane torch?

That looks like a nice one - has a similar profile to my Ajax - long, thin heel and about the same dimensions. I'd guess 250-300 lbs. sounds like a great price.

Cool. Post your results / pics and stuff you learn along the way!

Sounds like a fun project. I'd just be careful about drawing the temper out of the tine. Grant mentioned in that thread I posted that the draw temp is 800-900 - you've got good hard steel there as long as you don't overheat it. That thread I posted also talks about having the hardy hole milled. When you say you are going to cut and drift the hole, it sounds like (maybe) you're planning on flame cutting and/or punching / drifting at forging temp. If that's your plan then you'll need to re-heat treat if you want the original hardness of that tine back - probably a lot harder to do than having the hole milled.

It's my understanding from reading on here that forklift tine is plenty hard as-is, no need for HF rod. There are a several threads on using tine as an anvil - like this one: http://www.iforgeiro...-forklift-tine/ Just curious - why do you need a hardy hole if you're just using it for your striking team?

Yeah, it takes some time / patience to wire it all up but like you said it's worth the effort. Do you have any pics of the ones you made? I'd like to see them.

Hey there, Johh! Your advice on making the dies was one of the number one things that made this finally come together. Thanks for all your help.

That's awesome. My oldest son just received his first communion about a month ago - congratulations. It's a great experience. Solid copper makes a pretty heavy rosary, though, so if you're thinking about making one for her - which is a really neat idea; I'm sure she would treasure that for the rest of her life - I'd look into getting some nice Swarovski crystals and make her a really pretty one. Here's a link to some options: Swarovski Crystals. The beading process is the same for whatever you end up using.

Thanks, Beth. In case anyone is interested in how the beading process is done, here's where I learned it: http://www.olrm.org/wire_inst.html

I'm curious - how do you know when the "process" starts? What do you look for? Also, do you use any flux or do any kind of prep to the metal any special way?

They are pretty deep. I guess I could use those spots for texturing, but I'd rather use a hammer for that. Anyone want to offer an opinion on this one being a candidate for a shave? Bottom milled first, of course.

Wow - remarkably similar. Even the pritchel hole looks the same - slightly off center but in line with the hardy hole. Yours also has the weld line between the base and the body in the exact location that mine does. Maybe these were Fishers that were seconds? I agree though - whatever it is, it's got great rebound and a thick top plate. I'm a little concerned about the pitting on mine transferring to my work, though.

This is a rosary I made out of round copper bar stock. The beads are approx 5/16" solid copper cold formed with a guillotine tool and dies. It's pretty beefy - has a solid, heavy feel. Weighs a bit under 6 ounces. Many members contributed ideas on how to solve problems I was having, improve the dies, drill the holes in the spheres, etc., and here is the end result. I'm going to be replacing the crucifix with something hand-made, but for now I'm just using one I had lying around. I'll probably decorate the center piece (maybe a fish symbol or something). I just flame-colored a piece I hammered out of the bar stock. Many thanks to all who helped me see this through to completion. I guess I wanted people to not only see the end results, but what can be accomplished by the information and help you can get by the great people on this site. I don't think I would have been able to do it without all the help I received from you guys, and I greatly appreciate everyone who contributed. One member (wshelley) was even kind enough to send me some new / better bits free of charge. I'll be using them on my next build. The threads with all the feedback and information / help and additional pics are here for anyone who is interested: http://www.iforgeiro...__fromsearch__1 http://www.iforgeiro...__fromsearch__1 http://www.iforgeiro...__fromsearch__1 http://www.iforgeiro...__fromsearch__1

Here's some super-size pics. I wire wheeled it some more - I sure can't make anything out. There's a line between the body and the base if that offers any clues. I also added a pic of the underside if that helps. Still needs a lot of cleanup.