Suboc

Kevin,
I wish you would just buy a good condition NAZEL. You certainly have the machine shop to rebuild one, and Harold and I will come over and run it for you for free.
Dan

And a large candle holder I made back in 2000 that started out as hex and ended up as ?

Thanks Don. I like working with hex. It has an interesting look when slit and drifted, upset, drawn out etc. Here is a large sculpture utilizing 3 1/2" hex bar.
Dan

Thanks everyone...Harold if you ever need mill balls for a project I have plenty.

About the feet.......I heat the mill balls in the forge till glowing. I've never concerned myself with how hot but I get them yellow and let them soak for a while. Then I shut off the forge leaving the balls in and close it up...the next morning you can drill and tap them. Prior to that you can't even touch them with a center punch. The feet in question have a rivet that passes throught the entire ball and is upset top and bottom. On the first grate it is a 3/4" rivet the last grate it is around 5/8".
Dan

Here is a fire grate I just finished for a local client. Forged from hex bar, and utilizing mill balls as feet..
Dan

Here is another shot from the rear of the grate.

And last, this is another grate I made a while back. It is similar in construction however fits into a fire box on the corner of a wall.

Dan

My 100# hammer was sold new in the seventies and came with two toggle arms with the adjustable screw where the spring attaches. I see no advantage with two. Two adjustable knuckles on older style hammers is advantageous, in that you can equalize the lenght of each toggle link.
Dan

I prefer Howards Citrus-Shield Paste Wax for my interior sculpture. It contains carnuba and citrus oils and is TOLUENE FREE. I have used it for years and for me it seems to protect against rust better than Johnsons. I purchase it at home depot although it is also available online. It drys well ( no sticky or oily residue), and produces a medium sheen. Also smells good. They also make a liquid form but I dont like it because it does leave an oily residue on steel.
Dan

Thanks for the track torch info Michael. I've done something similar on a smaller scale, and may use this technique on a future piece that will be fairly large. I'll be checking into purchasing one.
Dan

I sure am enjoying watching the progress of the piece. Thanks for documenting the process. Can you give me some info on your torch set up on tracks. What size tanks/torch does it take to allow you to cut through that thickness of material
Dan

These are clutch blocks, on a new style 100# hammer. You can see them numbered 1,2,3, on the rear of the hammer. The orientation on an older hammer will be different. And last an old style 50# hammer clutch with linning.
Dan

Nice press Kevin. I'll have to come over and check it out. Is that your new location.

Dan

Here you go.
Dan

Its called a drill sharpener used to repoint jack hammer bits and star drills. Is it for sale? Let me know. I may be interested. Danny

Beautiful work. I like the way the lower section on "Aileron" relates to and transitions into the upper mobile section. I'm also always interested in work that combines different materials. What is the material that the "blades" are made of in the piece on the video? It almost looks like stone. Also I have a few technical questions...are you ever asked to have an engineer look at a design when doing public work, and is there a way to stop the movement of the pieces during high winds?

Thanks again, and congratulations,
Dan

I am now...his work is not big enough.....

Seems like no work for a bit....is there a lessen there?

Ric

Dan,
Some of the most amazing forge work I have seen is not due to large tools, but great design...the other was due to skilled execution...when they happen at the same time...wonderful.
BUT
Having a tool to provide an adequate level of whatever (power,speed,precision etc) is a good thing when you need it as part of the design....and...at some point...scale is impressive....a forged 40 foot tall thumbtack may not be "art", but I'd go look at it.

Snow is melting now and its a balmy 34F, of course last week in the shop it was 120F at the roof peak...somewhere in the middle you may feel comfortable.

Ric

Wasn't sure where to post this. Does anyone know exactly what this is. It has sharpener cast on the front. I thought it was an upsetter at first. I know I know it's a sharpener.

Thanks,
Dan

Dan,
I am a big fan of big hammers, but your work may benefit more from a few hydraulic presses.
The upsets can be done with a 50 ton press and a finger..though the design of the press would have to account for the length of the stock or a pass through with a pinch plate or wedges or some such.
The drawing of stock and "setting" of the half laps would go real easy with a medium ton press though the drawing will be faster under the hammer you have.

I have a 24 ton for some bending work and 45 ton for general smithing...I have the parts for a 140 ton that I will have together this Summer..I hope..
If you wish to take a trip you are welcome here to use the tools (presses, 3B nazel and the twister that can do 2" square x4' long) to get a feel for where to go...looks like a flight from you to me (tucson to green bay) is $350 or so. Have a look at the videos I have on youtube to get a sense of the tooling in my shop and at other's places.

No doubt there is someone closer with the same or similar tool kit and I encourage you to go there and get an idea of what you need.

Obviously lack of tooling can be worked around and at some point the tools begin to dictate the work rather than the other way around, but all in all I like machines.

Ric

amazing work man, love how clean it all is, simple lines making strong statements, even more impressive that no powerhammer used.

-fm

Forgot to say nice work.


What is the scale of the items pictured?

Thanks everyone.
Dan

Great work Dan, killer show! Looks like you may need to reconsider that steam hammer

I have been to Dan's shop, and it still amazes me how he makes and handles all his work by himself, with what he has to work with. If there is anyone who deserves a big hammer it is Dan. Again Dan Nice work!

Those are very, very nice indeed.
May I ask, how do you get an exhibition like that? Do you have an agent, do you approach galleries personally? It's something of a goal of mine to be in a gallery like that one day.

Ideally with enormous price tags on, too!