tzonoqua

Dave, " I make pretty good on my dinner bells as it is!" I am sure you do! So add another dollar or two onto the price, customers will hardly notice and at the end of the day it all adds up for you!!! Selling out is one of those "indicators" of being able to raise your prices, is all. I love the heart shaped stand for the flower, it's really sweet! I sell tons of flowers, ones for the garden, ( no stand- you can just spike into the earth) -and I find that women are usually the ones that hold the purse strings, so if you can make stuff to appeal to the fairer sex, then you'll be laughing! and yes, I always make sure that I have a centrepiece or two on the table, you know you're most likely not going to sell it, but it gets attention and lets customers know that it's not just hooks and dinnerbells that you do! Good luck!

Just a thought Dave, if you sold out of your dinner bells last time, then next time round you should probably raise the price a little. :)

Hi Adrian, Thanks, would love to see some more photos! I am planning to get to the BABA AGM, (Ratho is about 2.5 hr drive from here) but might only get to it for one day-would love to make it for the whole weekend, but it conflicts with some other family stuff... (maybe I can escape that!!!) Maybe I see you there!?

Very impressive!! Love the detail at the top, is it a flower or cone shape? How is that done, (hard to tell from the photo whether it's petals, or..)? Great colour too!

Extraordinary work!

Wow, great work! If only I was doing that at his age!! I guess I should be getting my stepson down to the workshop more often... and his sister... and my 4yr old daughter for that matter!!! Although, I'd never get any of my own work done!

maybe a wheel rim for a truck or tractor as a former? must be a really big pot!!

hmmmm guess I'm a bit boring. The first forge I worked from in Scotland was called "The Old Smiddy" Since then I've moved from that into another "Old Smiddy" and I"ve been unofficially referring to it as "The New Old Smiddy" which is fairly unimaginative. Been thinking of calling it the "Meggernie Forge" after the Estate I live on (which has a lovely castle), or "Gallin Forge" which is the name of the Farm it's on. Anything would be better than what the farm staff call it - "the plumbing store" until I moved in last summer, for 30 years it has been just that, a storeroom for the estate's plumbing supplies. But generally, I trade under my own name- I tend to move on every so often, my name will always be the same! Neil, that's funny, I always thought your name "chyancarrek" was from native american influences! and "Black Dog" Dave, that is a very interesting other business. :)

Lovely work, and 29 flowers in 12 hours is not bad going!

Yes, I think we are losing things in some ways... and some ways no... Over here in the UK one of the training schemes, NETS has recently had it's funding dropped, meaning closure of the course. Hopefully UK smiths can make enough noise to stop this from happening. I was educated with an Arts Degree, so not much in the practical teaching of technique, but more about ideas, concepts, etc. You had to know how to talk the talk to back up the work. I was taught the basics... then just let loose on the forge. I sometimes lament that I should have done a more formal training in Blacksmithing.. but I didn't discover Blacksmithing until I did my Degree... ( I was silversmithing before) so I have to teach myself things when I come across something I don't know how to do. Which is where the internet, books, and people I know come into it. And yes, I do rely on my MIG welder way too much.. most of what I do is more sculptural than functional or "traditional" so I can get away with it for now.. I have great respect for those who do things the "traditional" way. Let's face it, a mortice and tenoned joint looks prettier than a weld any day of the week, even if the weld is immaculate. But I've seen some pretty amazing welded work also, it just depends on the final situation, the purpose etc. As for your thumb on the hammer causing Carpal Tunnel... I've never hammered with my thumb on the hammer, but I've got CT. I've also got a hofi hammer, have had it for a few years, and have studied the technique, I'm aware of correct anvil height etc, but I still have CT. I had it initially when I was pregnant, and hadn't swung a hammer for a year previous. My mother had it too. My other work is computer based... there's a plethora of causes there... doesn't change the fact that it is extremely unpleasant. I wish Uri Hofi could save me... I love my angle grinders... but I also have some nice swiss made files... every piece I make is finished with a file. Of course I go over bits that need going over with the grinder/flap disc, but I also always like to have a nice close slow inspection over my work with a file, I'm not a silly girl and going to sit and file something that can be quickly zapped with a flap disc, but the very fine details, the file is the last tool to touch my work... :)

Chrispy... You're too nice I like rust too... however, it just seems tricky to sell something that has a "rust patina". People just associate rust with bad... I've got a little squirrel I've made - I just waxed it after it had been sitting in my garden for a year. I love the colour... I've still not decided on the finish for the snowdrops!!! I'll probably go the way of a clear enamel or something, I doubt I'll have time enough to get them to the galv plant...They've kinda gone on the back burner as I've had other stuff that has needed doing- after a long dead winter the orders are starting to fly in, and I'm killing my wrist to keep up, been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome, so I'm trying to work just enough not to set it off. (on the waiting list with the ortho specialist and waiting list for physio... ho hum) If the snowdrops were for indoors, I'd wax them, I always wax stuff for inside- and Dennis your idea of the coloured wax I've done before, but I've melted down crayons into a beeswax mix, good for small areas, sometimes the colour can be a little patchy on large areas, but i"ve not done this enough to have perfected it! In some ways the finish is just as important as the rest. A good piece of work can be let down by a poor finish...

very cool!! I see more owl than raven, but either way it's an evocative piece!!! Bronze talon looks awesome!

Dodge, the photos of the Lily in the snow-the one at the beginning of the thread, that one is hot dip galvanized. The guy at the galv plant told me that the nice silvery finish will fade and dull over time, apparently they add aluminum to the mix so it looks "shiney". The only problem with the hot dip galv is that as you may know sometimes it comes out a bit rough with slag type bits of "stuff" that need grinding off- which can be a pain with intricate work. The photos I just posted with the three together, those ones are galvanized, then powdercoated on top... sorry about the confusion!! :)

Finally got some pics of the Lilies as installed in my client's garden. Hard to tell from the photos but the powder coat colour they chose is actually a metallic, so it sparkles in the sunlight! Clients are happy, I'm happy!

You've had a pair of boots for 25 years??? :)

Thanks again guys, have to say recently I've received a rejection from a possible outlet, and also been doing some self evaluation (criticism) with my work, wishing I'd use more traditional methods rather than relying on my MIG welder so heavily, so it's nice to hear some positives... Always good to strive to be better tho, innit? and Chrispy, yep it can look good here, but right now it's blowing a gale outside with 55 mph winds battering the house, it's snowing and today i've been so busy with stuff (not blacksmithing.. grrrr) i've not had time to light a fire, so it's cold inside too... what is it they say, there's a price for beauty?

Really nice work. Always like to see what you produce!! Bronze accents are class!!

Good stuff, lots of hammering there!

well done! Care to tell us how you did it? :)

I can't bear the sound of grinding, so I wear big ear muff style ear defenders for that. I did try earplugs, but got grossed out that they got so dirty touching them to put them in my ears so I soon stopped... I may be a blacksmith, but I'm still a girl.. ok!!!???? I do wear the ear defenders for anvil work sometimes, my anvil rings like a bugger... but usually they get too hot and grippy on my head... will I be deaf by the time I'm 50? maybe?

sorry to hear about your loss.. if it means anything, recently I re-iterated to my partner that if I should expire prematurely, I'd want my organs to help someone else live longer...

You pick up the kids from school with dirt smeared on face, lines from goggles embedded into your forehead, and scale covered steel toe caps... when all the other mothers are dressed smartly :o

My place of work I call many names depending on whom I'm speaking with or what mood I'm in... Usually it's the workshop. It has been referred to as the Studio, the Shop, the Smiddy, the Smithy, the Forge, the Blacksmith's, sometimes my Escape, and sometimes it's "The Cave" ... Why limit ourselves in this day and age where cleaners are "hygiene technicians" :)

Great work, as Beth said, absolutely unique. Love the colour of that corten. Can't wait to see photos in situ.

I vote go for the workshop with office and bathroom included, but of course that's just me, I'd rather spend time blacksmithing. If you took on the workshop that needs the work doing, Would it really be worth it once you've worked out your costs, ie your time and materials costs for undertaking such a project, and who knows what unforeseen problems which might occur... Connecting to sewer lines (ewww)!??? Perhaps call in a professional, get a quote and work out if that would be cost effective in the long run. You say it doesn't even have water going in at all, I would think there would possibly be a major expense getting it hooked up? Just some thoughts.