Paul42`

I really like your design on this one! Here's my first attempt at a cross... I'm thinking of making a small flower or leaf to weld onto the centre but not sure yet.

Not even close to yours Thomas, but here's my first attempt.... Used a railroad spike for mine.

Thanks Holzkohle... I do try to purchase older cast iron items whenever possible. Even if they're rusty or full of crud, they can generally be brought back to almost mint condition. That being said, I do have some off-shore pieces. It is sad that all of this stuff is being made overseas. I only recently discovered that even MACA ovens are made in India now. They claim that they ship they're molds and iron over there, but I can't honestly fathom how this is cheaper than producing them locally. American Culinary holds the rights to the Wagner Ware and Griswold names now, but although their website talks about "quality American products & craftsmanship" it is oddly vague to state where exactly their products are being manufactured. There is a small foundry here in Ontario, Canada that produces very large round & rectangular frying pans... they will even custom cast one with your family or camp name in it. The casting is a little rough, but it is definitely a conversation piece!

I'm into collecting and using cast iron cookware. It's been cold and snowy lately but I wanted to try baking bread in one of my dutch ovens so.... out to the shop! My dutch oven cooking table is actually an old plough disc with horseshoes for handles. A quick peek to make sure things aren't burning. All done... Very tasty... I call it my "Cider House Rye". If anyone is interested, here is a great forum for outdoor & cast iron cooking... www.camp-cook.com

Hey Bryce... I like what you've written here. I enjoy cooking (especially with cast iron) but I rarely use any recipe exactly as I found it. I often turn to the internet for ideas, but I may take three or four recipes for the same dish and combine various parts from them. I use previous ideas & methods and like to tweak the recipe to what "feels" like it would work. Results can vary greatly but for me, there's no better way of learning. Being new to metalwork, I find myself using the same method for things I want to forge. I've copied & saved tons of pictures from the net. Some things are dead simple and others I know I'll never even attempt, but the ideas that flow from there are what I use for inspiration. It's funny, but whenever I try to make something "exactly" as I've seen it, thats when the frustration starts...lol. I don't know where I've read or heard it, but I agree that drawing your ideas out first is a huge help. Draw, sketch, draw.. and the occasional digital pic doesn't hurt either. I'm not that good at putting pencil to paper, but I'm trying to make a concentrated effort so it may become habit and it is kinda neat to look back at your drawings to compare what worked and what didn't. I too, am interested in forms in nature and try to take my camera everywhere I go. My pics can range from a large rolling landscape, to a funky tree, to a close-up of moss or a spiders web. Lately I've considered taking a weekend sculpting course just to get a better feel for more dimensional work. There ya have it... my 2-cents worth. :)

Stefan.... John Newman has one for sale in Hamilton, Ontario. Might save yourself some shipping costs. Here it is on the OABA site... My link Hopefully it's still available!

Looks great Steeler! Tell ya what... I'll send you my address and you can mail those tools right to me! Sound like a deal??? :D

Hey Brian... thanks for posting such a great tutorial for us beginners here! That's what I love about this site... everyone is so willing to share ideas & techniques!

Very nice... I've got an piece of whale bone... might have to borrow your design. Good work!

Fantastic.... you can really sense the movement in the animal! I keep telling myself... some day, some day, I'll be able to create things like that.

Couldn't resist... about 150 railroad spikes! Most have "HC" (high carbon) on the head. Oh ya... also brought home a Lincoln ACC-225 stick welder in like new condition. No pics though... it's "hidden" in the garage...lol!

Hey Andrew... here's a good one. The Backyard Blacksmith Check out the previous thread here... My link

What a great idea!

Outstanding!

Thanks again for everyone's help! I took more time (& heat) today and was watching my hammer blows. I left the stem a bit thicker this time 'round too... although started with square stock. This is a great forum! :)

Thanks Sukellos... no worries - even if sarcasm was intended, I have pretty thick skin! I do square off for tapering, but now that I think about it, I may have started rounding with a bit too much enthusiasm...lol. Thanks for pointing this out (no pun intended).

Thanks for all the fast replies. I have A LOT to keep in mind now...lol! Looking back, it could be any number of things... I'm definitely working the metal too cold and the misplaced hammer blows - well, I'm still working on this one! I've been trying to get at least a few hours in my shop everyday - practice, practice, practice! Thanks once again!

Hey all... still very new to this and had some questions. Working on a leaf today at the end of a bar. Got the leaf shaped and veined and then went to tapering the bar. I noticed a small crack and it seemed to grow the more I tapered. I tried quenching the leaf itself (in water) before hammering the bar, but it didn't help. Eventually I just snapped the leaf off and kept it by itself. This isn't the first time for this either - did the same with a snake head a couple of days ago (tapered first then worked on the head). Not sure if it matters, but I've been using hot rolled bar stock. Too many heats maybe??? Any suggestions??? BTW... the leaf will now be a "spoon rest"...lol! Thanks!

Just got mine last week... excellent, excellent book. I highly recommend it!

Very interesting! Thanks

Fantastic! I really like the contemplation bowl!

Very beautiful.... if you're a bit rusty, it's not showing in your work!

Garage has an asphalt floor, but I laid out clay bricks and filled the gaps with 1/2 & 1/2 concrete & sand. Clean-up is a breeze and the bricks were free. You can see the floor in this pic...

I bought it. It's made in Mitchell, Ontario - just a hour or two north of me. I can't remember the man's name, but he has sold them all over the world. Extremely well made and the only thing you have to do is oil it (with an eye-dropper) once every month or two. He offers them on EBay... http://cgi.ebay.ca/Stirling-Engine-Woodstove-Fan_W0QQitemZ230421741840QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item35a634c110#ht_500wt_1182 or you can contact him directly here... http://www2.cyg.net/~freebreeze/index.htm This is a good video showing the fan in operation.... http://www2.cyg.net/~freebreeze/Mov00179.mpg As for my icebergs.... they're just two large chunks of Brazilian soapstone. I hope to carve them one day, but in the meantime they are great for thermal mass & retaining heat! :blink:

You're not a goof ball Andrew! I love my woodstove & love chopping wood too! Nothing like throwing a dutch oven on with a nice roast, and letting it cook for the afternoon. Besides being delicious, it's cheaper than using the kitchen oven. I'm also big on gadgets... the fan is a "sterling engine" which will operate non-stop as long as the surface temp is above 400*. The hotter the stove, the faster the fan spins! No electricity and no batteries. It's like having a little steam engine on the stove... very cool!