Dogsoldat

Finally had a little more time to work on mine today. Very similar dimensions. Started with an S-cam shaft 1 1/2" dia. Same issue with the hole being a little off and the shank is a little off center to the face. need to clean it up a little and heat treat. That and can't forget my stamp... made another pick in between heats for something to do.

Thanks for that Frank. Nothing beats form and function. I will have to try and remember this if I am making any bbq forks.

Just had a thought and it may be of limited use but what about bending the reigns back on themselves to shorten things up to fit in a box. Since we all have a heat source to straighten the reigns back out.

One of the very first one I made everything was in about the right ratio, but had cold shuts so a wing broke off and another was nearly there. Yeah the neck is to long, head is a little to big, and the wings to short. He just balances on top, drilled a small dimple at his balance point and set him on so when I have time plan on changing him out. Figure another 5-8 tries should make for an acceptable one. You wouldn't happen to have a sketch or link for a few steps in your bugs Jim. I think I am picturing it right but you never know. Sounds like It may be on the to try list.

Took quite a few tries to get a dragonfly somewhere close to what I wanted. Still not good enough but he balances on the top so pretty simple to change out when I manage to make a better one. Punched a few holes through the mounting plate and plug welded with the wire feed from the bottom. With a little more symmetrical dragonfly it would balance on the point and turn in the breeze.

I have my bottle in a wooden box and had a space heater blow on it though a hole in the side (no heat), just the moving air around the bottle does a pretty good job of preventing it from freezing up. It now has an old exhaust fan from an old range hood. that blows into the box. Takes about two minutes from when the pressure starts to drop back to wide open when I forget to plug it in.

True enough matto. Forget at times just how plastic iron is to work in especially with a little heat

The roses are very nice. and my burning question for the day is... how are you attaching the thorns? they must be mig welded and dressed. Unless your just that good and they are forge welded. :)

What hasn't been mentioned is getting the plates welded together minimizing warpage. I'm sure someone with more experience can give you better advice on this, but I would try to get everything tacked together solid and equalize the welding stresses by working a little on each side and work at each end and the middle.

Option A or Option B that is the question. either sounds like a worthwhile experiment. have heard of iron around fruit trees to make them grow better but can't remember my source on that one so it could be sketchy ( word doesn't look right but anyways...)

To add a little more to the fire ;) My great Grandfather use to use fir bark off the fire wood. Doesn't burn to fast and chunks can be used to keep the heat confined. I've seen my dad use his little rivet forge this way a few times so it does work.

Find a used corner bit from a D-8 the hole will be 1" sq and the cutting edge will be 1 1/4 thick. Most grader blades are 3/4 thick and take a 5/8" bolt. So it works out to a 3/4" sq hole for the plow bolt. The D-8 corner bit could be stood on edge and make a decent anvil as well. I used a piece to make a small bick. It hardened nicely in water.

Very nice job, can't wait to see what else you make now! Bet a power hammer will be in the works before you know it.

Better mail that one out to me and try again :) Looks like very fine piece.

Had a nice long post all written up and now it went poof! Heres a few pics of the dragonflies I worked on today. #1 wings failed due to cold shuts #2 guillotine tool I made up necked the neck down to much so it broke off when I nearly had it to shape. #3 modified the guillotine a bit kept the neck a little thicker. but ran out of time to play in the shop as the wife demanded I go hunting and she gets to go for a drive in the woods. Tried to find my way up to the blacksmith cabin we found years ago on the backside of the mountain but never did find quite the right road. Saw a few grouse, rabbit and deer. Only thing I brought home were a few shaggy manes that fried up into a nice dinner. I'm really wanting to get back up to the cabin...

yeah your right Glenn I should have done that... been one of those weeks I think. Thanks for the reminder :)

Been looking for a few different ways to do dragonflies and the only hit I can seem to come up with lately is BIll Epps you tube video. That and a million blacksmith shops with dragonfly in the name. I want to make a small bullrush and have a divot on the bottom of the dragonfly that it balances on. and set the dragon fly on the point of the bulrush so it can move in the breeze. Well at least that's the vision. So anyone else have any links handy or been looking into them. Appreciate any help. After watching Bill Epps video a few times. I am rather impressed with how thin his hot cut chisel is.

Was looking around at guillotine tools and came across this page. Some wonderful work. Most of the way down the forged details section is an interesting wedged band for an anvil stump The bridge work and riveting is cool stuff. Anyways here is the link and enjoy. off site link removed

One thing that hasn't been mentioned that can make a real difference on low amp welding is how clean the surface is that you ground to. I'm sure your cleaning your surfaces well, but it is worth mentioning. Sounds like I have a bunch of googling to do on bronzr welding.

Had to cut nearly every coil to take the pressure off the spring. wowsers some serious power in that thing. there was also a smaller inner spring to go with it. Anyways heres a few pics before my thread gets to hijacked :) As well as an axe I started out of a sliver logging truck spring. truck spring is tough stuff to move. And a side job of the bosses at work. An old T bar pulley from his property that needs the hub welded back in. He has plans to turn it into a sign at the gate to his place.

Hah! Stash sounds like a perfect setup to invite the boyfriends to be into the shop and casually point out the bloodstains... Strangest creature I have is the neighbours boy. Comes to play with my girls and ends up watching me tinker in my shop. It's good for a 10 year old boy to learn a few hands on things. kinda nice to have someone to show that's a little interested.

A little too busy to take a pic or two at work but have some scrap springs coming my way. They are track tensioner springs off of a D-8 Cat. Each coil is maybe 12" in dia the stock is around 2" dia and they are around 4' overall length. I have dreams of hammers. maybe if I have a moment I can grab the camera and take a few pics. Another neat part is the caging rod that runs down the center of the spring. The round end is threaded for a nut that takes a 2 3/16" socket. Then stepes up to a fairly large square cross section for a foot or so then has a 1"thick 3" dia maybe end on it. looks like a nicely shaped stake anvil. Just needs to be cut off and a taper forged on it. Anyways that my excitement for the day :)

Thanks. Wonder if it came from a local mine, Certainly enough of them around. Found part of a riveted chimney next to a deep trench that led to a shaft when buddies and I were out riding our bikes one time. There was a small pad for some sort of power plant and a 45 gal drum with a handle like a pail on it. I should go for a ride and get a few pics and go up the other side of the mountain from the open pit where the blacksmith cabin was. Really need to check it out again now that I kinda know what I am looking at. Had a buddy over watching me make something the other day Swede, he was wearing sandals :) every now and again it was the hop skip and dance away. I know better than to throw heavy stuff around with my little piggies poking out. always seem to get them if I do.

I had thought I had seen racoon mentioned somewhere.

man oh man that is inspiring Basher. What kind of range were you getting with it? REALLY makes me want to hop on a plane and poke though all the corners of your shop and see what wonderous devices are there.