ausfire

Du7th, I would really like to see that owl bottle opener when you've made it. I was asked to make a fire poker with an owl handle. Made a few drawings, but attempt #1 finished up in the scrap bin. Haven't got back to attempt #2 yet.

Well, could have any number of uses, but I would suggest it is a ring for a bull's nose. The smaller ring would have a rope with a knot on the end passed through it. Makes it easier than tying knots on a single nose ring.

Someone started to carve a stone chalice, but it all got too hard.

Joel, your leaves have great shape. A lot of drawing out in those curled loops. Now, what is your method for raising the vein? Doesn't look folded.

Wow, some nice work there. I like the idea of the curl on the end of the loop - gives a nice finish. never heard of Gilder's paste, but the colours are great. And well done with the rack - mounting screws included!

I had a commission for 20 leaf keyrings. This is the way I do mine, but I would be interested to see how others make them. I find 12mm round stock to be good for long skinny gumleaves, but I prefer 12mm square for leaves with a bit more body. I chisel in the veins but I might try getting a stronger midrib by folding. Sometimes I thicken the stem and punch a small hole for the ring, but these are just drawn out and curled. So how do you do yours?

Beautiful. Canadians would love that!

Most uncomfortable I've had was about 45 degrees in Western Queensland. That's in the shade -you wouldn't forge in full sun in that heat. Exactly the opposite to snow-bound New York according to news reports tonight.

Smart decision. We all have little projects lurking around the scrap bucket because we pushed on. I like the finish you got with the heat from the wheel.

Good to see you got a better offer. The first buyer missed out! Similar thing happened to me. I had a really nice rose for display, but it wasn't for sale. A guy really wanted it and I told him how long it took to make and I would need to charge too much. He offered me more than top price and I let it go. Made dozens since. For a first try, your rose is excellent. Four banks of five petals, by the look. Same way as I do mine. You may like to try making some serrations on your leaves. (A good way is to use a 3/8 or 1/2 bolt and form the leaf where the threads are. Presto! Instant serrations along the edges.)

Great vid. I admire your ambidexterity!

Gotta be better than the hair dryer, mate! See what Woody turns up... between us we should be able to set you up with something. There are a couple of old Buffalo blowers at my place. Might need pulling apart and greasing, but if you want one .....

Yeah, Woody, I don't know if you've looked in our Axemen's Hall, but we have some great photos of the old bullock drays and the teams, including one shot of a dray overturned. And yes, Thomas, it's important to link the human element into a historical display. We wrote the names of those bullocks and they appear beneath the photo. Here's a copy of the label I wrote, just for your interest: The bullock drivers of old knew each bullock’s temperament as well as their experience and abilities. Every bullock had a name and the team in this photo has been identified by Bill Jackson, eldest son of teamster George Jackson. From polers to leaders, the 22 bullocks are: PEARL, SCARLET, DICK, KNOB, BRIGHT, PODGE, DON, BROAD, STAR, RUBY, COCKY, PUNCH, DUMMY, NIPPER, JUMPER, JOKER, SPEN, BONNIE, BILL, SADDLER, PLUM AND RILEY

OK. Thanks for the comments, and I'll take them on board. I like Thomas's version. I wrote the bit about the axles because (a) they are all found locally around station properties and outback locations and (b)the displays at our village are for the general interest, highlighting the struggles and privations of pioneer settlers. I am not writing solely for blacksmiths here. While setting up the axles display I had a couple of people ask me 'What are those things for?" And occasionally we get a few old timers along who can remember coaches and bullock drays. (We had one old guy who could still remember the names of all the bullocks in his team, in order from leaders to polers). So, in short, I am writing for a general audience. And I'm no expert in iron. I know more about writing signs for bellows cameras than forge bellows. And I may have to write signs tomorrow for antique kerosene lamps, a 1923 Harley-Davidson or 1920s ladies' corsets. But whatever the signs, I just like to get things right - as sometimes I have to defend what I write. And yes, the scrap area will be fenced off for visitors. The signs will be on the exterior fence. Those axles are heavy! As for the rest of the place, Googling 'Historic Village Herberton' will give you an idea of the setting. here is a link: http://www.historicvillageherberton.com.au/

Again, not sure if I have the right forum for this, but Admin please move if you see fit. Beside our historic blacksmith shop we have a bit of spare ground, so far unused and a bit untidy looking with weeds and stuff. Because it is visible to our visitors I have decided to make it into a sort of blacksmith's scrap yard, since it seems as though all smithies of the past had a pile of old steel somewhere nearby. We have many acres of junk, so I scrounged around and found a few old buggy rims, springs, axles and any other useful looking iron to add to the heap. Now, I need to add a couple of interpretive signs, and in particular one about wrought iron. I don't want the information to be too technical, but I do want it to be correct. We have all types of visitors here - those who know nothing about blacksmithing and those who know everything (and let you know it). (I had one know-it-all who informed me that my sign on the forge was incorrect. I had written that the bellows supply air to the coal, coke or charcoal used as fuel in the forge. He said he was a blacksmith and knew that charcoal was never used as fuel. Yeah, right.) Anyway, I have drafted out a couple of temporary signs and would appreciate you guys in the know having a quick look and check for accuracy. Any suggestions or corrections would be welcome. I've added a couple of pics to show what I'm about. Lots more scrap to be added yet, but this is a start: And here is my rough draft of the interpretive signs: BLACKSMITH SCRAP YARD In early Australia, iron was a highly valued commodity and all blacksmiths kept a scrap pile near the smithy. From this seemingly disorganised pile of iron they could select just the right piece for the job at hand. Nothing was wasted – old axles, cart tyres, springs, bolts, chains, wheel hubs and rings, old tools and offcuts of all sizes found a place in the scrap pile. The cart, wagon and sulky axles to your right would have a story to tell. What cruel loads these axles would have carried over horrendous tracks across the outback! Look closely and you may see the maker’s name along with numbers stamped on the axle close to the hub. The crossed axes are the trademark of W.Gilpin & Co. of Hedges Mills, England. The numbers 2¼ and 10 on the heavy axles indicate the tapered stub is 2¼ inches in widest diameter and 10 inches from the inner end to the retaining pin. Similarly, the lighter cart axles bear the numbers 1½ and 8. WROUGHT IRON The long bolts resting on the stump here in the scrap area are made from wrought iron. It has a very low carbon content (0.04 to 0.08%) and is easily identified by its fibrous texture, giving it the appearance of wood grain. If twisted or bent to breaking point or forged at too low a heat, it will separate into strands. Wrought iron is tough, malleable, ductile and easily fire welded and was used extensively by the smiths of the past, before mild steel became widely available. Wrought iron is no longer commercially produced and most ‘wrought iron’ gates and decorative ironwork today is mild steel. “Wrought’ refers only to it being worked by hand. In contrast, the old truck and car axles in the milk can are high carbon steel and the blacksmiths use these to make hammers, chisels and punches. Unlike wrought iron, this tool steel can be hardened and then tempered to suit the application.

Yes, it would make a very elegant table leg, but unfortunately I can only find one of these. However, I have heaps of 1" WI bolts about 18" long and I also have a mate with a power hammer who says it would be no problem to draw them out leaving some of the threaded part on the end to make leaves. I am envisaging a table with the square bolt heads as feet and intertwined vines and leaves (and maybe a WI grape or two)supporting the top. The wrought would give a nice woody look to the stems and I think I can manage the leaves OK if I forge it hot and don't go for too fine a detail. Anyway, a project to think about.

Even though I still have trouble forging the stuff, I have gained new respect for the old wrought iron and I've found quite a lot of it now that I'm sure how to recognise it. This piece turned up in the scrap and I think it's particularly attractive. It is 850mm long and tapers from 35 mm square down to about 20mm. The woodlike grain is well defined and I'm thinking of using this piece to show visitors what wrought is like. I had thoughts of doing the half-way cut thing and stretching out the fibres, but it seems like too nice a piece to ruin. I'll find a bolt for that. And why would a blacksmith have forged the bar into a long curve like that? Any idea about its function?

Nice work, Shel. I like the twist. Stock was 3/4 x 1/4 ? I always find 1/4 is a bit light to get the strength needed after the ring has been drifted out to size. And I'll have to try that textured hammer idea. Thanks for the blade forum link.

Nice leaf opener. Would you post a pic of one of your horse head openers too?

A bottle opener from a railway spike takes me about 45 minutes - more or less, depending on how much time I spend talking to visitors. I could probably do it faster than that, but I don't like rushing. That's when you get burnt. I sell a spike bottle opener for $30 or if I have spent heaps of time polishing it, $35. Ram's head or bullock head openers take a bit longer (maybe an hour and a half) and I sell them for $45. They sell quite well so the price must be somewhere near right. If you make them too cheap you don't have any left to show, and if they're too dear you're left with all of them. I find that people like to buy the one you're working on.

Done. Sounds like a good deal to me. I have an unmarked (very heavy) wrought iron one that might interest you. You'll need more than your motorcycle to get it home.

People do stupid things. That was probably a reasonable piece of anvil before the plate was welded on. It certainly would not be a good working surface with the gap under the plate. However, the gap may allow you to get a cutting wheel in there and remove that bit of nonsense without damaging the face too much. Still, a lot of work to bring it back. As has been stated, might be worth $50, but any more, I'd leave it there. And yes, what's with the horn adornment?

Yep, me too. We've nailed it. Since we measured that one, I've been setting up a display of about 40 of those axles that are in reasonable condition - some heavy dray axles and some of the lighter sulky axles. I found another Gilpin one, clearly stamped with the crossed axes and the numbers 10 and 2 1/4. And they correspond exactly to the inner diameter and length of the stub axle.

Yahoo 2, your maths is a bit off the mark there mate. 10 cwt is only half a ton. And that axle would hold a lot more than that!

A gracious addition to any home. I like the tails on those collars. (Not really collars but I don't know what else to call them. Bindings?) Beautifully executed. Hope the ceiling structure is up to it!