tzonoqua

This is a alot bigger than my palm, but this is one of my butterflies... pic is taken at an odd angle, but it's meant to hang out on a wall -- you could make it out of wire? I have also made some with wings out of copper, and riveted them to a steel body.. decorated a garden obelisk that way, was really lovely, don't have pics of that on this computer though.

Thanks Beth, they were a bit of a challenge to make I have to say, but I'm glad I did. And yes, I reckon you could get lost in it for a long long time!!

I worked with smiths in india and at first they used a small rail track for an anvil, they suggested to me they could have a better anvil if they could afford one, so i paid for them to buy a square-ish lump of tool steel, about 200mmx200mmx300mm and they forged it into what I described as a square mushroom, (I used mushroom stakes for silverwork and it was similar, but flatter and squatter) It was very similar to dancho's anvil, minus the horn. Worked very well for them, portable and very functional. It was great to watch them forge it, three strikers, one of them the tender age of 12! this looks like a great design.

Thanks Don, they are "rustic" ok, they're just rusty!!! :D They are a bit "thick" so I would be better to work them down some more. Did at least learn a bit and have great respect for those that can make very beautiful knives! I think it's also about how much stock you start with, less is more, or at least more manageable!

These are my first and only ever attempts at knife making. As you can see, I'm better off sticking with the arty stuff, although these do live in my kitchen and they do get used, and I like the fact that they do actually get used, but they aren't the best! The handles are aluminum, sand cast roughly then forged into shape of the handle with some decorative punching. May be trying some again soon, the step son has taken an interest in forging and (god forbid) wants to make a sword.. *sigh* He is only 10 though, so I've started him off with snails. He's not able enough to hold the tongs, he just "strikes" two handed. Gotta start somewhere eh!

That's neat, My dad used to make them by attaching the magnet on to the end of a broom handle, and tying a piece of cloth or a plastic bag, or taping some newspaper over the magnet, (he just used whatever was to hand) then after "sweeping" he just pulled off the bag/cloth/newspaper and put it all into the bin.

Yes, well, what can I say, I imagined how to use that anvil, or rather how I would use that anvil, lol, I am obviously not a knifemaker. Neat video, quenching in whale oil eh!! It would drive me nuts to have so much scale all over my anvil! Bentiron, I missed that post somehow...

so dies or swages would be slotted into the slots?

I can see it more being used for knifemaking-or cutlery those grooves straight across the face would be really useful for hammering along, getting nice straight lines in, and the slightly 'sloping' groove, i can see how that could be utilized, I think this would be a great anvil for that purpose! I just like the look of it!! The big hardy hole seems perfect for stake tools as well. If it were closer I'd jump on it!

Stewart, I nearly bought a blacker hammer before but it didn't have an anvil like that, and in those pics the blacker anvil has a step on one side, but not big grooves on the face like that. Whatever it is, I've never seen one like it!

NIce, Peter, I particularly like the extravagant lighting and the flying kayaks! (are they kayaks?) All these wonderful workshops posted here put my pokey little place to shame!!

Interesting, unusual anvil, too bad it's in cumbria! I've seen another one of these on ebay recently, anyone know what it's for? http://www.ebay.co.u...2#ht_500wt_1069

hi chili! I used to live in "bonny scotland"- the Ratho forge has got a great reputation for courses. As far as I know there's not any groups or clubs apart from the UK wide BABA, although there could be, my forge was in highland perthshire, and I didn't really get out to meet many smiths up there. Welcome to IFI, it's a great resource, and there are quite a few brits on here! Macbruce, regarding the haggis, you do realize you were insulting the woman's national dish??!! :o

hey, and you're great at flower arranging too!! Nice one!

Here in the UK we have what is called "Design and Technology" part of the curriculum, in the Secondary School where I work we do pewter and ali casting, the students in year 9 make a pewter pendent, they design what they are going to make on the computer, and we have a computer controlled mircrorouter to "engrave" out their design into wood and then we cast their pendants in pewter. Then we also have product design courses where we basically introduce them to as many different production techniques as we can, ranging from welding to woodwork to vacuum forming and we have a day where we do sand casting in ali, and then they have a project where they design a bottle opener in the CAD program, create the model and sand cast it in ali. It's great fun, we've got an awesome little flamefast stationary crucible that is incredibly safe, (tips on the spot, no having to move the molten metal around) It's a lot of fun and the students are really engaged when we do "making" Unfortunately we have miniscule budgets, and they cut them every year, so there's never enough money to invest in new equipment and our current government seems to want to do away with "design and technology"-- then they complain that our workforce is not skilled enough!!

Hi Beth, as I've been looking into getting a solid fuel forge lately I've been keeping a watch on ebay, these tend to sell for between £80-£200 depending on condition and depending on where they are in the country. I know that is a broad range, but i guess the value is all in the eye of the beholder, and in the mind of the seller!! I always kick myself because shortly after I graduated I was offered one for £40 but I was just about to leave to go travelling for a year, and didn't have anywhere to store it, so I didn't buy it. Gutted!

nice concept!

free steel!! Went to pick up my steel order today from a local engineering firm. Got great prices on some stuff that I ordered, at cost with their bulk buying power, and was told I could scavenge their offcuts so I picked these bits out... for free!! Yay, I love free steel!! Thomas, nice to have a little memento of a journey, especially one you can use and create with!

Great lines, love the silouettes, nice work! Always enjoy watching the progression of an artwork, or any work for that matter. With stuff like this, I tend to blend the welds in as I go, you never know when you might cross something over the top and not be able to get the grinder in, and then have to get the file out!! :wacko:

Ian, I am sure warehouses full of old farm stuff was more fun than my pokey workshop!! It rained buckets all day that day, so there were not so many people turning up, but those who did had fun, some families, and lots of kids got to "help me out" at the forge. My friend James, another blacksmith came along and and we made a few snails and keyrings with the kids, and I got lots of my own work done, and James, being a lovely guy made a pair of tongs for me, (always a bonus!). Glad you enjoyed your time, and I do apologize about the weather!!! (but this is england after all!!) and Beth, I reckon the parrots would be awesome driveway sentries!! :D

Not all old tools are good tools, some technologies have been superceeded for a reason!

wow, awesome. Perfect silouettes... I hope they pay you well for your talent because you deserve it.

How long it lasts is like asking how long is a piece of string!! All depends on the conditions inside, I would imagine in a museum it would be climate controlled, so probably lasting quite a long time. I have done interior railings for clients and used an oil finish - jade oil. That was two years ago and the railings are still in fine condition. I leave clients with the usual instructions that I leave with anyone who has an interior piece, large or small with a wax or oil finish- that being, display in a dry area, use a little paste wax polish if necessary, if rust develops rub with a little steel wool and reapply oil or wax. People have to be informed that if they want something in steel, it is liable to rust, especially in a humid environment, it is just the nature of the beast and they should expect to maintain the finish. I always hate painting work, I am not a fan at all, I too love the natural look of metals, and I love the look of rusted pieces too!! Lately on rust I have been using yacht varnish, looks good, who knows yet how long my test pieces will last though, experiments still ongoing!! Hope that helps!

Hi Olly, Looks like you're well on your way!! Taunton is not too far from me, and not too far from Westpoint either, I'm sure John B will pipe up, but you should probably get yourself on one of his courses in Devon. As for the tue iron, there is a guy in Chard who makes forges, Greystone Forge, I'm sure he could make a tue iron, he's pretty reasonable. Or you could make one yourself!! welcome to the forum.

Yes, it sure does take money!!! And that's not all... I had someone who has been smithing very short time visit my workshop recently, they said to me "Wow, you're so lucky, look at all this stuff!!" Lucky??? No luck about it... I have worked for all of it, it has taken hard work, sacrifice, determination, sheer bloody mindedness, a credit card and overdraft, persistence, sometimes stubbornness, long hours, learning curves, and some great customers to get all of my tools!! I understand why he meant I was lucky and I didn't take it to heart, he was referring to the "shop envy" that you get when you see all the awesome stuff that others have... I get that all the time when I see people's shops (btw i have a very modest shop, lots of hobbiests have better shops than me!!) In fact I got it today when I visited a new friend who has an engineering firm, his office was bigger than my workshop!! But I would never call it luck, like it all happened by chance, kind of an insult really.